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A La Carte (April 16)

thursday

As usual, there are some Kindle deals today for those of you who collect books that way. As for me, the books are piling up as I’ve had trouble focusing lately—somehow reading has become strangely difficult. But then I do go through phases with reading…

(Yesterday on the blog: A Prayer Guide for Pastors)

Is It a Sin to Fear COVID-19? (Video)

Here’s John MacArthur on whether or not it’s a sin to be afraid of COVID-19.

This 3-D Simulation Shows Why Social Distancing Is So Important

This simulation shows why distancing matters and also shows just how far coughs and sneezes spread. Ugh. (See also: The Next Coronavirus Testing Debacle.)

Our Quiet Times are Rarely as Quiet as they Appear

I appreciate Doug Eaton’s look at what’s going on “behind the scenes” when we sit down for our quiet times. “If someone were to walk by, they would see a man at rest on the Lord’s day. He is sitting quietly, soaking up the sun on a beautiful spring day. The birds are singing, and a pleasant breeze is blowing. His posture is relaxed, and in his lap sits his Bible.” But…

What Is the Prayer of Faith?

What is the prayer of faith? Sinclair Ferguson answers the question.

Is Everything Sad Going to Come Untrue? Why We Need Eschatology Now More than Ever

Michael Kruger says that this is the time to look to eschatology. Why? Because “eschatology is not so much about millennial positions or the structure of Revelation, but is primarily about the problem of evil and how that problem will be solved. Eschatology is about how one deals with the sad things in the world.”

Here’s the Weird Thing That Causes the Smell of Spring

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has wondered what causes that distinct spring smell. “The start of spring has an unmistakable, yet unplaceable smell. It’s a bit reminiscent of dirt, but there’s something else beneath the surface, evocative of rainy days or afternoons spent gardening. The secret? Geosmin, the soil-based compound responsible for those hard-to-describe olfactory sensations. Our noses are so finely attuned to the organic compound, in fact, that we can detect it better than sharks can recognize blood.”

Your Rod and Staff, They Comfort Me

You may enjoy this poem based on Psalm 23.

Flashback: Bring Her Out and Let Her Be Burned

From a great distance and with the scantest information we can judge another person’s least transgression. Yet we can rack our own hearts and minds and often barely come up with a single way we are anything less than perfect.

If you believe that God is angry with you, it won’t be long before you are angry with Him.

—Colin Smith

  • The Art of Disagreeing

    Keep Calm and Stay Friends

    It is hard to disagree with someone you love. It is harder still to disagree well—to retain genuine respect and true friendship despite differing opinions or convictions. And, as we all know by experience, there is just so much to disagree about.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (February 14)

    A La Carte: John Piper on whether baptism saves us / The peril of “He Gets Us” / Send them to seminary / An Inside-out world / Pray for protection / Love is patient / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (February 13)

    A La Carte: The conundrum of celebrity Christians / The Luka trade / Dopamine media / The best place to hide an idol / Overcoming blind spots in parenting and leadership / and more.

  • Dreams

    What Becomes Of All Our Dreams?

    My dad loved to cook. This was a passion that began relatively late in his life after the kids had moved out. With an empty nest, my parents were able to live a slower-paced life and my dad began to dabble in cooking. He soon found that he loved it and that my mother was…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 12)

    A La Carte: A young Christian reading John Mark Comer / Being inconvenient / Breaking gender stereotypes to the glory of God / Gluten-free and non-alcoholic / AI-Pocalypse Now / and more.