Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (June 5)

monday

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

As is almost always the case on Mondays, there are some new Kindle deals available.

(Yesterday on the blog: Despise Not a Mother’s Love)

Boring Kingdom Growth

“Describe the kingdom of God. What words do you use? Amazing. Awesome. Wonderful. Exponential. Mighty. Terrific. What analogies would we use? I doubt you’d first think of what Jesus uses in Mark 4.”

Don’t Be Taken in by the Tolerance Trick

Greg Koukl warns against being taken in by the “tolerance trick.” “Real tolerance … is about how we treat people, not ideas. Classic tolerance requires that every person be free to express his ideas without fear of abuse or reprisal, not that all views have equal validity, merit, or truth.”

What 80s Parents Got Right About Pop Culture

Christians rightly have a complicated relationship with pop culture. There’s wisdom to be gleaned from this approach.

Thomas Aquinas, the Evangelical?

Leonardo De Chirico is working on a book on Aquinas and considers the idea some are suggesting today: that Aquinas can be associated with Evangelicalism.

Pray as Slaves

“I confess that sometimes when I pray I can forget my place. Embarrassingly, I come to God to give Him a little advice. I’m not sure He fully understands the situation down on the ground, so I need to let Him know what’s going on and give Him a slight corrective. Because if He knew what I knew, then He’d surely handle things a little differently.”

Unfolding a Letter of Encouragement

“If you look down the corridor of history it’s easy to spot a multitude of Christians who have endured severe consequences for the sake of Jesus Christ — a good reminder that Jesus’ words are fulfilled in every generation of the church: ‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you’ (John 15:18).”

Flashback: Unanswered Prayer

Why are there times when God seems not to answer? If a good Father would never give his children a stone in place of bread, why does it seem like God sometimes does this very thing?

We only fully grasp the gospel when we understand, as Paul did, that we are the worst sinner we know.

—Tim Keller

  • Will You Be a Pillar?

    How do we lead in a culture shaped by performance, individualism, and platform? Platforms to Pillars by cultural commentator Mark Sayers offers a biblical alternative to the platform mentality that dominates our society. Drawing from the ancient world, Sayers challenges Christians to become pillars—people who provide strength and support for others, who live with character…

  • The Tallest Trees

    The Winds Blow Hardest Against the Tallest Trees

    Through the weekend had many questions about Christian leaders who fall. And I expressed that just as the winds blow hardest against the tallest trees, so temptations may press hardest against the leaders who rise the highest. Just as floods press against shallow roots, so seductive desires rise up against those whose fall would bring…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 21)

    A La Carte: Toxic servant leadership / Taking our stress to the Lord / The problem with habits / Is it wrong for Christians to choose cremation? / Why does your church meet in a house? / Big book and Kindle deals / and more.

  • Expectations

    Why We Ask So Little of God

    Most Christians expect little from God, ask little, and therefore receive little, and are content with little. Though the Bible calls us to pray and though it promises that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working,” we can still have very modest expectations of what God will accomplish through…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (April 19)

    A La Carte: Why man needs God / Why nails matter / Kids’ picture books / MLK’s famous letter changed a DC church / How to mentor / A tearless eternity / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (TGBC)

    This weeks Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They are giving away a bundle of their best-selling Good Book Guides that are designed to guide your head and your heart through God’s word. Each Good Book Guide includes a concise leader’s guide in the back.  The Bundle includes: Giveaway Rules: You…