There are some hymns that disappear because they are simply not very good. There are some hymns that disappear because they are too tied to a particular niche. And there are some hymns that disappear because their language becomes antiquated. I think this hymn/poem by John Newton spans the latter two categories. It is closely…
Weekend A La Carte: A resolution rooted in grace / Will Jesus return in 2024? / No one shared the gospel with me / How do I get over certain anxiety triggers? / Psalm of collective lament / John Piper on those times Bible reading feels flat / Kindle deals / and more.
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by The Master’s Academy International (TMAI). They are giving away the 42-volume Essential MacArthur Library set. The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is a worldwide network of pastoral training centers that equip indigenous church leaders to preach the word and shepherd their people. They have 19 Training Centers around…
A La Carte: A few thoughts about personal resolutions / Pope Francis, LGBTQ, and semi-pelagianism / How your year turned out / Plan to grow / What were Mary and Joseph doing after Jesus was born? / and more.
Speaking broadly, there are two approaches to daily Bible reading: reading for intimacy or reading for familiarity. Intimacy with the Bible comes by slow, meditative reading that focuses on small portions—deep study of books, chapters, and verses. Familiarity with the Bible comes through faster reading of larger portions—the entire sweep of the biblical narrative. Both are perfectly good…
A La Carte: Should Christians drink alcohol? / Is everything going wrong in the world? / leading your family out of the post-holiday blues / A wasp without a stinger / How to cultivate and develop student leaders / and more.
A La Carte: Should pastors encourage secular therapy? / Top 10 YouTubes of 2023 / We didn’t expect you to come this way / Sinclair Ferguson on devotional habits and resources / Prayers for when Bible reading is hard / and more.
A La Carte: A theology of getting fired for your faith / Free eBook / Reading Scripture rightly / What’s the real cost of our giving? / Cultivating honesty / What’s the point of waiting? / and more.
This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care, and written by Cameron Woodall , which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor. “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.” – 2 Samuel 11:27b This verse comes after one of the most famous stories in the Bible. King David abuses his authority and privilege…
Christmas A La Carte: Puppy points and God’s free gifts / Peace on earth: Middle East? / Dreaming of a white Christmas, or heaven / When every day is Christmas no day will be / The larger longing / Advent and expectations / and more.
It is one of the most important habits that any married couple can form. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most rare. For a husband and wife to live well together before the Lord, they must pray together. For a couple to honor God in their marriage, they must be as intimate spiritually as…
Weekend A La Carte: Meet the Messiah who came to serve / What do we actually know about the three wise men? / What now for those evangelicals from fled to Rome? / The United Methodist reckoning / Was Spurgeon really anti-Christmas? / In the fog, there are tidings of comfort and joy / and…
I am so glad that the holiday season is finally upon us. And as much as I enjoy all the feasts and festivities, what I’m most looking forward to is days of rest and times with family. We anticipate that the next couple of weeks will be fairly low-key, and that’s okay by us. 2023…
A La Carte: When a pastor falls / The rewards of faithful suffering / A peanut butter and jelly Christmas Eve / True rest / Who is this one lying in the manger? / Why such a lowly birth? / and more.
Thursday A La Carte: Where is the source of your joy this Christmas? / Good new of great joy that will malform all the people / The icing on the cake of Pope Francis / When did multiple services begin? / Christmas in a foreign land / Fading glory and permanent things / and more.
I probably don’t need to tell you how much I love books in general, and Christian books in particular. One of my favorite times to be a reader is in mid-December when people begin to share their picks for the top books of the year. I usually collect a good number of these lists and…
A La Carte: Fight the Christmas letdown / Finding romance in your marriage / Practicing faith in a post-faith world / You are not your accomplishments / Proficient pulpit rhetoric / Christmas songs / Book sale / and more.
Tuesday A La Carte: God with us on the escalator / Not neurotypical: a love story / Decapitating the serpent / I am not perfect, but I will not lie about God / What are angels and how should Christians think about them? / embarrassed of my embarrassment / and more.
This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care, and written by Jen Arend , which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor. Is there one Christmas theme that strikes you each year without fail? For me, it is “Immanuel, God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).[1] What is it about this name of Jesus that is…
Every now and again I jot down a thought that I’d like to ponder but that I don’t intend to tease out into an article. After all, not every idea is worthy of a full-length treatment. Hence, today I’ve got a long list of brief, random (and unsolicited) observations and pieces of advice related to…