Letters To Brighten a Tuesday Morning

I have been reading Reforming Marriage recently with my wife, and you also posted a video discussing “honoring weakness” which has been a help for me. My tendency is to respond to weakness, especially on my own “team” as it were by trying to strengthen it. You use the analogy of seeing weakness in the opposing left tackle and exploiting it. But if the weakness is your own left tackle, what do you do? In other words, can husbands honor weakness while also trying to strengthen his wife? Should he try to strengthen her at all? If she’s unnecessarily worried about something what does it look like to honor her weakness, and how does that differ from “toxic empathy”?
Thanks!

Cole

I’m not commenting on a post or article . . . but value your opinions and wanted your thoughts/input/opinion.
Many or perhaps most Baptist and other Protestant denominations do not let divorced men serve as deacons or elders based on Paul’s statement . . . a man of one wife.
How do you feel about the issue? I’d value your sharing any thoughts or insights?
It is for our internal discussions and considerations . . . not being republished anywhere. My motivation is pure.
My thanks!

Max

Having spent most of my life under dispensational preaching, I attended and taught VBS for years. As my husband and I leaned more toward a covenant theology, the concept of VBS became more unappealing. Taking the kids away from their parents to preach the gospel instead of trying to reach the parents, just feels off now. I don’t believe people doing VBS are sinning, but I am interested in a covenant view of VBS, and what could replace it, that is more in line with preaching the gospel to the family unit.
Thanks for all you do. You are a bless to our family here in Iowa.

SI

Can you recommend any good books that breakdown the differences between the Presbyterian view and the Reformed Baptist view of the New Covenant? I listened to James White debate Greg Strawbridge over baptism, and the differences in their views about the New Covenant seemed to be a big hinge on which the debate turned.

Josh

This a follow up to a previous question under the heading “Ogden and the Sins of Women” posted 7/21/26. First, let me extend a genuine and heartfelt thank you. I would assume between pastoring, speaking, writing, and engaging in ministry you are very busy. The fact that you take the “everyman’s” letters and seek to respond (sometimes to very hostile letters) is both admirable and appreciated. With that said, and meant, I feel like your response was a tad underwhelming. If I may, in good faith and humor, rephrase it. “Yep, responsibility is not sin, and both husbands and wives should be called out, just like we do.” If we agree the scenario of pastors biasing against husbands and away from wives is a real danger, could we not make the obvious leap that the ones who may be doing it would give a verbal response that may sound exactly like yours. I doubt they would say responsibility is guilt or that the wives-submitting verses do not exist. They would simply come down hard and fast on the husbands’ sins at face value, while appealing to context and any inkling of husbands not acting like mind readers and thus provoking or contributing to the wives’ sins. I suppose I’m not asking if you or Moscow does this. Lol, I suppose the obvious answer would be “no, of course not.” I guess I’m asking how would you identify if this was happening (elsewhere of course, not there) and how would you seek to address the pastor who was doing it (again, assuming his verbal answers sound a lot like yours)? I don’t know if this last qualification is necessary, but just in case. I acknowledge this is not the only possible scenario. The husband really could be a selfish buffoon and the pastor really is adjudicating wisely. The wife really could be submitting and the husband is really not loving. These are real and should really be considered. But we live in a time (until about 35 seconds ago) where being overly conservative was not the same danger as being overly liberal. And I think this scenario mirrors that accurately, at least in some instances. Thanks again.

Anon

Listening through No Such Thing As for the first time on Canon+. In chapter 13, you reference a Chesterton quote you were having a hard time tracking down. While this may not be the exact quote you had in mind, based on your paraphrase of what you could remember, it certainly is the same sentiment.
“Nine times out of ten, the coarse word is the word that condemns an evil and the refined word the word that excuses it.” — G. K. Chesterton 
God bless,

Tod

Sassy Ben, I mean, Ben Sasse, in a recent podcast with Michael Horton “dismisses some Christian nationalism as impractical, ‘Weirdo online phenomenon,'” headlines the Christian Post, 7/18/2026. Of course he must repeat the party line. I wonder if he’d read your article, “Why I Don’t Mind Talking About the 19th Amendment”

Elizabeth

There are times in my life that I have felt like God has told me to do something, but it wasn’t clear enough to know if it was God or not. It comes in the form of a thought while I’m praying, or just a thought while I’m driving that seems or feels like it might be the Lord. There have been some pretty big decisions I have had to make where this dynamic was at play. As an example, I have a current business decision where this is the case—I have a choice between a couple of consultants, and feel like God may have said to hire one. Both are pretty good options, so the downside isn’t that big with either. That said, I was at peace and felt very good about who I planned to choose after having spent a few weeks on the due diligence process—doing interviews, praying, fasting, evaluating merit, etc.—but after this thought of “you should hire this guy” (who was not the one I planned to choose, though he was in the running) I have been in turmoil and confusion and the peace and clarity have evaporated. I am someone who, though I do believe the Holy Spirit does speak to people in this way occasionally, is very skeptical of any sort of “word” from the Lord that does not directly come from the pages of the inspired canon of Scripture understood and in its proper context and applied appropriately. But I get myself in a spot of turmoil sometimes because I do technically allow for the Holy Spirit to guide and speak in day-to-day situations outside of Scripture—not in a new revelation sort of way, but in a “the God of the universe lives inside me and cares about me and I welcome any guidance he might have for me here” sort of way. I never expect him to speak and highly question any notion that He does. To continue my thought—I get myself in turmoil because I technically allow the possibility that He might, and so when it seems like He might have in a situation, I want to obey Him, but where the best option to me doesn’t line up with what I maybe “heard” Him say, that creates a problem. I am afraid of disobeying, but also it isn’t clear that was actually God. To me, this most likely points to 1. this is just my own worrisome thoughts mixed with maybe some not-quite-right theology or 2. the enemy trying to steal any sort of peace I had previously and send me into turmoil under the guise of trying to be “godly” or “spiritual,” etc.
Also, having “peace” about something isn’t an end-all-be-all litmus test for if something is “right” or “God’s leading.” God often asks us to do things that aren’t “peaceful” or easy. Absolutely, He gives peace in it, but the situation may look like a war zone.
Last thought—I really do want to be someone who listens to God and does what he says. That’s a good impulse that may be being hijacked by this subjective “hearing from God” thing that doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it creates problems usually. Then there are times where I feel like God says “Go share the gospel with that person,” and I do it, and it goes great and sometimes it does seem providentially orchestrated. But the flip side is that I already had the great commission and myriad other commands in Scripture to share the gospel with others, and God providentially orchestrates everything whether He peels back the curtain and lets me see it in various moments or not. I want to land at a place where I go, “that wasn’t God telling me that, and I can be at peace and rest in his sovereignty and just make the best choice I can and trust Him with the rest, and not worry about whether He might have said something and whether or not I will therefore be in obedience or disobedience based on what I choose,” but I also don’t want to close the door on it if it really might be Him. I think God is unmistakably clear when He does speak to someone, and if there is ambiguity or confusion or turmoil, it likely isn’t Him. I’m not talking about clear commands of Scripture and turmoil that might come if I am refusing to obey those. The subjective thoughts that may or may not be God are where the turmoil comes. They don’t happen often, but when they do, again, it’s not fun.
Any help you can give here is appreciated.
Thank you.

Chase

My wife has listened to Brian and Lexi Suave’s podcast off and on, and found some benefit at times; still greatly prefers Abigail and Tilly’s Home Fires (keep the tight bond between Canon and them as much as possible!)
Months ago, when things in Ogden started turning weird, I told my wife she didn’t have to stop listening, but use discretion and be on the look out for the weird stuff. Then when the Antelope Hill thing went down, I said its probably time to just stop listening altogether. Her response was interesting. She said, “Actually, I stopped listening a while ago. They were talking about Titus 2 once and they casually mentioned that there aren’t really any older brothers or sisters in their church or circles. So they have to act as the older brothers and sisters, even at their age. I thought that was a really dangerous way to live, so I just stopped listening.”
I think I’ve got a good one.

Nate

Great Monday article!
I was just listening to a podcast about how it’s standard fare in Hollywood to hire companies whose only job is to juice the online discourse about certain movies/TV shows to the point where legitimate news agencies cover that online discourse to give that property legitimacy as a ‘big deal.’ The estimate at the end was that conservative estimates show that well over half of online activity (posts, comments, retweets, etc) come from paid players, many of them even US based. If this is happening in Hollywood, you know it’s happening in every other space.
Your challenge to verify the source of internet commenters was good, but I think it could go farther. I would up that challenge to say that if you don’t know the individual with whom you are arguing with online, the high likelihood is it’s not legitimate. You’re being played.

Roger

About a year ago, I met a godly woman, and we have been dating ever since. She loves the Lord, genuinely cares for the people around her, and I have been greatly blessed through our relationship. Recently, I found out that her mother is diagnosed with schizophrenia. From what I have read, a child with a parent who has schizophrenia has a higher risk of developing the condition themselves (around 10–15%).
I have been wrestling with how I should think about this as I consider marriage. Should this be a relevant factor in such a decision? If so, how much weight should it carry? Or is this something I should ultimately entrust to God’s providence? If God is sovereign over all things, including our health and future, should the possibility of illness be viewed no differently from any other unknown risk we face in marriage?
At the same time, I want to be responsible both to my girlfriend and to any future family we may have. I also want to be faithful to what Scripture teaches and not allow fear or worldly thinking to drive my decision. I’m finding it difficult to discern where wisdom ends and fear begins.
I would be deeply grateful for your thoughts and any biblical guidance you might offer.

Anon

I hope you are doing well. Currently, I am writing a novel taking place in the modern day in . . . well, a nation that is infamously making some poor political decisions (to say the very least). The plot does not specifically “speak” directly to these political issues, since I think it is not necessary, important to the plot, or even fully my place to speak to these issues in novel form. However, the events in the novel are a result of them. Artistic Freedom would, technically, allow for such things, but are there any “rules” or things to consider when writing in such settings? I recognize our current “cultural moment” requires artists to be doggedly determined to respond to injustices in the world, but I do not necessarily see the need. I know this is intentionally vague, but I hope this question makes sense. Thank you!

ON