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A La Carte (December 26)

A La Carte Friday 2

Good morning. I trust you enjoyed your Christmas and hope my fellow Canadians (and Brits and various others) are now enjoying your Boxing Day.

Today’s Kindle deals include a few books that are probably worth a look! Things are a mite slower than usual due to the holidays, but the deals continue to roll on. On the general market side, J.D.Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy is on sale and so too a bunch of enjoyable books by Malcolm Gladwell.

Don’t Fight the Wrong War

It is good to remember that we are at war, but we need to ensure we are fighting the right war. “It’s exciting to imagine life as war. It gives us purpose and a mission. When life is war, we wake up each day trying to gain new ground for our cause. We forge camaraderie with our fellow soldiers who join us on the battlefield. We fill our days studying strategies to outflank our enemies. We sacrifice our lives to the cause. But what if you’ve been fighting the wrong war?”

What Is Technology Good For?

This is a helpful breakdown of what technology is good for, and what it’s not-so-good for.

Earth’s Epic Start

This entertaining and engaging study of Genesis 1-3 helps middle-grade readers gain a greater understanding and appreciation for God’s amazing creation. (Sponsored)

Q: AI Griefbots? A: Heidelberg Catechism

Speaking of technology… “As one digital afterlife consultant (yes, that’s a job) put it, our deceased loved ones now reside in our pocket, ‘where they wait patiently to be conjured into life with the swipe of a finger.’ With the powers of generative AI technology, we can summon the voices of our friends, family members, and even heroes from beyond the grave.”

Dieting to the Glory of God

I would imagine a good number of people are thinking about dieting in the days ahead. To that end, Staci has some thoughts on dieting well. “I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago. My social media feeds always contain a fair number of ads for diet apps (I am a woman over 50, after all), but suddenly they were there with every scroll. Intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, calorie tracking, medication. A new year is coming, and many of us are adding ‘weight loss’ to our list of resolutions.”

Discipling Younger Men

“Discipling younger men is both a challenge and a delight. It is a challenge knowing that these young men have so much room for improvement so one needs to patiently bear with their shortcomings and immaturities. It is a delight knowing when we see them grow through us. God is gracious to use flawed people like us to disciple the next generation.”

Complacency: A Silent Killer

John Piper takes on complacency, which he considers a silent killer.

Flashback: Imperishable Beauty

It smacks of pride to look at this woman, created by God in his image, and to determine that she is not up to your standards. Men are often looking for an ideal of physical perfection even though they are far from the male equivalent. 

A single day in hell will be worse than a whole life spent in carrying the cross.

—J.C. Ryle

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (December 26)

    A La Carte: Don’t fight the wrong war / What is tech good for? / AI griefbots / Dieting to the glory of God / Discipling younger men / John Piper on complacency / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A Very Christmasy A La Carte

    A La Carte: Awkward family Christmas photos / Wesley and Watts / An Irish Christmas / Marginalizing the Messiah / Jesus showed up / Perfect peace / Kindle deals / and more.

  • General Market Books

    10 General Market Books I Enjoyed in 2025

    While the bulk of what I read every year is published by Christians and for Christians, I do also enjoy reading books for the general market. On that note, here are 10 of the general market books I read and especially enjoyed in 2025.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 24)

    A La Carte: Brain implants / Recovering Christ at Christmastime / How to create sabbath / Things I didn’t know about marriage / A true baptism / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 23)

    A La Carte: A generation’s boredom / The joy of making discoveries / John Piper’s devotional life / Sermon criticism / Enduring shame for the cause of Christ / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Collected Best Christian Books of 2024

    The Collected Best Books of 2025

    I probably don’t need to tell you how much I love books in general, and Christian books in particular. One of my favorite times to be a reader is in mid-December when people begin to share their picks for the top books of the year. I collect all of the lists written by sites or…