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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

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    Free Stuff Fridays (Ligonier)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, who also sponsored the blog this week.  Yesterday was Reformation Day, when many Protestants celebrate the sixteenth-century recovery of the biblical gospel. It was while Martin Luther was studying the book of Romans that he rediscovered the doctrine of justification by faith alone. So, today…

  • Daily Liturgy Devotional

    Why Not Use a Daily Liturgy for Your Devotions?

    Trends come and go. Certain habits or interests rise for a time, wane, then rise again, often at unexpected moments. One of the recent trends I have found particularly surprising and also particularly interesting is the rise (or re-rise, if you prefer) of liturgy. This may be liturgy within formal worship services of the local…

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    A La Carte (November 1)

    A La Carte: When a Berkeley feminist had three sons / The tragedy of IVF / What if I don’t feel forgiven? / Piper on how not to respond to suffering / What sola scriptura protects us against / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    As October draws to its close, I wanted to ensure you know about at least some of the most notable books it brought our way. I did not see quite the quantity of new books I have seen in some previous months, but there were still some special ones. For each, I’ve provided the publisher’s…

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    A La Carte (October 31)

    A La Carte: What is the Reformation? / More than a list of problems / A surprising story / More than songs of praise / Do elders need to evangelize? / Preach the gospel / and more.

  • From Practice to Perfection

    From Practice to Perfection

    You should stop by someday,” he said. “The orchestra is beginning to learn a new piece. I think you would enjoy hearing them. As promised, he met me in the lobby and led me through a locked door. As we walked down a long hallway, I could begin to hear music coming from somewhere ahead.…