A La Carte (December 23)
3 min read
A La Carte: A generation’s boredom / The joy of making discoveries / John Piper’s devotional life / Sermon criticism / Enduring shame for the cause of Christ / Kindle deals / and more.
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Continue reading →: A La Carte (December 23)
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The Collected Best Books of 2025
I probably don’t need to tell you how much I love books in general, and Christian books in particular. One of my favorite times to be a reader is in mid-December when people begin to share their picks for the top books of the year. I collect all of the lists written by sites or…
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A La Carte (December 22)
A La Carte: The new David movie / The ghost of Christmas never / It isn’t night for the moon / Evangelism targets / Made in God’s image / What Jesus came to do / Kindle deals / and more.
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A Pastoral Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, we are gathered here this morning like children gathered before the feet of their father. We want to begin this new day with you. We want to begin this new week with you. Before we do anything, before we go anywhere, before we engage in work, school, or even play, we…
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Weekend A La Carte (December 20)
A La Carte: How the West became pagan / Confronting an unspeakable truth / Freebirth in the age of hospitals / Sorrows keep getting more sorrowful / You may not see the fruit of your ministry / and more.t
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Free Stuff Fridays (Harvest House Publishers)
Free Stuff Fridays: Book Giveaway!
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Addiction and the Local Church
Of all the pastoral issues a church can face, I think one of the trickiest may be addiction. In theory, churches are eager to provide a safe and welcoming environment for current or recovering addicts. Yet in reality, churches often feel ignorant and poorly equipped to deal with the reality of addicts and addictions and…
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A La Carte (December 19)
A La Carte: A problem-filled world / When you get accused / Why is the Son called “Everlasting Father”? / An unpolluted heaven and nature / I wrestled a skunk once / and more.
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A La Carte (December 18)
A La Carte: Jane Austen’s faith / Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit / The rising tide of Islam / Life with a constant music soundtrack / Should everyone write? / and more.
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The Best Complete Commentary Set for any Christian
Those who are serious about collecting commentaries will almost invariably say that it is better to think in terms of individual volumes than complete series. And I agree: it is generally better to focus on acquiring the top three or four commentaries on each book of the Bible than to focus on collecting complete series.…
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A La Carte (December 17)
A La Carte: Marketing as stewardship / Intercultural humor / Freedom in devotions / When people leave your church / Calvinistic gospel partnerships / Sentimentality / Kindle deals / and more.
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A La Carte (December 16)
A La Carte: The Scopes trial at 100 / How do we measure maturity? / A pogrom on Bondi Beach / Are Evangelicals obsessed with sex? / Do the next thing / Book sales / and more.
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You Are in the Circumstances in Which You Can Best Serve
There are times when we all find ourselves lamenting our circumstances. These may be times in which we grieve life’s losses or suffer life’s indignities, or these may be times in which we grapple with the frustrations that come with life in this world—when our skills are underutilized, or our contributions are underappreciated.
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A La Carte (December 15)
A La Carte: Blood soaks into the sand of Bondi Beach / This year’s biggest religious trend / The best Christian music of 2025 / The challenges this Christmas / Micromanaging your habits / Notable Kindle deals / and more.
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A Moving Picture of the Gospel
As we gather on Sundays, we preach the Bible, read the Bible, pray the Bible, and sing the Bible. But that is not all, for we also “see” the Bible. Here’s how Mark Dever expresses it: “The ordinances are the dramatic presentations of the gospel. They are the moving pictures that represent the spiritual realities…
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Weekend A La Carte (December 13)
A La Carte: No one drifts into godlIness / Your subscriptions are holding you captive / Fighting sexual temptation / An orderly case for raising hands in worship / Kirk Cameron and remodeling hell / Kindle deals / and more.
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Free Stuff Fridays (Harvest House Publishers)
This week, the blog and this giveaway are sponsored by Harvest House Publishers. Meet 52 Unsung Heroes Throughout history, the stories of brave Black believers and their remarkable contributions to the Christian faith and our nation have too often gone overlooked. Passionate writer and educator Jasmine L. Holmes brings 52 notable Black Christians’ stories to life…
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My Top Ten Books from 2025 (+ a Bonus)
As another year draws to a close, I wanted to take some time to consider the books I read in 2025 and to assemble a list of my top picks. Apart from the first book, which I consider the best I read this year, the rest are in no particular order. In each case I’ve…
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A La Carte (December 12)
A La Carte: How to fight your phone idolatry / The weakness of God / Strong and fearless faith / Loving aging parents well / Changed by love / and more.
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A La Carte (December 11)
A La Carte: Gift giving in an age of abundance / Canada’s Bill C-9 / In memory of Jubilant Sykes / Motherhood is a refining fire / A gentle pastor isn’t a weak pastor / When God’s plans leave us distressed / and more.
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A Trip to Southern Africa
I don’t often write trip reports after I travel, except, of course, in the form of books and documentary projects like Epic and From the Rising of the Sun. Yet, I thought I would make a rare exception after returning from my recent journey to Southern Africa (and, strangely, Northern California). While I am accustomed…
