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A La Carte (August 24)

friday

There is a handful of Kindle deals to consider today. Still waiting for Crossway to get back into the game!

(Yesterday on the blog: Reaching People with the Gospel)

Share Ministry, Even If It’s No Big Deal, Because It Actually Is

“Here’s a quick story from church life that seems ho-hum on the surface. But the reality is, God used it to remind me of an important truth that I was veering from. Oftentimes the Lord is at work in the very ordinary.” Yes, he is!

Your Good Works Bring God Good Pleasure

“I’m concerned that many Christians live with the sneaking suspicion, or the settled conviction, that God is generally displeased with their lives. As if he sees all the shortcomings, all the failures, all the room for growth, and holds back his approval until his sanctifying work is done. But if God is our Father, and in Christ we are his children, doesn’t it make sense that he would take pleasure in our growth as well as our glorification?”

Rebirth of the Gods (Dr. Peter Jones)

This looks like the beginning of a promising series. “What Miller had understood was that the death of God was not the death of the notion of the divine; it was the death of the God of the Bible (as Altizer had said, any alien transcendent divine power). You see, that’s what people don’t want; they don’t want the God who is transcendent, sovereign, and independent of us, and so that God has to be killed. Since that time, in their minds, this God has been slowly put to death.”

When Opposition to Religious Liberty Becomes Silly, Petty, and Vindictive

Silly, petty, and vindictive indeed. “The news about Jack Phillips is a reminder that progressive culture war tactics are exacting. Episodes like this reveal the inner logic of progressivism’s strong-man impulse. Instead of debate, bully. Instead of civility, just claim to be a victim. Instead of principled Constitutionalism, just rely on identity politics. In this, progressivism brooks no compromise. It offers the opposite of the tolerance it peddles.”

Is the King James Version of the Bible the Most Accurate Translation? (Video)

Is the King James Version of the Bible the most accurate translation? Dr. Robert Plummer answers in Honest Answers

Reconsidering Rudyard Kipling

Here’s an interesting one that looks at the changing understanding of Rudyard Kipling. “Nobody reads Kipling anymore. I don’t know if this true—he is no longer in the canon of English studies taught in high school and college where some of his work was anthologized as late as the 1960s—but it’s a shame if it is because the caricature of Kipling as a simple-minded drum beater for the British Empire is superficial and naïve.”

When You Don’t Smile Much Anymore

“Several weeks later, the physical effects of this anxiety attack have since passed, but the unsettled feeling in my spirit persists. Unfortunately for me, I’m one of those people who wears my emotions on my face, so it didn’t surprise me much when a good friend took note of my somber expression. “You don’t smile much anymore,” she kindly said as she reached for my hand.”

Flashback: Treasure Your Marriage

If you are going to run to win, you must treasure your marriage.

If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.

—Oswald Chambers

  • The Hands and Feet of the Bible

    The Hands and Feet of the Bible

    The Bible has life and the Bible brings life because it has been spoken by God. The Bible’s life, its voice, its feet, and hands are the life, voice, feet, and hands of God extended toward his people. For that reason among others it is always worthy of our time, our attention, and our dedication.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (July 20)

    A La Carte: The wedding of the century / Why grieving people need a theology of giving / God desires your happiness / Sincere love and hospitality in the church / Real life is a better teacher than social media / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (MBTS)

    This week Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For the Church Institute is a free online platform from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary designed to provide free and accessible theological training to equip, encourage, and edify local churches. Courses may be taken as a self-paced individual or as a group within your…

  • A Field Guide on Gender and Sexuality

    A Field Guide on Gender and Sexuality

    God’s design for gender and sexuality is fixed and unchanging. The way he created us is the way he means for us to live. The instruction he provides in the Bible is all we need to understand his purpose and live it out in a way that honors and pleases him. The wisdom he provides…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (July 19)

    A La Carte: When you can’t forgive yourself after an abortion / Ancient Corinth, Judge Judy, and litigious Christians / Trusting the giver of good / The renovation of a soul / Life after Doom (by Brian McLaren) / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 18)

    A La Carte: Does Christian sex need rescuing? / 15 resolves for interpersonal conflicts / How senior pastors can help associate pastors / it’s okay to be okay / Don’t be proud of what you had no say in / How sweet! / Kindle deals / and more.