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A La Carte (July 25)

Today’s Kindle deals include a few titles you might want to add to your collection.

A Brief History of the Altar Call

“By the mid-20th century, altar calls had become a staple of evangelical and Baptist life in America, especially in the South.” But where did that thing come from in the first place?

Progressivism’s Peak Lunacy

This is, indeed, lunacy. But I fear we’ve got a ways to go before it hits its peak. But the point Matthew Hosier makes here is an important one: Is gender everything or nothing?

How Can I Forgive Myself?

H.B. Charles answers: “The most faithful response to this question is to reject it as an illegitimate question.”

Extraordinary Octopus Takes To Land (Video)

I prefer when sea things stay in the sea and land things stay on the land. But this octopus doesn’t play by those rules.

Questions I’m Asking While Off to My White Evangelical Church

Lisa Robinson asks some urgent and important questions as she, a visible minority, heads to her white Evangelical church. “How does this all cause me to even look at those white people in my church, and white Christians in general? How can I now not be suspicious of them? Are they now not those who oppose me, who oppose blackness and the struggle that has existed for so many years?”

The Gospel is Like an Old Hymn

Jared Wilson: “A lot of the new songs–not all of them, of course, but a lot of them–head straight to how I feel about Jesus but never take me into the depths of why I ought to feel that way. We’re summoning the wind, calling down the fire, pleading for rainfall. (I begin to wonder if I’m worshiping God or reciting some kind of medieval weather report.) I’m telling God what I want, what I need (what I loooong for, ooooohh).”

A Short Overview of Future Events [Futuristic Premillennialism]

I do not hold to premillennialism. However, I found this a helpful overview to better understand the position. Which, to be clear, I still don’t hold to.

Why Didn’t the Planned Parenthood Videos Change the Abortion Debate?

Joe Carter takes his best shot at answer a perplexing question.

Flashback: We Are All Virgins Now

This whole obsession with virginity misses one New Testament key, the gospel key.

A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.

—Martin Luther

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 23)

    A La Carte: Gifting is not godliness / The post-Christian morality of “Wicked” / Adult children and their parents / Wanting what I already have / Ashamed of the gospel / The book and Kindle deals continue.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Zondervan Reflective)

    This week the giveaway is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. Will technology change what it means to be human? You don’t have to be a computer scientist to have discerning conversations about artificial intelligence and technology. We all wonder where we’re headed. Even now, technological innovations and machine learning have a daily impact on our lives,…

  • Other side of the Wall

    On the Other Side of the Wall

    A story is told of a convalescent woman and the lovely vine that grew in her yard. Confined to her property during her long recovery from an accident, she turned her attention to the little plot of ground behind her home. She planted the vine on a cool spring morning, dreaming of the day when,…

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    A La Carte (November 22)

    A La Carte: John Mark Comer / Praying imprecatory Psalms / The news media is broken / John Piper on seeing God / No good deed will remain hidden / Pre-Black Friday sales / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 21)

    A La Carte: Lessons from Trump’s and Harris’s social media campaigns / What is my spiritual gift? / The messages we receive / 10 mistakes I’ve made in preaching / Big Kindle and book sales / and more.

  • Finn

    I’m a Grandfather!

    Yesterday Abby and Nathan welcomed their first child into the world: Finnegan Safir Nicholas Elfarrah. Because they live just minutes away, Aileen and I were able to be there shortly after his birth to rejoice with them and to meet our first grandchild. We are thrilled beyond measure. And he is cute beyond belief. They…