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A La Carte (July 14)

A La Carte Collection cover image

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

I am taking vacation with my family, so will be on light duty this week! That means A La Carte will go out each day, but I won’t be sharing new articles until next week.

Today’s Kindle deals include some excellent books on the best subject of all: Jesus.

Distorted Doctrine Destroys Lives

John Piper explains how distorted doctrine destroys lives and, therefore, why correct doctrine is so important.

Trying to Make Sense of the Bad Things That Happen

Paul Tautges: “Pain has the potential to stimulate growth in our relationship with God, since it often reawakens us to eternal realities. In this way, God can use our sorrow to draw us closer to him. God has not forgotten to be gracious.”

Be the Jonathan

“Men, how good are you at supporting your fellow brothers in their lives? It can be tricky stepping into another brother’s life and entering into their hardship, sadness, or sorrow. We usually are not the most emotional creatures, so whether we are either trying to be there for one another or to receive that care, it can be awkward.” But hopefully that doesn’t stop you.

Why Did the Lord Seek to Put Moses to Death, and What Is a “Bridegroom of Blood”?

Here’s a helpful explanation of one of the Bible’s strangest passages.

A Biblical Understanding of Musical Elements

For those who aren’t very musical, this is a look at the elements of music (and why it matters for what we sing in church).

The Dehumanizing Force of Administrative Sludge

Alan Noble writes about the way administrative sludge dehumanizes us and tells why it’s likely to get worse in the years to come.

Flashback: Making the Christian Life More Complicated Than It Needs To Be

The only thing that really matters in any context or any circumstance is obedience to God’s will as it is revealed in God’s Word. Thus it is always necessary, and never superfluous, to search the Bible to know the mind of God. Thus it is always right, and never wrong, to pray, “Lord, teach me to obey you in this.”

He who is well trained in the school of affliction often has little to do, when death comes, but to gather up his feet in his bed, and bid a glad farewell to earth and a joyful welcome to heaven.

—William Plumer

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (January 17)

    A La Carte: Look to and learn from older saints / Don’t overthink your problems / Rebellion / When there is no good church / Teens and popular music / Where the gospel costs everything / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (TGBC)

    Enter to win 1 of 5 copies of Why We’re Feeling Lonely (And What We Can Do About It) and be encouraged by Shelby Abbott’s practical, biblical insights for young adults struggling with loneliness.

  • Gospel way

    Truths That Take on the World

    Christianity has a long history with catechisms—summaries of key doctrines that are arranged in a question-and-answer format. Traditionally, Presbyterians would be taught The Shorter Catechism, Dutch Reformed believers The Heidelberg Catechism, and Baptists one of the Baptist equivalents. Sadly, the use of catechisms began to decline as the years went by, so that it became…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Business meetings at the urinal / Ambition and competition / The loneliness crisis / Better than feeling seen / Exhausted and overwhelmed / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: Young people are turning to the Bible / What conservative young men need / Justifying self-gratification / The influence of reading / On boredom / and more.

  • Remember

    It Doesn’t Matter What You Remember

    I have a memory like a … what do you call it? That thing in the kitchen you use to sift the stuff you want from the stuff you don’t. A sieve! That’s it. I have a memory like a sieve. I joke about it at times, and about how I have to outsource remembering…