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A La Carte (September 3)

monday

Today’s Kindle deals include all sorts of good books. You may also want to scroll down to Saturday’s list if you missed it.

(Yesterday on the blog: The First Two Minutes Matter Most)

Should We Expect Miracles Today?

I appreciated this perspective on the miracles and the miraculous gifts (from someone not at all convinced they have ceased). “It is notable that the only people who did signs were prophets, apostles and Christ himself. It is also important to note why they did these signs. Let’s just look at some of the instances of signs and their purpose in scripture.”

Russia in Color: Photos of Life Before the Revolution

What a fascinating photo essay. “More than a century ago, Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky hit the road — or more accurately, the rails — to create a visual study of the Russian Empire that remains startling in its scope, depth, and sense of immediacy. A pioneering chemist and photographer who created an early method for developing pictures in color, Prokundin-Grosky got assistance from Tsar Nicholas II himself to take a groundbreaking trip across Russia from 1909 to 1915 in a railcar with a specially designed dark room. His mission was to document the far reaches of the Empire.”

The Ketterers

Denny Burk has posted three videos about the Ketterers. Watch them in order from top to bottom. You’ll enjoy them!

How ‘LOL’ Changed the Way We Talk (Video)

John McWhorter is a professor of linguistics at Columbia University who talks about how communication today is better in large part due to texting. I’m not sure that I totally buy it, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

That Is Not A Woman

Rod Dreher makes a really interesting point about being in journalism today. “I find it hard to encourage young people to consider professional journalism as a career. It used to be because jobs were scarce, but now, added to that, is the clear trend of having to use one’s words to lie. To flat-out lie about what is real, and to lie in a way that journalists working for Pravda and Izvestia had to do back in the day.”

Some PhD FAQs

Kevin DeYoung talks about pursuing a PhD—candidates, motives, expectations, and so on. (You might also read Pursuing Education, or Just Credentials? by Trevin Wax.)

How to Fail in Your Evangelism (Video)

“We don’t fail in our evangelism when we faithfully tell the gospel and yet the person is not converted. We fail in our evangelism when we don’t faithfully tell the gospel at all.” This is such a crucial distinction!

Flashback: Why Marriage Is Better Than Cohabitation

Though Christians continue to affirm the uniqueness, the goodness, and the necessity of marriage, our society continues to legitimize cohabitation as either a common precursor to marriage or a complete alternative.

The more Christians are caught up in enjoying the good things of this life, and the more they neglect genuine Christian fellowship and their personal relationship with Christ, the less they will long for his return.

—Wayne Grudem

  • 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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  • What Grieves the Heart of God

    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…

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    A La Carte: When God does not need our service / How to forgive and move on / A devotional for depression / Can a speeding ticket change your heart? / Is it I, Lord? / Kindle deals / and more.