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A La Carte (May 26)

tuesday

Today’s Kindle deals are highlighted by a book from Paul Miller and several from Ravi Zacharias.

Nitoy Gonzales has a knack for finding free stuff and shares his discoveries in regular Freebie Round-Ups.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for May 2020)

Now’s the Time for Rest

Dan Doriani has one for the pastors. “No doubt, the people who depend on you are glad you toiled ceaselessly through the opening phase of the pandemic. Churches and their leaders had never faced this challenge before. The ox was in a ditch. But oxen don’t fall into ditches every day. After weeks of unstinting toil, it’s time to re-establish healthy, God-given patterns, including a day of rest.” (See also: Corona Questions and On Not Having Closed Our Churches.)

5 Common Ways Church Members Go Astray

“As you engage relationally with your local fellowship and hear of a member in one of these situations, take note: that brother or sister could already be straying. Here are five common ways church members go astray.”

Apple’s COVID-19 Exposure Notification API: What It Is and How It Works

You’ve probably heard that Apple and Google have teamed up to create technology that would alert you if you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Here’s a description of what it does and how it works, at least on the iPhone.

Man vs. Squirrel (Video)

This is a tremendously amusing video about a man trying to outsmart squirrels.

When Zoom Becomes a Prison

“From the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve had my suspicions about Zoom. Clearly it has beneficial uses that we should be thankful for. It provides solace to those separated from loved ones, allowing grandparents to stay in touch with and ‘see’ precious grandchildren. Ultimately though, the video conference remains ‘a pale simulacrum of genuine interaction,’ says Cristine Legare, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. And now more media are starting to notice.”

The Wonder Drug That Fueled Nazi Germany

You’ve probably heard that during the Second World War, the Germany army was fueled in part by methamphetamine. This article explains.

There is No Faith So Little That It Is Not Saving

You’ll enjoy this reflection from Jared Wilson. “There is no faith so little that it can’t be saving. Faith does not have to be strong to be saving, it just has to be real. The smallest faith, if it is real, receives the same strength of Christ in salvation as the strongest faith.”

Flashback: Renew Your Mind

Which direction is your mind changing: toward conformity to the world or toward transformation into God’s image? Which has more of an influence over your mind: the Sports page of the newspaper or the Word of God?

The certainty of death should cause you to prepare for death.

—Thomas Brooks

  • Other side of the Wall

    On the Other Side of the Wall

    A story is told of a convalescent woman and the lovely vine that grew in her yard. Confined to her property during her long recovery from an accident, she turned her attention to the little plot of ground behind her home. She planted the vine on a cool spring morning, dreaming of the day when,…

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  • 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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