News From the Frontlines: August 29th, 2026
- Joshua Budimlic
- 10 minutes ago
- 4 min read
As with every other year before, summer is swiftly coming to an end, and with it, much of the freedom and flexibility that the summer months afford. However, there is a sort of joy in rhythm and consistency, is there not? And what a greater joy that, though times and seasons change, and worldly powers with them, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
News From the Frontlines:
Recommended Reading, Listening, & Watching
C.S. Lewis once observed that an essential part of praise—praise of God, a godly spouse, a good book, a hearty meal—is in the sharing of the object of your praise with others, almost as though your own joy could not quite be made full until you spread it abroad. When we consider the Great Commission, or Sunday Morning worship, for example, this makes perfect sense. It can, of course, be equally true of lesser joys, such as reading great books you once enjoyed yourself with your own children. My son is only a few months old, but I already cannot wait for the day to begin reading with him—a particular joy this dad reflects on in this piece.
Speaking of reading and C.S. Lewis, this article on the importance of fairytales made me think of another Lewis quote: “Since it is so likely that [children] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker... Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end of the book. Nothing will persuade me that this causes an ordinary child any kind or degree of fear beyond what it wants, and needs, to feel. For, of course, it wants to be a little frightened.”
And speaking of fairytales—while these stories may be fictional, they so often point to things that are very much part of the real world that God has created, of which magic is a mysterious part. How should we as believers think about these things?
“Should you delete your social media right now? Not necessarily. I think it’s possible to be on social media and not lose your mind (not to mention your soul). But I’m increasingly convinced that most people should delete their social media and the ones that stay must adopt a more active posture toward it and not allow themselves to become a passive user that is subject to the whims of the algorithm. Both groups, those who stay on and those who get off, must practice the fruit of the spirit of self-control.” Indeed.
James Renwick, a Scottish minister and martyr at the age of twenty-six, reflects on just a handful of things we can look forward to in Heaven. “It would only darken the glory of it to you, for me to begin to speak of it. For who is able to describe that holy place? The privileges of it cannot be told you, neither by angels nor spirits of just men made perfect, who are now in possession of it, far less by me! Not all the angels and saints who have been in possession of it these many years, would not be able to describe it to us! But what we may say is that it is a rest without a rest. There they are for ever quit of trouble, of sin, sorrow, or misery, and there they are for ever restless in giving praise to God.”
With fall swiftly approaching, our small group is gearing up for another season of meaningful fellowship and time spent together in God’s word. I found this article helpful as I prepare the next series we will be going through—and if you are leading a Bible study this fall, perhaps you will as well.
I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight Ligonier’s recent decision to make all of R.C.’s teaching free over on their app. If you’ve been a reader of mine for even a short time, then you know what a significant influence R.C.—and Ligonier Ministries more broadly—has been on my faith. As we enter into fall and schedules begin to pick up once again, perhaps there’s a study or series here that can be a blessing to you, whether in a small group setting, with your family, or on a daily commute.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash
Would you enjoy reading more of my work? Subscribe by simply clicking here and entering your email. And as always, the very best you can do is share my writing with others who may also be encouraged by it. If you’re looking for a way to support my work financially, you can do so via my Patreon Page.
Comments