Writing for the Glory of God and the Good of His People
GCD Newsletter – Thursday, February 8, 2024
I love that GCD not only posts good Christian content but also helps train Christian writers. I try to play a small part in that training with a series we call the Writers’ Coaching Corner. Each month I take one paragraph from a GCD article to highlight some aspect of what makes for good writing, pointing out what made the writing work so well and how we can incorporate more of that writerly goodness into our craft. This month I use an article by GCD staff writer James Williams called “Fighting Bitterness with Beauty When Prayers Go Unanswered” to discuss the principle that good writing puts readers there.
Related to writing, I should mention that our Writers’ Guild will be hosting a panel discussion about book publishing. I will lead a conversation with some of our GCD staff writers to represent different aspects of self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing. We’ll talk to each other for a bit, and then open it up to questions about agents and acquisitions and anything else you want to discuss. The hope will be to encourage one another to pursue book publishing for the glory of God and the good of his people. The event will be on Wednesday morning February 28 from 9:45–11 am EST. It’s only open to Guild members, so be sure to join if you haven’t already (here).
I have one final resource to mention. Myra Dempsey has been a staff writer for several years. She recently stepped back from the GCD team to focus on other projects. We’re thankful for her time on our team and excited about her new endeavors. One of them is a new podcast called Dying to Heal. It’s about emotional healing and freedom from shame, all from a gospel perspective. We encourage you to check out the first episode here.
Thanks for reading (and watching and listening!),
Benjamin Vrbicek
Managing Editor
Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Last Week at GCDiscipleship.com
When You Can’t Conquer Sin by January 31st
By Lara d’Entremont
January: the time of year when we all decide to be entirely sanctified in one month. We choose a sin we struggle with, develop a five-step plan that can be completed in thirty-one days, and we decide that by February we will have shaken loose our chains. But February comes, and even if we stick with the plan perfectly, the sin still shows up the morning of the first.
Called to Suffer: Faith Reflections from a Cancer Oven (#18)
By Tim Shorey
Tim Shorey, one of our staff writers, is journaling through his struggle with stage 4 cancer. In this entry he explores what the Bible says about God’s calling to suffer and how that can give us comfort.
Selfless Self-Control in a Selfish Society
By Stephen McAlpine
In this excerpt from the recently released Futureproof, author Stephen McAlpine reminds readers of the many purposes for self-control in the Christian life.