For those of you who don’t know, Meg and I have found out we are expecting (a child) again. Here is the first picture we have (from Monday’s ultrasound). Our due date as of right now is June 8. We are excited and humbled that God would choose to grant this precious one to us. Meg was able to hear the heartbeat. I thought of entitling this blog “Like a bean in the skin of a pod” but thought that might be too weird. I love that verse that says, “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” Right now, our child is like the bean in the skin of a pod… Anyway, enough of me. Enjoy the picture. Oh, and if you want to send a note of encouragement to Meg, you can do it here.

Really enjoyed this article over at the Family Room on grace-directing questions by Merrit Anderson. He writes:

Here are a few potential grace-directing questions that you can ask yourself and your spouse when the temptation to stay sin-focused wants to linger around for too long:

What does the good news of the gospel have to say about your sin or trial? About the result and effects of Christ’s sacrifice for your sin? (Rom 5:6-8; 8:1)

What does the gospel seek to remind you about God’s plans for you? (Rom 8:28-29; Phil 1:6)

What does the gospel seek to tell us about practical help for right now so that change is possible? (Rom 6:22; Heb 4:15-16)

Questions like these are helpful in at least two ways:
First, these questions are good for encouraging your spouse to see and live in the mercy and grace of the gospel.
Second, these questions can provide clear indicators of where you can care for your spouse, if he or she is struggling to live in the good of the gospel.

Use these questions for helpful dialogue in your home.

Today is an incredible day in the Protestant world as we celebrate Reformation Day, which was the day Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany to protest the selling of indulgences. Hope this is a good day for you. There are lots of helpful things out there if you care to take advantage of them.

Ligonier Ministries was offering the Reformation Study Bible (ESV) for $15.17 through today in honor of this event.

Tim Challies has a link to many online tributes to Reformation Day.

Desiring God has audio on the life of Martin Luther by John Piper.

And, Albert Mohler interviews Carl Trueman on the question, “Is the Reformation Over?”

Hope you have a happy and safe celebration. I enjoyed watching Luther last night to celebrate!

Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. (pastored by Mark Dever) recently had a women’s conference featuring Noel Piper (John Piper’s wife) speaking. The audio of all sessions (including Q & A) is online.

I’m on a break of sorts from the normal blogging scene. Yesterday, 6 of our church leaders and I left Hutchinson to come to Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, MO for a retreat. We had a great trip and good fellowship yesterday.

We were here to be a part (of all things) of the Missouri Baptist Pastor’s Conference. My good friend, Joe Braden, was serving as President this year. He was able to bring in the men of 9 Marks for a day long seminar on “Building Healthy Churches.” This conference featured the excellent teaching of Mark Dever, Matt Schmucker and Jonathan Leeman. I thought the day was very encouraging. I bumped into a friend of mine from elemntary school (among a lot of other friends). This friend from elementary school, Scott Lamb, is liveblogging the conference.

Our retreat will continue tonight with what I hope is God-honoring conversation and reflection over supper, then a drive home tomorrow. Continue to pray for us.

(HT for the Link to Scott’s Liveblog: Tim Ellsworth)

I was walking through the public library recently and I saw a copy of Popular Mechanics on the shelf with an intersting headline. It read: Popular Mechanics list of 25 Things Every Man Should Know. I was intrigued by this list, mainly because I am not skilled in many of these things. I was reminded of a conversation I had a few years ago with some men. We were looking at Thomas Watson’s book, The Godly Man’s Picture (drawn with a Scriptural pencil). We had been meeting for weeks studying the various characteristics that make up a godly man. After about 5 weeks of this, these men decided they didn’t like my study because (and these are their words) “it wasn’t very practical with what they were currently dealing with.”

When we stand before God someday, we won’t be judged on Popular Mechanics list, but we will be judged based on the righteousness of Christ. What are you building into? John Piper recently called for a masculine Christianity. He defines it as:

The theology and the church and the mission are marked by over-arching male leadership and an ethos of tender-hearted strength and contrite courage and risk-taking decisiveness and readiness to sacrifice to protect and provide for the community—the feel of a great, majestic God making the men lovingly strong and the women intelligently secure.

Men of faith, let’s rise up and demonstrate true manhood as the Bible defines it.

The Westminster Bookstore in updated and online. They have a great section of CCEF resources as well as fairly competative prices on many other great items. Shipping is flat $5 for however much you order. Take time to browse over there.

I was recently helped and encouraged by a sermon of C.J. Mahaney’s entitled Hidden in Plain Sight from 2 Corinthians 13:14. This free audio of the sermon is available from C.J. Home Church, Covenant Life.

I thought this map charting the history of religion in the world was helpful and encouraging.

(HT: JT)

For today’s marriage monday segment, I thought I would return to the subject of love. Recently, Meg and I found out we are expecting (a child) again. These are really exciting days as we think about God’s blessing of children happening to us. I remember announcing this to the leadership and some of were quick to remind me about love.

In his book The Life of A God-Made Man, Dan Doriani writes a chapter on “The Three Faces of Love.” Our men recently studied this in SS. To summarize the content, Doriani believes “a healthy marriage will manifest 3 faces of love, labeled by the Greek words agape, philia, and eros. Agape is the selfless, sacrificial, Christlike love that touches stranger, neighbor, enemy, friend, child, and spouse alike. Philia is attraction for a special friend whom we admire due to shared interests or skills, due to their humor or intellect, or due to their personality or approach to life. Eros is romantic, sensual love, when fingertips and lips pulse at the thought of contact. Marriage thrives when these three forms of love join together. (p.69)”

I jokingly reminded the men who told me to love my wife, that eros got me in this position, philia would get me through the next 9 months, and I would definitely need agape come delivery day. Honestly, though, all these different loves need to pervade all of our marriages. As we seek to love our wives as Christ loved the church, we will pursue loving in a way that honors Him and serves our wives before ourselves. Men, remember to love your wife today!