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A La Carte (7/22)

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Background Information – Andy Naselli takes on this question: “Is ‘Background Information’ Ever Necessary to Understand the Bible?” “My answer is a cautious yes: ‘background information’ (which I prefer to call the historical context) is sometimes necessary for understanding the Bible accurately.”

Why is the Charismatic Movement Thriving in Africa? – Conrad Mbewe: “I think that one reason why the Charismatic movement in Africa has been like a wild bushfire is because it has not challenged the African religious worldview but has instead adopted it. It has simply baptised it with Bible verses and Christian words that previously meant something totally different.”

Serengeti Lions – I really enjoyed this article from National Geographic: “They say that cats have nine lives, but they don’t say that about the Serengeti lion. Life is hard and precarious on this unforgiving landscape, and dead is dead. For the greatest of African predators as well as for their prey, life spans tend to be short, more often terminating abruptly than in graceful decline.”

An Interview With Russell Moore – Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post interviews Russell Moore, “In an interview at The Washington Post, Moore talked about racial injustice, the dangers of ‘chemical’ abortion and the importance of Christianity’s ‘freakishness’.”

Disciple-Making – I appreciate Erik Raymonds thoughts on discipleship and how it doesn’t have to be a formal program. “Here is my main point: disciple-making is ordinary Christianity. It is fundamental to it. Like learning to count and say your alphabet in the natural realm, there is scarcely any part of the Christian life where discipleship does not touch. In so far as Christianity is a community faith, it is a disciple-making faith.”

Flower Timelapse – This is pretty amazing.

What our Lord said about cross-bearing and obedience is not in fine type. It is in bold print on the face of the contract.

—Vance Havner

  • Lost

    Praying for the Impossible and the Simple

    It is good to pray that God would save the ones we love. As Christians, we believe that God loves to save the lost and that it gives him special pleasure to do so in response to the prayers of his people. It is good to pray, but sometimes also difficult, especially when we have…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 8)

    A La Carte: Watch your language / Are we tired of the ordinary? / Her view from the pew / Who am I to question my captain’s orders? / What I want to leave to my family when I did / Why God made sheep / and more.

  • Prime Book Deals

    Christian Books on Sale for Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days

    On October 7-8, Amazon is hosting Big Deal Days for people who have a Prime membership. They have a huge number of items on sale, covering most product categories. Of course, my interest is in books and Bibles and, thankfully, there are lots of great deals to be had (in printed, not Kindle editions). Most are discounted by…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 7)

    A La Carte: Take it on the chin / The Archbishop of Canterbury and the slide into irrelevance / A quick change to improve your sermons / Hymns for the end of life / Cultivating gratitude / Huge book sale / and more.

  • How Do You Know If God Is Calling You?

    How do you know if God is calling you to ministry? In this article, Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. explains how to discern God’s call—through both an inward drawing and the confirming voice of the church. Ministry is a high and holy calling. Could God be calling you? #Sponsored

  • Money

    How Much Money Is God Not Concerned About?

    Here is the kind of question I sometimes enjoy pondering: How much money is God not really concerned about? I guess I’d better explain what I mean by that. If someone told me a wealthy neighbor was handing out $100 bills to anyone who dropped by, no strings attached, I would immediately go over and…