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A La Carte (March 28)

A La Carte Thursday 1

Grace, mercy and peace to you.

The Kindle deals continue! We’ve been spoiled over the past few days. Today you can find, among others, Geoffrey Chang’s excellent Spurgeon the Pastor.

Just a reminder to Logos users that time is running out to save on all the commentaries that were discounted during March Matchups. The winner was Baker Commentary on the Old Testament and it is 60% off. Several other great series are also discounted almost as much. Also be sure to grab a free book by Jerry Bridges.

(Yesterday on the blog: What God Wants You To Forget)

The Case Against the Abortion Pill

Rachel Roth Aldhizer makes a strong case against the abortion pill in this lengthy and powerful piece for First Things. “Abortion advocates tell us that abortion is safe. By becoming legal, so the story goes, hidden violence is made safe, and it must be protected because without abortion access, women will die. The majority of abortions in the United States are now medical as opposed to surgical, induced with the controversial medication mifepristone. The FDA claims this process is safe, with an extremely low complication rate. But there is another story.”

Cursed Is Everyone Who Is Hanged on a Tree

That Jesus was crucified (hanged on a tree) is not an incidental detail. Roland Barnes explains at Ligonier. (Also at Ligonier, it’s a good time to read R.C. Sproul’s “Jesus Became a Curse for Us.”

What I’ve Learned About Grieving With Hope

Two years after the death of Nanci, Randy Alcorn shares some of what he has learned about grieving with hope. “The single greatest help to my grieving well is that I have come to truly sense Jesus with me. He is my friend and is with me and walking alongside me. The friendship of Jesus is the most comforting reality in my life.”

Heartbreaking Deception: Teen Girls, Social Media, and Body Image

“It’s a lot of work to untangle the agenda of the beautiful people we see on social media. Their agenda isn’t usually evil, but it certainly isn’t helping us to love the Lord. We need God’s help to do this work. But we also need a clear conviction that we are fighting worldliness by taking the time to walk through these steps or the effort will seem unnecessary.”

Could Podcasts Save the Church from Stupidity?

Though this article is especially about podcasts, it opens up much wider avenues for thought. “I find myself wondering: In the era of addictive, algorithmically sorted, short-form visual media, are podcasts a return to the past? Could podcasts in the church make us all a bit less stupid? Maybe.”

Count It All Joy, Right Now

Melissa has a sweet reflection on parenting little ones. “Each and every day of parenting has its challenges, but maybe the biggest challenge of all is just learning not to wish your life away. The past was sweet. The future looks bright. But right now is filled with joys of all kinds, even when I’m running behind her in the shoe store, grabbing hold of her tiny sweater.”

Flashback: It’s Better To Suffer Wrong

We are to bear patiently through suffering and persecution, we are to endure hardship, we are to entrust ourselves to God. We are to do all of this even—and perhaps especially—when our trials come at the hands of those who profess Christ.

The aged believer seems to see deeper into God’s Word—and further into God’s heaven.

—Theodore Cuyler

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    A La Carte (April 24)

    A La Carte: He cares for us / Will the pope to go heaven? / An easy Christian faith / The good we cannot see / Chickens, elephants, and freedom / When we skip the prophets / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Francis

    Did Francis Prove To Be “The Humble Pope?”

    Francis’ time as pope has come to an end and already many are attempting to define his legacy. Was he a reformer? Was he a progressive? Was he an apostate? Perspectives are wildly varied with some honoring him as the greatest pope of modern times and some dishonoring him as a disgrace to the office.

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    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: How to begin a conversation with a dechurched friend / Machen was right / The truth of Christ’s resurrection / When grief becomes sin / Nope to the media’s ideal for a new pope / Book sale / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Pope Francis / Yes, Jesus was crucified with nails / The mystery of “the call” / Just a little bit / The last of the four / John outran Peter / Kindle deals / and more.

  • 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…