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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

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    A La Carte (April 21)

    The cage stage in the digital age / When did Christian music all become worship music? / Why AI worship feels empty / Grace through discipline / The messy, glorious church / Trivia / and more.

  • Church Camera

    Preaching for the Viral Video

    Is it possible to preach faithfully to a congregation while also preaching for the viral clip? This article explores the incompatibility of social-media-first preaching with genuine pastoral ministry.

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    A La Carte (April 20)

    Fatherhood and Rubik’s Cube / I never felt like reading the Bible / Disobeying authorities / The case against social media / Don’t get singled out / GIRLS® / Getting rid of YouTube shorts.

  • Works & Wonders

    Works & Wonders (April 19)

    This week’s Works & Wonders includes a devotional on grace-fueled service, a new Sovereign Grace song on thankfulness, the faith of Titanic rescuer Arthur Rostron, speed puzzling, northern lights photography, a poem on readiness for death, and Easter piano music from the Gettys.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (April 18)

    Long-form articles and thinkpieces on vegetative states, funerals in Africa, AI in the classroom, the history of torture, explaining how it felt, free speech in Canada, and much more.