Although I illustrate my Saturday Sampler posts with whimsical graphics, many of the items I share are anything but whimsical. Indeed, I begin with Elizabeth Prata’s John MacArthur on the coming totalitarianism and antichrist in The End Time. This message may not be what we want to hear, but hang in there for wonderful encouragement at its close.

In The Mailbag: Counter Arguments to Egalitarianism, Michelle Lesley guides us through Biblical ways to stand for godly roles for women. As you read, notice the principles she uses in interpreting Scripture. These principles are useful in working through all sorts of issues that people see as controversial.

My mom always said teenage boys were the most arrogant group she dealt with. But in her article, Four Boys and What They Can Teach Us, Leslie A introduces her Growing 4 Life readers to some young men who refute my mom’s assessment. Leslie gives parents and grandparents helpful tips for teaching kids how to exercise godly discernment and develop godly character.

Specifically addressing parents whose children have walked away from Christ, Barry York of Gentle Reformation writes Weeping for the Prodigal as a reminder of God’s sorrow over the apostasy of Israel. As you grieve over a child who rejects the Lord, allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you through this compassionate blog post and the Scriptures it presents.

Michael Couglan is right: women aren’t stupid. But perhaps we bully men into treating us as though we are. Soft Chauvinism, his article in Things Above Us, challenges both men and women in three major areas where we expect men to kowtow. Ladies, let’s be smart enough to allow men to tell us the truth!