A La Carte (November 24)

It is Black Friday, as you know. While so many of you were enjoying family and Thanksgiving feasts (something Canadians already did well over a month ago) I was putting together my annual list of Black Friday deals that will appeal especially to Christians. You’ll find all sorts of deep discounts on books, gifts, and other good stuff. Give it a look here.

Godly Leaders Go First

This one takes a valuable principle and applies it to dads. “Godly leadership often involves being last. For years on end, I watched my dad be the last one at church as he chose to be the one to lock up the building and turn off the lights so others in the congregation could go directly home for lunch or beat the Methodists and Presbyterians to the buffet. I watched my parents provide what we needed as their children before even thinking about their own needs.”

Victim Blaming and the Rich Young Ruler

Dave writes about a victim of rape in his village in Cameroon. He reflects on the common tendency to blame the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Avoiding the comparison trap as we serve our Master

“On the Last Day, God is not going to mark on the normal distribution curve, comparing you to all other believers. No, God wants to know what you, with your unique set of circumstances, have done with what you have been given.”

Everyone Places Limits on Sex, Not Only Christians. Why?

Ryan van der Avoort points out that it’s not only Christians who place limits on sex, then explains why Christians insist on the limits they do.

Reflections On Later Life

Eunice Cawston writes poignantly about being a little bit later on in life.

4 Feasts We Eat Every Week at Church

“I walked through the doors of our church with my kids running ahead of me, excited to find their daddy (who is the pastor). It might have been hard to get there that morning, but it was worth it. Simply the presence of other believers encouraged my weary heart. They believed church matters, which helped me believe it too.”

Flashback: Unjust, Unkind, Unfair, Un-humble?

Is it unjust, unkind, unfair, un-humble to insist upon the exclusivity of Jesus Christ? No, it is unjust, unkind, unfair, un-humble not to, for in doing so we are simply describing reality. In doing so we are offering hope.