A La Carte (April 19)

Good morning from Toronto (at long last). It was an eventful journey home that included an unexpected stop in Honolulu, but I made it home eventually. And I am glad to be here!

There are some new Kindle deals from both yesterday and today.

MrBeast: The Greatest Showman

This is a fantastic write-up by Chris Martin on the YouTube phenomenon MrBeast. If you haven’t heard of him or seen his videos, it’s likely your kids have.

Does My Sexual Past Disqualify Me from Pastoring?

I appreciate John Piper’s response to this question.

GOD IS FAITHFUL DESPITE WAR AND VIOLENCE IN UKRAINE

“We had never prayed so much before,” shared Lyena, a Ukrainian woman whose home was destroyed in the war. “I had never read the Psalms so thoughtfully before. It was the encouragement that brought tears of gratitude and joy. I realized that only when you walk through the valley of mortal darkness, you learn to completely trust God, and then you are not afraid, because the Lord is with you.” (Sponsored Link)

Rules for Passivists

This is a bit of a cheeky article, but I think it shares some true wisdom. “I’ve been working on an exciting new philosophy of life, cultivating a different way of being in the world, polishing a shiny new weltanschauung. I’m calling it passivism. Here’s how it works.”

What Is Gluttony?

“Gluttony, biblically speaking, can be summed up as laboring ‘for the food that perishes’ (John 6:27). It is not only found in over-consumption, but an idolatrous expectation that looks to eating and drinking to provide sating and fullness for the soul (the inner person).”