indycrowe

New articles and book excerpt

Over at The Gospel Coalition, I’ve posted a new article on “Your Wilderness Wanderings Aren’t a Waste.” It overviews the theme of wilderness, spanning from Israel to Jesus, and reminds us that God’s ultimate goal in any wilderness season or situation is “to do you good in the end” (Deut. 8:3). Older TGC articles I’ve written can be viewed here.

How to be Led by God

In Psalm 25, David repeatedly asks God to teach and lead him. He uses very similar language in Psalm 27 when he speaks of someone having no parents to guide them in life with wisdom and love (Ps. 27:10), and yet God steps into that role as our loving, heavenly Father and He teaches and leads us on the right path (27:11).

Notice the repetition of David’s requests or comments on God leading him in Psalm 25:

Cultivate Gratitude this November

What comes to mind with November? Maybe you think of pumpkins (mainly in pie form), turkeys, feasting, or the early onset of Christmas decor. While many of have an eye more toward thanksgiving, it’s a great time to cultivate the practice of giving thanks and the virtue of gratitude.

Here are a few resources to help you cultivate gratitude this month.

Here’s a free thirty-day Bible reading plan and devotional. Each day has at least one passage from the Bible related to giving thanks and a devotional related to gratitude.
This content isn’t in my book but it goes with the 30-day reading plan in the back of The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks. The Bible encourages us to give thanks in all seasons and situations. It’s something we need to grow in all year long, but November is a great time to get started.

Endorsements for Your Wilderness Is Not A Waste

With the release of Your Wilderness Is Not a Waste: God’s Purpose in Suffering and Struggles, I wanted to share two of the endorsements. My hope is the book is an encouragement to those in a trial, in a season of waiting, disappointed by life’s circumstances, or confused by where God is leading them.

Remembering My Mom, Debbie Crowe

My mom recently passed away after battling cancer for about 14 months. I’m thankful for her faith in Christ that gives us the peace of knowing her pain has been exchanged with joy. When my dad died three years ago, my mom said at the time that she wished that people would share eulogies or say “all the nice things” to people before they die rather than wait until afterwards. So a few weeks ago I wrote out an extended letter that included this eulogy, as well as more personal memories and encouragements, and gave it to my mom. I’m thankful I did, and would encourage others to find ways in person and on paper to share your love for people before their death.

Here’s a condensed version of that eulogy I shared at her funeral yesterday.

New Book Releases Today

I’m excited to announce my new book releases today with Moody Publishers. Your Wilderness Is Not a Waste: God’s Purpose in Suffering and Struggles can be ordered wherever you buy books, including Amazon, Moody Publishers, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, 10ofthose, and WTSbooks,

The book walks through some of the physical and spiritual wildernesses in the Bible and offers us windows of hope to see how God works in our trials, troubles, and temptations. I’m praying it’s an encouragement for readers!

The Joy of God in Psalm 104

Psalm 104 focuses on God and His creation. In fact, most commentators think the psalmist (likely David) includes references to each of the seven days of creation week in it. Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 104 the poet’s version of Genesis.

What the Bible Is

“The Bible is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed by quartz or any earthly substance. This is a star without a speck; a sun without a blot; a light without darkness; a moon without its paleness; a glory without a dimness. O Bible! It cannot be said of any other book that it is perfect and pure; but of thee we can declare all wisdom is gathered up in thee, without a particle of folly. This is the judge that ends the strife, where wit and reason fail. This is the book untainted by any error; but is pure, unalloyed, perfect truth.” Charles Spurgeon

There are a lot of different ways to talk about the nature of the Bible, but one way of splitting up categories I found helpful is to talk about (1) what Scripture is and (2) what Scripture does. On Instagram and Facebook, I’m posting during August on the doctrine of Scripture, and this week have focused on what the Bible is.

Inside Out 2 Movie Guide

We’re big movie fans at our house, and with two kids eight and under, we watch a lot of Disney and Pixar shows. One we all enjoy is Inside Out 2. It’s so good for so many reasons. Below is a sort of movie guide, with come potential discussion questions you could use after watching it, as well as a few of the themes I like most about it (as well as what I think is ultimately missing from it or falls short in it).

Like most Disney and Pixar movies, friendship is a key theme, but it also gets into how that desire to fit or belong can cause problems. Other themes include the human desire for joy, the importance of our beliefs (which shape behavior), both growing up and watching others grow up, and obviously the experience of our emotions.

Interesting Facts about John Newton’s “Amazing Grace”

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved ______________.”

Whether you grew up singing in church or not, most people know the next few words of this famous song. It has been called the spiritual anthem of the United States. You’re just as likely to hear it sung on American Idol as you are at a local church.

Biographer Jonathan Aitken describes John Newton’s hymn, “Amazing Grace,” as “the most sung, most recorded, and most loved hymn in the world. No other song, spiritual or secular, comes close to it in terms of numbers of recordings (over three thousand in the United States alone), frequency of performances (it is publicly sung at least ten million times per year), international popularity across six continents, or cultural longevity (234 years old and still going strong).”^[1]