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A La Carte (April 9)

A La Carte Collection cover image

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Westminster Books has a deal on a new book of Gospel Stories. They also still have a discount on a new book for kids by Kristyn Getty.

There’s a wide variety of Kindle deals today. Lewis’ Space Trilogy is an especially good value. So too Powlison’s Good and Angry.

Prove Me. Try Me. Test Me.

“I tell my Sunday school class that we speak to God through prayer, and God speaks to us through His Word. With the Psalms, it’s different. God speaks to me through the Psalms, but I also pray the words right back to Him. Attempting to emulate David, His words become my words. But today, I want to take back the spoken words, regifting them back to David and refusing to keep them as my own.”

Trump’s Tariffs: What They Are, What They Aren’t, and Why It Matters to Retirees

Chris writes a blog for Christian retirees. In this article, he considers Trump’s tariffs and how they may matter to retirees and the rest of us.

It Only Gets Better

Darryl is correct that in so many ways life gets better over time. “Youth has many advantages, like strength and energy. Getting older has some drawbacks, but it has its perks too. Having young children is great, but so is having older children and grandkids. Starting a career is nice, but so is gaining wisdom and experience. Starting good habits is okay, but enjoying the fruit of those habits, accrued after decades, is a joy.”

Handling Praise and Criticism in Worship

There is a lot to think about here for people who are involved in leading worship (and those who are led by them). “Worship leaders who treat Sunday like a concert will either soak up all the compliments and dodge all the critiques, or they might internalize the criticism and become deeply discouraged. But worship leaders who understand worship as service—a spiritual offering to God and his people—can listen carefully to all the feedback God may use to sharpen us. But how can we sort through that feedback in a way that builds Christ’s church?”

Paul Went to the Third Heaven. What in the World Is He Talking About?

Wyatt Graham considers what Paul might have meant when he said he went to the third heaven.

The Spiritual Problem of Being Overinformed

Brett McCracken: “In a sense, ‘being informed’ is more of a liability than an asset in today’s world. The quality of digitally mediated information is simply too untrustworthy. What happens to us when we’re overinformed but underactivated? From my experience and observations, some common side effects occur…”

Flashback: My Dear, Sweet Girl

Some sin loudly and some sin quietly. Some sin in their actions and some in their imaginations. But it’s all sin. Our problem isn’t just what we do, but who we are!

The very resources Jesus used to live his obedient life are resources given also to all of us who trust and follow him.

—Bruce Ware

  • 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. 

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    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.

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    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?

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    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.