Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (February 15)

A La Carte Collection cover image

The God of love and peace be with you today.

I added some interesting Kindle deals yesterday and tracked down some more today.

(Yesterday on the blog: When Goodbye Is Forever)

This Is What Courage Looks Like

Amy Medina describes an example of courage in the life of a friend.

One of the Most Important Ministry Skills That Nobody Talks About

I really appreciate what Michael Kruger says here about an important ministry skill that no one talks about (but everyone appreciates when they benefit from it).

Why You Can’t Get to Heaven Through the Mormon Faith

“Despite the rate at which it has grown, Mormonism contains fatal doctrinal problems. Though it has attracted many, it cannot be said that adherence to it will lead one to heaven. This is no minor issue. Eternity is at stake. If we love people; truly love the soul and well-being of a person, we will be concerned about their life through eternity. If there is a truck barreling down the road at you and I don’t get you out of the way, I fail to love you. Here are a few reasons why Mormon doctrine cannot save…”

Questions a Pastor Doesn’t Want to Ask–but Should

Reuben Bredenhof writes about questions a pastor doesn’t want to ask, but really should. “Reflecting on my ministry, I recall instances when I should have listened to that shepherd sense to press harder, go deeper, and fear the awkward silence less. My love of comfort and ease kept me from pursuing what should’ve been pursued. It might have been months later, or even a couple of years, but eventually it came out.”

Help! I Don’t Enjoy Reading the Old Testament

You’re not alone if you don’t enjoy reading the Old Testament. You’re not alone, but you also shouldn’t let yourself stay where you are. Jason DeRouchie offers some assistance in this article.

Christian Displays of Affection

“The Bible calls us to greet each other very differently than this by exhorting us to practice public displays of holy Christian affection to mark our fellowship with mutual, all-inclusive welcome and love.”

Flashback: Sex on the Silver Screen

I am increasingly convinced that Christians should avoid watching movies with scenes of nudity and sexuality. There are many reasons for this, but today I will constrain myself to just one—one that I have found particularly compelling and convicting.

Perhaps the sins we do not know are more numerous than the sins we are conscious of.

—Charles Spurgeon

  • Works & Wonders June 14

    Works & Wonders: Bowing the knee or shaking the fist, 39 years to translate the Bible, And Can It Be, How to understand a trillIon, Landsat images, and World Cup covers.

  • Weekend A La Carte (June 13)

    Egg freezing is a booming business / Talk to the A.I. me / Is aging becoming optional? / Feminism and the Fall / The lie of living your truth / Moving on from the Christian Nationalism moment / and more.

  • An Ideal Resource For Your Family Devotions

    An Ideal Resource For Your Family Devotions

    There is a lot I miss from the days when our children were young. High on the list is family devotions. Nick once described our family as having a “Spartan-like commitment” to them, though I remember as much failure as success and as many misses as hits. Still, there’s no doubt that over the 26…

  • A La Carte (June 12)

    The curious case of extra resurrections / Are kids too expensive? / Why hot takes are the enemy of conviction / Piper on preaching outrage / A daily rhythm of prayer / Forgetting and pursuing / A La Quiz / The funnies / and more.

  • A La Carte (June 11)

    We lost the baby / The Bible is cessationist (and wondrous!) / Thinking about Eastern Orthodoxy: a primer for evangelicals / Virtue signalling in the church / What is God’s providence? / Restlessness / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Conform

    You Can Conform to Christ Even if You Don’t Conform to Me

    One of the aspects of the Christian faith that I find particularly perplexing is the freedom God gives his people to obey him in different or even opposite ways, so that one person’s obedience is another person’s disobedience. Even as two people take the same action, one might be obeying him and the other disobeying…