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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

  • Weekend A La Carte (July 18)

    This weekend’s collection of long-form and think-pieces covers declining fertility rates, the Boy Scouts, The Odyssey, AI and the elderly, and Gen Z, plus reader recommendations.

  • A Solid Defense of a Very Defensible Position

    Some issues in the church seem to arise once, but then get permanently put to rest. Others, though, seem to arise time and time again, often in slightly different forms. Gender roles are squarely in the latter category.

  • A La Carte (July 17)

    Setting a financial finish line / A manifesto on generative AI writing / What the Bible teaches about karma / Dang it, social media / D.L. Moody’s commitment to God / Playing to not lose / Book reviews / Sales and deals / and more.

  • A La Carte (July 16)

    Gen-Z revival / Devotional material that hinders spiritual growth? / Does the day end in night / When you cannot sing, let the church sing for you / Three prayers for prodigal children / The ordinary and enduring gifts of the Spirit / and more.

  • Harder to Change

    I’m Finding It Harder to Change

    As 2026 began, I decided to change up my devotions. I have followed roughly the same pattern for the last 15 or 20 years and thought it would be nice to freshen things up a little bit. It went poorly.