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A La Carte (March 9)

wednesday

Good day! May the Lord bless you and keep you today.

There are lots of good books in today’s list of Kindle deals.

Good Habits from Painful Beginnings

This article considers the way that good habits often have their genesis in painful beginnings. “How often does God allow something negative or painful in our lives so that we begin something new—a new habit that is for our own good?”

Pastors Aren’t the Brand

“We’re told these days how important it is to develop a personal brand.” Yet as Darryl tells us here, neither the pastor nor the church should be a brand.

Is your church website accomplishing the right things?

It’s the first impression people have of your community. It can be a powerful tool for communication with your congregation. Is it doing what it needs to do? The team behind WhiteHorseInn.org, ElisabethElliot.org, and even Challies.com, also makes sites for local churches! In March only, mention ‘CHALLIES’ to receive 30% off your first year of service with MereChurch. (Sponsored Link)

This American High

“Thirty-five years ago, I loved foolish bits of sticky paper. Thirty-five years from now, what will be my lament? Today I cling to my home, my security, my liberty – the very things I view as blessings from God – but will I have used them to serve and save eternal souls? Or will these ‘blessings’ have distracted me from what is most important?”

Are You Standing in God’s Way?

Can we stand in God’s way? “You may dismiss this question on its face. After all, how could anyone resist omnipotence? Who could thwart his plans and purposes? In an absolute sense, I agree. We can no more resist God than an ant can resist a boulder rolling to land upon its sandy domicile.”

The Goal Is to Make the Metaverse our “Primary” Reality

As we begin to hear more and more about the metaverse, it’s good to remind ourselves of the total and sweeping goals of those who are designing and advocating it.

50 for the 50th

RYM is collecting top-ten lists of Christian books and sharing them here.

Flashback: The Celebrity Pastor We’ve Never Known

The holiest moments of pastoring are the ones that are seen by the fewest people. And in the end, I’m convinced these are the ones that mean the most. Most people will forget most of your sermons, but they’ll remember that when they called, you came.

The keeping up of appearances is an exhausting way to live.

—Dane Ortlund

  • Sermon Introduction

    Three Levels of Sermon Introduction

    Though every sermon necessarily needs a beginning, it does not necessarily need a formal introduction. Though it has to begin somewhere, there is no rule that it must begin with some kind of story or illustration. A preacher can jump straight into his text if he so desires. Some do.

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    A La Carte (April 4)

    A LA Carte: Causes of division in the church / Union with Christians / The 1%-er rhetoric / Pray or sleep? / Distinguishing shame from guilt / Many more Kindle deals / and so on.

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    A La Carte (April 3)

    A La Carte: Never too late to learn how to pray / Walking with those who weep / Rethinking the role of pastor’s wife / What does the Bible mean when it teaches wives to submit? / Does God want some to go to hell? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Most Pleasant Show on Television

    The Most Pleasant Show on Television

    I rarely review, recommend, or even mention movies and television programs. I rarely do so because I am aware that tastes vary and so too do family rules and personal consciences. Not only that, but I am not very adept at understanding the themes or messages in visual media and wouldn’t wish to inadvertently lead…

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    A La Carte (April 2)

    A La Carte: Our dance with distinction / You are not your theology / The challenges of motherhood / God hates sin / Random thoughts on preaching / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 1)

    A La Carte: John Piper evaluates Jordon Peterson / Church coffee / Disciplines to help your marriage / “Love is Blind” / A knife at her throat / So many Kindle deals / and more.