BCL Online Picks — May 21, 2026

May 21, 2026/BCL/BCL Online Picks

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Read about effective prayer, Tim Challies’s new children’s book God’s Great Big Global Church, the biblical meaning of the rainbow, the fear of man’s opinion, and more in this week’s online picks!

1. Teach Your Children About God’s Great Big Global Church

Children need to know that God’s family stretches across nations, languages, and cultures. In this Challies.com post, pastor, blogger, and author Tim Challies introduces his new book helping kids understand the beauty of Christ’s global church. Read it here →

2. God’s Rainbow Sign

The rainbow has become a powerful cultural symbol—but what did God originally mean it to represent? In this Abounding Grace Radio article, pastor Wes Bredenhof reflects on God’s covenant sign after the flood and why its true meaning cannot be separated from his mercy and promises. Read it here →

3. Don’t Bite the Healing Hand

Why did so many reject Christ when he came to save them? In this Substack article, pastor Campbell Markham reflects on Exodus 2, Moses as a foreshadowing of Christ, and fallen humanity’s resistance to grace. Read it here →

4. We Attain Heaven Through Faith Alone (Part 2)

Why does grounding salvation in our performance inevitably trouble assurance? In this Heidelblog article, theologian R. Scott Clark explains why assurance and perseverance must rest on grace alone through faith alone. Read it here →

5. Effective Prayer (or, How To Get What You Really Want)

How can Christians pray more faithfully without treating prayer like a formula for getting what they want? In this Modern Reformation article, Paul Burrell reflects on aligning our desires with the purposes of God and trusting God’s wisdom and timing. Read it here →

6. Fear of Man’s Opinion

Why do so many people go along with the crowd even when they know better? In this Monergism article, minister and author J. C. Ryle reflects on the fear of man, spiritual courage, and the freedom found in fearing God above all else. Read it here →

7. As If

What does it mean that God sees believers “as if” they had perfectly obeyed him? In this blog post, Wes Bredenhof explains how these two small words beautifully capture the heart of justification by faith alone. (Many thanks to the Heidelblog for bringing this article to our attention!) Read it here →