I’m the pastor of FBC Jackson in Jackson, Alabama. Each week, I post “Article Roundup: Helpful Reads,” sharing articles that I believe will benefit the saints who make up FBC Jackson and followers of Christ everywhere. Happy reading!

The Roots of Roe Still Grow: Pro-Life Challenges in the New Administration by Scot Klusendorf

President Trump is back in office. That said, there are still significant challenges facing the pro-life cause. Scot Klusendorf believes we should be aware of them, and I agree. “Instead of waiting for more favorable political winds, Christian leaders can equip rank-and-file pro-lifers to dig in for a decades-long fight of refuting misconceptions and arguing persuasively for their views. . . . Instead of hyping pro-life advocates with a false sense of victory, we need to get to work arming them with persuasive arguments that can compete in the marketplace of ideas. That must happen no matter who occupies the White House.”

15 Ways to Fight Lust with the Sword of the Spirit by Kevin DeYoung

We live in a hyper-sexualized culture; nevertheless, the Bible, the sword of the Spirit, gives us everything we need to fight lust! “The seventh commandment doesn’t just forbid adultery and pornography. It forbids every action, look, conversation, thought, or desire that incites lust and uncleanness.So how in the world, in this world we live in, and with our sex-saturated hearts, can we obey the seventh commandment? Let me suggest fifteen passages of Scripture that can help us fight lust and the temptation to sexual immorality.”

Books about the Challenges of Parenting by Tim Challies

Are you looking for books to help you parent your children in the midst of this present evil age? Challies lists a handful of them. “Every generation of parents faces challenges as they raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. While some challenges are the same from age to age, others are unique to a particular time and context. Perhaps the greatest challenge of our day relates to new notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Today’s parents need to equip themselves to understand these issues and train their children in them. Thankfully, we have many excellent resources available to us. Though I haven’t read them all, I have read quite a few. Here are some of the ones I most often recommend.”

Improving Our Listening to Sermons by Simon van Bruchem

I’m thankful for this article. Simon van Bruchem offers three quick ideas on how to listen to sermons more effectively. “Sermons are not lectures; they are intended to persuade you of something. They should lead to action, not only to increased knowledge. We should always ask what to do in response to what we have heard. Maybe the right response is to cry out to God in thanks! Maybe we need to work on some aspect of our lives, or include something in our prayers for the week, or take some action to stop doing something. Whatever it is, don’t walk away and do nothing. Think of something you can do towards it, and make the time to do that thing.”

The Many Benefits of Sharing Jesus by Joe M. Allen III

We’re prone to neglect the discipline of evangelism. That said, here’s a great article listing nine benefits of sharing your faith with those who are lost and separated from God. “If we want to grow spiritually, we will include evangelism as a regular rhythm of life. Why? Because the Bible gives strong warnings about being merely a hearer of the word, not a doer (James 1:22–25; Hebrews 5:12–14). Always learning but never sharing quickly turns your life into a spiritual swamp rather than the river, the channel, the conduit of blessing that God created you to be. As a friend of mine often says, ‘Beware of letting your knowledge outpace your obedience.'”