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A La Carte (February 14)

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of new titles. Also, several Kindle devices have been discounted for those looking for one.

The Story Behind John Piper’s Most Famous Attack on the Prosperity Gospel

This is a really interesting article about John Piper’s famous, unplanned attack on the prosperity gospel.

Please Stop Saying — “God Told Me”

Yes, please. “Although the ‘God told me’ method of communicating makes for interesting, suspenseful, and entertaining stories, what people need most is to hear from God. I would like to make a simple request. Please stop saying ‘God told me’ unless the phrase is immediately followed up with a text of Scripture.”

Time in God’s Word Is Not a Grim Duty

Randy Alcorn: “I can still think, pray, and meditate on Scripture even as I do other things, including—even especially—the mundane. Time with God is never wasted—it spills over into the rest of our day and colors it.”

Productivity and Leadership in the 21st Century

On Wednesday afternoon, I’ll be joining an online discussion with Chris Larson of Ligonier Ministries. We’ll be discussing productivity and leadership in the 21st century.

Can You Identify These Cities From Their Light Signatures?

“The light that a city emits is like its glowing fingerprint. From the orderly grid of Manhattan, to the sprawling, snaking streets of Milan, to the bright contrast of Kuwait’s ring-roads, each city leaves its own pattern of tiny glowing dots. See if you can ID these cities based on the way they shine.”

A New, Free Version of Logos

If you’ve ever wanted to dabble in Logos but without paying for it, you’ve now got an option: Logos Basic.

Rio’s Olympic Venues, Six Months On

What happens to all those great venues after the Olympics come to a close? Mostly, nothing. “Six months after hosting South America’s first-ever Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Rio de Janeiro venues – some of which have been looted – sit mainly idle and already in disrepair, raising questions about a legacy that organisers promised would benefit the Brazilian city and its residents.”

The Responsibility of Dependency

David has written a response, not a rebuttal, to my article on children providing financial assistance to their aging parents. “I simply want to flip that coin and expose the obverse. Just as I appreciate hearing of the responsibility of the young from a younger voice, I think it is appropriate to hear someone a little closer to the other end of life—just a little, mind you—on the responsibility of parents.”

Flashback: The Many and the Few

Good news is only good in relation to what is bad. If we soften the bad news, we necessarily soften the good news. Our job is not to analyze the news we are called to herald to the world. Faithfulness to God requires faithfulness to the message—the whole message.

As the wicked are hurt by the best things, so the godly are bettered by the worst.

—William Jenkyn

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    Friends Astern & Friends Ahead

    I’ve heard that it was an old nautical tradition that when a boat sailed across the Atlantic, the passengers would spend the first half of the voyage raising their glasses to friends astern—to the ones who had seen them off and bid them a fond farewell.

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    A La Carte (June 11)

    A La Carte: The Quiet Revival caution / The secrets we keep / Compromising Evangelical elites / Pastors only work 30 minutes a week / Baptists, be proud of your tradition / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (June 10)

    A La Carte: Should Christians practice surrogacy? / Intentional simplicity / I feel like I’m taking crazy pills / Prayers to renew the way you work / Why I chose not to believe in Jesus / and more.

  • Nicea Conference

    One Lord. One Faith. One Gospel. In 325 A.D., pastors gathered in the city of Nicea to proclaim the full divinity of Jesus Christ. Seventeen centuries later, we’re gathering again—this time in Istanbul—to remember that moment, rejoice in our shared confession, and renew our commitment to the gospel. Join us October 22–25, 2025, in Istanbul,…

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    Am I Sanctified or Am I Tired?

    How much am I actually becoming holier and how much am I just becoming wearier? How much have I really grown in sanctification and how much am I just too tired to be bothered pursuing sin?