Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (December 16)

A La Carte Collection cover image

Westminster Books has a classic back in stock after it sold out everywhere: Bavinck’s The Certainty of Faith. Remember as well that all ESVs are still deeply discounted.

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of really helpful books on prayer, perhaps good resources to help you start your new year. (Some of yesterday’s deals were slow to show up so I added them again today.)

(Yesterday on the blog: You Are in the Circumstances in Which You Can Best Serve)

The Scopes Trial at 100: Fact, Fiction, and the Christian Historian

Nathan Finn writes about fact and fiction in the infamous Scopes trial. “The trial remains embedded in the American imagination a century later. It was a key skirmish in what’s often depicted as the great ideological conflict of the modern world: science versus religion. However, this telling is too simplistic.”

How Do We Measure Christian Maturity? (Hint: It’s Not Just Bible Facts)

“The problem is that we often measure maturity by the wrong metrics. We confuse information with formation, and equate Christian vocabulary with Christ-like virtue. Which is understandable because information is measurable. But I don’t think that it’s the right way.”

Blades of Eternity and the Keeper of Peace

A search for the Keeper of Peace becomes a frantic race to control the fate of the Realm. Four kingdoms collide in this faith-filled fantasy novel for middle-grade readers. (Sponsored)

A Pogrom on Bondi Beach

David Robertson writes from Australia about the horrifying events that played out on Bondi Beach. “‘Globalise the Intifada’ they chant and sing. Well now we can safely say that the Intifada has been globalised. Australia, once one of the safest countries in the world for Jews, has become one of the most dangerous.”

Are Evangelicals Obsessed With Sex?

Evangelicals are commonly accused of being obsessed with sex. But is that accusation fair?

Do the Next Thing

“‘What do I do next?,’ is one of the frequent questions I receive when I’m counseling someone through difficult circumstances or in the wake of a great tragedy. When a husband loses his spouse of sixty years, there is unquestionably a great sense of loss, and a loss of a sense of direction and purpose. What was established and settled is now gone. In the wake of the loss of a child, for example, I’ve had a father ask me, ‘What can I do? I don’t even know what to say or think or how to help my family through this difficult time.’”

Coherence Isn’t Wisdom: What AI Is Exposing About How We Think

Mike does a good job here showing how AI has a way of exposing what we think and confirming our biases.

Flashback: A Collection of Random Thoughts on Christian Living

The man who desires sole authority within the local church and is convinced he can handle it proves that he is unworthy of having not only sole authority but any authority at all. Such a man is not fit for leadership.

Satan does not care how spiritual your intentions are or how holy your resolutions, if only they are determined to be done tomorrow.

—J.C. Ryle

  • How to Evangelize and Disciple in a “Live Your Truth” World

    Our culture lacks any coherent, unifying worldview. We’ve moved on from post-truth postmodernism to “Live your truth” metamodernism, where good vibes matter more than consistent ideas. In this world, few see the conflict between “trans-affirming” and “pro-woman.” And the same person using mushrooms to aid spiritual “connection” tells us to “trust the science” about human…

  • AI

    A Simple Way To Ensure You Use AI Well (And Not Poorly) 

    Every new technology introduces both benefits and drawbacks to its users and to the wider culture. The world being what it is, there are always plusses and minuses, so that even as a new tech gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. We are quickly learning that Artificial Intelligence is no exception…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 16)

    A La Carte: God is glad to forgive you / Gen Z needs this doctrine / The draw of Eastern Orthodoxy / Rest for the restless / Finding love after loss / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Duty

    For Our Good, Not For Our Bondage

    Matthew Henry once said that when we are out of the way of duty, we are in the way of temptation. Yet Jerry Bridges warns that the spiritual disciplines are privileges to be used, not duties to be performed. So are they duties or are they not?

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (February 14)

    A La Carte: Satan wants you alone this Sunday / The discipline of unlearning / Asking a pastor to step down / Holy humor / Intentional thankfulness / and more.