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A La Carte (August 25)

Today’s Kindle deals include quite a few deals from a variety of authors: Alistair Begg, Francis Schaeffer, Nancy Pearcey, and so on.

Westminster Books has a great deal on the excellent Building Healthy Churches series of books from 9Marks.

(Yesterday at the blog I continued my series “Run to Win” with an entry titled Treasure Your Marriage.)

D. James Kennedy Ministries Sues SPLC over Hate Map

The sheer absurdity of having some of these groups labeled as “hate groups…” I’m glad to see them fighting back against this cultural insanity.

And So He Left

A sad story: “My husband and I had been married for 15 years and had three children, and were actively involved in the ministry of our local church. We were just another one of those “keen Christian couples” that are the heart of church life.”

Loving God With or Without Children

“One of the strangest and slowest pains in marriage is the longing for children who never come. Someone has called it ‘a strange grief that has no focus for its tears and no object for its love.’ When someone dies, there’s a sad day to remember, a sad place to visit, sad possessions to spark memories, sad photos to trigger tears.”

4 Lies that Cause Pastors to Neglect their Families

Pastors pretty much need to read this article. Non-pastors would probably do well to read it as well, since some of these things will apply to them as well.

The Power of a Dependent Father

So true: “But when you grow up and become a father, you realise how difficult life is; how weak and inadequate you are; how complex the world has become; how vulnerable you actually are; how few resources you have to care and provide for your family. Though some fathers in this world are very powerful.”

North Koreans Are Turning to Christ

If true, this is great news. And, honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising news. “Western Christians often assume underground churches are unable to reach people with the gospel, because of the severe restrictions placed on them. However a report in The Telegraph this week has claimed a growing number of North Koreans are rejecting Kim Jong-un as their god and are now more open to alternative belief systems, including Christianity.”

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery (Video)

You may enjoy this a capella rendition of “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery” as performed by Southern Seminary’s vocal ensemble.

Flashback: The 10 Greatest Hymns of All Time

As English-speaking Christians, we have a vast array of hymns available to us, and we each have our list of favorites. In my assessment, the best hymns are those that are universal and timeless, speaking to all Christians in all times, places, and situations. Here are my picks for the ten greatest hymns of all-time.

God’s faithfulness means that God will always do what He has said and fulfill what He has promised.

—Wayne Grudem

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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.

  • Not a Complimentary Gospel

    It Is Not a Complimentary Gospel

    I think we have all felt the temptation to modify the gospel, to preach a gospel that is inaccurate or incomplete. I think we have all felt the desire to avoid the reproach that may come upon us when we preach the whole gospel and true gospel—the gospel that is so very bad before it…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 6)

    A La Carte: A warning about having children / Leave church a little tired / Making virtues out of what isn’t virtuous / Is Exodus a myth? / A theology of leisure / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 5)

    A La Carte: Why women use pornography / I want God’s wrath on my enemy / Looking at photos with my mum / 10 things you should know about your conscience / I love being a pastor / and more.

  • A Beautiful 40-day Illustrated Devotional of Classic Literature

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing. In the newest release by Leland Ryken, A Treasury of Nature, he joins great works of poetry, hymnody, prose, and art with accessible literary analysis. As Ryken says in the Introduction to his book: “The overall goal of this anthology is to enable nature to be…

  • Four Years After Our Hardest Day

    Four Years After Our Hardest Day

    Yesterday marked four years since Nick went to heaven. I find myself calling him “Nicky” more often now—a name I hadn’t used for him since he was a child. I wonder if it reflects that in some ways he is becoming dearer to my heart and younger to my mind. After all, I keep aging…