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A La Carte (September 30)

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Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include several good books by and/or for women. There are titles there by Melissa Kruger, Rosaria Butterfield, and others.

How to Lose Your Leaders

“If your leaders leave, what are you left with? Followers. And the growth of your organisation will quickly hit a ceiling. Being left with followers is fine if you are satisfied with substandard sycophants, or a revolving door of new leaders recruited, used and burned out. But if you want a team with initiative, wise long term decisions, and a healthy ministry culture, you need teams of genuine leaders.”

What if He’s Faithful?

This one hits close to home. “It only takes a few experiences of loss or long-deferred hopes to become a person bent on protecting yourself from future sorrows. You begin to view every potential good thing in life as the harbinger of your next greatest loss. Rather than bringing your desires and concerns to the Lord with hope that He will intervene or work things together for good, you worry at the Lord, certain everything will soon fall apart.”

Three Pounds of Wonder (Video)

The John 10:10 has a new video, this one about the marvelous human brain.

Dear Pastor, Sermon Prep Is Worth the Effort

Here’s an article/letter for pastors to ponder. “Plenty of people to set your agenda, innumerable demands pastorally, increasing amounts of administration, personal family concerns—they all have the potential to send stress levels rocketing. But perhaps the greatest danger is their ability to divert us from our main priority, memorably encapsulated in Paul’s parting charge to Timothy.”

The Good Life

Ruth writes about the good life.

Breaking the Anger Chain

Darryl explains how he once struggled with anger and how he learned to identify and break the “anger chain.”

Flashback: When Jesus Says “Stay”

Instead of telling him “come,” Jesus told him “stay.” He told him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” This man was to have a ministry, after all, but it was a ministry at home, not a ministry away. 

I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden.”

—Augustine

  • The Men Who Have Done Most for God in this World

    “The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.” This quote from E.M. Bounds would work perfectly well without the word “early.” It would then say, “The men who have done the most for God in this world have been on their knees.” Taken that way,…

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    Weekend A La Carte (January 11)

    A La Carte: Parents can’t fight porn alone / Victory in Jesus (a new song) / Will you pass the test? / What God meant is what God means / Lessons from caring for a disabled child / 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: As you look at all things through the lens of the gospel, you’ll increasingly become the fully-formed follower of Jesus and servant of his church that you have been…

  • Trump, Trudeau, and the 51st State

    These are strange days in Canada. The incoming President of the United States has suddenly promised to slap a 25% tariff on cross-border trade—a tariff that has the potential to devastate the Canadian economy. Some suggest it could cost Canada a 3% hit to its economy and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.…

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    A La Carte (January 10)

    A La Carte: Dawkin’s gender dilemma / The worst of all possible worlds / Value character over performance / Is heaven a real place right now? / Last of the middlebrow Protestants / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 9)

    A La Carte: Discipleship in the Reformed world / Why Christians need to watch out for Jordan Peterson / The forbidden woman and the path to death / I’m no gambler / a firm foundation in an uncertain world / and more.