Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (February 15)

A La Carte Collection cover image

The God of love and peace be with you today.

I added some interesting Kindle deals yesterday and tracked down some more today.

(Yesterday on the blog: When Goodbye Is Forever)

This Is What Courage Looks Like

Amy Medina describes an example of courage in the life of a friend.

One of the Most Important Ministry Skills That Nobody Talks About

I really appreciate what Michael Kruger says here about an important ministry skill that no one talks about (but everyone appreciates when they benefit from it).

Why You Can’t Get to Heaven Through the Mormon Faith

“Despite the rate at which it has grown, Mormonism contains fatal doctrinal problems. Though it has attracted many, it cannot be said that adherence to it will lead one to heaven. This is no minor issue. Eternity is at stake. If we love people; truly love the soul and well-being of a person, we will be concerned about their life through eternity. If there is a truck barreling down the road at you and I don’t get you out of the way, I fail to love you. Here are a few reasons why Mormon doctrine cannot save…”

Questions a Pastor Doesn’t Want to Ask–but Should

Reuben Bredenhof writes about questions a pastor doesn’t want to ask, but really should. “Reflecting on my ministry, I recall instances when I should have listened to that shepherd sense to press harder, go deeper, and fear the awkward silence less. My love of comfort and ease kept me from pursuing what should’ve been pursued. It might have been months later, or even a couple of years, but eventually it came out.”

Help! I Don’t Enjoy Reading the Old Testament

You’re not alone if you don’t enjoy reading the Old Testament. You’re not alone, but you also shouldn’t let yourself stay where you are. Jason DeRouchie offers some assistance in this article.

Christian Displays of Affection

“The Bible calls us to greet each other very differently than this by exhorting us to practice public displays of holy Christian affection to mark our fellowship with mutual, all-inclusive welcome and love.”

Flashback: Sex on the Silver Screen

I am increasingly convinced that Christians should avoid watching movies with scenes of nudity and sexuality. There are many reasons for this, but today I will constrain myself to just one—one that I have found particularly compelling and convicting.

Perhaps the sins we do not know are more numerous than the sins we are conscious of.

—Charles Spurgeon

  • Conversation

    Learning To Have Conversations with God

    I was just a young child when my parents told me I ought to begin daily devotions. I began the habit when I was perhaps eight or ten years old and have largely stuck with it for the past four decades. During that time, I have attempted a hundred different approaches, but it seems like…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (August 20)

    A La Carte: Hoping for the best / Teach them friendship / Questions for pastors on social media / When our bodies are weak / Electric shepherds and electric sheep / Caring for aging parents / and more.

  • From the Rising of the Sun

    From the Rising of the Sun: Introducing My New Book & Documentary

    Get ready to travel the globe and experience the beauty of Christian worship like never before. That’s what I hope and trust you’ll gain as you read my new book and watch my new documentary titled From the Rising of the Sun—a project I created in collaboration with my friend Tim Keesee. It is available…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (August 19)

    A La Carte: Am I a missionary colonizer? / The separation of church and home / Invite people into your life / Contentment in childlessness / A misunderstood grief / When people are late to church / So many Kindle deals.

  • Almost Saved

    To Be Almost Saved Is To Be Completely Lost

    Along the coast of New York is a little town called East Hampton. And I recently read that there is a cemetery in East Hampton where you can find 12 identical graves that have been laid side by side. There’s a story behind them, of course. All the way back in the 1800s, there was…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (August 18)

    A La Carte: 6 ways to lead better Bible studies / When you want to give up / Everyone has a calling / Easing John Mark Comer’s fears / See and support foster families / Kindle deals / and more.