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Magazine, Past Issue
Nov/Dec 2025 issue
WHAT'S INSIDE: You can't fight screens with nothing
Given how popular our summer screen-fast challenge was, it’s evident that our tech usage is an issue that deserves ongoing attention in Christian homes. It was great so many of us could take a break from our phones, but if we’re going to limit our screen-time for the long-term, we need to think of what we’re going to do instead. So, what alternatives do kids (and adults) have to screens?
1. Get outside
One option: in this issue, school teacher Dave Penninga shares stories from his own childhood to speak to the impor- tance of risky play. He’s also working from Jonathan Haidt’s recent book The Anxious Generation - How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penninga makes the case for parents to back off some, and allow more unsupervised outdoor play.
2. Stack bricks – our “Building Block” contest is back!
Lego is another great alternative to screens. Earlier this year, more than 500 youth pulled out their bins of Lego and entered our first-ever “building block” contest. It’s back and in time for Christmas break. Be sure to point your little, and not-so-little, ones to the back cover for details.
3. Write or record – we need you to share your training, experiences, wisdom, or story
In light of what we confess in Lord’s Day 12 of the Heidelberg Catechism, that every Christian shares in Christ’s anointing as a prophet, priest, and king, we are grateful to launch a new contest where you have an opportunity to share your own message in writing, audio, or video. Perhaps you have training and education that would be a huge help to others, or you have experienced a trial and have learned lessons that you could share to the benefit of many. Maybe you have a story to encourage or warn your siblings in Christ. This is your opportunity to inspire and bless Christ’s Church!
Not only could your work be published, thanks to the generosity of a donor, there is a whopping $7,000 in cash prizes! Find the details on pages 2-3.
Keep the printing presses rolling
As the year draws to a close, we respectfully remind our readers that Reformed Perspective is only able to publish this magazine (and produce many other resources) and give it away for free because of the generosity of people like you, who recognize the importance of thinking, speaking, and acting for God’s glory. As you can read on pages 82-83, our donors allowed us to take 4 big steps forward this year. Are you willing to help keep the presses rolling through 2026?
We have three options for you to read the magazine. First up is the flipbook edition, with its turning pages. Below that, you can click the cover to view the pdf in your browser, or click here to download the PDF (13 mb)
INDEX: RP Contest: Your Turn / What will Canada look like in 2040 / Vera's story: the fight for her life... / Why Charlie Kirk's death hit so hard / The importance of risky play / Introducing the ARPA Academy / Why you (or someone you know) should plan to go to Calgary's 2026 Summit Reformed Young Adult Conference / Why I don't have a bucket list / Christine Farenhorst's annual Christmas story: Learning / Interview with an artist: Paul Roth loves painting her studio / Come & Explore: Have you ever wondered... / Why it's good for teens and kids to do chores / In a Nutshell / Post Tenebras Lux: Martin Luther and the road to Reformation / More than the magazine / E.D. Update: our donors enabled us to take 4 big steps forward in 2025 / RP contest: can you build it better?
News
Saturday Selections – Nov. 8, 2025
The baptism rap battle you never knew you needed
This is the best of what A.I. can give us. Here's a rapping, axe-playing, Jonathan Edwards rebutting Charles Spurgeon’s case for adult baptism. Hilarious, and downright insightful too.
Old earth vs. young: what are the differences between these two views? (10 min. read)
Is the earth less than 10,000 years, or older than 4 billion? This comparison and contrast highlights where young earth creationism, old earth theistic evolution, and progressive creationism land on things like:
- was there death before the Fall?
- how was Man created?
- was the Flood global?
If you ask A.I. for marriage advice, it'll probably tell you to get divorced
It's vital we understand A.I.'s limitations. What we are getting back from it is oftentimes simply an average of all the answers it finds across the Internet, so if the 'net, as a whole, is wrong about something, that's what you are going to get back. And when it comes to marriage advice, there is a lot of the bad sort.
Crime linked to missing dads
J. Warner Wallace details here, what can happen when dad disappears:
"During my years working the gang detail in Los Angeles County, I met countless young men and women caught up in the world of gangs. Over time, a single theme emerged – one that cut across backgrounds, neighborhoods, and stories. Nearly every gang member I encountered suffered from the same affliction: a profound lack of dad."
Stranger things of the OT: Giants
"The term 'giant' appears only seven times in most modern translations of these two passages (2 Sam. 21:15–22; 1 Chron. 20:4–8), but in the King James Version it appears over 20 times."
(Real Talk recently did an episode that touched on some of the stranger things of the OT too.)
Style vs. substance
Here's a fantastic musical debate about whether it's most important to say things with flair, or say something important. Or, to let the two combatants frame it:
GIRL 1: Who cares if the whole world's watching
If you aren't saying something of meaning
GIRL 2: Who cares what the crap you're saying
If nobody's watching, nobody's hearing
I've been involved in 10+ political campaigns, and this struck a chord – I was involved in a Christian Heritage Party campaign where the candidate seemed content to put out important but blandly-presented materials – stuff that got filed into the recycle bin immediately – and I've been part of campaigns where all the candidate was offering was graphically appealing signs and brochures and even swell sounding speeches, but all of which didn't say much of anything at all. They shied away from the real issues our culture is contending with – they refused to talk about God.
So, what's the answer then to the style versus substance debate? It's about pairing, not contrasting, the two. God crafted His temple (Ex. 31:1–5), His world (Ps. 19:1), and us too (Ps. 139:13–14) – He is all about style. But what does He use His style to declare? His glory!
How's that for substance!
Today's Devotional
November 8 - Tempted to lazy-praying
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20-21
Scripture reading: Psalm 47:1-9
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Today's Manna Podcast
How does one become free from sin?
Serving #1020 of Manna, prepared by J Huijgen, is called "How does one become free from sin?".
