We must not let the danger of complaining keep us from lamenting, or let the invitation to lament justify our complaining.

Saying a simple thing in a complicated way can make an intelligent leader feel better about himself. But the goal of leadership is not feeling better about yourself. It's being helpful.

"You return man to dust and say, 'Return, O children of man'" (Ps 90:3). "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (Ps 90:12). Humility is like gravity. It keeps us near the dust from which we came, and to which we'll return.

An attractional approach to ministry is like menu planning for your kids by asking them what they want.

Local church shepherds, whether staff pastors or lay elders, should foster such trusting relationships with their sheep that the sheep instinctively go to their shepherds when they're hurting, confused, or in need.

Here's a dissertation idea for a biblical counseling PhD student: the use of Scripture in the letters of John Newton. Newton's pastoral letters are a diamond mine of gospel realities applied accurately, gently, and creatively. Exploring this gemfield would be a delight.

One of God's greatest judgments is giving us what we want. One of God's greatest mercies is not giving us what we want. One of God's greatest strategies is changing what we want.

No one has mastered the Psalter. We are all her students.

So blessed by this beautiful Christmas song by Jon Guerra — “Something Bright, Something Shining.” m.youtube.com/watch?v=_WPjTF…

Grateful to see my article "Praying the Psalms in Union with Christ" published in the academic journal Perichoresis. Something profound is happening when new covenant believers pray the psalms. I try to explore the phenomenon theologically. sciendo.com/en/article/10.…

Went Christmas caroling tonight with our pastor’s family. A widow who just lost her husband. A woman recovering from knee replacement. A man descending into dementia. Many tears, smiles, and hugs. People are lonely. They long to be pursued and cared for. Lord, awaken our love.

Young men, set your sights not on what kind of reach you will achieve, but what kind of man you will be.

If I have all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing. — 1 Corinthians 13:2

Suffering is the first assignment in the school of sympathy.

This is Thurmond. He hopes you all had a very merry Christmas.

"Gratitude runs deeper than misery, because grace runs deeper than sin." — David Powlison

Getting to care for another person from a place of tranquility is rare. Our daily call is to love others amid our own personal warzones. Yet as we focus on others, our own anxieties fade, and we receive the gift of self-forgetfulness. davidagundersen.com/2025/01/03/the…

For the Christian committed to criticizing his spiritual family, every church gathering is fuel for the fire. For the Christian committed to encouraging his fellow believers, every church gathering is a feast of opportunity.

How can we help people struggling with anxiety and depression? Here's a starting point: 1. Ask for God's help. 2. Pursue the heart. 3. Normalize the struggle. 4. Share hope and help. 9marks.org/article/how-ca…

Happy to publish this little book with Crossway and 9Marks, coming in July. Hope it's helpful to our churches as we hear God's word preached by our pastors. crossway.org/books/how-do-i…