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A La Carte (12/22)

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Reforming Christian Weddings
I was very interested in this article from Conrad Mbewe. It is a call for the reforming of Christian weddings within an African context and shows some of the issues they are battling on that continent.


J.C. Ryle Quotes
Erik Kowalker of J.C. Ryle Quotes: “Beginning Monday December 21st through Christmas Eve, I will provide a quote a day from J.C. Ryle regarding the example of the often overlooked wise men who came to worship the infant Christ and, how we as Christians, can emulate their humility.”


Christians and Copyright
“American retailers sell about $4.6 billion worth of Christian products annually, and some are spoofs or spinoffs of commercial logos or brand names. Many such goods are illegal, trademark attorneys say, but companies often are unaware their names are being copied or don’t put up a fight for fear of being labeled anti-faith.”


Best and Worst Brand Identities of 2009
I enjoyed this roundup of some of the best and worst brand identities of the year that was.


What People Do and Do Not Believe In
“A new Harris Poll finds that the great majority (82%) of American adults believe in God, exactly the same number as in two earlier Harris Polls in 2005 and 2007. Large majorities also believe in miracles (76%), heaven (75%), that Jesus is God or the Son of God (73%), in angels (72%), the survival of the soul after death (71%), and in the resurrection of Jesus (70%).”


Gospel on the GO Bus
My buddy Paul (you can call him P-Mac) shares an ordinary but interesting evangelistic encounter when traveling by bus from Toronto to Guelph.


What Part of the Body?
Francis Chan made me laugh.


Deals @ Heritage Books
Heritage Books has lots of really good deals on lots of really good books, including some complete sets from Puritan writers. Click the link to see what they’ve got.


  • Southern Africa

    A Trip to Southern Africa

    I don’t often write trip reports after I travel, except, of course, in the form of books and documentary projects like Epic and From the Rising of the Sun. Yet, I thought I would make a rare exception after returning from my recent journey to Southern Africa (and, strangely, Northern California). While I am accustomed…

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    A La Carte (December 10)

    A La Carte: Top 10 theology stories of 2025 / Mama, you don’t have to save Christmas / Giving up all your Sundays to advent / An empty chair at Christmas / Pray for the church in Rwanda / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 9)

    A La Carte: Reforming generosity / Let the young man come to church / Your wife is beauty / Combating imposter syndrome / Be known, not impressive / Dan McClellan / and more.

  • AI Slop

    The Rise of AI Book Slop

    We often hear these days of “AI slop,” a term that’s used to refer to the massive amounts of poor-quality AI-created material that is churned out and unceremoniously dumped onto the internet. This was once primarily artistless artwork and authorless articles, but has now advanced to much bigger and more substantial forms of content.

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    A La Carte (December 8)

    A La Carte: A plea to older women / Let someone serve you in suffering / Why AI writing can’t compete / Influencers / The hidden danger in online sermons / Discipling young people / Excellent Kindle deals / and more.

  • Hymns

    Pitch Perfect and Tone Deaf

    God commands us to sing. Yet while some of God’s people are gifted singers, the plain fact is that others are not. In any congregation, it’s likely that some have near-perfect pitch while others are functionally tone-deaf. Those who struggle to sing may be self-conscious, tempted to stay quiet or to do no more than…