Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (June 17)

thursday

Good morning. May the Lord bless and keep you today.

Today’s Kindle deals includes a nice list of theological works from Crossway.

(Yesterday on the blog: Fruitfulness and Usefulness)

Recognizing You on Father’s Day Even Though Your Hair Is Gray

This is a sweet Father’s Day tribute.

In Praise of the Ordinary Fathers Making an Extraordinary Difference

Speaking of Father’s Day, “This morning, with Father’s Day right around the corner, I prodded my usually matter-of-fact, non-introspective husband to dig deep into what he’s learned in his 20+ years of fatherhood. He doesn’t love it when I do this, but after some nagging gentle prodding, the wisdom started to flow.” It’s a good little list he came up with.

How Social Media Can Impede Our Witness

This is so important. “We each need to recognize how digital tools like social media are constantly shaping or discipling us each day. We must realize that the power these digital mediums have over us is not only altering how we think about truth, the world around us, and our neighbors but also altering how we depict ourselves. The reality is that we often mimic what we see online to the detriment of our souls and public witness.”

It Is Obscene

And while on the subject of social media, “There are many social-media-savvy people who are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion, who can fluidly pontificate on Twitter about kindness but are unable to actually show kindness.”

How Not to Correct a Fellow Christian

John Piper: “First, don’t be critical of your fellow believer without manifesting strong affections of brotherly love. You can see how I’m saying it because I’m leaving room for all the texts that say to correct one another, admonish one another, rebuke one another. You’ve got to pass judgment if you’re going to obey the Bible.”

Modern Music’s Death By Auto-Tune

I found this a really interesting look at how auto-tune works and why it is in some ways harming music.

Are You Unintentionally Joining the Parade?

Erik Raymond asks whether you’re unintentionally joining the parade.

Flashback: How To Bear Up Under Your Burdens

When you are weary and burdened, God is always available to help. He may not remove that burden from you, but he will certainly straighten your spine and shore you up as you carry it.

Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life’ can go on to say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’

—Alexander Maclaren

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    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…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 20)

    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 19)

    A La Carte: Good night, my son / The longing for justice following sexual assault / Daughter of encouragement / Mistakes I made as a theological student / The dangers of disordered love / Kindle deals / and more.

  • What Grieves the Heart of God

    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…