Here are some links we think are worth a read this week.

Rachel Gilson opens up a vital conversation for evangelical churches. "Humans like to be normal. This means most same-sex-attracted people in conservative churches don’t look or act any differently than others. Because they’re committed to the Bible’s sexual ethic, there’s little about their outward lives that would reveal this inward battle."

Sara Beth Fentress writes about the church’s call to love single people, “One of Satan’s most effective strategies is to convince us that we are isolated and alone. If he can plant that seed in our hearts, it can take root quicker than most any other lie. God has surrounded me with an amazing community of people who seek to understand and support me in every area of life, including prolonged singleness.”

Luralyn Helming gives sage advice for social media and cellphone use in the holiday season, “People will be more easily distracted and less able to cope with or ignore distractions, and they will struggle to focus on the face-to-face conversation for fear of missing out on the social media interactions. And even when the phone is down—unless it is out of sight and preferably out of room—it will not be out of mind.”

Dorothy Littell Greco gives practical advice for ministering to victims of abuse in the #metoo age, “Few institutions, religious or otherwise, have a clear procedure for handling or reporting sexual abuse. The church may be one of the worst offenders as we are prone to err on the side of overlooking, assuming the best, or suggesting that victims simply forgive and move on. None of these responses are adequate or helpful.”

Melissa Kruger writes about the importance of sharing the complete gospel with a perishing world, “This may not be the verse you share tomorrow on your Instagram feed. But these are the words of Jesus. He’s good and true. He wants a better life for us (one of freedom and fullness) than the chains of sin we’d mistakenly chose for ourselves. We—particularly those who teach and lead others—should listen to his warnings and heed his voice.”

Jen Oshman reveals the secret to successful Bible study, “If that Christian book on your nightstand or if your women’s bible study points you back to you, please put it down.”

Courtney Ellis reflects on her first funeral, “At the end of the hallway, waiting for the elevators, the woman’s husband stopped me for a hug. ‘We will need to talk about the funeral,’ he said, leaning in so close I could hear the high-pitched whistle of his hearing aid. ‘It would be great if it could feature some clowning. It can be very dignified, you know.’”

Jen Pollock Michel reviews Hannah Anderson’s new book, “In these cases, it seemed we had more great opportunities than capacity, reminding us of the nature of discernment as Charles Spurgeon once described it: ‘Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong; it is knowing the difference between right and almost right.’”