Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (April 29)

A La Carte Collection cover image

I am finally on my way home from a ten-day speaking trip through the West Coast and Texas. It was a wonderful time but, as always, I will be glad to be home.

Today’s Kindle deals include some excellent picks from Crossway. If I had to pick one, I’d probably go with What’s Your Worldview? by James Anderson.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Book Unlike Any Other)

The Absence of Opposition

This article challenges the notion that we should allow ourselves to be guided by opposition or affirmed by the lack of opposition. “Difficulty and conflict, in and of themselves, are not good indicators that our work is finished. We so easily give in to the temptation to think that if we are serving where God wants us to be, then there won’t be any opposition or difficulty. We need to be reminded that such is not necessarily the case.”

Life and Death are in the Power of the Fingers

“I am convinced that electronic communication, especially social media, makes it even harder to communicate righteously. There are several reasons this is true.” Jeff Johnson explains.

Preaching Goliath’s Sword

Kraig remembers a particularly memorable sermon. “It was entertaining, gripping, mesmerizing, and attention grabbing. He had lots of conjecture, guesswork, and speculation. Those last three words, while accurate to this sermon, are not the marks of biblical preaching.”

This Piece of Land

Brianna Lambert: “We all crouch down at every starting line, clueless as to what lies ahead. The unknowns start with our first cry and extend to every beginning to come: The turn of the tassel, a job acceptance, the walk down the aisle, two pink lines, or an empty home. What will come of our own piece of land called life? Like Abraham, we hold only a promise.”

Foolosophy

“Here’s the thing: atheism is more than a denial of God with our words. It can also be a denial of God with our lives – with our thoughts, deeds, and words. Atheism can also be a denial of God with what we do and what we leave undone. Each time we sin, we actually deny God and his claims over our lives – effectively denying his existence. All of us still have the remnants of the old nature, and we have to admit that those remnants stink with the rot of atheism.”

Sin Wants Us Isolated

It is so important to know and believe this about sin: that it wants us isolated.

Flashback: If the Bible Is Wrong, I’m So, So Wrong

I’ve examined the evidence and have chosen to believe it’s not wrong, but right. I’ve chosen to believe it’s good and pure and true, infallible and inerrant and sufficient.

Oh, [Christianity] is a great religion to live by, and it is a great religion to die by.

—De Witt Talmage

  • weekend 3

    Weekend A La Carte (May 23)

    Work will always matter / The rise of techno-feudalism / The gospel according to Karl Marx / The challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy / My manifesto on AI and religion / Steve McQueen, born again, set free / Cornfield baptism / 5 things most people don’t know about writing books

  • Authority

    How Men Can Use Their Authority Well

    There are few topics that have proven trickier to navigate than the topic of authority. We know we need authority to function as families, churches, and nations, yet there is something deep within our sinful humanity that causes us to rebel against it wherever it exists. We both want it and despise it. 

  • fri 3

    A La Carte (May 22)

    The ancient world had no word for child abuse / What I wish I had learned in theological college / Pray to the Lord of the harvest / What God is healing while not healing my health problems / Are you willing to show up? / Artificial preaching / Sales and deals / and more.

  • thurs 3

    A La Carte (May 21)

    One step becomes a three-day walk / Tolkien, foolishness, and the ordinary means of grace / The staggering beauty and burden of church life / Denominational health / Three truths to combat your news anxiety / Don’t do the Devil’s work for him / and more.

  • The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. Why do these receive so much attention?

  • wed 3

    A La Carte (May 20)

    The pastor who refuses to back down / The missionary with Ebola / Why we don’t trust pastors / Rushing our quiet times / The other side of seminary / The remedy, the problem, and the church / Why we need to interpret the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.