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!

A Clear Moral Divide: It’s Not Hard to Explain Why Christians Vote Republican by Andrew Walker

I’m grateful that Andrew Walker continues to address this topic. “Once it is understood that the political divide in contemporary America is, at its core, a moral divide—and that moral reasoning is inescapably shaped by underlying religious or metaphysical commitments—it follows that the fundamental distinction between the major political parties lies in the extent to which each permits itself to be guided by religiously informed moral values. While party identities may evolve over time, the modern Democratic Party has become institutionally aligned with a secular progressive framework that is, in its foundational assumptions, incompatible with a biblical moral vision.”

The End for Which God Created the World by Kevin DeYoung

A stream of gratitude should flow from our hearts and mouths as we reflect on God’s work of creation. “We must never suppose that God created the cosmos out of lack—because he wanted a relationship, or he wanted someone to love. God did not create the world because he was thirsty. Rather, God created the world because it is the nature of a fountain to overflow. Creation is the super-abundance of divine goodness, beauty, mercy, love, wisdom, power, sovereignty, self-sufficiency, self-existence, justice, holiness, faithfulness, and freedom.”

Do You See the Holy Spirit by Sinclair Ferguson

When Sinclair Ferguson writes about the person of the Holy Spirit, you should read it! “So, for all the repetition of the mantra that the Holy Spirit is no longer “the forgotten person of the Godhead,” it is questionable whether we enjoy richer, more intimate communion with the Spirit himself. So, the lingering question (at least for me) remains this: Who is the Holy Spirit? How can I think what Spirit dwells within me?”

How the Exile is Relevant for Christians Today by Nicholas Piotrowski

Church, we’re almost home! “Between Jesus’s first and second comings, we are in the last chapter of history. For in Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the ages have shifted. We have entered into the time when the man Jesus Christ has launched our homecoming. The major turning point of history, therefore, is not the Enlightenment, the founding of America, or the last election. It’s not your birthday or recent promotion or dismissal. It is the time in history when God entered the creation in Christ and commenced the church’s return to the presence of God—now in the church’s worship (Heb. 12:18‒25) and soon in that new creation world without end (Heb. 12:26‒27).”

A Word on Diligence by Blake Long

Articles like this are always timely. Perhaps that’s because I often find myself misusing time. “Be intentional, believer, about your diligence unto the Lord. Make the best use of your time. We won’t be perfect, but we want to glorify God with our time. Whether it’s social media, TV, or the like, it’s not the consumption that is the problem (although it sometimes can be), but it’s the over-consumption. We replace Bible-reading with binge-watching the latest show on Netflix. We replace prayer with mindlessly scrolling through reels. We replace our spiritual disciplines with different things that distract us. God has called us to more than that.”