Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (July 3)

A La Carte Collection cover image

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

  • Are You Binding the Wound or Aggravating It

    Are You Binding the Wound or Aggravating It?

    One of the privileges we have as Christians is the privilege of caring for one another—of blessing one another in our difficulties and comforting one another in our sorrows. In such “one another” ministry we represent God and extend love and mercy on his behalf. This is a precious and sacred ministry that falls to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 26)

    A La Carte: The Jesus Geezers and Gene Hackman / Prayer is our fuel / John Mark Comer / On failure / Get grace, give grace / Book and Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 25)

    A La Carte: Gen Z’s spiritual anxiety / Would you sell out Jesus for $4.37 billion? / Men need friendship, not just accountability / Building healthy relationships with your teens / The pastor’s wife / Sales and deals / and more.

  • Crash and Burn

    When Christians Crash and Burn

    The pictures quickly made their way around the world—pictures of an aircraft lying upside down in the snow just beyond runway 23 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. On February 17, Delta flight 4819 landed hard, shearing off the right wing and flipping over before finally sliding to a stop. Remarkably, despite the crash and subsequent…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 24)

    A La Carte: Wokeness as a tax / The religion of wellness / Freckles, thigh gaps, and beauty / The 50 most edifying films / If I have matching dishes but not love / The Bible and sexuality / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Pastoral Prayer

    A Pastoral Prayer

    Every now and again I like to share an example of a pastoral prayer from Grace Fellowship Church. I do this because there are few examples of pastoral prayers online and I thought these may serve to inspire themes, passages, or ideas as other pastors and elders prepare to lead their churches in prayer. Please…