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A La Carte (December 11)

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Good morning. May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include options for parents, youth workers, counselors, and more. Friesen’s excellent Decision Making and the Will of God is a great pick as well. If you’ve been wondering what to think of Megan Basham’s Shepherds for Sale, it’s on sale as well, as is Rod Dreher’s Live Not By Lies.

Best Christian Folk & Worship of 2024 Music Review

If you’re interested in trying out some new Christian music, Tim Briggs has got you covered with his picks for the best of Christian folk and worship of 2024.

My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2024

Collin Hansen has a tradition of rounding up his top theology stories of the year. Here is his 2024 edition.

The Woke Left and Woke Right Show No Mercy

Bethel McGrew shows how people on both the right and the left can fail to show mercy. “Christians are good at spotting vitriolic leftists like Lorenz as our enemies. At the same time, we should be mindful that the political opposite of Taylor Lorenz is not necessarily the friend of Christians. An ideology that abandons true justice for oppressor/oppressed class narratives must be consistently rejected, whomever it targets.”

How Should We Pray? – a Helpful Framework of Seven ‘P’s

John Stevens runs through the seven “P”s of prayer. “It helps to have some framework for prayer that shapes our thinking and speaking. I find it helpful to bear in mind the following aspects of prayer, both for my personal praying and public prayers…”

Wrap Up Some Stuff This Christmas

Though we are accustomed to being scolded for giving and receiving stuff at Christmas, Brianna explains why stuff actually matters (and, hence, why you shouldn’t feel bad about giving it this time of year).

Themelios 49.3

TGC has published a new edition of their Themelios journal. There are lots of articles and reviews to go through!

Flashback: As the Outer Is Peeled Away

I have watched people I only ever knew to be whole and strong fade until they were broken and weak. I have watched them accept the reality that their time was short and the Lord was calling them home. And through it all, I’m convinced that I’ve seen their faith shine all the brighter.

…the most important thing is laying our children at the foot of the cross and praying that Jesus will call them to Him. He is the author of their souls, and He is the only one who can reign in a broken soul.

—Sarah Mae

  • Pastoral Prayer

    A Pastoral Prayer

    Our Father in Heaven, we are gathered here this morning like children gathered before the feet of their father. We want to begin this new day with you. We want to begin this new week with you. Before we do anything, before we go anywhere, before we engage in work, school, or even play, we…

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 20)

    A La Carte: How the West became pagan / Confronting an unspeakable truth / Freebirth in the age of hospitals / Sorrows keep getting more sorrowful / You may not see the fruit of your ministry / and more.t

  • Addiction

    Addiction and the Local Church

    Of all the pastoral issues a church can face, I think one of the trickiest may be addiction. In theory, churches are eager to provide a safe and welcoming environment for current or recovering addicts. Yet in reality, churches often feel ignorant and poorly equipped to deal with the reality of addicts and addictions and…

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    A La Carte (December 19)

    A La Carte: A problem-filled world / When you get accused / Why is the Son called “Everlasting Father”? / An unpolluted heaven and nature / I wrestled a skunk once / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (December 18)

    A La Carte: Jane Austen’s faith / Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit / The rising tide of Islam / Life with a constant music soundtrack / Should everyone write? / and more.