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A La Carte (April 19)

tuesday

I hope that all of you who are at T4G this week are blessed and encouraged by the experience. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it for this one!

Today’s Kindle deals include another good little list.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Family Easter Update)

If Ben Had Been There

I love this one! Andrea imagines the resurrection if her son Ben had been there. “My son Ben has cognitive disabilities and very little language. But sometimes he intuitively understands what our ‘normal’ intelligence blinds us to. Our Easter celebration last weekend got me thinking: If Ben had been at the tomb that first Easter morning, things might have gone down a little differently….”

Cultivating Wonder When You Feel Weary

“The sin that so easily entangles, the limitations of my humanity and the circumstances I cannot control. These aren’t new. Nothing earth-shattering. Yet, a timely reminder of who I am and who He is. An invitation to turn away from self, toward an active trust in what He’s doing…and that’s something hard to see in the moment.”

Introducing the Good Faith Debates

A new five-part video debate series featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today. (Sponsored Link)

Dear Pastor … Rely on Your Congregation in Ministry

There is lots of wisdom in this letter. “Brother, we need one another in ministry. You should not try to be an evangelical superman and by yourself direct all the principal tasks of the church. This posture will lead to disenchantment for both you and your people. The fact of the matter is that you need the laypeople in ministry and they need you.”

Introducing the Good Faith Debates by The Gospel Coalition

Early next month TGC will be releasing a five-part video debate series featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today. When we keep the gospel central, we can disagree on lesser but still important matters in good faith. In the Good Faith Debates, we hope to model this—showing that it’s possible for two Christians united around the gospel to engage in charitable conversation even amid substantive disagreement. (Sponsored)

The Bible’s Not an Instruction Manual

“‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.’ Ever heard the Bible explained that way? It’s a handy mnemonic device that certainly has some truth to it. But does it get at the heart of what the Bible really is?” Jared Wilson takes issue with that popular acryonm.

Why does the virgin birth matter?

Dr. Greg Lanier tells why the virgin with matters in this video from RTS.

The Ukulele and the Cross

J.A. Medders: “Theologians have wrestled with the various angles that describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. Some will even argue that there is only one way to describe and define what Jesus did for us on the cross. Rather than pick sides on the theological playground, I want to propose a harmony of notes that are played at the cross of Christ.”

Flashback: Each Gift Has Its Place

Each of us will have to give an account to God, not for the gifts he has given others, but for the gifts he has given us. And so it becomes our responsibility, our calling, our joy, to accept them, to pursue them, and to deploy them for his glory.

There are hard texts in the works, as well as in the word of God.

—John Flavel

  • When Christians Disagree

    When Christians Disagree

    Wouldn’t it be nice if Christians only ever got along? Wouldn’t it be grand if all the discord we see in the world around us was completely foreign to the church? Wouldn’t it be heavenly if believers ever only experienced peace? I suppose it would be heavenly and, therefore, more than we can realistically hope…

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    A La Carte: What does it mean to die with dignity? / Did Paul endorse slavery? / Forgiveness in marriage / 5 ways to pursue contentment / The immense value of encouragement / and more.

  • Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Of all the Christian disciplines, it is my guess that meditation may be the least practiced—though I suppose fasting might have something to say about that. Most people diligently make time to read the Bible and pray. And yet, while most people have good intentions when it comes to meditation, it so often seems to…

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    A La Carte: A mother to me, too / Never look your age? / Nine reminders for the struggle with body image / A ruler who trusts in Yahweh / No, I will not stop calling the church a family / Criminalizing sexual ethics / Bible journal sale / Kindle deals / and more.

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