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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

  • weekend 3

    Weekend A La Carte (May 23)

    Work will always matter / The rise of techno-feudalism / The gospel according to Karl Marx / The challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy / My manifesto on AI and religion / Steve McQueen, born again, set free / Cornfield baptism / 5 things most people don’t know about writing books

  • Authority

    How Men Can Use Their Authority Well

    There are few topics that have proven trickier to navigate than the topic of authority. We know we need authority to function as families, churches, and nations, yet there is something deep within our sinful humanity that causes us to rebel against it wherever it exists. We both want it and despise it. 

  • fri 3

    A La Carte (May 22)

    The ancient world had no word for child abuse / What I wish I had learned in theological college / Pray to the Lord of the harvest / What God is healing while not healing my health problems / Are you willing to show up? / Artificial preaching / Sales and deals / and more.

  • thurs 3

    A La Carte (May 21)

    One step becomes a three-day walk / Tolkien, foolishness, and the ordinary means of grace / The staggering beauty and burden of church life / Denominational health / Three truths to combat your news anxiety / Don’t do the Devil’s work for him / and more.

  • The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. Why do these receive so much attention?

  • wed 3

    A La Carte (May 20)

    The pastor who refuses to back down / The missionary with Ebola / Why we don’t trust pastors / Rushing our quiet times / The other side of seminary / The remedy, the problem, and the church / Why we need to interpret the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.