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A La Carte (August 21)

tuesday

There are a few new Kindle deals for you to look at if that’s of interest.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Best Day You’ve Ever Had)

Should Christians Boycott Abusive Companies?

Here’s a short answer to a good question. “I discovered that [airlines in a particular part of the world] are accused of abusing their workers: unfair labor practices, poor wages, overwork, dangerous working conditions, etc. Some travelers have opted to boycott these types of airlines. Is this something Christians should be aware of? They give the best prices for the destinations I fly to, but at what cost to their employees? I know there are many industries accused of similar issues, so how informed should we be and what should we do about it?”

John Calvin: Who He is, What He Did, and Why He Matters

This is a good little introduction to the great reformer, John Calvin.

The Danger of “I” in Christian Prayer

Al Mohler: “One of the besetting sins of evangelicalism is our obsession with individualism. This obsession with individualism chronically besets us as evangelicals. The first-person singular pronoun reigns in our thinking. We tend to think about nearly everything (including the truths of God’s Word) only as they relate to me.”

How 2 Guys Stole $500 Million of Art in 81 Minutes

Here is the story of ridiculous art heist that still hasn’t been solved.

Is Your Pastor Happy to See You?

Jared Wilson handles this well. “This is difficult to talk about for pastors. It is difficult to explain to their own congregations how pastoral ministry can be so difficult. It can be and often is a great joy. But it is difficult in ways that are hard to express, because doing so runs the risk of appearing as complaining, shaming, or nagging. The pastor may find it not difficult at all to exhort his congregation in submission to God, faithfulness in service, and joy in discipleship. But exhort them to submit to himself and his fellow elders? In faith? With joy? Well, that’s something else entirely.”

Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?

No, it’s not a waste! “No doubt, pastors should be busy shepherding their flock, meeting with ministry leaders, and running the church. But, the core of the calling is to be a ‘minister of the word.’ And if the pastoral call is to be a minister of the Word, then there is a significant component of pastoral life that should be devoted to serious study of the biblical text—beyond just the preparation for that week’s sermon.”

When the Bible Becomes an App

“A surprising statistic in research on Bible engagement among Americans is that more than 90 percent of regular Bible readers prefer print to digital. That percentage holds true even though more than 90 percent of Bible readers also indicate that they engage with the Bible on digital platforms and through an app. So, the trends show exponential growth in digital Bible engagement alongside a strong preference for a print Bible reading experience.”

Flashback: 10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce

It is clear in the Bible that God’s intention for marriage is that it remain in effect until the death of one spouse. I believe it is also quite clear that God has provided a limited set of circumstances in which a marriage can legitimately be severed…Here are 10 common but illegitimate reasons to divorce.

Child of God, you cost Christ too much for him to forget you.

—C.H. Spurgeon

  • Sanctified or Tired

    Am I Sanctified or Am I Tired?

    How much am I actually becoming holier and how much am I just becoming wearier? How much have I really grown in sanctification and how much am I just too tired to be bothered pursuing sin?

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    A La Carte (June 9)

    A La Carte: Hitler and Jesus / Why young women fear dating / The mass trauma of porn / Christian books with unintended consequences/ Pentecostal not provincial / Her name is Sarah / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Praying together

    We Neglect it at Our Peril

    We know that prayer is a crucial discipline for the individual believer, but how often do we consider that it is also a crucial discipline for the assembled church? The Bible prescribes only a few elements for local church worship, but among them is prayer.

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    Weekend A La Carte (June 7)

    A La Carte: The most important quality in church musicians / Don’t make friends with doubt / The midlife spiritual plateau / There’ll be no sighing there / Because Jesus said so / and more.

  • The Tech Exit

    Help Your Family Make a Tech Exit

    We are now several generations into digital living, several generations into learning to live with the constant presence of connected mobile devices. For most of us, it is rare that we are beyond the glow of a screen or outside the influence of an app.