A La Carte (April 9)

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include Paul Tripp’s Everyday Gospel (possibly on sale for the first time), Tom Schreiner’s Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ, the entire Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series, and a few choice picks for children and younger readers.

Recommended Reading

What Makes Me A Christian Dad? There’s lots to ponder and be challenged by in this article on being a distinctly Christian dad. “So if I am going to be a Christian dad, I have to be a repenting dad. That may be closer to the truth than I sometimes want it to be. I think it’s because repentance sounds noble until it becomes real. It sounds weighty and spiritual until it takes the form of me having to walk back into a room where I was too sharp, too heavy, too quick to assume, too slow to listen, too eager to make a point, too irritated by childishness to remember that I too am childish in more sophisticated ways. Then repentance becomes embarrassingly plain. It becomes words I have to say without hiding inside my stupid adult language.”

3 Prayers Married Christian Men Should Say. Speaking of fathers/husbands, here from Matthew Ruttan are three prayers that would be wise for you to pray. “These days, men are commonly caricatured as bumbling idiots, overgrown children, or evil oppressors. These deceptions can seep into our minds and influence who we think we are as men of faith, husbands, and fathers. So in an effort to (calmly) rage against the machine, here are three prayers for those who would rather live with honour.”

Pastor, Pray for Your People. Speaking of prayer, Reuben Bredenhof calls upon pastors to be diligent in praying for the members of their church. “Did anything change as a result of my prayers? We certainly don’t always see how God answers prayer, but we know that He does. So I am confident that He used my prayers to have an effect. They certainly had an effect on me, because praying daily for my people slowly changed how I looked at them, and maybe even how I treated them. As many Christians have said, it’s striking how we begin to treat a person with more love and concern when we’ve been praying for them regularly.”

Letter to a Future or Current Pastor’s Wife. Speaking of pastors, here’s an open letter to a pastor’s wife, whether she is already one or about to become one. “It is a privilege to serve God and His people through your husband’s service as a pastor. Yes, it is hard, wearying work. Yes, it takes a toll on your body and soul. But sister, I never want you to forget what a privilege it is to serve God’s people and advance His kingdom in this way. To serve the Almighty God by being an instrument of His use is an honor. I am sure, dear sister, that many will feel free to give you advice both on marriage and ministry. Allow me humbly to add a few of mine to the mix.”

The Genius of Dirt. Speaking of wives, … I’ve actually run out of ways to link the articles together, unless it’s something related to the number of times you’ve had to scrub dirt off the floor, because Seth Lewis’ article is meant to make us look at dirt and see God’s ingenuity in it. “We are the jars, literally shaped from the clay. Is it humbling to remember that you are made of clay? Clay is just dirt. Just dirt that carries God’s life, displaying the generous genius and care and power of our glorious Creator. Don’t ever look down on the dirt.”

Why Do We Take Drugs? Finally, Michael Jensen says, rightly, that “we live on a drug-taking planet.” He asks what a drug is and then attempts to explain why we take them. “Wherever human beings go, drugs go with them. They are used for enjoyment, for performance, and for healing. Caffeine is almost universal. Alcohol and nicotine are widely used. Even marijuana, though illegal in many places, has been tried by a significant proportion of the population. And yet, there is an uneasiness about all this.”

Book Brief

The Lost Airman by Seth Meyerowitz tells a remarkable story from the life of his grandfather. During the Second World War, turret-gunner Staff Sergeant Arthur Meyerowitz was shot down over Nazi-occupied France. He survived the leap from his burning plane and initially evaded enemy soldiers as they searched for him. With the help of the French Resistance and the use of his disguise as a deaf mute, he managed to survive for more than six months before finally escaping to freedom. It’s a fast-paced book that will appeal to those who are interested in history or military history.