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A La Carte (July 3)

A La Carte Thursday 1

Logos users, you’ll want to check out the Best Commentary sale since you can save up to 50% on a huge selection of great resources. Be sure to also take a look at the list of free and almost free books.

Today’s Kindle deals include a book for parents wanting to raise confident kids, one for people struggling with anxiety, and one for people who want to read some systematic theology.

(Yesterday on the blog: Is It Fair of God?)

In Defence of Silly Summers

Yes, it’s okay to allow your children to have a “silly summer!” “This summer, I’m prioritizing silliness over seriousness. No more reading charts. No more daily checklists. I will still pursue growth, but no more measuring progress. This summer, I want to be more of a dad than a dictator.”

The Gospel for Broken Bodies and Anxious Souls

This is an interesting and instructive explanation of how the gospel can help those who experience chronic illness.

How Can the Church Care for Its Disabled Members?

John Kwasny explains how churches can care for their disabled members (and, of course, their families). On a similar note, Sandra Peoples offers 10 Things You Should Know About Disability Ministry.

How to Survive Prosperity: On Ministry Scandals and David’s Fall

Owen considers people who fell into sin and says, “There is in many such instances a clear and unmistakable element: the men in question fell when they were doing well. They did not flame out of gospel ministry when they were barely surviving; they flamed out when they were prospering.” Prosperity, it seems, can sometimes be harder to navigate than adversity.

Relying on the Spirit When Meeting With the Grieving

“A big reason Christians feel ill-equipped (myself included) to help our grieving brothers and sisters is that we often rely on our own wisdom and strength to do so. Which, of course, falls incredibly short. Rather than remembering that there is a spiritual battle taking place, we show up without our armor. We forget to pray ahead of time or ask for the Spirit’s help. We assume that our own wisdom is sufficient.”

What Makes a Sermon Work

What makes a sermon work? Or perhaps better said, who makes a sermon work?

Flashback: Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life

…life is full of gaps, moments, and seasons when all we can do is wait—wait for clarity, wait for answers, wait for changes, wait for God to make his will clear to us and to others. The question is, what are we meant to do with these times?

The wheels of justice may seem to turn slowly, but they turn surely.

—Randy Alcorn


  • Southern Africa

    A Trip to Southern Africa

    I don’t often write trip reports after I travel, except, of course, in the form of books and documentary projects like Epic and From the Rising of the Sun. Yet, I thought I would make a rare exception after returning from my recent journey to Southern Africa (and, strangely, Northern California). While I am accustomed…

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    A La Carte (December 10)

    A La Carte: Top 10 theology stories of 2025 / Mama, you don’t have to save Christmas / Giving up all your Sundays to advent / An empty chair at Christmas / Pray for the church in Rwanda / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 9)

    A La Carte: Reforming generosity / Let the young man come to church / Your wife is beauty / Combating imposter syndrome / Be known, not impressive / Dan McClellan / and more.

  • AI Slop

    The Rise of AI Book Slop

    We often hear these days of “AI slop,” a term that’s used to refer to the massive amounts of poor-quality AI-created material that is churned out and unceremoniously dumped onto the internet. This was once primarily artistless artwork and authorless articles, but has now advanced to much bigger and more substantial forms of content.

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    A La Carte (December 8)

    A La Carte: A plea to older women / Let someone serve you in suffering / Why AI writing can’t compete / Influencers / The hidden danger in online sermons / Discipling young people / Excellent Kindle deals / and more.

  • Hymns

    Pitch Perfect and Tone Deaf

    God commands us to sing. Yet while some of God’s people are gifted singers, the plain fact is that others are not. In any congregation, it’s likely that some have near-perfect pitch while others are functionally tone-deaf. Those who struggle to sing may be self-conscious, tempted to stay quiet or to do no more than…