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A La Carte (April 26)

tuesday

The God of love and peace be with you today.

Westminster Books is doing some spring cleaning which means they have some really good deals for you.

There are quite a few more Kindle deals to consider today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Why Do Billionaires Want to Live Forever?)

What We Need is Power

Jared Wilson: “Should we go into God’s inerrant, infallible, inspired word looking only for things to do, we will come away with God’s good instructions for the good life but without the power to actually do them. The power to obey does not lie in the commandments. The power to get through the day does not come from the instructions on how to get through it. The power to glorify God is in the glorious gospel, which says not ‘Do’ but ‘Done!’”

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

“Some Christian circles assume that if a pastor or church is drawing in sinners, they must be compromising the message of the Bible. Maybe they’re seeker-sensitive, watering down the more offensive doctrines of Christianity. On the flip side, pastors who have a reputation for castigating sinners, faithfully exposing the sins of society, must be doing something right. But the truth is, neither approach captures the complexity of Christ’s gospel ministry.”

Why is it important to study the Christian creeds, confessions, and catechisms?

Steven Lawson, Derek Thomas, and W. Robert Godfrey all comment on creeds, confessions, and catechisms in this clip from a Ligonier conference. Also, good on Lawson for rattling off all the different headings of systematic theology.

You’re So Vain, You Probably Think This Post Is About You

This one may cause you to think and confess.

Is the Concept of a “Self-Authenticating” Bible a Modern Invention?

Michael Kruger discusses one important way we can know that certain books belong in the Bible. “Christian theologians—especially in the Reformed world—have long argued that there is a more foundational way we can know books are from God: the internal qualities of the books themselves.”

Keep It Simple

“What do you feel when someone asks you to disciple them? I imagine you’re excited because a hungry, likely younger Christian, wants to grow. I imagine there’s probably also stress because you don’t know where to begin. A wealth of good resources is at your fingertips, but that can make things more complicated. So where do you start?”

Flashback: Being the Answer to Prayer

If we pray that God will comfort those who have endured a great loss, we ourselves should be eager and willing to be used as the means of comfort, to be the ones God uses to weep with those who weep, to bear another’s burden and so fulfill the law of Christ. Pray and then act to see the prayer answered.

In many homes the sorrow over the living is greater far than that for the dead who have passed to sweet rest.

—J.R. Miller

  • The Benefit of Boring Television

    The Benefit of Boring Television

    Aileen and I like to watch boring shows right before we turn in for the night. An exciting game or an intense movie might get us too engaged and keep us from being able to fall asleep. But a boring show nicely slows the pace and prepares us to rest.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (October 24)

    A La Carte: Have we ever been woke? / A dangerous new ecumenism / Find a new home / If the Lord permits / Have you counted the cost? / The joys of pastoring / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (October 23)

    A La Carte: Awaken your hunger / Abortion pills and emergency contraception / Cybersecurity for churches / Delighting in God in unfavorable circumstances / Book and Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Power of a Single Snowflake

    The Power of a Single Snowflake

    There are blessings that come with living in a part of the world that sees four distinct seasons. There are trials, too, like when the days are scorching or the nights are bitterly cold. But if I were to leave this part of the world, I know I would miss the seasonality of Southern Ontario…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 22)

    A La Carte: AI will tell you to get divorced / Glorifying God with our words / The fork in the road / Children’s ministry / Successful parenting / Giving without worrying / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 21)

    A La Carte: The worst parenting advice / John Mark Comer’s cafeteria approach / Giants in the Bible / How a wife can help her husband / Social media and pornography / Book and Kindle sales / and more.