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A La Carte (August 13)

tuesday

Logos is having a back-to-school sale which sees all their base packages reduced by 20%—about the biggest discount I’ve seen them offer. They’re also offering discounts on some solid Crossway resources.

(Yesterday on the blog: Why Satan Is No Friend of the Family)

Hey Church: A Fallow Year Ain’t A Bad Idea

I think there are many churches that would benefit tremendously by following this counsel. “A fallow year. A sabbatical for church not from church. Some white space in the calendar. A rest year. Call it what you will. Staff have sabbaticals, and we put ‘a day of rest’ in place – whether we’re Sabbatarians or not – for our individual lives. But not, it seems, for our communal life together as God’s people.”

6 Distinguishing Marks of a Call to Gospel Ministry

Steve Lawson: “If there is anything else a man can do other than preach, Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintained, he ought to do it. The pulpit is no place for him. The ministry is not merely something an individual can do, but what he must do. To enter the pulpit, that necessity must be laid upon him.”

The Face in the Mirror

This is a sweet reflection on the joys of marriage. “It’s been nine years of marriage. Two cities. Three babies. Five surgeries. One dog. Thirteen ducks. These days my quick glance in the mirror turns into a pause at the woman staring back at me. I contort my lips. I smile, frown, and watch the surrounding skin move into rippled patterns. The skin doesn’t bounce back as it used to. Facebook flashbacks show me pictures of a different woman. I can see my face- but it’s smoothed, clear, and my eyes are free from the black frames that now rest upon my nose.”

The Worst Sales Promotion in History

This is a fun one, though I wager it was not for Hoover back in the day. “27 years ago, Hoover offered two free international flights with any £100 purchase. Today, it’s remembered as the worst sales promotion in history.”

Don’t Trust in Your Christianity

There is a good challenge here to ensure that you trust in Christ, not in your Christianity.

3 Reasons Drifting From the Faith Starts With Drifting From the Church

And I think we have all seen this 100 times over. “Wandering from the church leads to wandering from the faith.”

Finding Amelia Earhart’s Plane Seemed Impossible. Then Came a Startling Clue.

This all sounds a little far-fetched to me, but I sure hope they are on to something.

Flashback: Why We Love to Read

Some books yield nothing but nonsense; some yield nothing but ideas you have come across a thousands times before. But then, at last, you find that one that delivers. There is such joy in it. Such reward.

There are two ways of meeting the unknown–either by not thinking about it at all, or by thinking and leaving it all to God.

—P B Power

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  • Discernment

    What Does a Discerning Person Do?

    Some Christians seem to be specially gifted when it comes to spiritual discernment. Others take a special interest in discernment and expend the hard effort of growing in the discipline of it. But they may sometimes wonder: What should I do with this discernment?

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    A La Carte (May 19)

    A La Carte: Dangers of theological controversy / No confidence? No problem! / The goodness of gardening friends / Jeff the low stakes prophet / Hurting people / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    The Reward They Longed for They Received

    Jesus, who knew what was in the heart of men, warned of the hypocrisy of those whose prayer life is only ever public. “When you pray,” he said, “you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen…

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    Weekend A La Carte (May 17)

    A La Carte: Generalizations are not stereotypes / Hospitality and reaching the dechurched / Essential lessons for pastors / The rise of Islam and the resilience of the church / Gossip and godly church / Fear takes you where grace has not yet gone / and more.