There's a lot of solid material to check out this week, so let me give you a rundown.

• I've been reading C. S. Lewis's The Problem of Pain , and I found a potent quote from the great writer and apologist on the kind of God we would like to have governing the universe (as opposed to the kind of God we need to have governing the universe). Check out this week's editor's choice illustration: C. S. Lewis on the God We Think Will Satisfy Us.
• This week we're featuring a new sermon by Leith Anderson, titled When Your Heroes Fall. Anderson rummages around in the story of Saul and David's tumultuous relationship to find a few lessons on how we ought to treat leaders who disappoint us, even hurt us.
• As Brian Larson mentioned in last week's newsletter, I'm transitioning out of my role here at PreachingToday.com to return to full-time church ministry. More specifically, I'm going to be planting a church. Words fail when I try to tell people just how excited I am about this new turn in my journey—and they fail once more when I try to tell people just how intimidated I am by this new turn in my journey! Though I'll have a core group of believers to help me kickstart things, week in and week out, I will be preaching to many who are seekers. It's a unique challenge that carries a great deal of responsibility. And that's why I'm thankful for this encouraging, challenging word from Brian Larson, What All Good Preachers Do.
• Did you catch the video of Mark Dever, Mark Driscoll, and James MacDonald discussing the pros and cons of multi-site churches? Our friends over at Out of Ur posted the video, and an engrossing conversation unfolded in the comments section. Click here to watch the video and offer your own thoughts on the matter.

And let me take a minute more to point out two areas of the site that you really ought to check out: the Preaching Today Media Store and the Connect with Culture section of the site. First up, the Preaching Today Media Store. PreachingToday.com has partnered with WorshipHouse Media to create a special media store that provides video illustrations, stills, worship loops, and much, much more. They work with talented and innovative producers all over the country to bring you the best visual media available and appropriate for church use. To visit the Preaching Today media store, click here.

When you're done visiting the media store, pop over to the Connect with Culture section of the site. This is a new addition to our site. This collection includes articles, illustrations, and resources for holidays and other cultural events that will help preachers find where the gospel and culture intersect. Take time to explore it each week to find illustrations related to pop culture or cultural trends, skills articles and workshops that deal with issues regarding the intersections between gospel and culture, illustrations and other resources for holidays and special events, a Twitter-like feed of the top news stories that have illustrative material, and an expanded version of the News That Illustrates feature we run in the weekly illustrations.

Grace and peace,

Brian Lowery
Managing editor, PreachingToday.com

Brian Lowery is managing editor of PreachingToday.com.