A La Carte (July 28)

Protecting the sheep from domineering pastors / Ligonier Ministries, CNN, and Ben Sasse / When your boss expects you to lie / Do a tech detox with your teen / Faithful femininity / Poking fun at ourselves / and more.

Protecting the sheep from domineering pastors / Ligonier Ministries, CNN, and Ben Sasse / When your boss expects you to lie / Do a tech detox with your teen / Faithful femininity / Poking fun at ourselves / and more.

How we handle singleness personally and within the church requires strong biblical reflection and practical application. Single Together: Stewarding Singleness in the Family of God is designed to encourage singles and to help churches embrace singles as essential members.

A few months ago I left my phone in a closet and started living without it. Here’s why I did it, how I made it work, and what difference it has made.

A La Carte: A liturgy with a pause—for the killing / Modern-day morality and a bloodthirsty desire for vengeance / Burning Bibles to the glory of God / The Odyssey vs the Bible / “Christianity is not credible” / It’s hard to grow up / Kindle deals / and more.

Works and Wonders includes Sounds of the forest, Claude, Honey, Big Boy, and the last Kakapo. There’s also a devotional to get your Lord’s Day started.

Reader recommendations, plus long-form content and think pieces on: The conformity gap / What Catholics actually believe / One tool to rule them all / The end of populism / Why ambulances are so expensive / and more.

A review of Jen Wilkin’s Dust to Dust, which counters our culture’s anti-aging “false story” with a distinctly Christian, church-rooted vision of aging wisely.

Terrible fathers / Why we pay to be scared / Shepherding kids through loss / The remarkably ordinary church / Getting more out of sermons / Test yourself, but trust in Jesus / The funnies / A La Quiz / and more.

My infertility didn’t end with a pregnancy / Cutting off your parents / Missions exists because worship does / The pro-life movement’s widening division / Church branding isn’t church planting / Jesus and the “r-word” / and more.

A few Sundays ago we had picture day—the day we take updated photographs for the church directory. Aileen and I were overdue to have our photo taken and, for the first time in 26 years, it was just the two of us. Over the years, our directory photos climbed from two people to three, then…

A pastor and a salesman get into an Uber / Something greater than outrage / Spend time with the gruntled / Lost relational opportunities and heaven? / If Jesus returns tonight / A letter from the leaders you are raising / One spirit, one faith, many opponents / and more.

5 signs your marriage is unhealthy / The preacher’s life / A life of prayer / The miracle of Christian unity / Conforming to non-conformity / Football won’t save the world / What I’m enjoying / and more.

What if you could see every note you’ve written on the Sermon on the Mount when you read Matthew 5? That’s InBible. When writing a note, tap any Bible reference to see the passage in context. When reading Scripture, select a verse to see every note that cites it. Insights you recorded years ago resurface…

Whether God grants our petitions or denies them, we can pray with confidence that his answer always flows from his goodness and is exactly what is best.

Pillaging of the digital commons / The Marxist who understood sex better than the UMC / Intrusive thoughts and gospel hope / Predestination should give you confidence / How to wait for cultural reckoning / Invite as many as you find / Kindle deals / and more.

Works & Wonders has interesting and uplifting material on: Bluebirds, the rarest books on earth, a new song, berries berries everywhere, the amazing electric eel, and a devotional to start your Sunday.

This weekend’s collection of long-form and think-pieces covers declining fertility rates, the Boy Scouts, The Odyssey, AI and the elderly, and Gen Z, plus reader recommendations.

Free Stuff Fridays: Free Book!

Some issues in the church seem to arise once, but then get permanently put to rest. Others, though, seem to arise time and time again, often in slightly different forms. Gender roles are squarely in the latter category.

Setting a financial finish line / A manifesto on generative AI writing / What the Bible teaches about karma / Dang it, social media / D.L. Moody’s commitment to God / Playing to not lose / Book reviews / Sales and deals / and more.

Gen-Z revival / Devotional material that hinders spiritual growth? / Does the day end in night / When you cannot sing, let the church sing for you / Three prayers for prodigal children / The ordinary and enduring gifts of the Spirit / and more.
Bible biography Bonhoeffer books Christian living church current issues disability marriage parenting personal prayer sin suffering theology
Genesis 1 Genesis 3 Psalm 119 Matthew 18 John 3:16 John 10:10 Romans 1 Romans 8:28 Romans 12:2 Ephesians 5 Philippians 4:8 Colossians 3:16