On Losing the Ability to Type (and The Ol' Ball and Chain) and more...

I'm doing things a little bit differently today. For now at least, I've mostly lost the ability to type, so am going to try my hand at a little bit of video. If you want, you can click play to learn more. Related Stories - How We Worshipped: A Sunday ... --------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue... - [On Losing the Ability to Type (and The Ol’ Ball and Chain)](#0) - [A La Carte (October 10)](#1) - [How to Burn Out During the Holidays: A Guide for Pastors and Church Leaders Â](#2) [] [On Losing the Ability to Type (and The Ol’ Ball and Chain)]( I’m doing things a little bit differently today. For now at least, I’ve mostly lost the ability to type, so am going to try my hand at a little bit of video. If you want, you can [click play]( to learn more. [Play YouTube video]( [Like on Facebook]( [Share on Google+]( [Pin it!](https%3a%2f%2fwww.challies.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f10%2f260x125_reformed_bp.jpg) [Tweet This]( [Subscribe by email]( [Subscribe by RSS]( Related Stories - [How We Worshipped: A Sunday in October]( - [What’s the Purpose of … Pastors?]( - [Calvinist](   • [Email to a friend]( Losing the Ability to Type (and The Ol’ Ball and Chain);5801791) • [] [A La Carte (October 10)]( It’s rather a slow day for [Kindle deals](. We will hope for better things tomorrow. [TMS Day 2017]( The Master’s Seminary is hosting a virtual open house today. It’s free online and includes several classes, a TMS chapel (with John MacArthur preaching), and a Q&A with John MacArthur. [Harvey Weinstein vs Billy Graham]( “Would the Billy Graham rule have prevented exploitation like that seen by Harvey Weinstein? To answer that, we might do well to hear the words of one of Weinstein’s victims…” [After a Man Travels to The Furthest Reaches of the Known World…]( Mike Leake shares a neat little story about a man who traveled to the far reaches of the world. [The Virginity Test]( I recently read Deuteronomy 22 and was glad to find this explanation of the virginity test it describes. [As Overdose Deaths Pile Up, a Medical Examiner Quits the Morgue]( “With the nation snared in what the government says is the worst drug epidemic in its history, routine autopsies like this one, which take more than two hours, are overtaxing medical examiners everywhere.” [#Hashtag #Weakness]( “We aren’t a people who excel at weakness. We cover it up with all kinds of other, more palatable, words like tired, sick, stretched-thin, overly busy, or stressed. I think I’ve said them all over the past two years of moving cross-country, having a fifth baby, and planting a church. Even though I’ve felt like I was running a marathon under water – I wrestled to view my situation as weakness. I’d rather press past my humanity in hopes of finding my own God-like strength.” [A Three-Step Strategy for Fighting Sin]( Here is a three-step strategy for fighting sin and prevailing over it in your Christian life. [Flashback: 10 Reasons I’m Thankful To Be A Dad]( There are so many things for which I owe gratitude to God, but near the top of the list, and on my mind today, is my children. I’m thankful to be a dad for these 10 reasons and many more. We have suffered bereavement after bereavement, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves do not exist. —C.H. Spurgeon [Like on Facebook]( [Share on Google+]( [Pin it!](https%3a%2f%2fwww.challies.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2017%2f10%2fChallies_Oct8-13-02.png) [Tweet This]( [Subscribe by email]( [Subscribe by RSS]( Related Stories - [A La Carte (October 9)]( - [Weekend A La Carte (October 7)]( - [A La Carte (October 6)](   • [Email to a friend]( La Carte (October 10);5801791) • [] [How to Burn Out During the Holidays: A Guide for Pastors and Church Leaders Â]( This sponsored post was provided by Logos. It’s October, but if you work at a church, it’s already time to talk about Christmas. That says a lot about what holidays mean for those in ministry. Whether you’re a pastor or volunteer, if you’re not careful, you might spend more time cutting out paper snowflakes for the foyer than preparing your heart to lead others in worship. Consider this a Screwtape letter for the Christmas season: three ways you can burn out by New Years—and three ways Logos and Proclaim, which are [on sale now]( can help you fight back. 1. Neglect the inner life. Luther once said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” This was from a man who translated the entire Bible into German, wrote dozens of Christian classics, and ignited the Reformation. There is nothing so pressing that it puts prayer and Scripture reading on the backburner. In fact, the more pressing the matter, the more important God’s presence. While Logos is a power tool for sermon prep and Bible study, it can also strengthen your devotional life. [Logos]( helps you prioritize personal prayer and study every time you open it. The home screen features Bible reading plans, prayer lists, and selections from lectionaries. You can even consult user-made reading lists on any theme, like prayer or thanksgiving. And that’s just the beginning. Base packages come with hundreds or even thousands of resources that engage your mind and heart, making your options nearly endless for staying spiritually nourished during the holidays and beyond. 2. Do everything yourself. A one-man band can never be an orchestra. Yet many Christian leaders attempt a similar feat when planning holiday worship services. Proclaim Church Presentation Software, from the makers of Logos, is a great way to share the load. For one, its developers and designers have already done a ton of work for you. You can choose from hundreds of pre-made templates, pull up hymn and carol lyrics in seconds, enjoy automatic formatting, and choose from Pro Media’s 14,000+ motions and stills, including holiday-themed pieces. That means you don’t have to design or format anything yourself. [proclaim]( Second, Proclaim is built for collaboration. You get unlimited installs, and your work saves in real-time across every device. That means anyone involved in the service can work on the presentation at the same time, and no work gets lost. Right now, you can [get three months of Proclaim and Pro Media free when you purchase a Logos base package.]( Enjoy a free trial just in time for the holidays—it’ll last through the New Year. 3. Study at a snail’s pace. I love libraries, but sometimes I get this uneasy feeling when I walk into one: All of this knowledge, and most of it is totally hidden from me. Not so with Logos. Logos is like having your own research assistant—and that research assistant has your entire library completely memorized. Not only does it scan every resource in seconds, it takes you right to the relevant material. That way no insights remain hidden from your eyes. They’re handed right to you so you can use them. In my version of Logos (7 Gold), I looked up “Matthew 5:17–20” in the Passage Guide, and in less than 10 seconds I got 20 categories—categories—of resources with relevant material in them, from commentaries to theological journals to maps and atlases. From there, I can easily scan the list and click on any item, and it will appear instantly (like the commentary did in the bottom left of the image). [Logos]( Get Logos for the lowest price ever offered.  Now through Oct. 11, you can get [Logos 7 Starter for under $200]( lowest it’s ever been. In fact, you can take $100 off any base package. Plus, you’ll get 3 months of Proclaim and Pro Media free: - Get Bible study software that saves you tons of time and makes your study more extensive. - Get presentation software built for collaboration, so more people can share the load when planning for your services. - Get Pro Media for instant access to beautiful designs, including Thanksgiving- and Christmas-themed graphics for your presentations. Don’t burn out before the New Year. Get Logos and Proclaim before October 11 to save money, time, and headaches as you head into the holidays. Hurry, the offer ends 10/11. [Get a base package](. [Like on Facebook]( [Share on Google+]( [Pin it!](https%3a%2f%2fwww.challies.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2017%2f10%2fimage2-17-380x1024.png) [Tweet This]( [Subscribe by email]( [Subscribe by RSS]( Related Stories - [Is the Reformation Worth Celebrating?]( - [What Is Doctrine and Why Is It Important?]( - [3 Pivotal Questions on the Reformation and the Doctrine of Justification](   • [Email to a friend]( to Burn Out During the Holidays: A Guide for Pastors and Church Leaders  ;5801791) • --------------------------------------------------------------- [Contact Us]( •[Past Issues](5801791/52189706/5c2f476f6532852618ef640a30aa4dae) •[Unsubscribe]( [Click here to safely unsubscribe]( from "challies.com - Informing the Reforming." [Click here to view mailing archives](, [here to change your preferences]( or [here to subscribe]( • [Privacy]( Email subscriptions powered by [FeedBlitz](), LLC, 365 Boston Post Rd, Suite 123, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.