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A La Carte (10/4)

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72 Hour Sale – Westminster Books is having a great 72 hour sale (though I believe 24 of those hours have already elapsed). Quite a few new and notable books are deeply discounted. I recommend Sexual Sanity for Men, Delighting in the Trinity, and The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.

W.E.B. DuBois Would Not Vote – Thabiti goes to history to find a lesson for the forthcoming election. “For DuBois, democracy must entail genuine choice and the proper exercise of voting rights requires actual alternatives. The ‘lesser of two evils’ was not for him the modus operandi but a terrible exception. He would view the now commonplace strategy of voting for the ‘lesser evil’ as a terrible indictment against the entire system.”

Leadership Lessons from R.A. Dickey – Here are some leadership lessons from the amazing story of R.A. Dickey, who came from nowhere to become a dominant major league pitcher. (Every baseball fan should consider reading his memoir)

No Country for Old Lyrics – Boundless pulls an important lesson from a classic rock song: sometimes songs just don’t mean anything at all.

A Christian Who Won’t Label Sexuality – I’m fascinating by the continuing discussion of human sexuality and identity that we’re seeing in the church today. I appreciate much of Mark Meynell’s contribution in The Guardian.

God’s Image at the Kitchen Table – This is a helpful little reflection on one of life’s little moments. “Math homework. I hate math homework. Sitting at the kitchen table with the books out, pencils sharpened, and calculator close to hand, I just know that it’s going to be another hair-pulling, teeth-clenching, chair-squirming experience. And that’s only if things go well.”

Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.

—Alexander MacLaren

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    A La Carte (November 21)

    A La Carte: Lessons from Trump’s and Harris’s social media campaigns / What is my spiritual gift? / The messages we receive / 10 mistakes I’ve made in preaching / Big Kindle and book sales / and more.

  • Finn

    I’m a Grandfather!

    Yesterday Abby and Nathan welcomed their first child into the world: Finnegan Safir Nicholas Elfarrah. Because they live just minutes away, Aileen and I were able to be there shortly after his birth to rejoice with them and to meet our first grandchild. We are thrilled beyond measure. And he is cute beyond belief. They…

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    A La Carte (November 20)

    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 19)

    A La Carte: Good night, my son / The longing for justice following sexual assault / Daughter of encouragement / Mistakes I made as a theological student / The dangers of disordered love / Kindle deals / and more.

  • What Grieves the Heart of God

    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…