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A La Carte (October 6)

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Today’s Kindle deals include a whole collection of books related to the Reformation and Reformed theology.

Westminster Books has a great sale on some top-notch commentaries and resources.

The Pointlessness of Vegas is Its Point

“Forget your conspiracy theories, which are coming thick and fast. Forget your sociological investigations, and the handwringing over US gun control. The sheer meaningless of the action is its meaning.”

Church, Stop Telling Her to “Wait” on Her Boaz

“If you read the book of Ruth, you see that she wasn’t ‘waiting’ for her Boaz at all. We see her loyalty to her mother in law, Naomi, clinging to her, while forsaking her ethnic identity and her decision to follow and worship the God of Israel.

Pastor, Keep a Close Watch On Your Life and Illustrations

Jared Wilson: “We all know a good illustration when we hear one in a sermon. But I’m gonna go out on a (sturdy) limb here and suggest that sermon illustrations these days are way overrated.”

The Problem With “Pan-Millennialism”

“But the person who tells the ‘panmillennial’ joke, and really means it, isn’t interested in details about the endtimes. He realizes that eschatology (the study of last things) is loaded with difficulties, and says, ‘I’m not going to think much about end times doctrine anymore. Jesus is going to make everything right when He comes again, and that’s good enough for me.’”

God’s Word Never Returns Void

“The preaching of God’s word on Sundays does its work in the lives of his people. It might seem small and pointless. It might seem slow and like growth isn’t happening (Hab. 2:3) It might seem monotonous and routine (for the one preparing the sermon). It might even seem like foolishness to the outsider looking in (1 Cor. 1:18). But it works.”

How Do You Translate Metaphors and Images? (Video)

I thoroughly enjoyed this video by Bill Mounce. He points out good ways and bad ways to translate metaphors.

Weapons in the Fight Against Anxiety and Fear

“The desire to know why things are happening in our life and even more so to control things in our life is one of the greatest killers of contentment. It also proves to be one of the greatest engines of anxiety.”

Flashback: No One Else Is Coming

They worked, waited, prayed, and hoped. They waited for a church planter to develop a heart for their neighborhood, to come with a calling, a mandate, a core team. But after a while they had to face it: “We realized, no one else is coming.”

He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men.

—C.H. Spurgeon

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    Weekend A La Carte (September 7)

    A La Carte: Embracing the slow work of God / 3 critical questions your church should ask / Packing up boxes and packing away memories / An army of Mary/Marthas / Reasons you may think the Bible is boring / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (TGBC)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They are giving away a bundle of books for ministry leaders. The Bundle Includes…. Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you permit The Good Book Company to send you marketing emails which you may unsubscribe from at any time.…

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    The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever

    It does me good to pause from time to time to read an account of a person coming to faith. It never ceases to fascinate me how many different paths we take to that one door and it never ceases to encourage me to read about another person’s experience of coming to the end of…

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    A La Carte (September 6)

    A La Carte: Let the cursor blink / 4 issues your children are facing that you never had to / We need good Protestant ethicists / The astounding family that awaits us / The desert song / and more.

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    A La Carte (September 5)

    A La Carte: Religious movies are sweeping Hollywood / Why didn’t God clearly explain every issue? / Now serving deconstruction / The blessing of godly grandparents / Suffering is … a gift? / Kindle and Bible study deals / and more.

  • The Dutiful Introvert

    The Dutiful Introvert

    I am aware that the categories of introvert and extrovert are not described or even hinted at within the pages of the Bible. My understanding is that the terms arose from the mind of Carl Jung and were popularized through his teachings—teachings that oppose Scripture in a host of ways.