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A La Carte (August 16)

A La Carte Friday 2

The God of peace be with you on this fine day.

Continue to check in for new Kindle deals and I’ll keep scouring Amazon for them. Today we’ve got books by Jerry Bridges, John Piper, and others.

Book Brief: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson is a fast-paced, popular-level telling of the lead-up to the Civil War. He focuses especially on the Southern notion of honor and the fear of slave uprisings as among the keys that led to war. Recommended!

Believer, You Can’t. But Christ Can.

“Silently, your heart cries out to God in wordless groans that only He understands (Romans 8:26). Maybe it has already burst out from your heart like a powerful jet of water. Words erupt right up and out of your mouth in desperation, ‘I can’t do this Lord!’ It aches when you find that you are at the end of yourself. Strength gone. Self-sufficiency unmasked as the mirage that it has always been.”

From Orphanage to the Classroom: A Story of God’s Grace

This is such a neat story of God’s grace.

Growing Your Church Through Evangelism and Outreach

Learn six principles from J.A. Medders and Doug Logan in their new book, The Soul-Winning Church, to excite your church members about evangelism. Get 25% off with code SOULWIN. (Sponsored)

When Spiritual Disciplines Took Over My Life

Having spent time with Christians who deal with spiritual scrupulosity, I appreciate this article that describes the symptoms and some steps forward.

The Importance of Not Caring About Mark Driscoll

“50 years from now vanishingly few people will have any idea who Mark Driscoll was. They’ll also almost certainly have no clue who Andy Stanley was. Indeed, they will be wholly ignorant of virtually every celebrity pastor or evangelical influencer you can name, with perhaps one or two exceptions, but no more. So unless you have some very specific situation in which proper pastoral care requires caring about a certain celebrity, you should just stop caring.”

How God Used Suffering to Teach Me It’s a Blessing to Give and Receive

“It is paramount that we acknowledge everything we have is a gift from God. The job we hold, the home we live in, the money in our bank account, and even our able bodies. They are all given to us by a gracious God. He did not prosper us in this way so we could clutch tightly to the things we have, selfishly wanting more, unwilling to share. He has lavished us abundantly so we can bless others.”

3 Questions I Ask During Every Bible Study

These are good and helpful questions to ask when studying the Bible.

Flashback: Success Beyond What We Can Handle

When they gained the thing they had longed for, they lost the progress they had labored for. I have seen far more people ruined by success than by failure.

A god who is all love, all grace, all mercy, no sovereignty, no justice, no holiness, and no wrath is an idol.

—R.C. Sproul

  • Books for Parents

    Books about the Challenges of Parenting in a Modern World

    Every generation of parents faces challenges as they raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. While some challenges are the same from age to age, others are unique to a particular time and context. Perhaps the greatest challenge of our day relates to new notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Today’s…

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    A La Carte (January 23)

    A La Carte: Pro-life challenges in the new administration / The ministry of small things / 10 things to think about / Pastoral burnout / Make yourself at home at almost any church / and more.

  • Beauty

    The Greatest Beauty I’ve Ever Seen

    One of the great privileges of my life has been the opportunity to travel far and wide. While most of my travel has been related to either speaking at conferences or filming documentaries, my hosts have often invited me to deviate from the straightest course to explore and take in the area’s natural beauty. It’s…

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    A La Carte (January 22)

    A La Carte: 15 ways to fight lust / Snowflakes / When everyone else is getting the blessings you want / Enough with the valorization of doubt / A culture of evangelism / Book sales / and more.

  • Spurgeon

    Must You Read at Least One Spurgeon Biography?

    I am not aware of a verse in the Bible that says every Christian must read at least one biography of Charles Spurgeon. Or every Calvinist, at least. But I also wouldn’t be completely shocked if it’s there somewhere and I’ve just missed it. And that’s because his life and ministry were powerfully unique in…

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    A La Carte (January 21)

    A La Carte: What “love your enemies” does not mean / John Piper on reading providence / Talking to your Roman Catholic friends / What happens at prayer meeting? / Against executive pastors / Kindle deals / and more.