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A La Carte (December 24)

tuesday

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of books. Maybe people don’t buy books on Christmas Eve.

What are the essential ingredients of a true church? (Video)

It’s important to know the historic marks of a true (versus a false) church.

The Closed Lid

“Throughout the Bible, God uses illustrations to teach His people specific truths about Himself. Sometimes it’s about His character, sometimes it’s instruction on how to relate to Him, and sometimes it is to remind us of the ways in which He proves His love and care for us.”

Remember the good old days when it was Christians who wanted Harry Potter banned?

How the tides have turned…

How one company changed the way we watch television

It’s interesting to consider how entertainment has been utterly transformed over the past decade. Netflix has taken the lead.

The Problem With My Christmas Traditions

“Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you—probably with a wry smile—how much I love traditions. I want things to be done like they always have been. Especially at Christmas.”

VFX Artist Reveals the True Scale of Atoms

This is kind of a neat way of illustrating the microscopic world.

WHAT WAS THE STAR AND HOW DID THE WISE MEN KNOW TO FOLLOW IT? (SPONSORED)

“What was the star and how did the wise men know to follow it? These are questions people are curious to have answered, especially this time of year. During the Christmas season, many who are hostile to anything Biblical, won’t object to hearing about the ‘Christmas Story’. Often, they welcome it with curiosity! When would be a better opportunity for some undercover evangelizing than when gathering with our friends and family during Christmas week?”

A Thrill of Hope

Jared Wilson: “I don’t know where this Christmas week finds you, but it may be in a very darkened place. Emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually you may feel dry and despondent. Christmas feels thin to you, hollow. The sentimentality of the holiday is a weak antidote for what ails you. I want to urge you for a moment to look beyond the wrapping to the Gift. You can find hope this Christmas.”

Flashback: Why We Know So Little About Jesus’ Birth

When it comes to the birth of Jesus, we get all the details we need to understand one thing with the utmost clarity: Jesus comes as the least.

So great and boundless is God’s wisdom that he knows right well how to use evil instruments to do good.

—John Calvin

  • Intact

    Intact and Unmoved

    Corrie ten Boom knew what it was to suffer deprivation, to have to do without so many of life’s luxuries and even its necessities. Arrested and sent to a concentration camp for her role in sheltering Jews from the Nazis, she spent almost a year in confinement and suffered the loss of her father and…

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 9)

    A La Carte: Waiting on God / Approach, My Soul / Chronic illness / A comforting verse for not so great preachers / Love the church like Jesus / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (P&R Publishing)

    This week the blog and giveaway have been sponsored by P&R Publishing. Calvin, Spurgeon, and Luther appear alongside Wordsworth, Twain, and Emerson in a vibrant celebration of God’s creation. Ryken joins great works of poetry, hymnody, prose, and art with accessible literary analysis. “John Calvin referred to nature as the theater of God’s glory. Dr.…

  • Prepare for Christmas

    Now’s the Time to Prepare to Prepare for Christmas

    It’s probably a bit too early to begin preparing for Christmas. But it’s not too early to begin preparing to prepare for Christmas. For example, if you want to use a guide or devotional in the lead-up to December 25, this is the time to start looking into your options and buying the one you…

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    A La Carte (November 8)

    A La Carte: Guard kids’ eyes and hearts online / The game is up for the mainstream media / The church’s unsung hero / Dear New York Times / Bear one another’s burdens / Kindle deals / and more.

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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.