One book worth checking out today is Love Your Enemies by John Piper for $2.99.

What Does Your Tipping Say About Your Faith in Jesus?

Randy Alcorn:

I think it’s vital that Christ-followers not invalidate the message of the gospel by leaving a stingy, ungenerous tip and worst of all, no tip at all. (If you feel like you can’t afford it, you can reduce your bill by just having water, choosing less expensive items, or skipping dessert and include that savings in your tip).

Serving the Community Rarely Fits on the Church Calendar

Dean Inserra:

Long impact takes time, personal relational investment, and can be messy. When folks ask what the church is doing, we quickly turn it around and ask what they are doing. The truth is, people who call our church their home are serving frequently and it is a real treat, as the pastor, to hear about it.

So how is our church serving the community?

7 Lies We Tell Our Children

Barnabas Piper:

We all lie to our kids. Sometimes it’s on purpose and for what we deem a good purpose. Sometimes it’s because we so want them to believe something, to feel better, to overcome a challenge, or to work through pain that we will say anything to try to help. Sometimes it’s because we’re idiots and just don’t realize what we’re doing. Here are seven of the most common lies parents tell kids.

Why the Trinity Debate Matters for the Pulpit and the Pew

Brandon Smith:

The question at hand is, basically, whether or not the Son was subordinate or somehow under the Father’s authority before the Incarnation. No one denies that Jesus submitted to the Father’s will after the Incarnation, as biblical texts are rather clear on this (Matt. 26:39; John 6:38, 14:31; et al.). But the question comes down to how we handle the texts that refer to Jesus before the Incarnation (such as John 1:1ff; Phil. 2:6-11, etc.), and how to mesh all of this with the early Church’s foundational creeds, confessions, and writings.

Stop Trying to Graduate from Leadership Basics

Eric Geiger:

Yet there is a temptation and a proclivity to move on from the basics. The basics are not as shiny, not as fun to tell your friends about. In response, many leaders grow bored with the basics and feverishly chase new or “bigger” things. In pride some leaders say, “I don’t worry about those things anymore.” When leaders neglect the basics, they prove they are leading for themselves and not for others.

So what are the basics?

Are LGBT People Being Damaged By Traditional Christian Teaching?

Matt Moore:

…many voices in this community sharply declare me a self-loathing bigot. They say the words I write about faith and sexuality are perhaps the vilest, most damaging thing a struggling LGBT person could run across. They tell me that my “good news” is a damnable message that has led thousands of LGBT teens into depression and even to commit suicide. They say that I have gay blood on my hands—that the brand of Christianity I promote is directly responsible for the inner turmoil that has led so many gays to their self-inflicted deaths.

Why Complementarian Men Need Complementarian Women

Courtney Reissig:

Just a year ago, I wrote about the rise of conservative Christian women writers and bloggers. And yet, as we address the current debate—which relates directly to both genders—it is men whom we hear from the most by far. Those who view complementarianism as veiled misogyny will say, “of course men will dominate.” But to those of us on the inside, we see the gender imbalance not as an extension of our beliefs but rather as a practical hurdle to overcome. When we talk about female identity and vocation—in marriage, at home, and in the church—we need women to shape the conversation alongside men. My male colleagues think so, too.

What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling Means

Russell Moore:

The Court’s laissez-faire attitude toward the abortion industry reminds me of the tobacco lobby’s work in the legal battles around cigarettes. Nothing but a completely uncontrolled and unaccountable abortion mechanism will suffice. This isn’t “reproductive freedom”; it’s the sacrificing of life and human flourishing for the sake of profit.