August 6, 2026

Recommendations, Biblical Studies, Church, Counseling, Family, Suffering

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

Are therapists to blame for the rise of adults cutting off their parents? Elizabeth Bernstein on a concerning issue I’ve posted on (see here), “A fter decades of urging families to communicate better and work on their issues together, some therapists are now taking an opposite tack: They’re encouraging estrangement as a means of self-care.”
Wrestling with “Your will be done”: Kirsten Black says, “We can learn to process this pain and disappointment as a form of lament. God invite s hi s children to cry out to him over and over. It rarely, if ever, will look like praying one time and the pain is resolved. Rather, it is approaching the throne of grace time and time again, knowing that our Father is good and kind, even though the circumstances of our lives feel anything but.”

August 1, 2026

Christian Living, Culture, Family, Fear, Hospitality, Relationships, Spiritual Growth

John Beeson

The Cost of Awkward

The next day, the extended family hosted a party for us. As we drove up to the farm, the pressure of meeting a whole group of strangers began to mount. I felt like the boyfriend from the city visiting his girlfriend’s family farm in a Hallmark movie. To quote Megamind (voiced by Will Ferrell), I was “shaking in my custom baby-seal leather boots.”

The men headed outside to lawn chairs while the women stayed inside. I drifted outside with a group of men I had never met and sat down. I had a beer in my left hand like the rest of the guys, but unlike everyone else…

July 30, 2026

Recommendations, Church, Finance, Hospitality, Wisdom

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

You called it wisdom. Jesus called it wicked: Christopher Cook says, “I want you to understand that the third servant we’re talking about (from the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25) isn’t some distant villain; he’s a person who received a genuine gift, accurately calculated the cost of full investment, and decided the risk wasn’t worth the exposure…
The holy work of hello: Stacy MacLaren says, “It may not look particularly spiritual, but I believe that some of the holiest work happening on a Sunday morning begins long before anyone opens a Bible app or sings the first note of a worship song….”

July 28, 2026

Christian Living, Identity, Wisdom

John Beeson

To My Freshman Self: Look More Like Jesus, Even ...

This week I have the blessing of sharing a post from my daughter, Camille. Camille just graduated from college. In her post below, which she wrote as a college freshman, she offers wisdom for herself as a high school freshman. I’m sure you’ll be blessed by the hard truths she wrestles with. -John

Hi high school freshman me! It is freshman college me, writing to encourage you in hard truths that you will wrestle with over the next four years.

As I begin college, I am borderline overwhelmed with the repercussions and magnitude of my sin patterns.

To My Freshman Self: Look More Like Jesus, Even if it Means Rejection

July 23, 2026

Recommendations, Marriage, Prayer, Vocation

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

What it means that Christ is praying for you today: Dave Harvey says, “Now, because of our Advocate, we receive what Christ deserved: a full hearing before our loving Father. We are not beggars hoping heaven might notice us. We are beloved children invited to make our requests known to God (Phil. 4:6). Christ was forsaken so we could be heard. His advocacy means our prayers reach the throne.”
One at a time: Andrea Sanborn wants us to consider something about how Jesus performed his miracles, “Most of his healing miracles were simply performed for one person.