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A La Carte (2/5)

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The Bible – CNN covers Mark Burnett and his miniseries The Bible (which I’m sure you’ve been hearing about). The hotel I was in on Sunday night didn’t offer the History Channel so I didn’t get to see it. Melinda Penner of Stand to Reason offers some positives and some negatives.

Peace that Trumps Tribe – From Kenya: “We sincerely plea for peace in the weeks following these elections. We may be divided on whom we want to be the next president, but we are united in echoing this prayer in our national anthem: ‘May we dwell in unity, peace, and liberty.’ And we call on Christians from across the world to echo this prayer for peace. Pray for peace that is not just superficial or temporal, but a lasting peace that finds its root and foundation in the preaching of Jesus Christ crucified.”

It’s Better to Be Faithful – Mark Altrogge says it’s better to be faithful than gifted. “There aren’t many superstars in the kingdom of God. Not many have super gifts. Most of us are just average. Gifted in small ways. But if we are faithful to use the gifts we have and serve in whatever ways we can, God will increase us.”

The Most Essential Life Skill – David Murray, in a similar vein, writes about the most essential life skill. “Those who are teachable, and remain so, usually succeed. The unteachable usually fail. I’ve seen that in business, I’ve seen it in the ministry, I’ve seen it among students, and I’ve seen it in my children.”

Were They Drowning? – Bill Mounce takes a really helpful look at a well-known story from Jesus’ life and asks why the translators inserted just one little word.

Tales From the Dugout – Baseball fans may enjoy this discussion with Albert Pujols, Barry Zito and Josh Hamilton, three Christian ballplayers.

Sermons are dangerous things. None goes out of church as he came in, but either better or worse.

—George Herbert

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    A La Carte (July 25)

    A La Carte: What does it mean to die with dignity? / Did Paul endorse slavery? / Forgiveness in marriage / 5 ways to pursue contentment / The immense value of encouragement / and more.

  • Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Of all the Christian disciplines, it is my guess that meditation may be the least practiced—though I suppose fasting might have something to say about that. Most people diligently make time to read the Bible and pray. And yet, while most people have good intentions when it comes to meditation, it so often seems to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 24)

    A La Carte: A mother to me, too / Never look your age? / Nine reminders for the struggle with body image / A ruler who trusts in Yahweh / No, I will not stop calling the church a family / Criminalizing sexual ethics / Bible journal sale / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 23)

    A La Carte: Connection and commitment / When your mind gets stuck / Prayer postures in the Bible / Fading with age / Does God care about how I work? / 7 essential things to know about God’s holiness / and more.

  • Evangelize 2024: Growing a Church That Proclaims The Gospel

    This week the blog is sponsored by Matthias Media. Does your evangelistic passion match the New Testament call to proclaim Christ’s name to all people? God calls on us to partner with him in “hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet 3:12) by laboring to make people ready for that day, having…