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A La Carte (April 12)

A La Carte Friday 2

This is just a reminder that a lot of my articles are professionally translated and made available in Spanish. You can find the complete collection at es.challies.com.

The FAQs: Southern Baptists Debate Designation of Women in Ministry

Joe Carter provides one of his helpful FAQs to explain some of what’s going on within the SBC. “The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is embroiled in a heated intramural debate over the designation of women in ministry.”

Is God Always Pleased With Christians?

That’s a valid question, isn’t it? Is God always pleased with Christians?

2 Weeks Left to Save for #MISSIONARYCON24

Join us on October 16-18 for The Missionary Conference, commemorating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English Bible translation. Gain a biblical understanding of and involvement in world missions, exploring key questions and challenging the pragmatic mindset that has infiltrated evangelicalism. Hear from John Piper, Brooks Buser, Sinclair Ferguson, and many others. (Sponsored)

Good Growth

“Good growth for a church is slow and steady, the whole body growing together. Sudden influxes of people are like grafting a branch onto a tree. Doable (and as a Gentile I am such a graft onto Israel’s tree: Christ), but difficult and requiring more skill than watching it weather the sun and storms while providing water and pruning.” This principle applies to individuals as well.

Planted and Rooted

Kristin has some sound counsel. “It is profitable to take personal inventory, paying close attention to your life’s surroundings. Are your relationships, systems, and work robust and God-honoring? I am not suggesting that healthy things are easy, but are their roots strong, abiding in Christ and ordered by Scripture? If something seems off, investigate.”

Scotland’s Destiny and the Rewriting of History

This is both sad and strangely fascinating.

Both Worm and Worthy

Trevin Wax: “An overemphasis on human worth will make grace expected: Well, of course God sent his Son to save us. We’re so worthy, after all! Go in that direction and repentance is unnecessary. Why wouldn’t God save you? An overemphasis on human depravity will make grace powerless: I’m nothing more than a worm and will never amount to anything. Go in that direction and repentance is impossible. Why would God care?”

Flashback: Beauty in the Whole and the Parts

In theology we make a study of God—of his works and of his ways…And as we study our God we find there is blessing in the macro and the micro, in the whole and in the parts.

Self-serving needs are not meant to be satisfied; they are meant to be put to death.

—Ed Welch

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    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…

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    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.

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    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,…