Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (August 18)

thursday

Grace and peace to you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: When Pastors Need To Be Extra Cautious)

Never Shop on an Empty Soul

This is a good exhortation. “The next time we find ourselves looking to buy something to relieve the boredom of our lives, remember, we are the ones being consumed. In a consumer culture, even the consumers become a commodity. Never forget, they are preying on your emptiness.”

GAFCON leading the way

Murray Campbell has an interesting article about the Anglican Church in Australia. “GAFCON is responding to what is a tireless intrusion onto Christian Churches by certain bishops and leaders who are trying to change the Gospel beyond recognition. They are not playing the same game as Christians Churches, but something quite different.” (See also this article by TGC Australia.)

When Bots Write Your Love Story

I don’t subscribe to a lot of Substack newsletters, but I do subscribe to Samuel James’. This article is a great example of why. (You may want to consider at least picking up a free 7-day trial subscription to check it out.)

Is New Testament Greek the Most Precise Language Known to Mankind?

“There is an idea which floats around in pulpits and Bible studies, and it goes something like this: ‘Greek is a perfectly precise language which clearly conveys its meaning, and this is the reason why God used Greek for the New Testament.’ I do not pretend to know the mind of God regarding why the New Testament is in Greek. But there are some substantial problems in the assertion that Greek is ‘perfectly precise.’”

The Way You Look

“My grandmother used to have this phrase to describe a particular kind of family resemblance. She’d say something like, ‘He looks out of his eyes the way his dad did when he was a kid’ or ‘The way you look out of your eyes makes me think of your mama.’” Glenna Marshall explains and applies.

What were the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age?

“Archaeologists are fond of dividing up time into different ‘ages’. This can be quite confusing to the uninitiated, for several reasons.” This article at Creation.com explains what the ages mean and when they happened.

Flashback: We Are Never Without Beauty

We are never without beauty in this world—never without displays of splendor. We are never without beauty because God’s divine fingerprints are impressed on all he has made.

In the sight of God the most menial task is as sacred as that of the highest order, and when well done as greatly meets his approval.

—Charles Ebert Orr

  • Celebrate

    How To Make the Devil Shout for Joy

    As we fall away from the company of our brothers and sisters, as we grow distant from the voice of God through his Word, as we grow lackadaisical in speaking to God through prayer, Satan smiles, he laughs, he shouts for joy. Our sorrow is his pleasure.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (January 31)

    A La Carte: Prioritizing theological maturity / What is excommunication? / Discipleship in a sexualized culture / Why motherhood can feel impossible / Giving all like Jesus / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Reformed Free Publishing)

    Have you ever wondered what it would be like to uproot your life and sacrifice everything for the sake of your faith? Enter today’s Free Stuff Fridays giveaway to win a copy of Grace House, the story of one young Hindu girl who is forced to choose between the only world she’s ever known and…

  • Family Tech Books

    Books to Help Parents With Tech

    Christian parents are well-served with books meant to inform and equip them as they lead their families. Here are some of my top picks for parents who want to faithfully disciple their children to live well in a world of smartphones, social media, AI, and a host of other world-shaping technologies.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 30)

    A La Carte: The biggest crisis ever / When God’s plans leave us distressed / The rise and fall of gay activism / Boundaries in dating / How to derail a Bible study / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New-and-Notable January

    New and Notable Christian Books for January 2026

    As you know, I like to do my best to sort through the new Christian books that are released each month to see what stands out as being not only new but also particularly notable. I received quite a number of books in January and narrowed the list down to the ones below. I have…