Good morning. I hope you enjoy today’s A La Carte collection. Remember that in Saturday’s edition I focus on longer form articles and think pieces, while in Sunday’s Works & Wonders I offer a brief devotional and a few other uplifting bits and pieces meant to make your weekend just a bit brighter. See you then!
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include quite a variety of books that cross several different genres. We are spoiled by an abundance of riches!
Recommended Reading
Why Avocations Matter. “You probably can’t remember the last time you used or heard the word avocation. Usage has been in steady decline since the 1930s, yet for centuries it stood coupled alongside the more familiar and weighty word: vocation.” It’s a word we’d do well to recover.
The Kind of Man it Takes to Marry a Woman with Past Sexual Sin. Brittany Allen continues considering past sexual sin, and this time discusses the kind of man it takes to marry a woman with a sexual history. “It seems to me that the kind of man who would choose to marry a woman who has been redeemed by God and transformed by his grace, willing to take upon himself any burdens that might come along with her past, is a man who is like Jesus. In taking me as his bride, my husband is a picture that points to what Christ has done for us. It doesn’t get more godly than that.”
Pastor, Productivity Begins with Dependence. Though this article is directed at pastors, the point is true for every one of us: productivity begins with dependence. “There was a time in my ministry when my productivity lagged. Even accomplishing basic tasks was a struggle. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to break out of my funk. But as I carefully thought through and prayed about my ministry habits, the Lord convicted me that I’d relied too much on my personal drive and ministry gifts rather than on God’s Spirit.”
Listen to People You Disagree With. Please do what Ben Hicks describes in this article and learn to listen to people you disagree with. “We should be able to have friendly conversations with people we disagree with on things like politics, our faith, and other random topics. We need to get to the point where it’s not an attack on someone to say, ‘I disagree with you,’ or to hear someone say to us ‘I don’t think that’s right’ without taking offense.”
The Paradox of the Brightening Path. There is encouragement to be had in Trevin Wax’s paradox of the brightening path. “There’s a paradox you’ll encounter the longer you walk with Jesus. The more you experience the light of his love, the more clearly you see the remaining spots and stains in your life. Progress seems lacking. Stumbles continue to mark your journey. The more you know the Lord’s love for you, the more you feel your unworthiness and your dependence on his grace.”
Nothing to Hide: Encouraging Transparency in our Relationships. Amy Santarelli explains why Christians can be willing to hide nothing about ourselves and instead live with humble transparency. “Nothing to fear. Nothing to prove. Nothing to hide. I kept repeating the words to myself as I sat down to lead our women’s Bible study.”
Book Brief
Enbleepification by Cory Doctorow. To be clear, the title actually has a bad word in it instead of “bleep,” but I neither want to offend you nor have your spam filter delete this email. I read this book because I have been intrigued by Doctorow’s explanation of the ways the massive tech companies build a product we want and enjoy, then inevitably wreck it for the sake of their own profit. Eventually, they leave us with a product we no longer enjoy using, but can’t break away from (e.g., Facebook, X, Google search, etc.). While I could hardly be further apart from Doctorow socially or politically, he describes a phenomenon we have all witnessed and all despise. Some of his potential solutions seem sound, while others seem like a socialist fantasy. Either way, it was a fascinating read that made me long for the good old days of Internet 1.0 while also leaving me wondering how long it will be before AI goes the way of all these other apps and becomes barely tolerable. If you’re tech-minded and can tolerate a lot of uses of the “s-word,” you may benefit from reading it.
A La Quiz
- Stephen McAlpine wrote about a new discipline he is learning as he and his wife approach 60 and realize their time together is growing shorter than ever. What is that discipline? (find out)
- Brad Littlejohn watched an upcoming movie that has already been panned by conservative critics. He says that he enjoyed it. What is the movie? (find out)
- Chris Brooks outlines four things we added to the Bible. Can you list at least three of them? (here they are)
Flashback
Behind-the-Scenes: Conference Speaking. I consider it a privilege to speak at a conference. Yet the privilege is not in special treatment or luxurious perks. The privilege is simply being able to be with the Lord’s people and speak the Lord’s Word to them.
Truly there is need of patience in training a child, but without it nothing can be done. Nothing will compensate for the absence of this tenderness and love.
—J.C. Ryle
