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A La Carte (July 3)

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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.

Amazon is offering an exceptional deal on the Kindle Scribe in case you’ve been waiting to get one. This is part of their early Prime Day deals in which they have a lot of their devices discounted. They are also having a 4th of July sale in case that’s of interest.

Today’s Kindle deals include Randy Alcorn’s The Goodness of God. I also did a quick poll to gauge interest in sharing general-market (non-Christian) deals and that seemed a popular option. Therefore, on a trial basis, I will provide some general-market titles as a separate list.

Jesus Calling and the PCA

I took some interest in the PCA’s debate about the book Jesus Calling, not least because I was named in the overture. Todd Pruitt explains what it is about and why he decided to vote in favor. This part is incredible: “Young’s ‘Jesus Calling’ books sold more than 45 million copies in 35 languages, making her the bestselling Christian author of all time.”

Divine Aseity (Video)

Kevin DeYoung has released another of his third theological explainer video. This one deals with divine aseity. The previous two are Divine Simplicity and Divine Infinity.

Why Do We Believe So Many Lies About Heaven?

Randy Alcorn: “Imagine you’re part of a NASA team preparing for a five-year mission to Mars. After a period of extensive training, the launch date finally arrives. As the rocket lifts off, one of your fellow astronauts asks you, ‘What do you know about Mars?’ Imagine shrugging your shoulders and saying, ‘Nothing. We never talked about it. I guess we’ll find out when we get there.; It’s inconceivable that your training would not have included extensive study of and preparation for your ultimate destination.”

Ancestor Worship in the Church

Paul Schlehlein writes about ancestor worship in the African church (and, along the way, touches on ancestor worship in the Western church). “In some ways, ancestor worship appears to be on the decline as Mercedes motor vehicles fill the roadways and technology engulfs African homes. The growth of nominal Christianity factors in too. But when times are desperate, some of the most wealthy, educated and even religious will fall back upon appeasing the swikwembu, driving back home to their villages on the weekend to follow the rituals, just to be safe. They’ll even attend church on Sunday.”

Dear Little One

I very much enjoyed this auntie’s open letter to her beloved nephew. (At least, I’m assuming it’s a nephew rather than a niece. But either way…)

Thoughts on Being a Christian Writer

Samuel James (who is both an author and an editor at a Christian publisher) offers some “completely unsolicited, totally anecdotal, but perhaps marginally helpful thoughts on being a Christian writer.” Having read them, I would say that are definitely helpful, not merely marginally so.

Flashback: Act Your Age!

It all sounded so cliché, so Millennial, but this was a real conversation with a real 30-year-old man, and I haven’t exaggerated a single word. He was growing older, but not growing up. He was progressing in years, but years behind in maturity.

Don’t let affluence make you impoverished of God.

—Jon Bloom

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    Do You Board First or Last?

    There are some travelers who like to board an airplane at the earliest possible moment. There are others who prefer to board at the last. Some rush the gate the very second the gate agents announce that boarding has commenced, while some linger until they have sounded the final call.

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    A La Carte: Caring for other people’s children / Resisting the lure of Catholicism and Orthodoxy / Grace in the exhaustion of motherhood / Deal with sin in the church / Can AI preach my sermon? / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (February 17)

    A La Carte: Abstaining from communion / Get married young / When the world shifts under your feet / Eliminating envy / Messiah complex / Making temptation flee / Kindle deals / and more.

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    Our culture lacks any coherent, unifying worldview. We’ve moved on from post-truth postmodernism to “Live your truth” metamodernism, where good vibes matter more than consistent ideas. In this world, few see the conflict between “trans-affirming” and “pro-woman.” And the same person using mushrooms to aid spiritual “connection” tells us to “trust the science” about human…

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    A Simple Way To Ensure You Use AI Well (And Not Poorly) 

    Every new technology introduces both benefits and drawbacks to its users and to the wider culture. The world being what it is, there are always plusses and minuses, so that even as a new tech gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. We are quickly learning that Artificial Intelligence is no exception…