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A La Carte (November 1)

A La Carte Collection cover image

The beginning of a new month is an ideal time to consider that right now, at this very moment, God is reigning from his throne. All will be well.

A new month always brings an especially big batch of Kindle deals. And sure enough, there is a whole lot to look at and choose from. Probably the best Kindle deal I’ve ever seen tops the general market list: The complete The Last Lion trilogy, the definitive account of the life of Winston Churchill. I’ve read it all and it’s incredible.

What Happened When a Berkeley Feminist Had Three Sons

Sheluyang Peng takes a very interesting look at what happened when a Berkeley feminist had three sons. “There’s an old joke that goes ‘Nobody will win the battle of the sexes. There’s just too much fraternizing with the enemy.’ In feminist writer Ruth Whippman’s new book BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, she doesn’t just fraternize with the ‘enemy,’ she gives birth to three of them.”

The Tragedy of IVF

I believe Christians have a lot of thinking to do about IVF so am thankful for Carl Trueman’s thoughts in this article. “While I do not deny the humanity of the child born by IVF or surrogacy, the procedures do. The child in the womb is treated not as a person but as a thing, not as a subject but as an object, not as intrinsically valuable but as having value only as instrumental to some other end.”

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What if I Don’t Feel Forgiven? A Pastoral Letter

Dan Crabtree has a pastoral letter that may give comfort to those who don’t feel like God has forgiven them.

How Not to Respond to Suffering

John Piper considers Job’s wife and offers counsel on how not to respond to suffering. “What’s the author’s purpose in telling us about Job’s wife’s apparent despair? I think it has a double purpose. One is to show that, in our suffering, our most precious friend or loved one may turn against us (at least, it may seem so). Our flesh and bone, part of our very self, may become part of Satan’s test.”

What Exactly Is “Sola Scriptura” Protecting Us Against?

It is good to consider what the precious doctrine of sola scriptura is actually protecting us against.

Sanctification and Sexual Purity: God’s Will for Your Life

“There is a direct link between our holiness and our sexual purity. There’s a direct link between your body which is united to Christ and what you do with your body. And that my friends is not popular.”

Flashback: Living Sorrows and Departed Joys

…while I find little benefit in comparing one kind of grief to another, I am certain the sorrow of watching a living child careen toward hell is every bit as sharp as the pain of losing a child, but knowing he is safely in heaven.

Church growth experts often advise pastors to shape the church around the desires, opinions, and values of the culture. But a “user-friendly” philosophy of ministry only makes the church like the world.

—H.B. Charles Jr.

  • Quiet Time

    The Quiet Time Kickstart

    We are all people of habits. To some degree, we are always battling to establish good habits while battling to supplant bad ones. This is true of us in many different areas of life and most certainly true in our spiritual lives. In fact, some have argued that when we describe the way we relate…

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Why don’t we read the Bible more? / Did David rape Bathsheba? / To (almost) die is gain / Learn to pray the Bible / When you’re close to burnout / Called to freedom / and more.

  • How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    I think we can sometimes fool ourselves into believing that the Reformation caused the Roman Catholic Church to abandon some, most, or all of the doctrine that was so concerning to the Reformers. We can sometimes believe that the Catholicism of today is materially different from that of the 16th century or that it has…

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    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: iPhones, idolatry, and evil spirits / At my mother’s deathbed / Nothing to do but pray / Bible study tips for beginners / Jesus did condemn homosexuality / Please don’t sing “Imagine” at funerals / Kindle and book deals.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 14)

    A La Carte: Narcissus in public / A famous poet, KFC, and peace with my past / Does empowerment come from boudoir photoshoots? / Surrendering them to God / Sermon prep / Your plans for this year / and more.

  • 10 Reasons to Teach the Bible’s Big Truths to Children

    📖 Why teach children the big truths of the Bible? Moses commanded Israel to gather everyone—men, women, and little ones—to hear God’s law. Why? So they could “hear and learn to fear the Lord.” (Deut. 31:12-13) Children need the deep, rich truths of Scripture to know God, embrace the Gospel, and build a faith that…