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Weekend A La Carte (November 5)

Weekend A La Carte

Today’s Kindle deals include: The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien, Double Play by Ben Zobrist, The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible by Bruce Metzger, and The Creation Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaf.

Do You Pray Enough?

This is so important: “Guilt is a terrible motivator for any behavior, except repentance. We cannot sustain ongoing spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, from a sense of guilt. That’s not what guilt is designed to achieve, and it’s why feeling bad over not praying enough will never turn us into men and women who ‘pray without ceasing.’”

What Parents Fear

Here’s an interesting one from the UK: “Almost a quarter of religious parents are not passing on their faith to their children for fear they will be alienated at school, a survey has revealed.”

What Jesus Didn’t Say

This is good: “In that moment, Jesus defied all expectations. No doubt his fans expected a great sermon from this now-famous hometown boy-turned-rabbi. His detractors hoped for a flop, and those who knew him well readied themselves to pat him on the head afterwards with cloying words…”

5 Key Apologetics Questions

Amy Hall lays out five questions young people most need to think through and solidify in their own minds before they go out into the world.

The Productive Benefits of Journaling

The Todoist blog has some good thoughts on the benefits of journaling.

This Day in 1858. 158 years ago today the Patons landed on Vanuatu. Having been warned of cannibals, John reponded, “If I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether my body is eaten by cannibals or by worms.” *

5 Damning Inconsistencies In Transgender Dogma

Glenn T. Stanton: “Gender theory is pure ideology. It is not based in any science or logical objectivity. Its proponents literally make it up as they go along, based solely on the way they wish nature were.”

Freedom From the Tyranny of Hyperspirituality

Yes. Too many people are utterly bogged down by the tyranny of hyperspirituality.

Long Before Twitter, Martin Luther Was a Media Pioneer

This is an interesting one from the New York Times.

Flashback: Smilingly Leading You to Hell

Christians can be nice, but so too can unbelievers. The Holy Spirit may help us be nice, but niceness is not necessarily proof that we are living in the Spirit and by the Spirit. Some of the most evil people are also the nicest people.

Martin Luther: All for the Gospel

I’m thankful to Ligonier Ministries for sponsoring the blog this week with “Martin Luther: All for the Gospel.”

God made us to sleep so that every day he can remind us that he manages things just fine without us.

—Kevin DeYoung

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Thomas Nelson Bibles)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Thomas Nelson Bibles. They are giving away five copies of the Life in Christ Bible.  About the Life in Christ Bible: Identity is all the rage today, and that’s kind of a good thing because when you think about it, identity is foundational to the gospel. The…

  • My Top Songs of 2024

    My 10 Favorite New Songs of 2024

    I have wide-ranging tastes in music and will gladly listen to all kinds of different genres. I recently spent some time considering some of the new songs I enjoyed in 2024 and, focusing on songs by Christian artists, eventually narrowed my favorites down to this list of 10—my 10 favorite new songs of 2024. I’ve…

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    A La Carte (December 20)

    A La Carte: From transgender to Christian / Forgive us our debts / Did the Son of God leave heaven to come to earth? / 9 ways to help those who are suffering / Does this prove Mary wasn’t a virgin? / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (December 19)

    A La Carte: The astronaut who left NASA to support healthy churches / The cradle that rocked the world / Are Catholics Christian? / Why we need beautiful churches / On stumbling / and more.

  • 2025

    12 Fresh Ways to Read Your Bible in 2025

    A new year offers a new opportunity—an opportunity to rethink and refresh the way you read your Bible. While some have found a pattern or habit they love and will never deviate from, others like to look for new ways to read, digest, and apply the Word. For those who may be interested in trying…

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    A La Carte (December 18)

    A La Carte: Grief and gratitude at Christmas / Navigating unwanted singleness / What the demons sang / Teach your teen about Christian freedom / Common interests / and more.