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A La Carte (6/10)

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Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Seminary – “When I started seminary in 2009, I didn’t know anybody who had done it before and was too thick-skulled to ask for advice. So while I think the following advice is worthwhile for anyone considering or already in seminary, I was slower to learn most of it than I care to admit.”

When Everything Fails – What do you do when everything you’ve worked toward seems to fail? Mez McConnell provides an answer from his ministry.

If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden – Slate asks the question: “The NSA trusted its most sensitive documents to this guy? And now, after it has just proven itself so inept at handling its own information, the agency still wants us to believe that it can securely hold on to all of our data? Oy vey!”

Splendid Landscapes – There are some amazing landscape photographs on display here.

The Big Question of Grief – “Where should we put grief? To what category of struggles does it belong? To what emotional or relational struggles is grief most akin?” Brad Hambrick says that perhaps the big question of grief is a question of identity.

Beyond Recognition – Here’s a fascinating account of a face transplant, one of the frontiers of modern medicine. Do be warned that some of the photos are graphic (in a medical sense).

Frequently the murmuring against man is only a covert way of murmuring against God.

—C.H. Spurgeon

  • Support

    Would you Consider Supporting My Work?

    I have been blogging at Challies.com on a daily basis for well over 22 years now. That long commitment has allowed me to write thousands of articles and hundreds of book reviews while also sending millions of visitors to other sites through the daily A La Carte feature. While I’ve also written a number of books, through…

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    A La Carte (November 25)

    A La Carte: Are you still gospel-centered? / Christian liberty / Triumph in trouble / Being faithful in little things / How we choose songs / I’m not sabbatarian / and more.

  • Danger

    The Danger of Defensive Sanctification

    There is a certain kind of sober-mindedness that seems to come over Christians as they age. It can flow from many sources, I’m sure, but I think it often arises from a kind of fear—a fear that they may not finish their race without some kind of a major stumble. After living the Christian life…

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    A La Carte (November 24)

    A La Carte: A wonderful short film / Science confirms a literal, historical Adam and Eve / Go low, aim high / Stop brainstorming / Structured and spontaneous prayers / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Fire prayer

    Trimmed and Set on Fire

    Sometimes humor accomplishes what soberness cannot, as an old quote from D.L. Moody illustrates. “Some people’s prayers need to be cut off at both ends and set on fire in the middle.” After all, we have all had to endure prayers that were a little too long (or perhaps a lot too long) or that…

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    Weekend A La Carte (November 22)

    A La Carte: Keep your well full / No atheists at Nuremberg / On refusing to panic / Sports open surprising doors / Practicing Christian hospitality / Kindle deals / and more.