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Weekend A La Carte (September 17)

I am going to be offering period reminders that, if you’ve read and appreciated Seasons of Sorrow, leaving a review (or even a simple star rating) at Amazon will take just a few seconds and be a big help.

There are a few new Kindle deals today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Turnaround)

We Are Not Disposable

This is such a good and important article from Samuel James’ Substack (which is well worth a subscription). “I’ve written before about Facebook, and how the Facebook of my freshman year of college seems almost like a dream that I had one time. The idea of a website whose only ethic was friendship and only currency was neighborliness seems too ridiculous now to say out loud. But that was really how it was back then.”

Preaching a Funeral of a Nonbeliever (Video)

Hershael York has some wise counsel on how pastors should approach preaching the funerals of nonbelievers.

Shia LaBeouf and the Church as Sales Pitch

“In preparing for the lead role in a movie about Padre Pio (an Italian Franciscan friar later canonized as a saint), the actor Shia LaBeouf, best known for Transformers, lived for a time in a monastery, submitted to several spiritual mentors, and then converted to Catholicism.” Trevin Wax considers a couple of his comments from a recent interview.

Who’s More Sinful: Men or Women?

You probably know the answer to the question: neither. But John Piper’s answer covers quite a lot of interesting territory and is worth reading.

Is the Future of Christian Music on TikTok?

Is the future of Christian music on TikTok? It’s quite possible as CT shows in this recent article.

The Deadly Disease of Pornography (Video)

YouTube’s algorithm saw fit to suggest this interview with Carl Trueman and I’m glad it did.

Flashback: The Ministry of Presence

The ministry of presence is the ministry of being there—of simply gathering with the church on Sunday. This may seem like a little thing, but it matters. It matters a lot.

The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.

—John Flavel

  • Spurgeon

    Must You Read at Least One Spurgeon Biography?

    I am not aware of a verse in the Bible that says every Christian must read at least one biography of Charles Spurgeon. Or every Calvinist, at least. But I also wouldn’t be completely shocked if it’s there somewhere and I’ve just missed it. And that’s because his life and ministry were powerfully unique in…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 21)

    A La Carte: What “love your enemies” does not mean / John Piper on reading providence / Talking to your Roman Catholic friends / What happens at prayer meeting? / Against executive pastors / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Christian Standard Commentary: A Modern Commentary Steeped in Ancient Tradition

    The Christian Standard Commentary will encourage and equip God’s people to understand the text and live according to Scripture for Christ’s glory. The unique ancient-modern approach to the biblical text found in the CSC is a valuable resource for building up Christ’s church while encouraging God’s people to fulfill the Great Commission. As a commentary…

  • Finnegan

    Why I Haven’t Written A Whole Lot about My Grandson

    It has been two months since little Finnegan was born—two months since I became a grandfather for the first time. It only just occurred to me that I have said very little about this new reality, this new stage of life, this new member of our family.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 20)

    A La Carte: Is it good that you exist? / Should we trust churches? / In defense of childhood / Take your anxiety to church / How do I leave my abortion in the past? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer Recipe

    Prayer Is Not Like a Good Recipe

    Prayer is not like a good recipe: simply follow a set of mechanical directions and everything turns out right in the end. So what is it then? And how can we do it well?