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A La Carte (August 12)

If you are into Kindle books, be sure to check in with the Kindle Deals for Christians page. I generally update the page on a daily basis.

The Miraculous in the Mundane

“It is not enough merely to say that Christians’ daily toil, whether it is sacred or secular, is good and important. To get off this see-saw, we must come to believe that our work is, in fact, miraculous.”

6 Surprising Ideas the KJV Translators Had

“The KJV translators themselves had particular ideas about translations other than their own, and they lay out their views clearly and forcefully in the published Preface of the original edition of their eloquent translation. Ironically, their views are very different from those who champion their translation today. So here are 6 ideas the KJV translators had about other translations of the Bible.”

Tour the London of Yore

So neat: “Think of the map as Google Street View for vintage London. You can click on the map to view historical images of particular buildings, streets or areas, or search the collection by topic to reveal everything from historic coffee houses to buildings associated with different authors or time periods.”

The Surprising Truth About False Teachers

“The question is not whether you ever hear the voice of false teachers. You do — probably every day. The question is whether you can discern which messages are false.”

FX Conference

Frontline Missions International has developed a training and orientation program that will 1) help men and women begin to explore ways in which they can serve Christ in restricted-access countries and 2) serve local churches that are serious about addressing the Unfinished Task of taking the Gospel to people who have yet to hear. This year’s event happens on October 13-15 in Minneapolis. Use code fx_challies to get a discount when you register.

This Day in 1947. 69 years ago today, A group of Ayoré Indians in Bolivia laid down their weapons in response to friendly overtures by New Tribes missionaries. The Ayoré had martyred 5 of their missionaries 4 years earlier. *

Get Ready to Be Identified By Your Ear

This is just weird: “Last year, the United States Customs and Border Protection rolled out a recognition pilot program that uses biometric recognition tools like face and iris scanners. The program will snag ‘imposters’ using a fake passport at airports, and what’s more, reduce wait times at security checkpoints. But what might identify individuals even more conclusively and speed travelers on their way more swiftly is another kind of biometrics, based on the ear.”

Flashback: My Own Personal Bollywood

As I watched Singham commit another great feat of strength, I saw a bit of a parallel between Bollywood and its big brother Hollywood. Hollywood allows its own version of unrealism in the movies we enjoy. We just take our fantasy on a different level.

Milne

Christian leaders must practice what they preach if they are to see what they preach practiced.

—Douglas Milne

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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,…