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A La Carte (January 18)

friday

Today’s Kindle deals include some classics as well as a trio of newer books you’ll enjoy checking out.

(Yesterday on the blog: Announcing: A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible)

Being Forgotten

“The Lord has promised to build his church. Sometimes the Lord builds his church through gigantic heroes of the faith. More often than not, however, it is the simple, ordinary, and everyday means of being faithful to the calling the Lord has put in front us.” Indeed.

The Mud on Gillette’s Face

There have, of course, been many responses to Gillette’s now-notorious advertisement. I enjoyed quite a few of them, including this one from Rachel Lu. “Masculinity is a thorny topic nowadays. But if Gillette is planning to brave these turbulent waters, they need a more substantial message. Instead of insulting men with a litany of brutish stereotypes, show us examples of men who contribute something good to society.”

We Beg You, Church-Member, Pray For Your Elders!

Do you pray for the pastors and/or elders of your church? “The Christian has no more powerful weapon that is constantly available to him than the glorious privilege of prayer. Intercessory prayer proves to be the greatest — and at the same time, the hardest — blessing that Christians have for one another!”

The Peculiar Glory of Unexpected Discoveries

“There is a peculiar glory found in unexpected discoveries. A cool fresh stream flowing down a heavily forested gully is enjoyable, but the same stream found in the barren wastelands of a distant desert is a wonder. Treasure, found in a clay jar, is all the more brilliant for the fact of where it was hidden. As I said, there is a peculiar glory found in unexpected discoveries.”

5 Myths about Complementarianism

Andreas and Margaret Köstenberger cover some of the common myths about complementarianism. They “highlight three myths imposed onto complementarianism from the outside (i.e. by egalitarians), plus two myths sometimes perpetuated by those on the inside (i.e. complementarians themselves who mistakenly push the boundaries of God’s design, perhaps to accommodate the culture).”

We Can’t Save Our Kids

This is true and important. “As a parent, I sometimes fall into that trap of scaring my children into salvation. I mean, what Christian parent doesn’t want their children to follow Jesus? We all do, and if we’re honest we would save them if we could. But we can’t.”

Stop the Presses! Christian Teacher Goes To Teach at Christian School!

Denny Burk talks about Karen Pence and the press’s reaction to her job at a Christian school.

Flashback: There But for the Grace of God Go I

I want to model my life after a man who battles hard against every appearance and manifestation of sin. I want to model my life after a man who receives and revels in the grace of God and then exerts every effort in actively, tenaciously putting sin to death.

You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.

—John MacArthur

  • Pleasure Obligation

    A Pleasure More Than An Obligation

    Christians are often portrayed as downcast and dour, as people who are trapped in a system of beliefs that robs them of joy and life. And with a bit of honest self-examination, we can probably think of times when we have fit the cliché.

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    Weekend A La Carte (March 14)

    A La Carte: The West’s strange genius / Healing the way women hurt each other / AI skeptics / The world after reading / What about the children? / What caregivers should know about dementia / and much more.

  • Sex and Self-Forgetfulness

    Sex, Self-Forgetfulness, and the Joy of Serving Your Spouse

    I often think there is a kind of paradoxical quality to sex within marriage. It’s paradoxical in that few things have greater ability to bring blessing (through its right use) or to bring cursing (through its misuse). Not only that, but few things bring greater joy to a marriage, and also, in so many cases,…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 13)

    What happened to our pastor? / Youth ministry needs seasoned saints / God’s sovereignty when things don’t go as planned / Preach sermons that algorithms don’t reward / A pastor remains in Beirut / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 12)

    The grief ambush / Forgotten, and that’s good / The foibles and fallibility of Christian leaders / Welcome back, church planting / Weakness is not the enemy / Bad reasons to read the Bible / Bible and book sales.