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A La Carte (August 10)

wednesday

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include the entire Word Biblical Commentary series. Rather than link to individual volumes, I’ll direct you to the series page where you can access them all. Remember that the accompanying Word Biblical Themes series is also on sale.

When You’re Up to Your Neck in Mud — Sing!

This is a fantastic illustration of the crucial role of singing in the Christian life (and the Navy SEALs).

What David McCullough Can Teach Us

I was saddened to hear that David McCullough has passed away. I very much appreciated Samuel’s tribute to him. “One of McCullough’s great gifts was opening up history so that you could see it the way the people who lived it saw it. In this, I imagine McCullough’s style irritated readers and scholars who preferred a more activist, more moralistic storytelling.”

Dishes and Divorce: Why Little Things Can Lead to a Breakup

“An interesting issue keeps coming up in marriage counseling sessions as my pastor husband and I sit across from couples of all ages and stages of their relationship. Each pair comes in with unique sets of issues, but it never fails that every couple seems to suffer from one specific problem: dishes. Yes, you read that right.”

Clark Stanley: The First Snake Oil Salesman

I enjoyed this account of the very first snake oil salesman (and, hence, the origin of the phrase).

Christ’s Crucifixion Isn’t Child Sacrifice

“In an age of political correctness, Christianity is a prime offender. It’s not only Scripture’s sexual ethics that get canceled. Even bedrock creeds like Christ’s crucifixion are on the chopping block.” That includes the idea that Jesus died as the penalty for our sins. This article tells why the atonement is not child sacrifice (as is so often charged).

Themelios 47.2

Those interested in some theological reading and book reviews may want to take a look at the new issue of Themelios. You can read it online or access it in PDF or Logos formats.

Flashback: He (and They) Must Not Be a Novice

Christian history proves repeatedly that giftedness makes a woeful substitute for character.

The Bible is more relevant than tomorrow’s newspaper, more reliable than tomorrow’s sunrise.

—Steven Lawson

  • 16 New and Notable Christian Books for September 2025

    September is fading into October, but before the month becomes a distant memory, I’d like to tell you about some of the new books that it brought our way. Here are 16 new and notable titles that I hope will be of interest to you. I’m each case, I’ve included the publisher’s description. Someone to…

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    A La Carte (September 30)

    A La Carte: The sudden death of Voddie Baucham / Christians and social media / Call of the Cosmos / The real reason you can’t quit porn / Ways of getting justification wrong / Hymn lyrics you’ve misunderstood / and more.

  • Lion

    Do You Remember the New Atheism?

    Do you remember when the New Atheism was at its peak? Do you remember when the so-called “Four Horsemen” of the movement were writing book after book that proclaimed and celebrated the death of Christianity and, indeed, the death of religion?

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (September 29)

    A La Carte: Old wisdom for navigating new tech / Is textual criticism cool? / Should I submit to my pastors? / My watch buzzes at 10:02 each morning / Does God change his mind? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Corporate Worship

    It’s Not About You (And That Is Good News)

    Every Christian knows it is both our duty and our delight to gather with God’s people on each Lord’s Day. But we may have less clarity on why we do this. Why is it so important that we gather specifically to worship?