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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

  • 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: 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,…

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    A La Carte (November 18)

    A La Carte: When God does not need our service / How to forgive and move on / A devotional for depression / Can a speeding ticket change your heart? / Is it I, Lord? / Kindle deals / and more.