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A La Carte (August 27)

friday

Grace and peace to you today.

There’s a nice little collection of Kindle books from Zondervan on sale today.

On sale this week at Westminster Books is the excellent ESV Expository Commentary Series (which is ideal for preachers and non-preachers alike).

What It Would Mean to Overturn Roe

Carl Trueman: “The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that directly challenges our country’s abortion regime, will have repercussions far beyond the confines of abortion law. Should the Court’s decision in Dobbs overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, then the future of legal abortion in America will truly be transformed.”

Preaching the Funeral Sermon I Once Most Dreaded

This is a hugely encouraging article from Hershael York as he recounts his joy in preaching the funeral he had most dreaded.

Simulated Sunlight

“It is essential to distinguish between entertainment and something being able to hold our attention. When God grabs hold of you while reading his word, he may have your attention, but that is not entertainment. Something more profound is taking place. The goal of entertainment is to amuse. The purpose of corporate worship is to glorify God and commune with him. The problem happens in planning for worship services when the desire to delight is part of the equation.”

Christian, Here’s When You’re Allowed to Apply Scripture

Pierce Taylor Hibbs is concerned with the way many Christians are using Scripture. “Let me put it bleakly: vast tracts of Christians don’t actually know how to apply Scripture in popular forms of argument and everyday conversations. They have Scripture memorized; they can quote chapter and verse numbers; they even have an accurate understanding of the central message of Scripture, but they don’t know how to apply it. They don’t know how to use it with faithfulness to what the text really means and how it’s been fulfilled in Christ.”

A Bigger Perspective

Christina Fox: “Stepping back from my painting was a reminder that in my own life all I see is one small section of the picture God is painting. I need to step back from time to time to see it from a different angle. To get a new perspective. To see my life in light of the greater work of redemption God is doing in my life. To see it in light of eternity.”

You Have Permission to Slow Down

“Permission to slow down — perhaps that’s what you’re aching for again. Maybe you tasted it for a few weeks, or even months, when the pandemic hit, as event after event was cancelled. But now, with vaccinations in arms, and the collective rush to return to life as ‘normal’ (as much as that’s possible), you’re feeling the need again for life to move slower than the modern world seems to allow.”

The Long Walk Home

I really enjoyed reading Darla McDavid’s story of the long walk home.

Flashback: What Does Prophecy Offer that Scripture Does Not?

Scripture is not general communication from God to humanity, but deeply personal communication because it is empowered by the illuminating and applying ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The lessons which parents teach their children are not one-thousandth part so important, as the life they live before them day after day.

—J.R. Miller

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 17)

    A La Carte: A misunderstood grief / Saying the same thing as God / Why go to church? / Leviticus and the right hand of fellowship / Piper’s four tests of false teaching / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (July 16)

    A La Carte: Reading the Bible correctly / Understanding the time / Living wisely in a digital world / We’ll never get tired / You need gospel friends / God’s goodness to you / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 15)

    A La Carte: Sharing our struggles / The danger of inaction / “You don’t love your daughter” / A godly sense of humor / Three excuses for not reading your Bible / A closer look at Noah’s ark / and more.

  • 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?

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    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.