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A La Carte (7/24)

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Principles to Guide Your Giving – Jesse Johnson says that according to the Bible, “giving is a basic discipline of godliness and the New Testament teaches fundamental principles that should guide how we give.” In this article he lays out ten of those principles.

A Family Culture – This looks like a promising series from The Art of Manliness. “It may seem that happy families are just naturally happy, but as it is with successful people in any arena, there’s usually a lot of effort and conscious practice going on behind the scenes. It looks easy because they truly enjoy it, and for this reason, they may not even experience it as effort. But, you can guarantee it still takes intentionality.”

R.C. Sproul and Miracles – “I get this question all the time, ‘R.C., do you believe that miracles happen today?’ If you want me to give the simple answer, the answer is no. Today, you can go into a pastor’s office and see a sign that says, ‘Expect a Miracle.’ But if you expect a miracle–if miracles are expectable–there’s nothing miraculous about them.”

What’s At Stake? – Russell Moore: “In light of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s actions on Internet pornography, here’s why I think we ought to care about digital porn.”

The Art of Application – I think most preachers struggle with applying their sermons to their listeners. Here are some tips on the art of application.

Unthinkable Abuse – “I recently learned that a missionary whom I have known and trusted for twenty years has, for his entire adult life, been a sexual predator. He was respected, even revered, both by churches in the US and by thousands of people in the field. He used his position of power, influence, and trust to take advantage of women sexually.”

Zeal is like a fire: in the chimney it is one of the best servants, but out of the chimney it is one of the worst masters.

—Thomas Brooks

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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,…