A La Carte (8/14)

To Suffer Faithfully [2] - “We sometimes tend to focus on those aspects of the Christian life (spontaneity, starry-eyed-ness, passionate intensity…) in which the younger seem to have an advantage over the older, but there are a bunch of other aspects in which the very experiences that knock some of the shine off our youthful naivety are exactly the things that equip us to be better at enduring.”

Guidelines to Narrative [3] - “If you've ever begun to read through the Old Testament and been filled with more questions than answers, you're not alone. Many of the stories of the OT are hard to understand and hard to apply.” Julian offers some helpful guidelines.

Why Batman Knows Jesus [4] - I really enjoyed Bob Glenn’s quick (three paragraphs) look at Batman and Jesus. Take a look; you’ll find that it’s not your typical article on the subject.

Rich Toddlers and Fashion [5] - There isn’t a lot of value in this article, but I did find this line particularly revealing: “Her mother, Dara Sandler, says she dresses her daughter in the latest fashions because Juliet is a reflection of her -- even though her daughter can’t spell the names of the designers, let alone pay for their clothes.” She makes her self-centered motive clear.

Duties of Church Members [6] - Here is a shortened version of Benjamin Keach’s list of the duties of church members to pastors.

God’s Glory, Our Excellence [7] - Writing primarily to pastors, Paul Tripp explores the connection between excellence and awe. “We have lost our commitment to the highest levels of excellence because we have lost our awe. Awe amnesia is the open door that permits mediocrity in.”

In coming to understand anything we are rejecting the facts as they are for us in favour of the facts as they are. —C.S. Lewis