Fighting Mice and Paul's Greatest Letter

Redwall: MossflowerBrian JacquesDiscovering Redwall (via the old TV show being available on Canon+) has been one of the best things to happen to our family in the past years.In this prequel to the original Redwall book, we find the origin story of Martin the Warrior, who must face down Tsarmina the wildcat Queen, and bring an end to her reign of terror.Jacques creates endearing characters and writes in a compelling narrative style—though you are confident the good guys will win, it nonetheless feels tenuous and up in the air throughout.As a parent who cares about the literacy of my children, I also appreciate that Jacques refuses to write down to children. He uses a broad vocabulary in a way that feels natural, not pretentious. He handles difficult scenarios—great wrongdoing, death, etc.—in a manner that is factual without being gratuitous. We are looking forward to continuing to read through this series.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Stopping to Think is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.To The Church in RomeDouglas WilsonA collection of edited sermons on Paul’s longest and most famous letter. Wilson does a good job of pressing into present application, and doesn’t allow the theology of this letter to float around up in the air.Coming from a clearly Reformed perspective, I thought he did an excellent job explaining the meat of the gospel in chapters 1-8. The way he glories in God’s wisdom in chapter 11 was soul-stirring.The excurses in chapter 13 about what submission to governing authorities ‘really’ means was a mixed bag. But the word he gives on 13:8, ‘owe no one anything’ was very good. Also, the section on the weaker brother in chapter 14 was helpful.Nothing mind-blowing or new, but a solid exposition of Romans, and it was an encouraging listen at the end of 2025.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willdole.substack.com/subscribe