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A La Carte (January 13)

wednesday

Here, in the middle of another week, may be a good time to remember that, in the words of C.T. Studd, “Only one life,’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

There is a good little list of Kindle deals to poke through today. The highlight is probably Reading Ephesians with John Stott.

If God Does Not Exist Neither Can We

“God, who is revealed to us in the Bible, is not diminished when we deny his existence; we are. Think for a bit about this very moment of your life. Right now, your mind, without a sound, is receiving communication from my mind, and I made this communication silently as well. Of course, the same thing could have occurred if I projected a series of sounds through the air that rattled against your eardrums.”

Why Being A ‘Bad Teacher’ Might Help Our People Grow

For this one to make sense you’ll have to read what’s meant by a “bad teacher.”

Known for Being Reasonable

It’s a valid question for each of us: Are we known for being reasonable? “I’ve sensed a growing stridency among some in the past year. I get the reasons why. We’re all on edge. It’s easy to issue declarations, write caustic posts, question motives, and take issue with others. It’s a problem.”

Should I Stay Or Should I go?

Here’s an interesting thought: “Our Evangelical culture places a huge value on missionaries who commit to a situation for the whole of their lives. We see this as something that is admirable and an example of what true discipleship looks like. The thing is, the Bible doesn’t really give us any examples like this.”

Looking To God

“We find ourselves starting 2021 still in a pandemic, still dealing with political unrest and cultural wars. What are we to do? We must stand on the truth we already know! We do not seek a new answer from the Bible. We stand on the clear and essential truth. God is in control. We need to remember the truths our church was built on and go forward from that great foundation.”

The Importance of Blueberry Pie

I enjoyed this reflection. “This is the beauty and the challenge of the American dream. I have two ethnicities; my husband has six. Our children’s ethnicities span a number of continents and cultures through the gift of adoption. As each generation passes, we lose our ethnic distinctives and become just – American.”

How Amazon’s Super-Complex Shipping System Works

This video offers a fascinating look at Amazon’s very complicated (but very effective) shipping system.

Flashback: Who Is the Greatest?

[Jesus] longed to be great in the eyes of his Father, so he first became little. He who went the lowest was elevated to the highest.

Anger shows contempt. You are better than they. You are smarter, more righteous—you are above and they are below. Anger tears down. It kills relationships.

—Ed Welch

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