A La Carte (April 21)

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include some major works by O. Palmer Robertson that, to my knowledge, have never been on sale before.

Westminster Books has Ed Welch’s The Humility Project for Men on sale. I’ve read it, and I recommend it!

Trivia

What do the middle initials stand for in these names: J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, H.B. Charles Jr.? (The answer is below, and for a bonus, how about the “O” in O. Palmer Robertson?)

Recommended Reading

The Cage Stage in the Digital Age. Daniel Darling writes about the cage stages we come into in life and the ways a digital world can make them even worse. “This experience among reformed folks is real. But it’s not a problem exclusive to one group of Christians. The ‘cage-stage’ can apply to converts of any type, and in a digital age, the accessibility of communication platforms makes it way too common.”

Why Did (almost) All Of Christian Music Become Worship Music? Andrew Osenga answers a question many of us have wondered: How did almost all of Christian music become worship music? After all, it wasn’t too long ago when almost none of the Christian music was worship music. So what happened?

Why AI Worship Music Feels Empty. Doug Eaton and his wife were listening to one of those worship songs when they started to realize that something was wrong with it. They soon learned that the song had been written and performed by A.I. Their first response was sorrow, and it made them wonder why sorrow seemed the appropriate emotion.

A Tale of Three Cities: A Testimony of Grace Through Church Discipline. You may enjoy this testimony of churches that obeyed God’s Word and saw God work through their obedience. “Jeromy Blomquist recounts the story of how God used two churches separated by thousands of miles to display his grace in the lives of a couple that was previously living in an immoral relationship.”

Incarnation Anyway. Mark Jones asks and answers an interesting question here, and one that turns out to be surprisingly consequential: Would the Son of God have become incarnate had Adam not sinned? In other words, was Jesus’ incarnation inextricably tied to making atonement for sin, or would he still have become incarnate even in a sinless world?

The Messy, Glorious Church. “There’s something so special about the imperfect, messy ways that Christians love each other. I have put my foot in my mouth so many times. I have displayed wrong attitudes and revealed the darkness in my own heart by letting my feelings get in the driver’s seat. I have said downright idiotic things to some of these women, and yet they keep showing up. They keep loving me and encouraging me and spurring me on to good works and better thinking and more spiritual attitudes.”

Book Releases

New Christian books most often release on Tuesdays. I didn’t find many new books with a release date of April 21, but I did spot these:

• Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: A Gospel Call to Bold Enjoyment by Ray Ortlund. “Pastor Ray Ortlund reminds readers that God not only allows us enjoyment but even commands it.”
• Free to Weep: Finding the Courage to Grieve and Embracing the God Who Heals by Brittany Lee Allen. “Is God frustrated by our tears and weakness? Does He weep with us or is He aloof and uncaring? In Free to Weep, Brittany Allen looks to biblical texts to reveal the God who is ‘near to the brokenhearted.’” (Technically this released a couple of weeks ago, but I missed it then.)

Trivia Answer

What do the middle initials stand for in these names: J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, H.B. Charles Jr.? J.I. stands for James Innell Packer; R.C. stands for Robert Charles Sproul; and as for H.B., neither initial stands for anything. The O in O. Palmer Robertson is for Owen.

Flashback

The Winds Blow Hardest Against the Tallest Trees. Sadly, so many Christian leaders come to believe they have advanced beyond the need for true Christian community…Before long, their lives are no longer intertwined with the lives of others who will stabilize them, support them, and provide accountability.