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A La Carte (10/18)

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John Piper will Vote – “Having read several articles by people who don’t plan to vote in the presidential election, my conclusion is: I’m going to vote. It seems to me that the good that can be done, presumably by the protest of not voting, is mainly done by talking about not voting rather than by not voting. Then it also seems that this same good would be accomplished if those who thought they would not vote did all that talking, but then voted.”

The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine – Phil Johnson (remember him?): “It’s odd and troubling that the best-selling evangelical book of the past decade is a fanciful account of heaven spun from the imagination of a four-year-old boy. (Believe it or not, The Purpose-Driven Life and The Prayer of Jabez are both now more than a decade old.) Peddling fiction about the afterlife as non-fiction is the current Next Big Thing in the world of evangelical publishing.”

You Can Get In My Face – A good question: “Does anyone in your life have your permission to follow Galatians 6:1–2 when you need it? The text doesn’t read, ‘If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual get in their face!’ But I’m one who needs strong rebuke occasionally, so I’ve given a few people permission to be tough (in love) when it comes to encouraging me to godliness.”

Of Babies and Beans – From Dr. Mohler: “Adam Gopnik is a gifted essayist and writer whose contributions, often published in The New Yorker, are almost always thoughtful and interesting. Nevertheless, one of his most recent writings is deeply disturbing, and at the deepest level.”

D’Souza Responds – Perhaps against my better judgment I linked to a WORLD article about Dinish D’Souza yesterday. D’Souza has responded and has gone on the offensive. I link to his response only out of a sense of fairness and don’t intend to keep discussing it. Regardless, D’Souza’s response is as troubling in tone as the original accusations. This is not the way to respond!

Non-Exploding Soda Can – This is what I was taught as a kid; it’s nice to see that science backs it up.

If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?

—David Livingstone

  • ESV Expository Commentary

    The Best Complete Commentary Set for any Christian

    Those who are serious about collecting commentaries will almost invariably say that it is better to think in terms of individual volumes than complete series. And I agree: it is generally better to focus on acquiring the top three or four commentaries on each book of the Bible than to focus on collecting complete series.…

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    A La Carte (December 17)

    A La Carte: Marketing as stewardship / Intercultural humor / Freedom in devotions / When people leave your church / Calvinistic gospel partnerships / Sentimentality / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 16)

    A La Carte: The Scopes trial at 100 / How do we measure maturity? / A pogrom on Bondi Beach / Are Evangelicals obsessed with sex? / Do the next thing / Book sales / and more.

  • Service

    You Are in the Circumstances in Which You Can Best Serve

    There are times when we all find ourselves lamenting our circumstances. These may be times in which we grieve life’s losses or suffer life’s indignities, or these may be times in which we grapple with the frustrations that come with life in this world—when our skills are underutilized, or our contributions are underappreciated.

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    A La Carte (December 15)

    A La Carte: Blood soaks into the sand of Bondi Beach / This year’s biggest religious trend / The best Christian music of 2025 / The challenges this Christmas / Micromanaging your habits / Notable Kindle deals / and more.

  • A Moving Picture of the Gospel

    A Moving Picture of the Gospel

    As we gather on Sundays, we preach the Bible, read the Bible, pray the Bible, and sing the Bible. But that is not all, for we also “see” the Bible. Here’s how Mark Dever expresses it: “The ordinances are the dramatic presentations of the gospel. They are the moving pictures that represent the spiritual realities…