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A La Carte (9/27)

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18 People in My Truck – I love reading dispatches from the mission front.

Losing Is Good For You – “As children return to school this fall and sign up for a new year’s worth of extracurricular activities, parents should keep one question in mind. Whether your kid loves Little League or gymnastics, ask the program organizers this: ‘Which kids get awards?’ If the answer is, ‘Everybody gets a trophy,’ find another program.”

The Danger of Forgiving Yourself – “One of the more interesting teachings which has crept into the Christian world view is the idea of self-forgiveness. ‘You just need to forgive yourself’ is one of the standard ways this secular doctrine is put forth. I’m not exactly sure how it became such a supported teaching in the mainstream Christian consciousness, though I do have a pretty good idea of some of its secular counterparts.”

Oprah and Bell – “Eckhart Tolle. Rhonda Byrne. Elizabeth Gilbert. …Rob Bell? Yes, the moment has arrived. … Oprah has added Rob Bell to her list of must-read spiritual gurus.”

Behind the Blog – I enjoyed doing a brief interview with John. You can read it here, if you’re interested.

Christians and Social Media – Here are fifteen questions to ask about your use of social media.

We rob the gospel of its power if we leave out its threatenings of punishment.

—C.H. Spurgeon

  • How to Evangelize and Disciple in a “Live Your Truth” World

    Our culture lacks any coherent, unifying worldview. We’ve moved on from post-truth postmodernism to “Live your truth” metamodernism, where good vibes matter more than consistent ideas. In this world, few see the conflict between “trans-affirming” and “pro-woman.” And the same person using mushrooms to aid spiritual “connection” tells us to “trust the science” about human…

  • AI

    A Simple Way To Ensure You Use AI Well (And Not Poorly) 

    Every new technology introduces both benefits and drawbacks to its users and to the wider culture. The world being what it is, there are always plusses and minuses, so that even as a new tech gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. We are quickly learning that Artificial Intelligence is no exception…

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    A La Carte (February 16)

    A La Carte: God is glad to forgive you / Gen Z needs this doctrine / The draw of Eastern Orthodoxy / Rest for the restless / Finding love after loss / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Duty

    For Our Good, Not For Our Bondage

    Matthew Henry once said that when we are out of the way of duty, we are in the way of temptation. Yet Jerry Bridges warns that the spiritual disciplines are privileges to be used, not duties to be performed. So are they duties or are they not?

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    Weekend A La Carte (February 14)

    A La Carte: Satan wants you alone this Sunday / The discipline of unlearning / Asking a pastor to step down / Holy humor / Intentional thankfulness / and more.