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A La Carte (October 1)

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Welcome to October. May this be a month in which you experience many blessings and know much of God’s grace.

Today’s Kindle deals include several books for preachers along with some titles for other readers. There’s also a large list of both Christian and general market deals that will be on sale throughout October.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Sins of the Elderly and the Sins of Youth)

Don’t Go to Church; Submit to One

There is such a key distinction between going to a church and submitting to one. “No one is going to grow spiritually in the context of a local church without submission. You can sit there in the pew, week after week, but if you aren’t willing to follow the course that the leaders of the church are charting, you will remain stagnant. If you intuitively question every decision the church makes, you won’t grow. If you consistently think you know better than the pastors, you won’t benefit from their ministry.”

Is the End of History at Hand?

Tom Schreiner answers some questions about the end of history. “Are we living in the last days? Is Jesus coming very soon? According to Hebrews 1:2, we’ve been in the last days since Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection, which means the last days have now spanned 2,000 years. We aren’t only in the last days; we’re in the final hour…”

Finding Joy in Jesus

Do you feel disconnected from God? Are you just going through the motions of the Christian life without joy? Tim Chester has written a new resource for Christians who want to deepen their relationship with Jesus and truly enjoy him. Get 25% off with code ENJOYJESUS. (Sponsored)

4 Questions About Headship and Head Coverings

Kevin DeYoung takes on a series of questions about headship and head coverings.

How to Raise Godly Teenagers

Anne Kennedy offers some pretty good tips on raising godly teenagers. “I’m not an expert on anything, though I have six children who so far haven’t thrown me over despite the continual threats of people that I will soon be disappointed to find my Christian approach to life has injured them and that they will have nothing more to do with me. I do have some thoughts—nonexpert thoughts, mind you—about getting along with children and giving them the room they need to become people who don’t hate their parents, don’t hate the world, and don’t hate God.”

All the King’s Men

Clint Archer has an important and level-headed word here on the situation with Steve Lawson. “It’s been a week now. I have sat quietly and listened to Job’s companions theorizing on YouTube and Facebook. And there is one recurring issue in these online opinions that I would like to address: the critique of the official statements.”

Atheist or Christian, We All Choose Our Miracle

Randy Alcorn insists that whether we are Christians or atheists, we all have to choose a miracle.

Flashback: Could There Be a Worse Home Than This?

The love of the Spirit is shown in his wondrous patience with us in all our sinfulness, while he lives in us and deals with us in the culturing of our Christian life.


  • Free Stuff Fridays (Zondervan Reflective)

    This week the giveaway is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. Will technology change what it means to be human? You don’t have to be a computer scientist to have discerning conversations about artificial intelligence and technology. We all wonder where we’re headed. Even now, technological innovations and machine learning have a daily impact on our lives,…

  • 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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    A La Carte (November 22)

    A La Carte: John Mark Comer / Praying imprecatory Psalms / The news media is broken / John Piper on seeing God / No good deed will remain hidden / Pre-Black Friday sales / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 21)

    A La Carte: Lessons from Trump’s and Harris’s social media campaigns / What is my spiritual gift? / The messages we receive / 10 mistakes I’ve made in preaching / Big Kindle and book sales / and more.

  • 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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    A La Carte (November 20)

    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.