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A La Carte (February 21)

tuesday

I am on my way home today after a wonderful and profitable trip to Poland.

Today’s Kindle deals include a few books (though far fewer than yesterday).

(Yesterday on the blog: Daddy, I Need You)

Church History Isn’t Boring (You’re Just Doing it Wrong)

“I have always enjoyed studying history, but I understand why many don’t. Most were taught by well-meaning (but horribly-misguided) teachers who think of history as a catalog of names and dates. But if we approach history like Microsoft Excel, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that the only people who love history look a good deal like those who love spreadsheets.”

Was God at Work in My Pre-Conversion Life?

“God was at work in my life when he saved me. Amen! But was God at work in my life before I came to Christ? And if so, how should we talk about God’s work in our lives before conversion?” Piper answers a good one here. (Also see this interview with Piper.)

So Typical

Mitch Chase has a good introduction to typology in this article.

Behold Your God

“I love open air preaching; and the reason I love it so much is that by going out to the public, we can take the good news of salvation to people who will never darken a church door.”

The Danger of Pursuing a Perfect Church

Trevin Wax: “Some of us fail to recognize our lingering sins and selfishness—we think we’re farther along than we really are in our journey toward holiness. Others face the temptation to despair over our remaining imperfections—perpetually frustrated by the slowness of our progress, perhaps because we lack a sense of the magnitude of God’s love for us in Christ.”

The Safest Place

“There is a narrow existence many choose, living in the tight bubble of Christianity. Circumscribed by fear or disdain for what lies outside. We can settle there, sharp boundaries chafing against the edges of our dreams. Or we can taste the freedom of walking with Him into the world’s darkness, as was His habit, and in the wild adventure of joining the vast palette of humanity, as is our future.”

Flashback: None of Us Will Ever Forget What You Did

“Go. Get out of here. You’re lost—don’t come back until you’ve found yourself.”

Scripture speaks most often of faithfulness, not fulfillment, in labor.

—Dan Doriani

  • The Art of Disagreeing

    Keep Calm and Stay Friends

    It is hard to disagree with someone you love. It is harder still to disagree well—to retain genuine respect and true friendship despite differing opinions or convictions. And, as we all know by experience, there is just so much to disagree about.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (February 14)

    A La Carte: John Piper on whether baptism saves us / The peril of “He Gets Us” / Send them to seminary / An Inside-out world / Pray for protection / Love is patient / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (February 13)

    A La Carte: The conundrum of celebrity Christians / The Luka trade / Dopamine media / The best place to hide an idol / Overcoming blind spots in parenting and leadership / and more.

  • Dreams

    What Becomes Of All Our Dreams?

    My dad loved to cook. This was a passion that began relatively late in his life after the kids had moved out. With an empty nest, my parents were able to live a slower-paced life and my dad began to dabble in cooking. He soon found that he loved it and that my mother was…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 12)

    A La Carte: A young Christian reading John Mark Comer / Being inconvenient / Breaking gender stereotypes to the glory of God / Gluten-free and non-alcoholic / AI-Pocalypse Now / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 11)

    A La Carte: To those living in secret sin / The time Jesus Left the 99 / The discipline of remembrance / No-contact for toxic relationships / Relational wisdom / and more.