Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (April 29)

friday

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

I didn’t find any notable Kindle deals today, but did want to remind you that the Eerdmans commentary sale ends tomorrow. (You will find a deal on the bestselling general market book The Boys in the Boat.)

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for April 2022)

No One Knows My Pain

Vaneetha Rendall Risner writes about a phenomenon common to those who suffer. “Rather than inviting others into my pain and grief, I’ve often pushed them away. I’ve felt a vague sense of self-righteousness, confident that no one could speak into my life except God himself. I’ve dismissed others’ experiences, even the comfort of friends, because they couldn’t fully relate to my suffering.”

In Praise of the Boring, Uncool Church

“Relevance is no substitute for reverence and indeed may compromise it. The Christian life shouldn’t be oriented around being liked; it should be oriented around loving God and loving others. Far less important than being fashionable is being faithful. Far more crucial than keeping up with the Joneses is staying rooted in God’s unchanging Word.”

Baylor University Charters LGBTQ Group

“The news that Baylor University has officially chartered Prism, an LGBT student organization on campus, marks an important moment in Christian higher education in the USA.” Carl Trueman tells why this is so significant.

The most revealing meeting at church

“Martin Buber said: ‘All real meaning in life is in meeting’. What’s the most revealing meeting at church?” This article suggests several possibilities and elevates one above the rest.

Christo et Ecclesiae

Kristin reflects on the sheer goodness and necessity of the local church despite the pain it can sometimes cause us.

Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age

Alan Noble: “I’m skeptical anyone over age 35 has close friends. That’s an exaggeration, but I’m certainly convinced there’s a dead zone for friendship between ages 35 and 50. It’s difficult to have good friends in middle age. Far more difficult than it should be, especially for men.”

Flashback: Who Does My Body Belong To?

As Christians, we celebrate the beautiful fact that we were each handcrafted by God, we have been bought with a price, and we now have the joyful responsibility and privilege of glorifying God in our bodies.

Confessing that we are sinners in general will not enable us to make lasting headway against our sins in particular.

—Sinclair Ferguson

  • Good News Rock Bottom

    Good News at Rock Bottom

    Life most certainly brings its challenges. Some of these are just little ruts along the way, some are deep and dark valleys, and some are lower still—the kind of rock bottom experiences that are so dreadful we wonder if we will be able to endure them with our faith intact.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (April 11)

    A La Carte: John Piper & Kevin DeYoung on baptism / The legacy of TEDS / The DIY spirituality of Rainn Wilson and Rhett & Link / The enormous significance of small tasks / Hello, I want your life / Meryl Streep and Aslan / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New and Notable

    A Batch of New Books for Kids (and Teens)

    Every month I put together a roundup of new and notable books for grownup readers. But I also receive a lot of books for kids and like to put together the occasional roundup of these books as well. So today I bring you a whole big batch of new books for kids of all ages…

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (April 10)

    A La Carte: God’s wisdom in waiting / Biblical counseling isn’t therapy / “The Sin of Empathy” / The dirtiest one another / Long prayers in worship / What I can control / and more.

  • House of David

    Can Christians Watch “House of David?”

    I did not intend to watch House of David, but when a few people told me they were enjoying it and asked what I thought, I decided to give it a go. But before I discuss House of David, I want to talk about The Chosen.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 9)

    A La Carte: Prove me, try me, test me / Trump’s tariffs / It only gets better / Praise and criticism in worship / The third heaven / The spiritual problem of being overinformed / Kindle and book deals.