Skip to content ↓

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

  • Quiet Time

    The Quiet Time Kickstart

    We are all people of habits. To some degree, we are always battling to establish good habits while battling to supplant bad ones. This is true of us in many different areas of life and most certainly true in our spiritual lives. In fact, some have argued that when we describe the way we relate…

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Why don’t we read the Bible more? / Did David rape Bathsheba? / To (almost) die is gain / Learn to pray the Bible / When you’re close to burnout / Called to freedom / and more.

  • How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    I think we can sometimes fool ourselves into believing that the Reformation caused the Roman Catholic Church to abandon some, most, or all of the doctrine that was so concerning to the Reformers. We can sometimes believe that the Catholicism of today is materially different from that of the 16th century or that it has…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: iPhones, idolatry, and evil spirits / At my mother’s deathbed / Nothing to do but pray / Bible study tips for beginners / Jesus did condemn homosexuality / Please don’t sing “Imagine” at funerals / Kindle and book deals.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 14)

    A La Carte: Narcissus in public / A famous poet, KFC, and peace with my past / Does empowerment come from boudoir photoshoots? / Surrendering them to God / Sermon prep / Your plans for this year / and more.

  • 10 Reasons to Teach the Bible’s Big Truths to Children

    📖 Why teach children the big truths of the Bible? Moses commanded Israel to gather everyone—men, women, and little ones—to hear God’s law. Why? So they could “hear and learn to fear the Lord.” (Deut. 31:12-13) Children need the deep, rich truths of Scripture to know God, embrace the Gospel, and build a faith that…