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A La Carte (May 3)

monday

Good morning! Grace to you and peace.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Endearing Conceit of Young Men)

Humility on the Opinion Front

This is a really good call for humility when it comes to opinions (and other things).

Tithing in Financially Tight Times

“Your bank balance hovers near zero. Your job feels like it’s hanging in the balance. You can’t see how you’ll pay those bills. And yet you just heard your pastor encourage the congregation to think hard about how much they should give. By which he meant everyone, not just the wealthy. So how on earth can you think about giving money away when it seems like you can’t hold onto enough of it in the first place?”

Why Did the First Humans Live for So Long?

I really enjoyed John Piper’s take on why the first humans lived so much longer than we do today.

What Will Become of Atheism?

The latest newsletter from Esther O’Reilly reflects on other people’s reflections about the demise of the New Atheism. “Speaking as a denominationally homeless but decidedly conservative Protestant, I didn’t expect to find myself in 100% agreement with a secular Marxist hot take on Christianity vs. Atheism. But it’s 2021, so here we are.”

How to Protect Your Church from Abusers

This is a fairly basic (but important!) guide to protecting your church from abusers.

Church Membership Among Former Mormons

I hadn’t ever considered the special difficulty a church would face in persuading former Mormons to value church membership. This article explains it.

Endurance in the Christian Life

Amber Thiessen takes a current sorrow (another lockdown) and uses it to reflect on the Christian life. “The Christian life is all about endurance: Persevering, learning, and growing.”

Flashback: If Only I Had Been Saved By Merit!

One of the hardest tasks for every Christian is to deeply believe and forever remember that we’ve been saved by grace. One of the sweetest disciplines for every Christian is to meditate upon the grace that God extends to the undeserving.

It is harder to slander people in public when we’ve prayed for them in private.

—Dustin Benge

  • 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.

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    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.

  • Anxiety and Surrender

    Combat Anxiety Through Surrender

    Life is intimidating at times. Sometimes it’s intimidating, sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it’s downright terrifying. As we gaze into a future that is uncertain or frightening, our natural tendency is to pursue comfort through control. If we can only gain control over the situation, then we can ward off what frightens us and usher…

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    A La Carte (March 31)

    A La Carte: “Adolescence” isn’t daring enough / Biblical literacy / I believe in miracles / Christian artists are not priests / The careful justice of hell / Gratitude / and more.