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A La Carte (May 10)

wednesday

Good morning. This is just a reminder that I’m on vacation with my family this week and hence posting only the daily A La Carte articles. Original articles will return next week.

Westminster Books is offering a deal on the initial volumes of a neat new series.

There is a handful of new Kindle deals to look at.

Please Don’t Weaponize Good-Faith Disagreement

I think this is a really important one from Trevin. “One of the wearying aspects of church life these days is the constant weaponizing of disagreement. I’m referring to the tendency to take an honest disagreement we have with someone (perhaps over secondary points of theology, or matters of political prudence, or parenting methods) as a sign he or she must be ‘unsound’—and so we wield that disagreement as a weapon, as a way of smearing the person’s entire outlook or ministry.”

We are Defined Not by our Failures, but by Christ’s Victory

Jen tells a beautiful story here by way of illustration. “In the late 1800s a Canadian pharmacist, Dr. William Leslie, sensed God calling him to use his medical skills to advance the gospel on the continent of Africa. He set out for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1895, joining the missions organization first pioneered by the famed Adoniram Judson in Burma. After a few years, Dr. Leslie met and married another missionary, and together they served in the DRC—offering medical treatment and the gospel.”

Did Jephthah Kill His Daughter to Fulfill a Vow to God?

Believing that Jephthah killed his daughter is not the only common or valid interpretation of this passage.

Where Does Mark End? Handling Snakes and Ancient Manuscripts

And speaking of disputed passages, how about the ending of the Gospel of Mark? This long article from DG explains the uncertainty about exactly where it ends.

Younger Christians Are Looking for Older Saints

Darryl Dash: “To our shame, there was a period in which the aged were seen as unimportant in many churches. In direct contradiction of Scripture, we valued youth. Through our actions, we told older men and women that they no longer mattered and that it was time for the youth to lead now. No longer. I sense the opposite in the church today: a desire for older men and women to emulate.”

7 Ways to Fight Poorly

“If you have breath, you have conflict. And it’s not going to go away.” Ain’t that the truth!

Flashback: We Have the Light So We Can Be the Light

The great need of our fellow Christians is not darkness, but light—light to cut through the gloom, light to brighten their eyes, light to illumine the way we all must go.

We must receive from God, before we can give to others, for we have nothing of our own with which to feed men’s hunger or quench their thirst.

—J.R. Miller

  • From Practice to Perfection

    From Practice to Perfection

    You should stop by someday,” he said. “The orchestra is beginning to learn a new piece. I think you would enjoy hearing them. As promised, he met me in the lobby and led me through a locked door. As we walked down a long hallway, I could begin to hear music coming from somewhere ahead.…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 30)

    A La Carte: Not the Halloween you remember / How God used the loss of a loved one to save another / Infertility and longing / Daylight saving and spiritual disciplines / Belong and believe? / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 29)

    A La Carte: When King Charles came to church / Curiositas and the David Platt documentary / Teasing out idolatry in narcissism / Loving people through slow change / Can God forgive without punishment? / and more.

  • Disappointment

    The Practice of Accepting Disappointment

    One of the most important habits you can develop is the habit of accepting that life is full of disappointments. One of the best ways to grow in contentment is to accept the inevitability of discontentment. One of the ways you can be most joyful in life is to be realistic about life, to know…

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    A La Carte (October 28)

    A La Carte: How to steward money in marriage / Regrets in parenting / The temptation of temptation / Our common purpose / How much should Christians tithe? / Huge Kindle sale / and more.

  • Prayer for a Son

    A Father’s Prayer for His Son

    Every father knows the importance of praying for his children. Yet every father also knows that at times it can be difficult to know what to pray. I recently found a sweet prayer in an old book and thought I would share it with you, dad, so you can pray it for your son. Take…