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A La Carte (February 9)

wednesday

The Lord bless you and keep you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include Alistair Begg’s excellent new book Brave by Faith.

Wordle and Our Longing for the Limited

Chris Martin reflects on an interesting cultural phenomenon: “The most consequential cultural phenomenon of this, the year of our Lord, 2022 is a once-a-day word game made by a computer coder for his significant other.”

Laughter 101: Why Humor Matters for the Christian Life

“How many philosophers does it take to explain a joke? Quite a few, as it turns out. And not only philosophers. Psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists have exerted themselves to explain exactly what makes people laugh. Although everybody understands intuitively what humor is, the concept of humor is still elusive, being difficult to define in a way that encompasses all of its facets.”

About Radius International Church-Planting Training

In this short video Brooks Buser, President of Radius International talks about church-planting training for missionary candidates going to unreached language groups. Learn how Radius can be a benefit to your church and mission candidates. (Sponsored Link)

Does the Woman Caught in Adultery Belong in the Bible?

“The story of the Woman Caught in Adultery (John 7:53–8:11) is arguably one of the most beloved Jesus stories in the New Testament … However, the story is missing from some ancient manuscripts of John, as noted already by early church fathers like Jerome and Augustine. For this and other reasons, a majority of modern scholars regard the passage as a later insertion, and some even want to remove it altogether from our Bibles.” Here’s one take on the passage…

Boycott China’s Winter Olympics? Many American Christians Agree

CT covers the issues of boycotting the Olympics because of China’s persecution of Christians, Uyghurs, and others.

I Was Patient Before Having Kids

Erik Raymond: “Recently a friend said, ‘I was much more patient before I had kids.’ Saying this tongue in cheek, he meant that he’s realized that since becoming a dad, he struggles with patience. Now we know that having children doesn’t evaporate the parent’s reservoir of patience they previously enjoyed. Instead, being a parent presents a new set of challenges that reveal a lack of patience that was already there.”

When Pressing “Unfollow” is Not an Option

“How does one navigate the complexities of the modern age? What do we do when an opposing point of view is not encountered on a screen, but rather, face-to-face? What do we do when a coworker disagrees with us on a matter we deem important? How do we interact with an instructor who promotes an idea different from our held beliefs?”

Flashback: God, Protect My Girls

One of my most common prayers for my girls is a prayer for their protection. Here is how I pray for God to protect them.

God is the best friend, but the worst enemy. If he can look men into their grave how far can he throw them?

—Thomas Watson

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    A La Carte (May 20)

    A La Carte: The foibles and fallibility of Christian leaders / Mental illness / Why didn’t Christ come sooner? / When it’s okay to die / Spiritual formation / and more.

  • Unlock Your Ministry Potential with Microcredentials

    Are you looking for accessible faith-based resources that can help you serve your church community with confidence? Check out Redeemer University’s online church leadership microcredentials—available anytime, anywhere. #Sponsored

  • Discernment

    What Does a Discerning Person Do?

    Some Christians seem to be specially gifted when it comes to spiritual discernment. Others take a special interest in discernment and expend the hard effort of growing in the discipline of it. But they may sometimes wonder: What should I do with this discernment?

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    A La Carte (May 19)

    A La Carte: Dangers of theological controversy / No confidence? No problem! / The goodness of gardening friends / Jeff the low stakes prophet / Hurting people / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    The Reward They Longed for They Received

    Jesus, who knew what was in the heart of men, warned of the hypocrisy of those whose prayer life is only ever public. “When you pray,” he said, “you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen…

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    Weekend A La Carte (May 17)

    A La Carte: Generalizations are not stereotypes / Hospitality and reaching the dechurched / Essential lessons for pastors / The rise of Islam and the resilience of the church / Gossip and godly church / Fear takes you where grace has not yet gone / and more.