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Weekend A La Carte (April 23)

It was a joy to meet so many of you at the Sex, Sin, & Salvation conference here in Pittsburgh. I’m heading back to Toronto this morning and looking forward to leading a quick breakout session at the Thinking? conference later in the day.

It has been a bit of a slow week for Kindle deals, but I hear there should be some good options next week, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here is some weekend reading for you.

Advice for Better Bible Memory

“Many of us know how valuable it is to memorize God’s word. But we often don’t know where to start. We get discouraged. We burn out quickly and move on to something less taxing. I’ve wrestled with these frustrations for years now. As a performer and worship leader, I’ve had to develop techniques so that I don’t drop the ball when I take the stage. I want to share a few of the methods I use regularly when memorizing God’s Word.”

10 Guidelines for Christian Voters

There’s wisdom in these guidelines for Christian voters.

Silencing God’s Megaphone

“If we are honest, virtually all of us desire to grow our influence and expand our platform, even if we don’t think about it in those terms. It may have a healthy motivation or it may be one consumed with pride. That is a determination that can only be made by God and the individual. But if your goal is to make Christ famous, instead of yourselves, have we ever wondered if achieving personal fame is the best way to go?”

Where Movie Sounds Are Born

Here’s a brief video showing how movie sounds are made.

Reformed “Spotlight”: What is Spiritual Abuse?

David Murray provides a helpful definition of spiritual abuse. “Spiritual abuse is a sinful use of spiritual authority by Christian leaders to promote, protect, or enrich a person or a Christian institution regardless of the spiritual damage done to innocent parties and the cause of Christ.”

This Day in 1982. 34 years ago today, missionary linguist and founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators Cameron Townsend died. *

Praying Together as Mentoring and Discipleship

Sometimes the most effective forms of mentoring and discipleship are the simplest ones.

On Sola Scriptura & Solus Christus

“We have derived a rich heritage from the Reformation—things for which the Reformers were ready to die, and many of them did die. Why is Christ’s death sufficient for the sins of all who trust in him? Why is God’s word greater than any of man’s tradition? In this video, James Montgomery Boice answers these questions and others.”

Does God Talk to Us? A Post by Michael Horton.

I’m grateful to Zondervan for sponsoring the blog this week. Sponsors play a crucial role in keeping this site going!

Walker

Expect Satan to tempt you most viciously at those moments and periods when you are seeking God most vigorously.

—Jeremy Walker

  • 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…

  • 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…