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A La Carte (July 9)

friday

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Westminster Books has a really good sale on some new and noteworthy books. They are also offering a deep discount on an excellent new version of Pilgrim’s Progress for kids.

Thanks for being patient with some light blogging (A La Carte only) this week. I’ll be back with the usual schedule of articles next week.

The Contagious Sin of Cynicism

Cynicism is no fruit of the Spirit, as Peter Adam explains here. “Cynicism today, as at any time, contradicts the three vital signs of Christianity according to Paul: faith in Jesus Christ, love for all the saints, and hope as we await the return of Christ..”

An Inexpressible Gift

“Inexpressible? Paul certainly spent a lot of time expressing the gospel! So what did he mean?” Jacob Tanner considers the joy and privilege it is to preach the gospel to others.

Moms and Dads: Show Your Need

“‘I have one regret of how I parented,’ my friend David Towne told me. I leaned forward. David is a godly man married to a godly wife. He’s kind and gentle and wise. As an educator, he’s witnessed a lot of parenting, good and bad, in his day. His adult children have had their struggles but are good people. I would ask him for parenting advice in a second. What was his greatest regret?”

Far From Home

Andrea Sanborn: “We hosted international students for years. They taught me a lot about the universal need for family. They taught our kids the importance of welcoming the stranger. Our family is infinitely richer from having them share our table all those years.”

An Inherited Garden (A Ministry Parable)

Andrew Roycroft shares a ministry parable from his new garden.

Embracing the Quiet Life

Chris Thomas: “Most people I know don’t simply dislike the idea of a quiet life. They are terrified of the notion. Now I presume you may think—’No way! I know heaps of people who say they’d trade everything for a quiet life.’ Sure, I know quite a number of people who say that too. But I suspect many of them are lying.”

The Depressing Dead End of ‘Your Truth’

Brett McCracken: “Your truth. Those two words are so entrenched in our lexicon today that we hardly recognize them for the incoherent nightmare that they are.”

Flashback: Use the Rod, Lose the Child?

We know God expects us to discipline our children and we know he expects us to obey our rulers. So what do we do when those two come into conflict?

Thousands acknowledge they are sinners, who have never mourned over the fact.

—A.W. Pink

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 21)

    A La Carte: Chatbots aren’t a solution to our loneliness epidemic / Struggling with sexual intimacy / Christmas, a day for the suffering / What is total depravity? / The God over geopolitics / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Thomas Nelson Bibles)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Thomas Nelson Bibles. They are giving away five copies of the Life in Christ Bible.  About the Life in Christ Bible: Identity is all the rage today, and that’s kind of a good thing because when you think about it, identity is foundational to the gospel. The…

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    My 10 Favorite New Songs of 2024

    I have wide-ranging tastes in music and will gladly listen to all kinds of different genres. I recently spent some time considering some of the new songs I enjoyed in 2024 and, focusing on songs by Christian artists, eventually narrowed my favorites down to this list of 10—my 10 favorite new songs of 2024. I’ve…

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    A La Carte (December 20)

    A La Carte: From transgender to Christian / Forgive us our debts / Did the Son of God leave heaven to come to earth? / 9 ways to help those who are suffering / Does this prove Mary wasn’t a virgin? / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 19)

    A La Carte: The astronaut who left NASA to support healthy churches / The cradle that rocked the world / Are Catholics Christian? / Why we need beautiful churches / On stumbling / and more.

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    12 Fresh Ways to Read Your Bible in 2025

    A new year offers a new opportunity—an opportunity to rethink and refresh the way you read your Bible. While some have found a pattern or habit they love and will never deviate from, others like to look for new ways to read, digest, and apply the Word. For those who may be interested in trying…