Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (October 11)

Today’s Kindle deals include: Called Together by Jonathan Dodson & Brad Watson, Sent Together by Jonathan Dodson & Brad Watson, and The Religions Next Door by Marvin Olasky. New from GLH Publishing, and 50% off to start, is The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford.

A Transatlantic Elegy For An American Hillbilly

Mez McConnell has written a very interesting review of Hillbilly Elegy. He writes from a Scottish perspective and shares just how much the book has in common with his context.

The Patriarchy Movement: Five Areas of Grave Concern

I’m glad to see this article at Reformation21 expressing areas of concern over the patriarchy movement.

Planet Earth 2

This is exciting news: Planet Earth 2 is on the way. Watch the trailer at the link.

A Gospeled Church

“You cannot grow in holiness and holier-than-thou-ness at the same time. So a church that makes its main thing the gospel, and when faced with sin in its ranks doesn’t simply crack the whip of the law but says ‘remember the gospel,’ should gradually be seeing grace coming to bear.”

R.C. Sproul’s Warning Concerning Prayer

R.C. Sproul offers a warning about prayer: “The idea seems to be that we have the capacity to coerce God Almighty into doing for us whatever it is we want Him to do, but God is not a celestial bellhop who is on call every time we press the button, just waiting to serve us our every request.”

This Day in 1531. 485 years ago today Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli died in the Battle of Kappel. *

7 Tips on How to Survive Your Ordination Exam

Michael Kruger offers helpful counsel on surviving that ordination exam. Though he writes from a PCA perspective, the advice has wider application.

5 Ways Persecution in Iran Has Backfired

This was an encouraging article to read. “Scripture is clear that God often uses his people’s suffering to advance his kingdom. In his providence, the Islamic regime’s strategies to stamp out the Persian-speaking church in Iran have backfired—resulting in further church growth. Here are five examples.”

Flashback: Why I Am a Six-Day Creationist

These are my reasons why I haven’t budged from this position.

Most of us go through life worrying people will think too little of us. Paul worried people would think too much of him.

—D.A. Carson

  • 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.…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    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…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    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…