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A La Carte (9/1)

A La Carte Collection cover image

The Resurgence of the R-Word
I’ve noticed this trend, that the “r-word” is back in full force. “Actress Lindsay Lohan uses it, comedian Chris Rock says it, and last year’s Ben Stiller movie Tropic Thunder took it to a new low, when it mocked actors who play disabled characters, using the phrase ‘going full retard.’ It’s also reappeared on comedy shows as a trendy way to describe those with special needs — no writer would be brave enough to use the N-word to describe an African, but the mentally disabled are easy game.”


The End of the Hardcover?
The world will not be the same without hardcover books, but some publishers are suggesting that economics (related to e-books) will dictate it. Say it isn’t so!


Christian Improv
Philip Ryken linked to this strange article in which a TIME reporter participates in an improv performance at Saddleback Church. “Their goal, Barnes explained, was to give people a way to get friends to the church who have turned down an invitation to a service. This made sense until I thought about the kind of person who would say, ‘I’m not interested in eternal salvation, but I’d love to spend a Saturday night in a small conference room watching Christian improvisational comedy!’”


Faith and Technology
I’ll be leading a couple of Faith and Technology seminars at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, OH in a couple of weeks. I’ll speak to parents on Wednesday and teens on Thursday. See the link for details if you are interested.


Choosing Thomas
Just watch it.


A Pastoral Charge
Martin Downes provides a pastoral charge “given by Professor John Murray to Wayne F. Brauning at his ordination and installation as pastor of the Fifth Reformed Presbyterian Church, Phila., PA on October 13, 1960.”


Deal of the Day: The Road Sessions
Matthew Smith (the Indelible Grace guy) has released The Road Sessions Collection, a collection of 11 hymns. If you buy a copy (for just $6.99) he’ll also send a copy to your pastor.


  • Pray Until You Feel Like It

    It is wise to set aside a time and place to pray—to build the habit and to then maintain it. But creating the habit may not always create the desire.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (July 5)

    A La Carte: Let’s not rush to roles / Before you go to the nations / Children are not adults / Lia Thomas and a dark chapter for women’s athletics / No pit so deep / The first five years / and more.

  • how to lead your family

    How To Lead Your Family

    It’s no easy task to lead a family. It’s no small responsibility a man accepts when he gets married and begins a family with his wife. It is not an easy task, but it is a necessary one. And by God’s grace, it can be a joyful, fulfilling, and successful one. How To Lead Your…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (July 4)

    A La Carte: Love your country / Mending nets in the storm / The wordless book / What does yhwh mean? / Children deserve beautiful books / How not to abuse spiritual authority / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 3)

    A La Carte: Silly summers / Broken bodies and anxious souls / Caring for disabled church members / How to survive prosperity / Meeting with the grieving / What makes a sermon work / Logos and Kindle deals.