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A La Carte (December 29)

tuesday

After a couple of days of coming up empty-handed, I managed to track down some pretty good Kindle deals for today.

What God Tells Us to Remember

I thoroughly enjoyed this article that reminds us of those things God tells us to remember. “There used to be a saying on memes that went something like, ‘Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.’ However, though we shouldn’t live in the past, we benefit from considering it at times.”

Finish the Year Weak

Jared Wilson: “‘Finish the year strong.’ The clichéd exhortation is aimed at us all—the businessman trying to meet project deadlines and annual budget expectations, the student prepping for semester finals, the average Joes and Janes navigating holiday chaos with an eye toward some vague sense of individual improvement in the coming year.”

Can Our Prayers Change God’s Will? If Not, Why Pray?

I’ve often appreciated R.C. Sproul’s straightforward way of answering theological questions. That quality is on full display here as he answers a common question about prayer.

Before You Say Goodbye to 2020

“During this season, it might feel like drudgery to reflect on this unprecedented year, frightening, even. We’ve experienced hardship and struggles, seen hostility in people we never would have imagined, and known the startling pressure anxiety can wield on our minds. Looking back on this year is daunting; we don’t want to remember the dark moments, or the pain of navigating them.”

Expecting Less from Church

It can be freeing to expect a little less from church, as Ed Welch explains here.

Heaven: Rejoicing in Future Glory

The current issue of the 9Marks Journal is all about heaven. If you’re up for some slightly heavier reading, it’s free to read online or to download.

We Are Blind Without the Spirit

I think you’ll appreciate this reflection on the Holy Spirit.

Flashback: How To Make A New Year’s Resolution That Sticks

I have done a fair bit of reading on how to make resolutions work, and it turns out that though there are many reasons your resolutions may not work, the most common ones are easy enough to avoid. Here are some tips on making wise resolutions and on making them stick.

This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.

—Elisabeth Elliot

  • A Special Offer On Ten Great Books

    A Special Offer On Ten Great Books

    Reformation Heritage Books is offering Challies readers an exclusive 15% discount on their top ten recent releases. Use code CHALLIES at checkout. This offer is valid until January 27.

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    A La Carte (January 20)

    A La Carte: When protest enters the sanctuary / Why I ditched my scrolling habit / Take sports betting seriously / The world runs on urgency / Sanctification hacks / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Endure

    Why We Can Confidently Persevere in Prayer

    I remember the days when my children were younger and would ask me to give them something—then ask me again, and ask me again. At that age, they had no ability to gain or purchase these things for themselves, so they were entirely dependent upon their parents to grant their requests (which were usually for…

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    A La Carte (January 19)

    A La Carte: Learning to struggle / When “Stranger Things” stopped being strange / “If God Is For Us” / Reading as stewardship / A sermon you need to hear / Excellent Kindle deals / and more.

  • Not a Hindrance But a Prerequisite

    Not a Hindrance But a Prerequisite

    Many Christians feel they are too unholy or too sinful to participate in the Lord’s Supper. They come to the table downcast, convinced that their sin makes them unworthy. They may refuse to participate at all.

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    Weekend A La Carte (January 17)

    A La Carte: Look to and learn from older saints / Don’t overthink your problems / Rebellion / When there is no good church / Teens and popular music / Where the gospel costs everything / and more.