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Weekend A La Carte (November 4)

I am down South near Atlanta finishing up a marriage retreat. Lord willing I’ll be back home this evening. If you’re in the international terminal at ATL this afternoon, let me know and we’ll grab a coffee.

There are just a few Kindle deals today but they are on good books that rarely go on sale.

The Universe Should Not Exist

“Christian Smorra, a researcher at CERN, said, ‘All of our observations find a complete symmetry between matter and antimatter, which is why the universe should not actually exist.’” That blows my mind but is still plenty interesting.

Communism’s Bloody Century

This is a long but important and worthwhile read. “A century ago this week, communism took over the Russian empire, the world’s largest state at the time. Leftist movements of various sorts had been common in European politics long before the revolution of Oct. 25, 1917 (which became Nov. 7 in the reformed Russian calendar), but Vladimir Lenin and his Bolsheviks were different. They were not merely fanatical in their convictions but flexible in their tactics—and fortunate in their opponents.”

What It’s Like to Learn You’re Going to Die

This is from a non-Christian perspective. “Nessa Coyle calls it ‘the existential slap’—that moment when a dying person first comprehends, on a gut level, that death is close. For many, the realization comes suddenly: ‘The usual habit of allowing thoughts of death to remain in the background is now impossible,’ Coyle, a nurse and palliative-care pioneer, has written. ‘Death can no longer be denied.’”

The Relationship Between Sin and Work

“The first chapters of Genesis are important to Christians for many reasons. Genesis 1-2 tells us what God originally intended for us as His creatures. Genesis 3 is vital in telling us what went wrong in the world. In short, the world has been cursed by the fall of Adam into sin. Interestingly, Adam’s sin involved a failure in his work. Called to exercise dominion over the other creatures, he instead permitted himself and Eve to be ruled by the crafty serpent.”

What Does it Mean to Be Missional? (Video)

Dr. Elias Medeiros talks about what it means to be missional.

Ask Ligonier

Here is an incredible new resource. “Maybe you’re teaching a lesson tomorrow. Maybe you just need a place to start. It’s good to know that you can always ask Ligonier. For over 40 years, Christians have been looking to R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries for clear and helpful answers to theological questions. Now you can ask those questions as they arise, confident that our team will quickly provide a clear and concise answer. When you have a question, just ask Ligonier.”

We Don’t Need the iPhone X

It has been interesting to chart people’s growing frustration with the current state of mobile technology. (There may be a bad word or two in this one.)

Flashback: A Quiz on the Doctrine of Scripture

How well do you know the doctrine of the Scripture? How well do you know what the Bible tells us about the Bible? This short thirty-three question quiz is designed to help you find out.

95 eBooks Sale

My thanks goes to Zondervan for sponsoring the blog this week.

Addiction to social media will make you aware of everything and wise about nothing.

—Matt Smethurst

  • With Our Eyes on God

    With Our Eyes on God

    Life inevitably faces us with grievous trials and terrible troubles. None of us remains unscathed and undamaged as we make our way through this fallen world. When trials come, they can loom up so large before us that they become the only thing we can see. And even if we find the strength to cry…

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    Weekend A La Carte (February 22)

    A La Carte: The ‘ordo amoris’ and immigration policy / Sin casts a long shadow / But For the Cross of Christ (a new song) / Don’t wait to be thankful / Prayers for scrupulosity / and more.

  • Either Or

    Either/Or or Both/And?

    It is sometimes difficult to know how to follow Jesus. It is sometimes difficult to encounter a situation, look to Scripture, and know how to live in a distinctly Christian way. Often it seems there are two options before us that appear to stand opposite one another. Do we respond by expressing truth or by…

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    A La Carte (February 21)

    A La Carte: The heavy seasons of life / Going against the grain / Should we call God mother? / If faithfulness isn’t the highest priority / A heart for adoption / and more.

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    A La Carte (February 20)

    A La Carte: Defining healthy masculinity / The women who disappeared / Dear older women / When leaders fall, are you next? / A Storm in the Desert / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Building Churches

    Building Churches Out of Other Churches

    What is your church really made of? Or perhaps better said, who is your church really made of? This is something we all do well to ponder from time to time, for there are good ways and bad ways, better ways and worse ways to fill a church.