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A La Carte (February 9)

tuesday

Good morning! The Lord be with you today.

There are a few Kindle deals to browse through today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Pornographic Detachment)

Jesus Loves You, Tom Brady

Jared Wilson loves Tom Brady and uses his Super Bowl win to tell him about his concern. “I think the Christian’s adulation of public greatness is always complicated—or should be. Like the rest of the world, with hope and aspiration we appraise the work of politicians and pop stars, country singers and quarterbacks, and we celebrate success. And there’s a touch of worship in it. Sometimes more than a touch.”

What is Spiritual Abuse?

The term “spiritual abuse” is often used but seldom defined. Michael Kruger does a good job explaining it here and pointing out one peculiarity of spiritual abuse: “abusive behavior (as strange as this sounds) is used as the means of accomplishing the good goals of the church.”

Three Recent Titles from Cruciform Press

The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity (Michael J. Kruger), is endorsed by Collin Hansen, Kevin DeYoung, and Michael Horton. Galatians: Redeeming Grace and the Cross of Christ (Melissa McPhail; Lisa Menchinger; Keri Folmar, ed.), the first in a new inductive Bible Study series for women, is endorsed by Karen Hodge, Kevin DeYoung, and more. On Purpose: Living Life as It Was Intended, by Jonny Ivey, helps us embrace the joyful purpose of our current circumstances. (Sponsored)

Faith: Just to Take Him at His Word

“Travel back in time to 1880 in New York City. Nine years earlier you immigrated from England to the United States, and shortly after your arrival, you set your heart on becoming a Christian missionary to China. However, your poor health prevented this. Instead, you married and had a little girl, Lily. A few years later with your young family, while enjoying a day on the Long Island Shore, you heard cries of distress coming from the sea – and then your husband runs off to save the drowning boy. They never made it back alive…”

Prohibiting Prayer in Australia

Carl Trueman: “The state of Victoria in Australia, however, just passed a bill that will considerably intensify the conflict between religious freedom, individual choice, and identity politics. And it might well become a model for laws elsewhere in the democratic world.”

Do My Sins Hinder My Prayers?

John Piper’s answer to this fairly common question is rather interesting.

Why We Should Embrace Trials

Our tendency, of course, is to run away from trials. But here’s why, when they are upon us, we should do our best to embrace them.

Flashback: A Prayer for Battling a Destructive Desire

At times each of us is faced with destructive desires—the kind of desires that, were we to act on them, would necessarily harm ourselves or others, and necessarily distance ourselves from the God we love.

To live in a heavenly place, we must live a heavenly life. Those who do not live a heavenly life on earth will never live in heaven.

—Charles Ebert Orr

  • Carney Trump

    How Donald Trump Upended Canadian Politics and Helped the Liberals Win

    On April 28, Canadians elected the Liberal Party of Canada to a fourth consecutive term. This is a rare feat for a political party in Canada and in this case, one of special significance, for just months ago, the Liberals seemed destined for near-complete destruction. The cost of living was spiking, the quality of life…

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    A La Carte (April 30)

    A La Carte: Young men wanted / The glory and danger of apologetics / God’s guidelines for sex aren’t arbitrary / How much is our church worth? / People loved the darkness / and more.

  • Erics Greatest Race

    Releasing Today: Eric’s Greatest Race

    My new book releases today! Eric’s Greatest Race is a fully illustrated graphic novel that tells young readers the story of Eric Liddell, the famous Olympian whose steadfast courage and commitment to Christ has inspired generations of believers. It is my sincere hope that it will introduce a whole new generation to a man whose…

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    A La Carte (April 29)

    A La Carte: Has the decline of U.S. Christianity finally stopped? / Holding space for joy and sorrow / No one ever hated his own body / Wisdom principles for Christian parenting / The article you don’t want to read / A new book / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Pursuit of Virtue

    God’s character is the essence of virtue. The heart of virtue is to know the Lord and to become like him, as a child resembles her father. That is the goal, privilege, and destiny of the redeemed. #Sponsored

  • When God Plants an Acorn

    When God Plants an Acorn, He Means an Oak

    We stood together on the crest of a hill, a gentle breeze rustling the meadow around our feet. The fields ran gently downward until they met a creek that gurgled happily in its course. A few years prior, an acorn had somehow made its way to the highest point of this hill, carelessly dropped there…