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A La Carte (February 22)

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of noteworthy titles.

(Yesterday on the blog: Which Country Sends the [Second] Most Missionaries?)

9 Things You Should Know About Billy Graham (1918–2018)

“The Rev. Billy Graham passed away today at the age of 99. Here are nine things you should know about the man who was considered one of the most influential evangelists in modern history.”

10 Point Sermon Checklist

Here’s a helpful checklist for pastors to go through after they finish preparing a sermon.

The Cynical J.K. Rowling

Samuel James writes, “For the past decade, J.K. Rowling’s relationship to her own work has been incredibly cynical and stunningly mercenary. As a serious fan of the Harry Potter books, I’m thankful for her obvious talents and the richness and beauty of the mythology she’s made. Her mammoth wealth and fame is just. What is much harder to empathize with is the way that Rowling seems determined to dry up all the wonder and joy from her stories and turn them into low-rent cultural memes.”

I Have Forgotten How to Read

“For a long time Michael Harris convinced himself that a childhood spent immersed in old-fashioned books would insulate him from our new media climate – that he could keep on reading in the old way because his mind was formed in pre-internet days. He was wrong.”

When Did Evangelicals Start Observing Lent?

This is an interesting take on how Evangelicals began observing Lent. (Also, I don’t observe Lent.)

Why Transgenderism Threatens Parental Rights

“According to CNN, the parents refused to call the boy by his chosen name and would not allow him to undergo hormone treatment. The parents’ attorney had argued that the child was not “even close to being able to make such a life-altering decision at this time,” while the county prosecuting attorney argued the parents wanted to stop the treatment because it violated their religious beliefs. The judge not only gave custody of the teen to the grandparents, but said they could legally change his name in probate court and could help make medical decisions for the child going forward.”

I Won’t Let Cancer Take Away My Sundays

“The profundity of her mumbled explanation for why she hadn’t stayed home this Sunday or any in the last year for that matter hit me hard. I’ve always said that there’s no place I’d rather be than with God’s people on Sunday morning and Sunday night but I’ve never had cancer in my lungs.”

Flashback: Why Papa of The Shack Is not Aslan of Narnia

If it is wrong to portray God the Father as the human Papa, isn’t it equally wrong to portray God the Son as the lion Aslan?

A Christian husband sees his wife not as a woman to manipulate or dominate, but a treasure to serve and protect.

—John Piper

  • Shooting Up

    Shooting Up

    Jonathan Tepper grew up watching his missionary parents transform the lives of heroin addicts in Madrid. Though he has wandered from the faith, his memoir may be the most Christian book you read this year.

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (April 24)

    You’re lazy / Six major views of baptism / John Piper and fur babies / You don’t need a therapist / Stop keeping score / Death and resurrection / A La Quiz / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (April 23)

    The risk of persecution / The West’s strange genius / Our best years are ahead / Hope in the face of death / Keep the Christian calendar / The grief I did not know / Book reviews / Gen Alpha / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 22)

    Aspire to be lay elders / A mundane life is a courageous life / Aim high, repent often / The problem with deaconism / What are you angry about today? / An original poem / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    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.