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A La Carte (9/5)

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Justine’s Story – I think it is good for us to read stories like this every now and again, lest we forget the horror and devastation of abortion. “On the 23rd anniversary of her abortion, Justine Kyker warns others of side effects and regrets.”

Loving Christ…Practically – Erik Kowalker looks to J.C. Ryle to find some practical implications of loving Christ.

The Sermon, One Hour Later – Here is a question I asked Brian Croft, and he was kind enough to answer it at his Practical Shepherding blog: “How does a pastor evaluate his sermon one hour after preaching it?” In other words, if someone comes to me shortly after preaching and says, “How did your sermon go?,” how do I answer?

Electronic Self-Projection – Dane Ortlund asks some good questions about social media and its tendency to make us into self-promoters. “And the amount of self-foregrounding that takes place on these media–by Christians–by pastors–is troubling. Promotion of our own books, letting everyone know where we’ve been and whom we’ve met, drawing attention to what others are saying of us–how easily we Corinthianize and employ the world’s mindset for ostensibly kingdom purposes.”

9/11’s Spiritual Impact – Just about everyone is looking back to 9/11 and trying to understand its impact, 10 years later. Here is one of many attempts to guage its spiritual impact.

Astronomy Picture of the Day – This is a fascinating picture if, for no other reason, simply because there is so much going on at once.

What fools are they who, for a drop of pleasure, drink a sea of wrath.

—Thomas Watson

  • The Phrase that Altered My Thinking Forever

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing and is written by Ralph Cunnington. Years ago, I stumbled repeatedly on an ancient phrase that altered my thinking forever.  Distinct yet inseparable. The first time I encountered this phrase was while studying the Council of Chalcedon’s description of the two natures of Christ. Soon after,…

  • Always Look for the Light

    Always Look for the Light

    For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond.…

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    A La Carte (March 18)

    A La Carte: God is good and does good—even in our pain / Dear bride and groom / Sin won’t comfort you / Worthy of the gospel / From self-sufficiency to trusting God’s people / The gods fight for our devotion / and more.

  • Confidence

    God Takes Us Into His Confidence

    Here is another Sunday devotional—a brief thought to orient your heart toward the Lord. God takes the initiative in establishing relationship by reaching out to helpless humanity. He reveals himself to the creatures he has made. But what does it mean for him to provide such revelation of himself? John Calvin began his Institutes by…

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    Weekend A La Carte (March 16)

    A La Carte: I believe in the death of Julius Caesar and the resurrection of Jesus Christ / Reasons students and pastors shouldn’t use ChatGPT / A 1.3 gigpixel photo of a supernova / What two raw vegans taught me about sharing Jesus / If we realize we’re undeserving, suddenly the world comes alive /…

  • Ask Pastor John

    Ask Pastor John

    I admit it: I felt a little skeptical about Ask Pastor John. To be fair, I feel skeptical about most books that begin in one medium before making the leap to another. Books based on sermons, for example, can often be pretty disappointing—a powerful sermon at a conference can make a bland chapter in a…