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A La Carte (July 22)

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Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include several popular books by Jen Wilkin.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Hands and Feet of the Bible)

No Facts or Evidence Required

Denny Burk warns against immediately interpreting news or events according to our prior assumptions about the world. “If we care about truth, we must be more discerning than that. We must not be so polarized that we fail do discern the difference between facts/evidence and our own prejudices. Failing to discern the difference is a sure path to self-deception and to deceiving others.”

On Magic

Dan Olinger explains how Christians can inadvertently think in magical terms.

Why Does Jesus Say No One Is Good but God Alone?

It is not uncommon for Muslims to claim that Jesus denied his own divinity. This article explains why they think this and how to explain that it is inaccurate.

Unity Is Not the Same as Total Agreement

Conrad Mbewe: “An extreme view of Christian unity is found among those who will work together only with those with whom they agree on everything—doctrinal and practical.”

Beware of Local Cults

“This year I’ve received 2 phone calls at the church office this year from young women reaching out to local churches and offering to help us engage with young people and help them navigate life and follow God. I suspect there have been more, but we didn’t answer the phone.” Murray explains how cults can worm their way even into churches.

In the School of Contentment

“He always said his heart was satisfied in Christ alone—that he needed nothing else. He even believed it was true until the Lord enrolled him in the school of contentment. It is easy to boast when things are good, but the believer must often be trained by many hardships to make contentment a reality.”

Flashback: A Model of Determination

William Wilberforce exemplified one great but rare characteristic, one great but rare Christian trait. He was a model of determination. A model of persistence. 

Following Christ, loving Christ, and obeying Christ are undoubtedly the most important decisions any mother could ever make. And the follow-through of these decisions comes into play each and every day.

—Gloria Furman

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

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    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

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    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.

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    A La Carte (July 10)

    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.

  • The Stranger

    The Stranger: A Short Film For You

    Based on a true story and inspired by the truth that character comes before competence, “The Stranger” is an honest, light-hearted and meaningful picture of what it means to truly serve others.