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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

  • Weekend A La Carte (June 6)

    There’s a playbook for college, there should be one for marriage / Ben Sasse is teaching us how to die—and live—well / The biggest tell that something was written by AI / Why China got rich and India didn’t / AI slop is coming for your playlists / The blood cancer that became solvable /…

  • Davy and Natalie Lloyd

    Strong to the End

    You have probably heard of Davy and Natalie Lloyd, even if the names aren’t immediately familiar. In May 2024, you most likely heard the news about two young American missionaries to Haiti who, along with one of their Haitian colleagues, were brutally murdered by one of the many gangs that dominate the country.

  • A La Carte (June 5)

    Can Jesus really sympathize with my specific struggles? / View your past through the lens of God’s faithfulness / Nine marks of a healthy paragraph / When you have nothing left to give / The treasure chest at the train station / When you’re too weird to lead / Headlines / and more.

  • A La Carte (June 4)

    The pastor as anti-professional / On grieving when your loved one’s faith was ambiguous / God’s mercy in withholding wealth / Not mere memories: God’s sovereign purposes in every season / 10 theses on intercession / Bargatze’s ‘Breadwinner’ should be funnier / Podcasts / and more.

  • A La Carte (June 3)

    Ben Sasse’s theology of suffering for a death-phobic culture / You don’t need testosterone therapy / While I was busy helping save the free world / The discipline of joy / Stop believing your best years are behind you / We are not alone? No, we never were / Medical evacuation / The SBC /…