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A La Carte (12/18)

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Grief – For the time being, and in response to the recent tragedy in Newtown, CCEF’s minibook on grief is available for free online. Also in connection to Newtown you may want to read Douglas Wilson’s article titled That Will Be Soon Enough along with David Murray’s warning about when to stop reading and watching the media reports.

Faces – From Africa comes a very different kind of response to Newtown and one very much worth reading. “Like every other American (and much of the world), I have been thinking and praying and mourning over the terrible tragedy of 20 lost little lives in Connecticut. But what has struck me about the situation and how it is being presented is that this tragedy is somehow unusual for our world.”

Holiday Challenges – Thabiti points out that “while the entire world seems to glitter in tinsel, some people sit caves of gloom during the holidays. It’s easy to forget that suffering takes no vacation at Christmas. So, not to be a killjoy, but perhaps to awaken us to some opportunities around us, here’s five challenges that pastors and people face during the holidays.”

Daniel Inouye – World War II hero Daniel Inouye died yesterday. If you haven’t ever read an account of his heroics, there’s no better time than today. Wikipedia covers it pretty well.

He sheds tears for those that shed His blood.

—Thomas Watson

  • The Collected Best Christian Books of 2024

    The Collected Best Christian Books of 2024

    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 Friday 2

    A La Carte (December 27)

    A La Carte: Bespoke spirituality / Top 10 YouTubes of 2024 / John Piper on using and overusing commentaries / 12 practical ways to evangelize / You’ll never really settle in / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (December 26)

    A La Carte: The thief’s good works / It’s a wonderful strife / The forgotten qualification / How to spend your time during the final days of the year / A new poem / Lessons for church planters/ and more.

  • Merry Christmas

    Merry Christmas, My Friends

    Merry Christmas, my friends. I trust you are enjoying this day, whether with friends or family or in solitude. As for us, we are having a quiet morning with just the three of us. Abby, Nate, and Finn will come by later in the day as will Aileen’s parents so we can celebrate and enjoy…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 24)

    A La Carte: Holiday blues / Biblical justice requires strong rules of evidence / Christmas used to be perfect (then I grew up) / Praise God for boring days / What did Mary know? / In awe of the aged / and more.

  • No Matter How You Plan To Read The Bible In 2025 We Can Help

    This week the blog is sponsored by Into the Word and is written by Pastor Paul Carter. No matter how you plan to read the Bible in 2025, Into the Word wants to help! Into the Word began in 2017 with a simple mission: to help people read, love and live the whole counsel of…