May the God of love and peace be with you today. If you didn’t check in over the weekend, be sure to take a look at the most recent Kindle deals. It’s back-to-school day (at least in this part of the world). Speaking of which, Logos is having a back-to-school sale that has some good deals. (Also be sure to look at their Zondervan sale.) What Are Friends For? “We have lost the gift and glory of friendship. This is due to a number of factors. We’ve traded talking for texting. We’ve abandoned fellowship for Facebook. Social media has, in reality, become anything but. The season of COVID-19 has pushed many people further away from each other, and we’ve lost our grip on the gracious blessing of friends. Men, in particular it seems, have lost the gift of friendship.” Crazy Grace Jared Wilson has some encouragement for pastors. “Pastor, every Sunday, over and over again, without fail, stubborn and convicted, you take to that pulpit and pin all your hopes on the gospel in your preached text. You aren’t trusting your rhetoric, your well-turned phrases, your homespun stories, your hokey jokes. You aren’t trusting your emotional appeals, your special pleadings, your creative context, your fog and lasers or your eighteen verses of ‘Just As I Am.’ You leave all the good news out on the field, praying the seed will find purchase in softer soil than the week before.” The House of Mourning Lisa LaGeorge reflects on death. “‘Death is a robber,’ my pastor said … Continue reading A La Carte (September 7)