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A La Carte (4/29)

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The Socially Acceptable Sin – This is a well-written and thought-provoking article: “In practice, there are some sins that are socially acceptable, even in the Church. There’s one sin in particular that has pervaded our society and churches so silently we hardly give it a second thought, and that is the constant hunt for more over what is enough.”

Rejected by a Deaf, Dirty, One-Handed Man – A dispatch from Asia: “As I was driving home through a nearby mountainous region, I passed by a homeless man walking uphill in the opposite direction. I remembered passing him earlier that day farther down the mountain as I was rushing to complete various tasks in a nearby city. On my way back, however, I was free from any time constraints and my conscience quickly convinced me to pull off and try to help him.”

Is This History’s Darkest Hour? – Randy Alcorn has an answer for those who ask, “Is this history’s darkest hour?” “I have no sympathy with people who tell us today that these are the darkest days the world has ever seen. The days in which we live are appalling, but they do not compare with conditions in the world when Jesus came into it…”

All About Him – Steve DeWitt reflects on finally seeing Jesus as he is.

Raising Bubble Babies – Clint Archer has some wise words about parenting. “Parent, you cannot break your child; they come broken. Likewise, exposing them to worldly vices will not make them sinful; they come that way already. I’m not saying kick your kid out of the protective bubble to fend for himself or herself. I’m saying, employ a strategy of slow, incremental education of how to deal with sin by relying on the Savior.”

The Man Who Keeps Falling in Love – I enjoyed reading this article from a few years ago. “When a virus destroyed part of his brain, Clive Wearing was left with no memory. He is still trapped in an eternal present. Yet he does remember that he loves his wife, Deborah. Here she tells their heartbreaking story.”

It is the Spirit’s ministry to bring the sinner to the Savior and to make the sinner like the Savior.

—John Blanchard

  • Foggy future

    On the Far Side of Obedience

    To be human is to be finite—to be limited in our knowledge of past, present, and future. We exist within strict boundaries of time and space, so that we cannot see beyond our present location or beyond our present moment. This is a feature of our humanity and not a bug…

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    A La Carte (October 13)

    A La Carte: I miss the stars / Count the cost / Shame as the vicious trap of sexual sin / Clouds of shame and unbelief / When you’ve been blindsided / Book and commentary sale / and more.

  • For All the Noise We Make…

    We must be as eager to hear the Scripture as to hear the sermon, and we must be as expectant that God will speak to us through the Word as through the message. Rightly do many churches preface their Bible reading with words like, “Listen as I read God’s holy Word.”

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    Weekend A La Carte (October 11)

    A La Carte: Why dads still matter / Character in absurd times / Don’t get baptized in the Jordan / Gen Z is spiritually hungry / Extending hospitality to children / and more.

  • Not old not young not done

    Not Old, Not Young, Not Done

    I am about to turn 49, and a few months later, Aileen will turn 50. But these are just numbers, and already we have a deep awareness that we have entered into this afternoon of life. Already, we are seeing how different our lives have become, and already we are grappling with new challenges and…