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A La Carte (July 19)

tuesday

I have been a guest on a couple of different podcasts recently: Tech Reformation where we discussed social media, news, and blogging. Then I was also on These Go to 11 where they asked me questions to American politics but from a Canadian perspective.

The Immaturity of Addiction

“When someone begins to abuse substances repeatedly, they are often exchanging responsibility for pleasure.” This can be seen as an expression of immaturity.

Lemonade Stands Ethics: Serious Questions and Answers

This is just serious enough to make the point. “It’s that time of year when we again consider Christian morality and lemonade stands. Below find answers to common questions.”

The Legacy of One-Point Calvinism and Casual Churchianity

John Piper: “I grew up among a few million ‘one-point Calvinists’ who misunderstood their one point: ‘once saved, always saved.’ In general, it meant, if Johnny asked Jesus into his heart at age six, left the church at sixteen, mocked Jesus for ten years, and died in Vietnam with a bullet hole through his playboy bunny, he was in heaven.”

4 Simple Steps for Doing Bible Word Studies

George Guthrie follows up a previous post with an instructive one on doing word studies.

Stargazer Fish

Stargazers have eyes on the top of their heads. They bury themselves in the bottom of the sea and just wait for something to blunder on by. Check out the video.

If It Makes You Happy

This article at Reformation21 really digs down to the bottom of the “if it makes you happy” way of thinking that’s so pervasive today.

This Day in 1649 367 years ago today, Edward Winslow helped organize the Society for Propagating the Gospel in New England for the purpose of bringing the gospel to American Indians. *

Five Things I Pray I Will Not Do as a Senior Adult in the Church

Thom Rainer is thinking about being a senior (which is coming right up) and considering the kind of senior he does not want to be. “I have five specific prayers. They are for me. They are for my attitude about my church. They are reminders I will need to review constantly.”

Flashback: So You Want To Sin, Do You?

So you want to sin, do you? I get that. I’ve been there. I’ve been there today. And yesterday. And the day before. Can I beg just four or five minutes of your time? Then you can go and sin all you want. But first I want you to read just a few words and take a moment to consider them.

Luther

The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.

—Martin Luther

  • 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…