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A La Carte (3/11)

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Sex in the Sermon – Melissa Kruger writes about the Bible’s frank discussions of sexuality. “While parents have a clear duty to initiate these discussions with their children, they also need the church to provide repeated input and guidance. Deliberate preaching of the ‘whole counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27) will naturally encourage parents to continue these important conversations. God’s Word is not prudish about sexuality. It is careful to illustrate the pitfalls and the trappings, as well as the beauty and the blessing.”

Identities – This is a fascinating photo gallery from a photographer who finds old portraits and then shoots their subjects in the same pose many years later. It so clearly displays the inexorable march of time. It makes me think of Ecclesiastes 11 and 12.

The Day of Atonement Was a Copy – “It is common to think of the Old Testament ritual as providing the model that Jesus’ priesthood subsequently copied and fulfilled.” Sinclair Ferguson explains that this is actually completely backward.

Japan’s Earthquake Before and After – Here is a series of before-and-after interactive images of Japan’s earthquake. You can click on each one to see the image fade from before (2011) to after (2013).

CBMW – Last week the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood made 5 big announcements. You may want to see the recap as they essentially reboot that ministry.

Google Hacked Our Imaginations – John Dyer writes about Google Glass (if you haven’t heard of it yet, you will very soon!) and how Google is trying to normalize something very unusual. It’s a very good article.

A Sweet Legacy – When I speak about technology I usually mention that almost half of young women check their cell phone before they get out of bed. In this article John Piper admits that he does the same, though for a pretty good reason.

Set a strong guard about thy outward senses. These are Satan’s landing-place, especially the eye and ear.

—William Gurnall

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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,…

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    A La Carte (November 18)

    A La Carte: When God does not need our service / How to forgive and move on / A devotional for depression / Can a speeding ticket change your heart? / Is it I, Lord? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Motives Matter

    Motives matter, even (or perhaps especially) when it comes to something as very good as studying the Bible. The best motive for reading the Bible is to be transformed by it. For this to happen, we must approach our reading and studying with both confidence and humility, asking God to transform us through his Word.…

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 16)

    A La Carte: The gratitude revolution / Can a church require tithing? / Listening that hurts / Correctable mistakes when preaching and teaching / We won’t do nothing for eternity / and more.