Skip to content ↓

Weekend A La Carte (August 26)

I’m grateful to TGC for sponsoring the blog this week with Are You Keeping Track of Your Church’s Culture?.

There are some interesting books listed in today’s Kindle deals.

(Yesterday on the blog: World Religions in Seven Sentences)

Our Infertility and God’s Foreknowledge

“There are over one billion websites on the internet, yet some days it can feel as though they contain none of the information we want to know. Approximately four million new book titles are released each year, yet too often they tell us everything we don’t want to know. At least 350,000 new tweets are published every minute, and for what? Even with all this information at our fingertips, we still long for more—especially in times of suffering.”

Could It Be Time for a Pastoral Transition?

Benjamin considers times when it may be right for a pastoral transition.

Don’t think about elephants!

“I want you to not think about elephants. Whatever you do, I don’t want the thought of an elephant to enter your mind. Don’t think about their size or their ears or their trunks. How are you going? What are you thinking about right now? I think I can guess!” Simon means to prove something with this.

Truth to Cling to When Nothing Makes Sense

“Though there have been many precious years of walking with my Savior, the past several years has shaken my confidence as the road has continued to be dark, long, and painful. Though God has been faithful in so many ways (far more than we can probably see) I have been increasingly perplexed and unsettled by his ways.” You may identify with Sarah in this.

Such Were Some of You

Justin reflects on one of the most unexpectedly encouraging verses in the Bible.

Don’t Begin With the Needs of Your People

“I used to begin with the needs of people and then go to Scripture. I figured that the place to begin as a preacher is with the needs of the people in front of me.” Darryl explains what changed and why.

Flashback: Love Is a Risky Business

God takes no risk in his love, because he knows everything about me. He knows all I have done, all I am doing, all I ever will do. He will never receive new knowledge of me that may cause him to question his determination to call me his friend. And for that reason, no relationship I have will ever be more secure than my relationship with him.

We tend to think that the default destiny of all people is heaven, and hell is reserved for the particularly wicked. But in truth our default destiny is hell, and heaven is reserved for those who have the honesty to admit it and look to Christ.

—Dane Ortlund

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 3)

    A La Carte: Never too late to learn how to pray / Walking with those who weep / Rethinking the role of pastor’s wife / What does the Bible mean when it teaches wives to submit? / Does God want some to go to hell? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Most Pleasant Show on Television

    The Most Pleasant Show on Television

    I rarely review, recommend, or even mention movies and television programs. I rarely do so because I am aware that tastes vary and so too do family rules and personal consciences. Not only that, but I am not very adept at understanding the themes or messages in visual media and wouldn’t wish to inadvertently lead…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 2)

    A La Carte: Our dance with distinction / You are not your theology / The challenges of motherhood / God hates sin / Random thoughts on preaching / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 1)

    A La Carte: John Piper evaluates Jordon Peterson / Church coffee / Disciplines to help your marriage / “Love is Blind” / A knife at her throat / So many Kindle deals / and more.

  • Anxiety and Surrender

    Combat Anxiety Through Surrender

    Life is intimidating at times. Sometimes it’s intimidating, sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it’s downright terrifying. As we gaze into a future that is uncertain or frightening, our natural tendency is to pursue comfort through control. If we can only gain control over the situation, then we can ward off what frightens us and usher…