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A La Carte (2/18)

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What’s the Point of Marriage? – “There’s nothing like a bunch of marriage books to make your head spin. Mostly I avoid them—too many guilt-producing suggestions about the ‘must-dos’ of a relationship—but I’ve been writing a seminar on the topic, so it was time to hit the books.” This article is good both for its reflections and its mini reviews.

Bridges & Begg – Take a short, powerful book by Jerry Bridges, have Alistair Begg narrate it, and offer the resulting 2-CD audiobook set for a bargain price. That’s a good plan. Who Am I? – Identity in Christ unpacks Scripture to bring believers eight clear, simple answers to perhaps the most important question anyone can ask. (This is a book published by Cruciform Press of which I am a co-founder.)

Praying in a Second Language – “To speak and pray in a ‘second’ language, you don’t need Rosetta Stone. Everyone has an opportunity to think, speak and pray in God’s language — Scripture, the foundational language of the universe.”

The Best Books for Preachers – Al Mohler has put together his annual “Preaching Survey of the Year’s Best Books for Preachers.”

A Fractured Vatican – Washington Post: “[The] Pope’s leaked papers show a fractured Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI’s correspondence shows tales of betrayal and rivalries, allegations of corruption and systemic dysfunction.”

Preaching that Cuts to the Heart – Tim Keller responds to one of the compliments people pay him about his sermons. He’s got some good quotes in there, like this one: “Remember that according to the Bible, the heart is not primarily the emotions but rather the seat of our fundamental commitments and trusts, and therefore it is the control center of the whole life. So to preach to the heart means to go right for the commanding commitments of people’s lives that drive their desires, thinking, feeling, and action.”

The strength of all sin, whether simple or scandalous, is the lie that God can’t do what it can. –Sam Storms (reference)


  • Educated, Free, Wealthy, and Privileged

    We are an educated people with high standards of literacy. We are a free people who enjoy religious liberty. We are a wealthy people with unlimited access to a nearly infinite quantity of Bibles. We are a privileged people who may not realize how blessed we are.

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 2)

    A La Carte: Coldplay’s prayer in Melbourne / Zombies, Heath Lambert, and gatekeeping biblical counseling / Keep the Feast (a new song) / Stop playing the numbers game / Squandering security / and more.

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    Free Stuff Fridays (Ligonier)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, who also sponsored the blog this week.  Yesterday was Reformation Day, when many Protestants celebrate the sixteenth-century recovery of the biblical gospel. It was while Martin Luther was studying the book of Romans that he rediscovered the doctrine of justification by faith alone. So, today…

  • Daily Liturgy Devotional

    Why Not Use a Daily Liturgy for Your Devotions?

    Trends come and go. Certain habits or interests rise for a time, wane, then rise again, often at unexpected moments. One of the recent trends I have found particularly surprising and also particularly interesting is the rise (or re-rise, if you prefer) of liturgy. This may be liturgy within formal worship services of the local…

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    A La Carte (November 1)

    A La Carte: When a Berkeley feminist had three sons / The tragedy of IVF / What if I don’t feel forgiven? / Piper on how not to respond to suffering / What sola scriptura protects us against / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    As October draws to its close, I wanted to ensure you know about at least some of the most notable books it brought our way. I did not see quite the quantity of new books I have seen in some previous months, but there were still some special ones. For each, I’ve provided the publisher’s…