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Weekend A La Carte (December 15)

weekend

There are a few Kindle deals you may like to take a peek at today. Also, Amazon has select family board games on sale today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Kirk Cameron Wants You To Connect)

Hard times at Harvest

WORLD magazine has a long report on the hard times at Harvest Bible Chapel. “Former elders, pastors, and staffers from Chicago’s Harvest Bible Chapel accuse the church of financial mismanagement and a culture of deception and intimidation.” Christianity Today picked up the story as well.

The Death of Clear Thinking

Carl Trueman comments on a concerning article in the Times. “The entire article is of the quintessence of the age, instructive not so much for its positive contribution to the transgender case but for the insights it gives to our cultural moment. For such tendentious and flawed argumentation to be considered compelling, it needs to support a cause where the conclusions already enjoy such cachet that no significant exertion of intellectual effort is really needed to justify them in the public square.”

Misguided Proposal From Christian Leaders and LGBT Activists Is Anything but ‘Fairness for All’

In a somewhat similar vein, Ryan T. Anderson writes about “a proposal among some Christian leaders to strike a compromise with some LGBT activists to balance ‘LGBT rights’ with religious liberty. The proposal would elevate ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ (SOGI) to protected classes in federal law in exchange for certain exemptions for religious colleges and institutions. They call this approach ‘Fairness for All’.”

Inside the Killer Whale Matriarchy (Video)

This little video tells how killer whales maintain an important matriarchy.

Child Marriage: Cultural Norm or Distortion of God’s Purposes?

I’m thoroughly enjoying TGC Africa where its writers are explaining and analyzing some of the issues that pertain to their part of the world. In this case, it’s the practice of child marriage.

Amazing iPhone Review (Video)

This is a very different and rather humorous (but also insightful) review of the iPhone.

Not Everything Needs a Gospel Talk

I co-sign this: “I am a firm believer that, at some point, you actually have to share the gospel and that if all you’re doing is mercy ministry, or acts of service without words, you are not doing gospel ministry. But that doesn’t mean those sorts of things have absolutely no evangelistic value whatsoever.”

Flashback: The Visionary Worrywart

Worriers are always looking to the future—a future that is tragic and brutal.

5 Audiobooks that Speak to Suffering

I’m thankful to Christian Audio for sponsoring the blog this week!

There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me.

—J.I. Packer

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 24)

    A La Carte: He cares for us / Will the pope to go heaven? / An easy Christian faith / The good we cannot see / Chickens, elephants, and freedom / When we skip the prophets / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Francis

    Did Francis Prove To Be “The Humble Pope?”

    Francis’ time as pope has come to an end and already many are attempting to define his legacy. Was he a reformer? Was he a progressive? Was he an apostate? Perspectives are wildly varied with some honoring him as the greatest pope of modern times and some dishonoring him as a disgrace to the office.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: How to begin a conversation with a dechurched friend / Machen was right / The truth of Christ’s resurrection / When grief becomes sin / Nope to the media’s ideal for a new pope / Book sale / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Pope Francis / Yes, Jesus was crucified with nails / The mystery of “the call” / Just a little bit / The last of the four / John outran Peter / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Will You Be a Pillar?

    How do we lead in a culture shaped by performance, individualism, and platform? Platforms to Pillars by cultural commentator Mark Sayers offers a biblical alternative to the platform mentality that dominates our society. Drawing from the ancient world, Sayers challenges Christians to become pillars—people who provide strength and support for others, who live with character…

  • The Tallest Trees

    The Winds Blow Hardest Against the Tallest Trees

    Through the weekend had many questions about Christian leaders who fall. And I expressed that just as the winds blow hardest against the tallest trees, so temptations may press hardest against the leaders who rise the highest. Just as floods press against shallow roots, so seductive desires rise up against those whose fall would bring…