Leslie A published The Sick Toddler on Growing 4 Life late last Saturday, so I decided to sneak it into this week’s curation. We all need this wake up call to take spiritual medicine, even (or perhaps especially) when it’s distasteful.

Taking on a popular idiom, Ryan Higginbottom of Knowable Word writes Context Matters: My Cross to Bear. American culture has really watered down that idea of bravely suffering, and Ryan brings us back to Jesus’ original intent in saying His followers must take up our crosses. The true meaning of the maxim isn’t as comforting as many people suppose.

Present-day women’s ministry looks vastly different from how women in the New Testament ministered, according to The End Time author Elizabeth Prata. She demonstrates her point in Women’s ministries then and now, using gentle humor and a good grasp on God’s Word.

Do you ever wonder about the spiritual armor Paul describes in his Ephesians 6? If so, read Clothed in the Armor of Christ by Cindy Matson at Bible Study Nerd for a wonderful look at this famous passage. You might be a little surprised at Cindy’s perspective on the topic, but think about it. That’s all she asks.

I’ve been reading Flawed and Faithful for a number of weeks, and I like what I see! Her recent article, Why The Law of Attraction is Demonic, gives a clear warning against popular philosophies that promise power over circumstances. As someone who toyed with the occult and New Age teachings before I came to Christ, I appreciated this sound counsel. Even if you’ve never been tempted in this direction, the information she supplies can be useful as you witness to people.

Over at excatholic4christ, Tom reminds us that Sanctimonious dumbness is at best a poor evangelistic strategy. His words make me think about some of the things I post on Twitter. As I recall, Jesus never condoned self-righteous attitudes or behavior.

Easter may be over, but we can continue drawing insight from the Resurrection narrative. For example, Andrew Kerr writes Dispelling Unbelief in Gentle Reformation to explain why people reject the Gospel so easily and what we can do to encourage them toward faith.

I know I’ve already shared one essay by Elizabeth Prata this week, but Satan is a good counterfeiter fits so well with Andrew Kerr’s post that I couldn’t justify neglecting to include it. As an added bonus, you could use the Scriptures Elisabeth gives to start your own topical Bible Study on Satan. I’d guess that such a study would ultimately teach you more about God’s truth.

Throwback Thursday: Let Me Count the Ways: 75 Ways Women Can Biblically Minister to Others by Michelle Lesley comes amid increasing debate on Twitter. Even women who once held solid Biblical positions have migrated to the egalitarian camp, demanding that churches elevate women to authority. Michelle thankfully brings us back to reality by listing ministries that women can do without violating God’s Word.

SlimJim of The Domain for Truth lets us peek at some preliminary notes he’s taken in preparation for a sermon he’ll preach in the future. In these notes, he points to the truth that Prayer is mightier than the Sword as he reflects on Exodus 17:8-16. You’ll get helpful teaching on prayer, but also a glimpse into the hard work pastors do to bring us God’s Word each Sunday. Maybe his article will even inspire you to pray for your own pastor.