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Weekend A La Carte (July 14)

I was able to dig up a few Kindle deals for today; collectors will want to sort through them, I’m sure.

(Yesterday on the blog: The History of Nothing, No One, and Nowhere)

The Transhumanism Revolution: Oppression Disguised as Liberation

This is quite a read. “Transhumanism is an ideology which holds that humans must harness technological advancements to take an active, intelligent role in our own evolution and the evolution of our species. When we think about these developments as a society, we tend to consider them in relation to the improvement of the human race as a whole. However, we must begin to consider the profound implications for the sovereignty of the individual and the primordial question of what it means to be human.”

World Cup Evangelism Has Flourished. What Comes Next?

This is good to hear! “Even as Russia’s national soccer team was eliminated from its own World Cup last week, concluding a surprisingly strong run at the globe’s biggest soccer tournament, the country’s Protestants have made their own mark on this year’s Cup. They have high hopes to see their striking evangelistic project go beyond the championship game on July 15.”

Apu and the World of 2040

There’s lots of interesting facts to ponder in this article, but at least consider this: “The new undergraduates entering colleges this coming Fall were born in 2000, and they don’t recall a world without smartphones and social media. For them, the US has always been at perpetual war in at least one Muslim nation. For them, same sex marriage has always been the law of the land; Confederate flags have always been the symbol of hard core racist lunatics; and transgender issues have always been at the forefront of civil rights.” It’s a new world!

On Sex-Ed, Ontario Is Back To the ’90s

As I’ve traveled, many people have asked me about Ontario’s radical new sex-ed curriculum. Incredibly enough, it’s just been dumped by our new Premier (similar to a Governor) and is going to be rewritten after consultation with parents.

Passing Down the Truth

John MacArthur introduces a solid article with an especially strong illustration. Then he discusses the importance of passing on the baton of leadership.

Tokyo: Earth’s Model Megacity (Video)

I’ve never been and don’t anticipate going anytime soon, but at some point need to see Tokyo!

Driving Without a Smartphone

“Last week, for the first time in years, I stopped my car at a red light and didn’t bide the time by fondling my smartphone. This isn’t a proud admission, but it is an honest one: Pretty much every time I stop my car at a traffic signal, I pick up my phone and do something with it. I’m not even sure what. I ‘check my phone,’ as people say. Checking your phone doesn’t really mean checking your email or text messages or social-media feed. Mostly, it means checking to see if there’s anything to check.”

Flashback: Looking Forward to the Reward

I struggle with the idea that I am to be motivated to obey God in this world by the promise of reward in the next. It has always struck me as wrong, as something a little bit less than noble, that I would obey God not purely and solely out of a desire to obey him, but out of a desire to increase my eternal reward. Have you ever wondered about that?

Kids Ministry is Better Than Babysitting

This week the blog is sponsored by The Gospel Project. Sponsors play a key role in keeping this site running, so I’m thankful for each and every one of them.

Religion is your seeking after a god in your own image. Christianity is God’s seeking you and moving to redeem you by the death of His Son.

—James Montgomery Boice

  • Finn

    I’m a Grandfather!

    Yesterday Abby and Nathan welcomed their first child into the world: Finnegan Safir Nicholas Elfarrah. Because they live just minutes away, Aileen and I were able to be there shortly after his birth to rejoice with them and to meet our first grandchild. We are thrilled beyond measure. And he is cute beyond belief. They…

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    A La Carte (November 20)

    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 19)

    A La Carte: Good night, my son / The longing for justice following sexual assault / Daughter of encouragement / Mistakes I made as a theological student / The dangers of disordered love / Kindle deals / and more.

  • What Grieves the Heart of God

    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…

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    A La Carte (November 18)

    A La Carte: When God does not need our service / How to forgive and move on / A devotional for depression / Can a speeding ticket change your heart? / Is it I, Lord? / Kindle deals / and more.