BCL Online Picks — February 5, 2026
Photo Credit: Mostovyi Sergii Igorevich / iStock.com
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Why would Jesus silence those who speak the truth about him? Why are we both fascinated and fearful when it comes to AI? Find out in this week’s online picks!
1. Why Does Jesus Silence People Who Say Who He Is? (Mark 1)
In this Crossway article, theologian Hans F. Bayer asks a puzzling question from the Gospels: Why does Jesus sometimes silence those who correctly identify him? Far from secrecy for its own sake, Bayer shows that something much deeper is at stake. Read on to discover how Jesus’ mission, timing, and identity are often misunderstood apart from the cross. Read it here →
2. Everybody Loves Their Own Cows
In this thought-provoking Substack essay, Keith Lowery examines the “AI hysteria” sparked by a bot-centric social platform and argues that our fears often say more about us than about the technology itself. Drawing on the phrase “everybody loves their own cows,” he shows how personal assumptions and language distort our judgments. The piece offers a clear-eyed reminder that human bias—not artificial intelligence—is often the bigger concern. Read it here →
3. Tech Rush and Risk
Along similar lines to Keith Lowery’s reflection on “AI hysteria,” Kara Dedert examines the rush toward ever-advancing technology in this Substack essay and asks what our fascination with innovation reveals about us. She considers the risks we often overlook as speed and capability accelerate, pressing readers to reflect on desire, control, and dependence. Lowery prompts readers to consider not just what technology can do—but what it may be doing to us. Read it here →
4. The Key to Contentment
In this Reformation21 essay, pastor William Boekstein takes up a question that presses on every believer’s heart: What is the key to contentment? Rather than pointing to circumstances or self-mastery, he directs readers to a deeper, gospel-shaped source of lasting joy. Boekstein encourages us to reconsider where true satisfaction is found—and why contentment in Christ remains both challenging and profoundly freeing. Read it here →
5. Problems with the Presidential Prayer Breakfast
Is an interfaith prayer breakfast an event in which Christians should participate? In this Heidelblog essay, theologian R. Scott Clark reflects on the National Prayer Breakfast and raises thoughtful questions about the relationship between civil authority and public religious expression. Clark isn’t opposed to prayer or to leaders gathering, but he invites readers to consider how such events can blur important distinctions between church and state. The piece encourages a careful, charitable reflection on intentions, perceptions, and the church’s witness in the public square. Read it here →
6. The Five Solas
In this Reformation Bible College blog post, theologian Keith Mathison warns that in our rush to be “new and now,” the church has too often forgotten its roots. Pointing to widespread biblical and theological illiteracy, he argues that many Christians no longer grasp how Scripture fits together—or even what the gospel teaches about Christ and salvation. By returning to the five solas of the Reformation, Mathison invites readers to recover the doctrinal clarity and confidence the church desperately needs today. Read it here →
7. Perfect Peace in a Problem-Filled World
In this Reformation21 article, Rob Ventura explores how believers can experience “perfect peace” in a world filled with problems and uncertainty. Rather than promising an escape from trials, he shows how Scripture anchors peace in the character and promises of God—even when circumstances remain difficult. The piece invites readers to rethink how genuine peace is found not in the absence of trouble but in the presence of Christ and his sustaining grace. Read it here →
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