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A La Carte (September 10)

thursday

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good books, one of them suitable for those struggling with pornography (or attempting to help someone who is).

(Yesterday on the blog: Learning To Thrive as a Diverse Church)

Why Unhealthy People Crave Controversy

This is good and important. “Quarrels sometimes come, and sometimes those controversies are what it takes to be faithful to the Spirit. But just as one engaged in sexual immorality can always convince himself that this is a special case of ‘love,’ ‘soulmates,’ or ‘destiny,’ the one with an unhealthy craving for controversy can always convince himself that he’s a warrior for Christ—instead of a captive to his passions.”

How a Massive Bomb Came Together in Beirut’s Port

This is an amazing visualization from the New York Times—and a good bit of journalism to go with it.

Plus Ça Change And Clapped Out Cars

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. So goes the old epigram. The more it changes, the more it stays the same. I was set to thinking about this phrase as I received yet another call from the police about another abandoned car that had dumped on our church car park.”

A Short History of Racism

As this article so aptly shows, racism has a long, ugly, and worldwide history.

The Christian And the State

There are lots of good takeaways from this article by Paul Carter which concerns churches and the pandemic. Including this: “Government regulations differ region to region, province to province and country to country, so every church must wrestle with the correct application of these principles to their particular context…”

When Detours Become Destinations

Sometimes the detour does become the destination…

What Is Time?

Consider how much our lives are governed by time, we probably don’t think much about what time really is…

Flashback: The Folly Bound Up in the Heart of a Child

The beautiful jewel of salvation highlights the deep darkness of sin. Our children’s holiness reveals just how foolish they were, it displays how badly they needed to be saved, and it proves the great power of God’s salvation.

Anger is against God because he is the one who directs the details of our lives. In fact, in our anger and outrage, we have decided that we want to be God rather than submit to him.

—Ed Welch

  • Dreams

    What Becomes Of All Our Dreams?

    My dad loved to cook. This was a passion that began relatively late in his life after the kids had moved out. With an empty nest, my parents were able to live a slower-paced life and my dad began to dabble in cooking. He soon found that he loved it and that my mother was…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 12)

    A La Carte: A young Christian reading John Mark Comer / Being inconvenient / Breaking gender stereotypes to the glory of God / Gluten-free and non-alcoholic / AI-Pocalypse Now / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 11)

    A La Carte: To those living in secret sin / The time Jesus Left the 99 / The discipline of remembrance / No-contact for toxic relationships / Relational wisdom / and more.

  • Dumb Will Do

    Dumb Will Do: Why Satan Doesn’t Need Heresy

    There is one memory of my earlier years as a Christian that I’ve never been able to shake. It’s a formative memory that I actually don’t think the Lord means for me to shake, for it has often reminded me that, when it comes to the local church’s worship, the stakes are sky high.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 10)

    A La Carte: Break shame’s chains / I don’t deserve this / Seeing the world like a Great Gray Owl / The cosmic canvas / Preserving wonder / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Neglected Prayer

    The Things You Neglect To Pray About

    There is a close connection between prayer and humility. This being the case, there is also a close connection between prayerlessness and pride. Those who believe they are self-sufficient feel no need to petition God for his help, for his strength, for his wisdom. It is only those who admit their lack who will cry…