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A La Carte (April 4)

tuesday

Good morning! I am about to make my way across the Pacific for my second Worship Round the World journey. I’ve got many miles to go today…

There is a massive list of Kindle deals to go through today and it includes a lot of great commentaries.

This month you can listen to Mitch Chase’s book on the resurrection for free at ONE Audiobooks.

(Yesterday on the blog: Banksy and Beauty from Ashes)

Pastors Are Paid to Stare Out the Window

Every week I look forward to Jared Wilson’s column. I’m never disappointed by it!

Apple Wants to Solve One of Music’s Biggest Problems

This is a really interesting look at why Apple’s new classical music app is such a big deal (and just on time for Easter, too). “The world’s richest company released a sleek new product this week that was years in the making and had to meet its exacting standards before it was ready to be used by millions of people. But it wasn’t a phone, a gadget or an AI chatbot. The latest innovation from Apple was a better way of listening to classical music.”

How Did the King of Kings Die?

“In the ancient world there was a man declared to be ‘the King of kings’. His reign was very short but he was widely influential, had thousands of admiring followers, and his presence brought peace and hope to many. Yet his life was cut short through a premature death.” (This may not be the person you’re thinking of.)

Did Palm Trees Grow in Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus?

A number of scholars have insisted that palm trees did not grow in Jerusalem. Were they right?

On Ending Well: An Open Letter To A Pastor

This is such a sweet tribute to pastors.

Do elder’s children have to be believers? (Titus 1:6)

Bill Mounce looks at a disputed passage and offers a very plausible interpretation.

Flashback: Don’t Waste the Days When You Feel Little Need for God

Ideally, trials are not the time to construct a relationship but the time to lean upon an existing one. Ideally, trauma is not the time to begin trying to understand how God is present in our pain, but the time to lean into what we already know to be true.

The cross stands as the focal point of the Christian faith. Without the cross the Bible is an enigma, and the Gospel of salvation is an empty hope.

—James Montgomery Boice

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (September 19)

    A La Carte: John Piper on brokenhearted boldness / Why didn’t Jesus defeat the Romans? / How do spiritually mature Christians handle suffering? / Is owning the libs a justification for lying? / Enjoying the beauty of prayer / and more.

  • I Am No Hero

    Lowest and Last of All

    The day will come when every man will stand before the Lord and be asked to give an account of his life. God makes clear the basis of this coming judgment: he “will render to each one according to his works.”

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (September 18)

    A La Carte: What if no one prayed for you? / How to pray when you feel like you can’t / Is that person male or female? / “If one member suffers…” / Ideas for better conversations / Huge Kindle sale / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (September 17)

    A La Carte: Who’s afraid of Romans 1? / You can only be what you can see / Are you a pastor who hurts people? / A holy life is the seed of evangelism / Thinking biblically in all areas of life / and more.

  • Shadow, Stream, and Scattered Beam Apologetics

    This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This is an excerpt from Thaddeus Williams’ latest book on living out a radically God-centered systematic theology entitled Revering God: How to Marvel at Your Maker (Zondervan Reflective, 2024), featuring stories of Christian thinkers like Michael Horton, Fred Sanders, Joni Eareckson-Tada, John Perkins, Vishal Mangalwadi, and…

  • Did the Angels Laugh

    Did the Angels Laugh?

    You’ve got to hand it to the chief priests and Pharisees: They did their best. They did their level best to keep Jesus in his tomb. After successfully overseeing his execution, they remembered that he had not only predicted his death but also spoken of some kind of resurrection. Wanting to make sure his disciples…