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A La Carte (April 16)

thursday

As usual, there are some Kindle deals today for those of you who collect books that way. As for me, the books are piling up as I’ve had trouble focusing lately—somehow reading has become strangely difficult. But then I do go through phases with reading…

(Yesterday on the blog: A Prayer Guide for Pastors)

Is It a Sin to Fear COVID-19? (Video)

Here’s John MacArthur on whether or not it’s a sin to be afraid of COVID-19.

This 3-D Simulation Shows Why Social Distancing Is So Important

This simulation shows why distancing matters and also shows just how far coughs and sneezes spread. Ugh. (See also: The Next Coronavirus Testing Debacle.)

Our Quiet Times are Rarely as Quiet as they Appear

I appreciate Doug Eaton’s look at what’s going on “behind the scenes” when we sit down for our quiet times. “If someone were to walk by, they would see a man at rest on the Lord’s day. He is sitting quietly, soaking up the sun on a beautiful spring day. The birds are singing, and a pleasant breeze is blowing. His posture is relaxed, and in his lap sits his Bible.” But…

What Is the Prayer of Faith?

What is the prayer of faith? Sinclair Ferguson answers the question.

Is Everything Sad Going to Come Untrue? Why We Need Eschatology Now More than Ever

Michael Kruger says that this is the time to look to eschatology. Why? Because “eschatology is not so much about millennial positions or the structure of Revelation, but is primarily about the problem of evil and how that problem will be solved. Eschatology is about how one deals with the sad things in the world.”

Here’s the Weird Thing That Causes the Smell of Spring

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has wondered what causes that distinct spring smell. “The start of spring has an unmistakable, yet unplaceable smell. It’s a bit reminiscent of dirt, but there’s something else beneath the surface, evocative of rainy days or afternoons spent gardening. The secret? Geosmin, the soil-based compound responsible for those hard-to-describe olfactory sensations. Our noses are so finely attuned to the organic compound, in fact, that we can detect it better than sharks can recognize blood.”

Your Rod and Staff, They Comfort Me

You may enjoy this poem based on Psalm 23.

Flashback: Bring Her Out and Let Her Be Burned

From a great distance and with the scantest information we can judge another person’s least transgression. Yet we can rack our own hearts and minds and often barely come up with a single way we are anything less than perfect.

If you believe that God is angry with you, it won’t be long before you are angry with Him.

—Colin Smith

  • Test Everything

    Christian, Do You Test Everything?

    A little while ago, the Bank of Canada became concerned about the amount of counterfeit currency circulating within the country. They began to educate the population with a short and simple mantra: “Touch, tilt, look at, look through.” These are four simple tests that can quickly show a bill to be genuine or counterfeit.

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    A La Carte (May 7)

    A La Carte: The babies money can buy / Deconstruction is sooo 2022 / Tips for leading a Bible study / Arguments against physician-assisted suicide / Your pastor isn’t your therapist / Book and Kindle sales / and more.

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    A La Carte (May 6)

    A La Carte: Jeremy Clarkson got scammed? / Dying for sex / Materially rich and spiritually emaciated / Gain is godliness or godliness is gain? / Reclaiming a rich interior life / and more.

  • When the Bible Seems Confusing, Lean in and Look Close

    When the Bible vexes us, when it befuddles us, when it talks over our heads or down to our sensibilities, guest writer and author of From Eden to Egypt, Alex Duke tells us this is an invitation to lean in and look close. #Sponsored

  • Foremost false teacher

    The World’s Foremost False Teacher

    In the days since Pope Francis died, I have seen a number of Protestants write about his legacy. Some of these writers have expressed great appreciation for him while others have expressed great concern. The reactions to these articles, and especially the critiques, have been interesting to me. Some people have expressed dismay that their…

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    A La Carte (May 5)

    A La Carte: Do you see the Holy Spirit? / Joy in a doom-and-gloom news cycle / Comfort when we least expect it / How to get people to be friends with machines / The internet perpetuates our spiritual dementia / Kindle deals / and more.