We have come to the final day of 2014 and are at the cusp of a new year. I find it only appropriate to close the year with prayer–prayer that thanks God for the year that was, and prayer that looks with joy and expectation to the year that will be. Here is my prayer:…
10 Questions to Ask – Don Whitney gives you 10 questions you might want to ask yourself today. (On Brian G. Najapfour’s blog you may enjoy 3 reminders about the year ahead: Don’t worry about it, don’t boast about it, don’t waste it.) What Is a Real Christian? – “In his book Religious Affection, Edwards…
I am a bad blogger. The good bloggers know exactly who reads their articles, how many pageviews they get each day, how people found their way to the articles, who their average visitor is, and on and on. But statistics and I just don’t get along, so most of the time I don’t know any…
Is Evolution Biblically Acceptable? – I’m glad to see Rick Phillips taking on this huge question. Officer Rafael Ramos – CNN: “Rafael Ramos was an unusual cop. He saw the streets of New York as his ministry. In fact, he was just hours away from becoming a lay chaplain and graduating from a community-crisis chaplaincy…
“We are all aware of the growing phenomenon of biblical illiteracy. Mitch Maher has set out to address this problem. His overview, Clarifying The Bible, indeed clarifies the whole Bible. A clear and likable communicator, Mitch knows his stuff. May the Lord use Mitch and this project to turn the tide of biblical illiteracy!” Dr.…
We have all heard the statistics: 50% of people make some kind of new year’s resolution, but 88% of those resolutions ultimately fail. That is more than a little discouraging. But I still believe in new year’s resolutions. I believe in them as a convenient opportunity to evaluate life and to make choices about living…
A Gift from Logos – Logos users will want to click and grab the coupon code which gets you $20 credit. You’ll need to use it by December 31. Don’t Get Too Familiar with the Bible – Here’s a timely warning from Peter Krol: “Beware the deceptive wiles of familiarity — that sweet but double-edged…
Tis the season to think about next season. As 2014 draws to a close, our thoughts begin to turn to the new year. Whenever I consider a new year, I think of how I will approach another 365 daily devotions. At this point I am still undecided. There are so many good ways to read…
We all know that it’s going on, but this article actually explains Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer. The short answer: The worse the normal experience, the greater the likelihood you’ll pay for upgrades. Is Your Church Functionally Liberal? It’s not always as simple as we make it. “The liberal churches I’ve known are…
Friday is here, and it brings a brand new edition of Free Stuff Fridays. This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Andrew Case. He writes unique books, which is saying something when hundreds of thousands of new titles are being published each year. He writes books of prayers—prayers that are drawn almost entirely from…
We know how to do the holidays up here in Canada. After Christmas, we double down and award ourselves a second public holiday called Boxing Day. So I’m going to take it a bit easy today. Here’s A La Carte and I’ll be back shortly with Free Stuff Fridays. Jack Miller has a helpful little…
My family celebrates two very different kinds of Christmas. Some years we head down to the South, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to spend Christmas with my parents, my siblings, and their families. Other years we stay right here at home and keep things smaller and quieter. It is one of those stay-at-home years–we are at home…
We know so little about Jesus’ birth. While it has been the subject of billions of dramatizations and endless speculations, the historian Luke gives it all of one sentence: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for…
Did Someone Else Write Shakespeare’s Works? – Ken Jennings says Shakespeare did it all himself. How to Change Your Mind – Here’s one Bible reading plan to consider in the new year. Beautiful Libraries – Some libraries are just amazingly beautiful. Pride – Bradford Littlejohn wraps up an excellent series on 7 deadly sins in…
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of blog. There are blogs that provide a platform for content creation and there are blogs that provide a platform for content curation. The creators are the ones who think of the ideas and write them out a few hundred words at a time; the curators are the ones…
14 Top Biblical Counseling Books of 2014 – Bob Kellemen rounds up 14 books that will be of special interest to counselors. Craftsman – It is a joy to watch just about any craftsman at his trade. This is a fascinating video of a jeweler doing what he does. Unbroken – Christianity Today has a…
So what’s keeping you from talking to your elders about one of the most important decisions you will ever make? What’s keeping you from seeking counsel on matters related to vocation? What’s keeping you from an honest, denying-of-self, evaluation of God’s call upon your life? It goes without saying that God call men to be…
No one expected that the Messiah would come how he came. Yes, the people knew that at some point God would send a Savior, but they could hardly have expected that he would be born to unknown parents and that he would enter this world in a barn. They would hardly have expected that their…
The Unbreakable Laura Hillenbrand – The New York Times has a brilliant profile of author Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit and Unbroken. 7 Myths About a Pastor’s Workweek – Thom Rainer dispels a few myths. Peter Jackson Must Be Stopped – I agree. And what bothers me most of all is that it will be…
I am looking forward to Christmas this year. Though I have no great affection for the Christmas season and all its commercialization, I do love the day, and I love to celebrate it with my family. I have also been able to preach for the past couple of Sundays which has helped me focus on…