Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here’s some of the good reading found this week:

How to Hold onto Faith When You Feel Disappointed. “Do you sometimes feel as if life and maybe even God has disappointed you? We picture ideal scenarios for our lives, and sometimes (usually) our reality falls short of our hopes and expectations. Sometimes it’s our fault, and other times, despite our best efforts, life goes sideways. We end up feeling hurt, disappointed, and even betrayed by God. We know He is all powerful and can order the circumstances of our lives any way He chooses, so why this?”

You Still Have to Eat on Vacation, HT to Challies. “When life takes a turn, or when we leave town, most of us tend to push Bible reading aside until our circumstances return to normal. If we’re not able to sit down at our kitchen table for a quiet hour of in-depth study, we don’t even crack open God’s Word. Somewhere along the way, we’ve told ourselves that if we’re not able to feast, we shouldn’t eat at all, not realizing that a handful of almonds in the middle of the night is far better than allowing our souls to starve.”

When You’re Looking for Substantial Devotional Reading. I don’t usually put reviews here to books I have not read, because I don’t want to recommend something I haven’t checked myself. But I love what Michele wrote in the first few paragraphs here about devotions and devotionals. (Plus, I have read one other book from each of the authors she mentioned, so I think they are probably all right.)

A Liturgy with a Pause–for the Killing, HT to Challies.”Picture this scene: A person is sitting in a room. A member of the clergy is with them, offering them communion, with the classic formulation: “The body of Christ (given for you). The blood of Christ (shed for you).” Some other prayers are said. A few moments later, a nurse or doctor administers a lethal injection, killing the person. Is this a scene from some disturbing dystopian movie? Sadly, no—it is the disturbing reality of the state of the Anglican Church of Canada.”

10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality. “Easy sex will keep you from being wise. To make this point, Solomon lists ten consequences of sexual immorality in Proverbs 6:24-35. Before reading my list, I urge you to read the passage yourself and see how many consequences you can observe. Perhaps making your own list will help you to remember these things when you face temptation.”

We Weren’t Always This Way. “I’ve been surprised by the friendships that begin right now, the ones where we step into each other’s lives with decades behind us already—decades in which we did not know each other. Decades we can describe only in summaries and stories. We bring all these years with us into the conversation, yet we sometimes forget that not everyone was alongside us for them.”

Better than Me, HT to Challies. “What is my greatest weakness? A few weeks go by and I know the answer. As I sit on the couch and scroll through my phone I notice an icky feeling bubble to the surface. Social media used to provide inspiration, but it now breeds comparison. I compare myself to others and my past self, able to do more—and do it faster, better, and stronger. I used to fit into smaller clothes, do more jumping jacks, or stay up later. Despite my accomplishments, there’s always someone who performs better.”

What Is a Woman? The Question Our World Is Afraid to Answer. “Between ‘be exactly like a man,’ ‘fit this narrow mold,’ and ‘make it up as you go’—you’re caught in the crossfire. The confusion is real. The answers seem impossible to find. Everyone claims to know the answer, but their answers conflict. But what if, among all these competing voices, there’s one you can actually trust? . . . There is. It’s the voice of the One who made you.”

When Christians Don’t Get Along: How the Gospel Calls Us to Unity. “I don’t know about you, but the thought of being personally named in Scripture because you were causing division in the church is a horrifying prospect. Yet this passage also gives us a powerful reminder: the Lord cares deeply about the unity of His Church, and the gospel is far greater than our differences, preferences, or personal agendas.”

Long-View vs. Short-view Leadership. “Call me simple, but my capacity to absorb ‘revolutionary tips for transformative change’ has a pretty low threshold. And I don’t have much patience with Christian resources that seem to be driven more by marketing than by Scripture. That said, God has graciously allowed me to stumble on some life-altering principles along the way. I call it Long View Leadership.”

No Christian can afford to neglect his Bible. If he does, he will be stunted and dwarfed in his spiritual life, and he will be a prey to doubts and fears, and may be carried away by every wind of doctrine.–Harry A. Ironside

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the thought-provoking reads found this week:

The Heavens Are Still Declaring–and Not Just to Astronauts, HT to Challies. “What seems to happen for the astronauts is that they gain enough distance from the distractions that it interrupts their internal suppression. They move far enough away from the static of everyday life that God’s signal can once again be heard with clarity. And what they hear profoundly changes them.”

Don’t Skim the “Minor” Bible Stories. “While the amount of ‘real estate’ given to a particular story in the Bible is worth noting, it doesn’t give us license to ignore or rush past the little moments. All of it is included for our ‘teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:16–17). This truth opens the door for the ‘smaller’ (and sometimes more confusing) stories to come alive.”

When Christian Formation is Tough, What Will Keep You Going? HT to the Story Warren. “Walk long enough with believers who are seeking the Lord through prayer, Bible reading, and service in the church, and you’ll hear comments like this. Words of weariness. Fragments of discouragement. Maybe you’re there right now—demoralized by division in your church, disillusioned by unanswered prayers, disinclined to open God’s Word when carving out time already feels impossible. What will keep you praying in circumstances like this? What will keep you going to God’s Word? What will keep you in the church?”

6 Arguments Satan Uses to Tempt You and 6 Responses to Use When He Does, HT to Challies. “We often want to change the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. We want to do something about the guilt, the fear, the damaged relationships. These outcomes can be a strong motive for seeking help, but in our heart of hearts, we still desire the sin itself.”

Once a Promiscuous Woman, Always a Promiscuous Woman, HT to Challies. “Tell me you don’t understand the gospel without telling me. I really wish this was a niche belief . . . It seems there are a lot more Christ-proclaiming men and women who don’t understand how far the grace of God can reach. They don’t understand how far it had to reach to save them, too.”

Nothing to Hide: Encouraging Transparency in our Relationships. “Here I was, a biblical counselor, helping others with their problems, and yet I was struggling, too. Should I share this with the women at the study? The study I was leading? What would they think of me? Or should I push through, pretending to be someone I was not? I stayed with my conviction to confess these things from my heart.”

Christians must make dating great again, HT to Challies. “In response to the excesses of ’90s hookup culture, many well-meaning parents and churches told their children to ‘kiss dating goodbye.’ The intention was good: avoid sexual sin, take relationships seriously, aim for marriage. But the unintended consequence was that many young adults stopped dating altogether.” I think the advice here is good not just due to lower birth rates, as seems to be the author’s main emphasis, but to encourage young people in their relationships and to help counteract some of the wrong advice from the past.

“I Just Want You to Be Happy” and Other Things I Don’t Tell My Single Friends. “Proverbs 27:6 says, ‘The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.’ An enemy, literally ‘one who hates,’ may appear to be a friend because she doesn’t offer criticism or rebuke. Yet, ironically, a true friend is more loving because she is willing to offer wise correction, even if it stings in the moment or isn’t what the other person wants to hear. That’s why I’ve stopped using these three statements with my single friends.”

Look for the Light. “My children carefully observed all that was going on that day. They saw my grandmother’s frailty and despite her inability to connect, they loved her without condition. Then, they generously shared their joy with another man they barely knew. How can one not see God at work there?”

“The name of Jesus Christ is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight, and earth’s hope.”– Charles Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I have a fairly long list of good online articles discovered this week. Perhaps a few will be of interest to you.

Gone Are the Dark Clouds, HT to Challies. “If communicating the gospel appears daunting, remember that Christ commissions and accompanies us. Through Jesus’s work on the cross we are reconciled to God, not abandoned. We can talk about this with genuine care and love for people.”

Why Does God Say No to Good Things, HT to Challies. “We understand why God would reject requests contrary to his revealed will (e.g., for provisions to rob a bank successfully) or purely materialistic requests (e.g., to win the lottery). But why would God say no to something good—seemingly consistent with his desires?”

Satan Loves Social Media. “Every other video on the internet seems to be trying to convince women to be dissatisfied with their lives. I’m not just talking about people displaying gorgeous homes and inspiring jealousy. I’m not even talking about the vast array of ads and influencer posts that convince us we aren’t allowed to age or sport any type of physical imperfections. I’m talking about reel after reel of men and women explaining to women specifically and in great detail why we should be unhappy.”

Great Gifts but Little Faithfulness. “I have known Christians who have great gifts but low faithfulness. God has given them much and it is apparent that they are making little of it. . . . I have also known men who have few gifts but great faithfulness. God has given them little and it is apparent that they are making much of it.”

No Little People. No Little Places, HT to Challies. “As Francis Schaeffer would say, ‘No little people, no little places.’ Everything God gives us to do is big and beautiful and of eternal significance. So let’s not miss out on the chances God gives us every single day to make a difference to someone.”

I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow, but He doesn’t always answer in the ways we expected. HT to Challies.

A Key Discipline: Observe Without Judgment. “It can be jarring to worship in a church that adheres to an unfamiliar tradition. Customs may be strange and patterns may differ from what I am accustomed to. And it is at the point of such differences that I immediately find myself tempted to pass judgment.”

Stretching Joy: 10 Ways to Notice God’s Everyday Mercies, HT to Challies. “I’ve been considering lately how to amplify singular moments of joy or beauty that God gives me. I want them to be longer-lasting, more durable experiences of thanksgiving that coexist with ongoing hardship, sorrow, or struggle with sin.”

The Glory of Good Work, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Watching someone do good work brings joy. So does hearing someone talk about how they do something difficult that’s worth doing for the good and enjoyment of others. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” God made us to enjoy seeing people who are good at their work.”

Grace and Peace in an Election Year. “In an election year, loving our politically-other neighbor may feel more costly than airfare with an extra baggage fee! Our toughest cross-cultural assignment may be extending grace to a colleague or fellow church member whose opinions seem incomprehensible to us.”

“If we really want God’s will to be done and His kingdom to come, the chances are pretty good that my will is going to have to be undone every once in a while.” –Elisabeth Elliot