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A La Carte (February 7)

A La Carte Friday 2

I noticed yesterday that the Grace and Truth Study Bible (edited by Al Mohler with notes by many professors at SBTS) is on sale in both print and Kindle editions—at up to 70% off. It is available in multiple cover styles in both NIV and NASB. Click here to see all the options.

Today’s Kindle deals include more excellent books. At the top of the list is probably the commentary on Mark. Also consider Dever’s The Church and Wax’s Rethink Your Self. On the general market side, Nicholas Carr’s Superbloom is brand new and already heavily discounted.

‘Practicing the Way’ in the Church: Analyzing the Comer Option

TGC has a helpful article about John Mark Comer and what he teaches, especially about a Rule of Life. “From my vantage point as a Gen Z Christian, it seems Comer is the most influential figure for evangelicals my age. Of course, this comes with much praise … and criticism …. But whatever we think of Comer, we should try to understand why he’s so popular.”

Madison Keys and Major Freedom

David Prince draws a helpful lesson from the career of Madison Keys. “She felt like winning a Grand Slam was the only way to validate her career. Keys entered the match under the shadow of everyone’s expectations since she was eleven years old. By her admission, after the loss, she was riddled with self-doubts. Will I ever do it? If I never do it, will my career be a failure?”

Wolf Is Not the Only Alternative to Sheep

Stephen reminds us that sheep and wolf are not the only two categories the Bible offers us for people who are (or were) in a church. “We have to be careful that we don’t assume everyone who evidently shows themselves not to be sheep must, therefore, be a wolf. The Bible speaks of another category of person who will exist in the church too…”

Is Witchcraft Real?

This article asks whether witchcraft, and especially the kind practiced in African Traditional Religion, is real.

Stop the Fight Before It Starts

“Proverbs are often merely observational. If you literally avoid all conflict, you turn into a resentful doormat. But there are many times you’d be better off to say nothing at all. There’s two reasons for that.”

The Sweetness of Repentance

This article describes the sweetness of repentance and also helpfully distinguishes between two different forms of it. “Many of us may recoil at the thought of repentance. Indeed, it can at times feel supremely painful. Nonetheless, God is supremely good, kind, and merciful to demand of us repentance; it is the very healing of our souls. He is holy, holy, holy, utterly good and righteous, and as such He alone knows the true destruction that comes about because of sin.”

Flashback: Do You Knock at the Gates of the Grave?

We knock to ensure we are waiting, to ensure we are ready, to ensure we will go to be with the Lord we love.

God does not plan salvation and leave it up to us, hoping we will believe and persevere to the end. No, God’s grace gives us every assurance that what he planned he will accomplish in us. He is that sovereign.

—Matthew Barrett

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    A La Carte (May 21)

    One step becomes a three-day walk / Tolkien, foolishness, and the ordinary means of grace / The staggering beauty and burden of church life / Denominational health / Three truths to combat your news anxiety / Don’t do the Devil’s work for him / and more.

  • The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. Why do these receive so much attention?

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    A La Carte (May 20)

    The pastor who refuses to back down / The missionary with Ebola / Why we don’t trust pastors / Rushing our quiet times / The other side of seminary / The remedy, the problem, and the church / Why we need to interpret the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

  • tues 3

    A La Carte (May 19)

    The wrong lessons from the latest scandal / The blessing of being forgotten / If your chatbot offers prayer / Have tongues ceased? / Consider the small town / Thinking Christianly about complex topics / Book releases / and more.

  • Off the Hook

    God Doesn’t Ask You To Let Him Off the Hook

    There are many ways that human beings can display our pride and arrogance toward God. There are many ways that even those of us who love him can display that we think we know better than he does. There are many ways we can behave with conceit, but perhaps never more so than when we…

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    A La Carte (May 18)

    I am not enough for my kids / The dangerous days past middle age / Are you filled with the Spirit? / Give away lots of money / The best way to resist temptation / A year with Pope Leo / Kindle deals / and more.