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A La Carte (July 3)

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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.

Amazon is offering an exceptional deal on the Kindle Scribe in case you’ve been waiting to get one. This is part of their early Prime Day deals in which they have a lot of their devices discounted. They are also having a 4th of July sale in case that’s of interest.

Today’s Kindle deals include Randy Alcorn’s The Goodness of God. I also did a quick poll to gauge interest in sharing general-market (non-Christian) deals and that seemed a popular option. Therefore, on a trial basis, I will provide some general-market titles as a separate list.

Jesus Calling and the PCA

I took some interest in the PCA’s debate about the book Jesus Calling, not least because I was named in the overture. Todd Pruitt explains what it is about and why he decided to vote in favor. This part is incredible: “Young’s ‘Jesus Calling’ books sold more than 45 million copies in 35 languages, making her the bestselling Christian author of all time.”

Divine Aseity (Video)

Kevin DeYoung has released another of his third theological explainer video. This one deals with divine aseity. The previous two are Divine Simplicity and Divine Infinity.

Why Do We Believe So Many Lies About Heaven?

Randy Alcorn: “Imagine you’re part of a NASA team preparing for a five-year mission to Mars. After a period of extensive training, the launch date finally arrives. As the rocket lifts off, one of your fellow astronauts asks you, ‘What do you know about Mars?’ Imagine shrugging your shoulders and saying, ‘Nothing. We never talked about it. I guess we’ll find out when we get there.; It’s inconceivable that your training would not have included extensive study of and preparation for your ultimate destination.”

Ancestor Worship in the Church

Paul Schlehlein writes about ancestor worship in the African church (and, along the way, touches on ancestor worship in the Western church). “In some ways, ancestor worship appears to be on the decline as Mercedes motor vehicles fill the roadways and technology engulfs African homes. The growth of nominal Christianity factors in too. But when times are desperate, some of the most wealthy, educated and even religious will fall back upon appeasing the swikwembu, driving back home to their villages on the weekend to follow the rituals, just to be safe. They’ll even attend church on Sunday.”

Dear Little One

I very much enjoyed this auntie’s open letter to her beloved nephew. (At least, I’m assuming it’s a nephew rather than a niece. But either way…)

Thoughts on Being a Christian Writer

Samuel James (who is both an author and an editor at a Christian publisher) offers some “completely unsolicited, totally anecdotal, but perhaps marginally helpful thoughts on being a Christian writer.” Having read them, I would say that are definitely helpful, not merely marginally so.

Flashback: Act Your Age!

It all sounded so cliché, so Millennial, but this was a real conversation with a real 30-year-old man, and I haven’t exaggerated a single word. He was growing older, but not growing up. He was progressing in years, but years behind in maturity.

Don’t let affluence make you impoverished of God.

—Jon Bloom

  • Children Theology

    How To Teach Kids Theology

    Churches have few responsibilities more urgent and few honors more profound than teaching and training children. Every week these little ones show up with their parents and every week there are opportunities to reach them with truths that will change their hearts and transform their lives. It is little wonder, then, that there are multitudes…

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    A La Carte (January 24)

    A La Carte: Love your (actual) neighbor / Whiteness: an African translation / How Jesus helps my unbelief / Could you be a global nomad for the gospel? / God doesn’t work for me / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Books for Parents

    Books about the Challenges of Parenting in a Modern World

    Every generation of parents faces challenges as they raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. While some challenges are the same from age to age, others are unique to a particular time and context. Perhaps the greatest challenge of our day relates to new notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Today’s…

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    A La Carte (January 23)

    A La Carte: Pro-life challenges in the new administration / The ministry of small things / 10 things to think about / Pastoral burnout / Make yourself at home at almost any church / and more.

  • Beauty

    The Greatest Beauty I’ve Ever Seen

    One of the great privileges of my life has been the opportunity to travel far and wide. While most of my travel has been related to either speaking at conferences or filming documentaries, my hosts have often invited me to deviate from the straightest course to explore and take in the area’s natural beauty. It’s…

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    A La Carte (January 22)

    A La Carte: 15 ways to fight lust / Snowflakes / When everyone else is getting the blessings you want / Enough with the valorization of doubt / A culture of evangelism / Book sales / and more.