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A La Carte (1/25)

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My son is in 5th grade and says that he’s about the only boy in the class not allowed to play Call of Duty: Black Ops. According to Plugged In’s review, “Slo-mo bullet-time shots focus closely behind a flying slug as it skims across a field of battle and plunges into an opponent’s forehead, blowing his brains out the back of his head. In a thumbscrew interrogation scene a guy has glass stuffed in his mouth and we watch the bloody results as he’s repeatedly punched in the face.” The game is rated M for Mature. Ten years old sure isn’t mature enough for that kind of stuff!

Billy Graham’s Regret – “Billy Graham, the beloved evangelist known as ‘America’s pastor,’ says that looking back on his long life and public ministry, one thing he would do differently is to avoid the political entanglements that have been one of the rare blots on his otherwise hallowed legacy.”

Master Builder – This would be a great job. “Believe it or not, a few lucky Lego lovers are able to make a living snapping together bricks in various shapes and sizes at one of the four Legoland amusement parks around the world.”

Catholic vs Reformed – Wes Bredenhof is a far better correspondent than I am. In this letter to a friend he outlines the differences between Roman Catholic and Reformed theology.

They Ceased. Period – You know that interview with John MacArthur that everyone was upset about last week (the one where he spoke about Darren Patrick)? David says “I really thought MacArthur’s comments on the Pentecostal and charismatic movements would cause a ruckus somewhere, but, as far as I know, charismatic tongues have remained miraculously silent.” He transcribes what MacArthur says about the gifts.

Marriott Says No – New Marriott hotels will no longer offer adult movies in their rooms. Which is good. Unfortunately the reason they are doing this is not ethical; everyone brings their own computer to their room now and watches porn for free.

The Ikea Maze – One of those things you kind of know, but it’s still helpful to read about: “If you’ve ever found yourself hopelessly lost in an Ikea store, you were probably not alone. The home furnishing chain’s mazy layouts are a psychological weapon to part shoppers from their cash, an expert in store design claims.”

Things We Say Wrong – Fun with the language (HT:KD)

My complaint is not that I am in the world, but that the world is in me. I cannot get it out of my heart except as I let You in.

—John Baird

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    A La Carte (December 17)

    A La Carte: The Virgin Mary and modern therapeutic culture / Relational heresy and doctrinal heresy / The darkness does not win / How does God deliver from pain by pain? / Christmas with your adult children / and more.

  • Do you know who God says you are?

    Identity matters for at least two key reasons. First, understanding our identity—our true God-given identity—is vital to understand why we exist and what we’re to do in life, as it is likewise essential for framing a fitting perspective of others.

  • A Collection of Random Thoughts on Christian Living

    A Collection of Random Thoughts on Christian Living

    Not every thought makes a good article and sometimes an entire article can be distilled down to a single thought. For those reasons, I like to occasionally create what I have created here–a roundup of brief, random thoughts about Christian living. Some of these are original and some are drawn from articles I’ve written in…

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    A La Carte (December 16)

    A La Carte: Have you lost the ability to think deeply? / Does God command me to trust my spouse? / Thoughts on suicide / Preaching from a manuscript / God is not in a good mood / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Undermines

    Undermining the Bible

    There is an entire sector of the publishing industry that is dedicated to undermining people’s confidence in the Bible. Many of these books shoot to the top of the bestseller lists with their novel conspiracies about the Bible’s origins, their theories about its hidden secrets, or their conviction that it is a mess of contradictions.

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 14)

    A La Carte: Male and female forever? / The shortcomings of Jordan Peterson / The thief who steals joy / Letter to a progressive Christian / The weary world rejoices / and more.