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Weekend A La Carte (January 13)

A La Carte Collection cover image

My gratitude goes to TMAI for sponsoring the blog this week. They are inviting you to attend their annual symposium where you’ll hear from Paul Washer and Steve Lawson. “What exactly is needed for effective missions work? Which components are necessary? Where are the best books, best programs, or best examples for missions?” This is what they will consider.

Today’s Kindle deals include some newer books and some older ones.

(Yesterday on the blog: Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy)

The Dress

Kristin writes movingly of her daughter and her upcoming wedding. She celebrates her daughter and also offers her some wise counsel.

In Praise of Prudence: What the Cardinal Virtues Can Teach Us About the Splintering of Evangelicalism

Kevin DeYoung has written a long-awaited followup to his article from a few years ago in which he argued “that many of the old networks and alliances had fallen apart and that four new ‘teams’ had emerged.” He offers a lot to think about!

Will Following My Heart Set Me Free?

Caz Dodds considers and counters “a story that our culture loves to tell: that success in the world means presenting your truest self, pushing off what society tells you to be, to be you. It’s almost like that’s the meaning of life. You are free to be yourself.”

Sustained in the Fire

“I’m thankful God that has sustained me, but sometimes I don’t want to just be sustained, I want to be delivered,’ I confessed to my husband. It’s difficult to admit such thoughts because as a Christian, I know that God is working in my trials and I do believe he has a purpose. But there are days when I struggle to see beyond the pain and, in my humanity, my present feelings cloud my eternal perspective. Some days – I want to be rescued, rather than sustained. I want relief now.”

Why We Need the Bad News of Israelite History

Gary Edward Schnittjer explains why the Bible doesn’t skip from creation and fall directly to Calvary. In other words, he explains why we need to know all that bad news about Israelite history.

Book Allowance

I think this article would benefit from less “should”—a word of moral right and wrong. That aside, I do think there is wisdom in ensuring that pastors have easy access to the resources they need to really thrive in their preaching ministry.

Flashback: I Still Do: A Marriage Course for the Middle Years

It has been my observation that churches tend to invest a fair bit of effort in preparing couples to begin a healthy marriage, but perhaps a little less in helping couples sustain a healthy marriage.

The gospel is as free as the air you breathe.

—C.H. Spurgeon

  • Men in the Image of Women and Women in the Image of Men

    Men in the Image of Women and Women in the Image of Men

    God made men and God made women. God made men distinct from women and women distinct from men. God made men and women equal in worth and value while also making them distinct in some purpose and function. It’s all obvious stuff, this—obvious matters of differences between the sexes.

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    A La Carte (April 14)

    A La Carte: The healing of that old ache / Grounds for everyday smiles / A “quiet revival” in the UK / When Scripture gets stale / Praying when it feels like God isn’t listening / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A Less Busy Heart

    In the midst of our busy lives, we can sometimes wonder whether we really have the time to pray. Won’t prayer hinder our productivity? Won’t prayer keep us from getting done all the things we need to do?

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    Weekend A La Carte (April 12)

    A La Carte: Designer babies / The dragon and the rooster / Leper Christianity / Theologians against nature / Faithful and small / The missing heart of AI sermons / Douglas Groothuis books / and more.

  • Good News Rock Bottom

    Good News at Rock Bottom

    Life most certainly brings its challenges. Some of these are just little ruts along the way, some are deep and dark valleys, and some are lower still—the kind of rock bottom experiences that are so dreadful we wonder if we will be able to endure them with our faith intact.