Here are some of the thought-provoking reads found this week:

Abortion vs. Free Speech. “Which of these election issues is more important to a believer?” The writer gives some compelling reasons why free speech might be, partly because we need it to speak out about abortion and other things. Some of the links to incidents curtailing free speech are frightening.

Suicide–When Hope Runs Out, HT to Challies. Reason people commit suicide, reasons not to.

When Resilience and Grit Aren’t Enough, HT to Challies. “I have pretty high odds, statistically, of having numerous, overwhelming problems as an adult, whether mental or physical, relational or marital, financial or housing-related. But in all of those areas, despite the odds, I’m doing okay—and immensely better than the generation before me in my family. Why is that?”

Where Are the Children? HT to Challies. “For many of us, apprehension about the faith of our children and the young people we care about runs deeper than concerns about how they will provide for themselves, whether they will find a spouse, or even if they will enjoy good health. Nothing is more critical than where they stand on this issue because it undergirds and informs everything. Yet, despite its importance and the significant influence God has given parents in guiding children’s faith, we struggle to wield that influence well.”

What a Rare Brain Tumor Is Teaching Me about the Art of Remembering and Forgetting, HT to Challies. God tells us to remember some things and forget others, but we so often get it backwards. A brain tumor affecting memory and cognition has taught the writer more along these lines.

How Do I Serve Without Becoming a Doormat? HT to Challies. “’How do you serve without becoming a doormat?’ This question, posed to me during a marriage counseling session, gets to the heart of a common misunderstanding of the biblical call to serve others. The short answer is that Jesus’s call never entails allowing another person to assert their will over you as you passively obey. However, we often struggle to understand key distinctions due to our failure to properly define our words.”

The Dutiful Introvert. “There was a time in my life when I allowed introversion to provide a ready excuse when I did not want to do something—when I did not want to accept an invitation, attend a gathering, or meet a new person. After all, why would I do something that clashes with my personality, that drains me, and that I can find exceedingly difficult?”

An Upside-Down Guide to High School, HT to Challies. “Within moments of high school, my subconscious was flooded with expectations, ideals, and possibilities for a happy life. Fast forward four years and I now have my diploma in hand and high school in the rear view mirror. Looking back I can confidently say my hopes were not all they were cracked up to be (but there is truth in all of them).”

Writing Prayers for Others, HT to Challies. “Especially when someone is suffering, I’ve found that a written prayer that includes the kinds of things I’m already praying ministers more effectively to my hurting friends than simply writing: “I’m praying for you.” I’ve also found that it is a helpful way of communicating to Christian friends the kinds of virtues that I’ve been praying will develop in their lives.”

Why We Haven’t Turned Off Our Live Stream. Stephen Neale responds here to a post by Tim Challies asking Is It Time to Stop Steaming Your Service? Both raise good points, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. My own two cents: we have appreciated live stream quite a lot both in visiting churches and in being able to watch while home sick. I don’t think we have to worry about whether we’re enabling people to avoid being part of a church. That’s not our purpose when we live stream, and if people misuse it, that’s between them and the Lord. I also don’t think we need to turn the service off during communion to emphasize that the people at home aren’t actually there–they’re aware and feel out-of-it as it is. I also think it’s good to acknowledge those who are watching online, though not entirely necessary. In our current church, the person making announcements will sometimes say something like, “We’re glad you’re here, in person or online.” At one church we visited for several weeks, the pastor would look into the camera directly and invite watchers to come in person or to call him if they had a need.

A Season of Singleness: Confronting the Coaches. I don’t know if we realize how much we wound young people when we try to “fix” their singleness with glib, thoughtless advice. Katie shares some godly responses.

How to Ask a Girl Out, HT to Challies. “If you are rolling your eyes about whether or not we even need this article, you may be losing touch with the current cultural climate and the effects of the internet-age.” It’s one of my parental regrets that we spent more time emphasizing to the boys not to pair off too soon, but didn’t go into the positive aspects of how to date and build relationships.

Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways;
He is the only way.–A. W. Tozer