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A La Carte (December 30)

thursday

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

Just a reminder that I’m on a holiday blogging schedule this week which means I’m posting only the daily A La Carte. Articles will return next week.

9 Things You Should Know About Events and Discoveries in 2021

This is a fun little roundup. “We live in an era of 24-hour news in which we’re constantly bombarded by information from websites, social media, and television. Yet despite this deluge, there are many fascinating news items you are likely to have missed. Here are nine such events and discoveries from 2021 that you may not have heard about.”

What People are Saying about 2022

“Have you noticed what people are saying about 2022? Me neither.” Is that better or worse than what people were saying this time last year?

What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?

Here’s an explanation of that mysterious thorn in the flesh that was so agonizing to Paul.

Are You Feeling In-Between?

“The last week of December always feels a little like an in-between to me. It’s between holidays, months and years. Akin to adolescent years, somewhere between child and teenager, life has a lot of uncomfortable in-betweens…”

More Now Than Ever

This is the final part of a series meant to encourage Christians by reflecting on positive cultural trends.

Flashback: Strength = Good, Weakness = Bad

Jesus was weak. Paul rejoiced in his own weakness. And yet we are still afraid and ashamed to be weak. We would rather feign strength than admit weakness.

The eye is made both for seeing and weeping. Sin must first be seen, before it can be wept for.

—Thomas Watson

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    A La Carte (July 15)

    A La Carte: Sharing our struggles / The danger of inaction / “You don’t love your daughter” / A godly sense of humor / Three excuses for not reading your Bible / A closer look at Noah’s ark / and more.

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    A La Carte (July 14)

    A La Carte: Distorted doctrine destroys lives / Making sense of bad things / Be the Jonathan / A bridegroom of blood / Administrative sludge / Musical elements / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

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    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

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    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.