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A La Carte (November 21)

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Ananias & Sapphira – J.D. Greear: “The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 lets us know that despite the explosion of growth in the early church, they had moments of weakness, even gross sin. I believe that their deaths serve as a warning to the Church today, and that God has a lot to teach us—if we are willing to hear…”

When Your World Caves In – Paul Levy writes about spending time with “two friends who were in ministry but have fallen morally and so now find themselves out of a job that they loved, separated from their families and, in all honesty, struggling.” Some of the lessons are very good (though I disagree that accountability doesn’t work).

From Vile to Victorious Bodies – “This poignant series of photos by Tom Hussey reflect how much we change over the course of our lives. They illustrate so many Scriptures that speak of the rapid passing of time and the vanity of life.”

The Lost Marines of Tarawa – “We had been on the island for about an hour when we found the first skeleton. It was a pile of yellow bones tucked inside a cardboard box. Mark Noah squatted down for a look. He is a stocky man of 48, with a light buzz of blond hair and the wind-beaten eyes of a lifelong outdoorsman. Since 2008, he has been traveling to the tiny Pacific atoll of Tarawa to search for the remains of more than 500 Marines who died there in World War II. Sometimes locals dig up their bones and leave them in his storage locker.”

From Laziness to Diligence – This article from Biblical Counseling Coalition accurately diagnoses laziness. It’s a little weaker on prescribing diligence, but still worth reading.

Your Brain on Crack Cocaine – Thanks to Toronto’s mayor, crack cocaine has been in the news. Here’s a video that explains what it does to you. (FYI, I should point out that I am not a resident of Toronto, so he is not my mayor!)

Carson

The most extraordinary things about the biblical prerequisites for elders is that they are not all that extraordinary.

—D.A. Carson

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    How do we lead in a culture shaped by performance, individualism, and platform? Platforms to Pillars by cultural commentator Mark Sayers offers a biblical alternative to the platform mentality that dominates our society. Drawing from the ancient world, Sayers challenges Christians to become pillars—people who provide strength and support for others, who live with character…

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    The Winds Blow Hardest Against the Tallest Trees

    Through the weekend had many questions about Christian leaders who fall. And I expressed that just as the winds blow hardest against the tallest trees, so temptations may press hardest against the leaders who rise the highest. Just as floods press against shallow roots, so seductive desires rise up against those whose fall would bring…

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    Why We Ask So Little of God

    Most Christians expect little from God, ask little, and therefore receive little, and are content with little. Though the Bible calls us to pray and though it promises that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working,” we can still have very modest expectations of what God will accomplish through…

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