Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (August 25)

friday

Aileen and I have had a wonderful time on this twenty-fifth anniversary trip to New Zealand. But the time to leave is drawing near. We will see a few more sites on Saturday, worship with a nearby local church on Sunday, then make our way home on Monday. The Lord has been very kind to us.

On sale this week at Westminster Books is one I’ve very much been looking forward to reading.

The Death of Church and Pub

Carl Trueman spent some time in England and now reflects on the death of the church and the demise of the pub.

5 Resolutions for the Weary and Worn Out

“There is a certain weariness that comes in the summer, when we suddenly realize half the year has flown by and things aren’t better than it was in January—or have gotten worse. Maybe your relationships need work, and you’ve found yourself fighting with family and friends. Maybe there’s trouble at home and brokenness in your family. Maybe you’re tired of running the Christian race and your spiritual life has grown stale.” Aaron Lee offers help.

Pastors and Social Media

Samuel James lets us in on some of the questions he might ask a candidate for a ministry position if he was serving on a pastoral search committee.

Pastoral Q & A: How Often Should I Confess My Sin?

How often should a Christian confess his sins? Wes offers a good answer to the question.

Corinthian Enthusiasm

Derek Thomas: “Only one book is absolutely essential to save us, to equip us to obey God’s will, and to glorify Him in whatever we do. Only one book gives us undiluted truth —the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Only one book serves as our ultimate and final authority in all that it affirms. That book, of course, is the Bible, God’s Holy Word. … And yet the irony is that if we use only this book, we may in fact be in disobedience to it.”

The Basics — The Order of Salvation

Kim Riddelbarger continues his series on basic Christian theology with a brief description of the ordo salutis, or order of salvation. This is important theology, so worth reading about.

Flashback: The Rise of Digital Technologies and the Decline of Reading

There was once a time reading came easy, but now it seems to be hard. The difference, they say, is all these new technologies…Let me offer a few thoughts on the rise of digital technologies and the decline of reading.

The gospel teaches us we are unworthy. We are saved by grace, not by worth.

—Sinclair Ferguson

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 14)

    A La Carte: Distorted doctrine destroys lives / Making sense of bad things / Be the Jonathan / A bridegroom of blood / Administrative sludge / Musical elements / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 10)

    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.