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A La Carte (9/25)

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Lambs In the Midst of Wolves – “Over the weekend, enemies of Christ made themselves apparent by attacking his followers. One of the attacks was carried out by the Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab, in a Nairobi mall. … The other attack occurred at the hands of two suicide bombers in a Pakistani church of 500. … How are believers supposed to respond to such violent opposition? From 1 Peter, let me suggest six godly reactions.”

She Chose Grace – Catherine Parks: “Below is the first in a series of guest posts and thoughts on the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship. This post, written by Kim Shay, was such a blessing to me and I pray it is to you as well. So many good things to take from this…”

Dubious Reporting on International Adoptions – “Yesterday, the New York Times ran a piece by a writer named Kathryn Joyce on the supposed exploitation of orphans in the developing world by Christian ministries. The piece is based on her book, The Child Catchers. The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) has written a gracious but powerful response to Joyce’s claims; it should be read by anyone concerned about the international adoption movement.”

Caring for the Caregiver – “Most congregations have at least one member who is serving as a caregiver of a loved one. Many caregivers are women. The single mom who puts her child with cerebral palsy in daycare so she can work. The woman who is rearing her teen aged daughter and her daughter’s daughter at the same time. The wife who had to put her husband in a nursing home after his stroke. Most of these caregivers stagger under spiritual, emotional, and financial burdens that few people understand. The church has an opportunity to help them.”

The Site of a Mass Murder – “The house in Milwaukee where Jeffrey Dahmer committed his grisly acts of murder and cannibalism was just torn down. Who would want to live in a place where such evil happened? The Amish community tore down the schoolhouse where a killer murdered five little girls. … So should we do the same with that movie multiplex in Colorado or the office building at the Navy Yard?”

Upon the two hinges of faith and repentance do all the promises of the Bible stand.

—George Swinnock

  • Church Livestream

    Is It Time To Stop Streaming Your Service?

    It always surprises me how quickly an idea can go from introduction to expectation, from mere inquiry to accepted standard. And once an idea has become mainstream in that way, it is difficult to revisit and evaluate it.

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    A La Carte (August 28)

    A La Carte: What canoeing can teach us about marriage / What are spiritual gifts and how do I discover mine? / How a troll becomes a troll / The biggest Evangelical divide / When Bible reading doesn’t produce a neat and tidy takeaway / and more.

  • New and Notable

    New and Notable Christian Books for August 2024

    We live at a great time to be readers! Christian publishers labor diligently to provide us with good books on every conceivable topic. Once a month I like to sort through all the new releases and put together a list of some of the new and notables. Here are my picks for August, 2024.

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    A La Carte (August 27)

    A La Carte: Keith Green, Bill Hybels, steeples, and bells / Did negligence kill my baby? / Rethinking nostalgic postpartum advice / Yes, all things / We can’t be friends / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Nothing Can Separate Us from God

    This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This excerpt from The NIV Application Commentary on the Bible: One-Volume Edition explains the original meaning of Paul’s words in Romans 8:31-39 and shows how his message can apply to our lives today. We begin with words from the Apostle Paul: 31 What, then, shall we…

  • I Used To Dream Big Dreams

    I Used To Dream Big Dreams

    I used to be a dreamer. I used to lie awake at night thinking of the great man I might be, the great awards I might win, the great deeds I might accomplish for the Lord. I would eventually drift to sleep convinced of my own potential and glimpsing visions of my own grandeur. As…