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A La Carte (April 19)

tuesday

I hope that all of you who are at T4G this week are blessed and encouraged by the experience. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it for this one!

Today’s Kindle deals include another good little list.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Family Easter Update)

If Ben Had Been There

I love this one! Andrea imagines the resurrection if her son Ben had been there. “My son Ben has cognitive disabilities and very little language. But sometimes he intuitively understands what our ‘normal’ intelligence blinds us to. Our Easter celebration last weekend got me thinking: If Ben had been at the tomb that first Easter morning, things might have gone down a little differently….”

Cultivating Wonder When You Feel Weary

“The sin that so easily entangles, the limitations of my humanity and the circumstances I cannot control. These aren’t new. Nothing earth-shattering. Yet, a timely reminder of who I am and who He is. An invitation to turn away from self, toward an active trust in what He’s doing…and that’s something hard to see in the moment.”

Introducing the Good Faith Debates

A new five-part video debate series featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today. (Sponsored Link)

Dear Pastor … Rely on Your Congregation in Ministry

There is lots of wisdom in this letter. “Brother, we need one another in ministry. You should not try to be an evangelical superman and by yourself direct all the principal tasks of the church. This posture will lead to disenchantment for both you and your people. The fact of the matter is that you need the laypeople in ministry and they need you.”

Introducing the Good Faith Debates by The Gospel Coalition

Early next month TGC will be releasing a five-part video debate series featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today. When we keep the gospel central, we can disagree on lesser but still important matters in good faith. In the Good Faith Debates, we hope to model this—showing that it’s possible for two Christians united around the gospel to engage in charitable conversation even amid substantive disagreement. (Sponsored)

The Bible’s Not an Instruction Manual

“‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.’ Ever heard the Bible explained that way? It’s a handy mnemonic device that certainly has some truth to it. But does it get at the heart of what the Bible really is?” Jared Wilson takes issue with that popular acryonm.

Why does the virgin birth matter?

Dr. Greg Lanier tells why the virgin with matters in this video from RTS.

The Ukulele and the Cross

J.A. Medders: “Theologians have wrestled with the various angles that describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. Some will even argue that there is only one way to describe and define what Jesus did for us on the cross. Rather than pick sides on the theological playground, I want to propose a harmony of notes that are played at the cross of Christ.”

Flashback: Each Gift Has Its Place

Each of us will have to give an account to God, not for the gifts he has given others, but for the gifts he has given us. And so it becomes our responsibility, our calling, our joy, to accept them, to pursue them, and to deploy them for his glory.

There are hard texts in the works, as well as in the word of God.

—John Flavel

  • Intact

    Intact and Unmoved

    Corrie ten Boom knew what it was to suffer deprivation, to have to do without so many of life’s luxuries and even its necessities. Arrested and sent to a concentration camp for her role in sheltering Jews from the Nazis, she spent almost a year in confinement and suffered the loss of her father and…

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 9)

    A La Carte: Waiting on God / Approach, My Soul / Chronic illness / A comforting verse for not so great preachers / Love the church like Jesus / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (P&R Publishing)

    This week the blog and giveaway have been sponsored by P&R Publishing. Calvin, Spurgeon, and Luther appear alongside Wordsworth, Twain, and Emerson in a vibrant celebration of God’s creation. Ryken joins great works of poetry, hymnody, prose, and art with accessible literary analysis. “John Calvin referred to nature as the theater of God’s glory. Dr.…

  • Prepare for Christmas

    Now’s the Time to Prepare to Prepare for Christmas

    It’s probably a bit too early to begin preparing for Christmas. But it’s not too early to begin preparing to prepare for Christmas. For example, if you want to use a guide or devotional in the lead-up to December 25, this is the time to start looking into your options and buying the one you…

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    A La Carte (November 8)

    A La Carte: Guard kids’ eyes and hearts online / The game is up for the mainstream media / The church’s unsung hero / Dear New York Times / Bear one another’s burdens / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 7)

    A La Carte: Where abortion policies stand now / Misconceptions about sports betting / You shall surely die / Does evolution care about you? / Ministering to orphans in Africa / Book and Kindle deals / and more.