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A La Carte (July 30)

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Grace and peace to you today, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Unifying Power of Singing

I appreciate Andrew Wilson’s thoughts on the unifying power of singing–something we experience each Sunday!

Doxology

“We are warned about mountain top experiences, and the dangers they present. And I get it. In this life, we must eventually descend the mountain. We are also admonished to enjoy the journey. See the beauty. Squeeze the goodness out of life.”

We Remember Needed Words At The Right Time

Sylvia Schroeder: “God says exactly as much as we need through His Word. He brings it to our minds at the right time, and through it demonstrates His heart of love and compassion.”

Aiming Inside

This author reflects on studying James with students. “The thing that struck me as odd was that consistently when applying James’ wisdom to their lives, they aimed outside rather than inside. These are instructions given to the church, but their applications were always outside the church: how they could care for the poor in society, or love their friends, or tame their tongues on social media.”

Providing for the Household

Drew DiNardo’s article from the current issue of Tabletalk discusses the fact that the heads of Christian households must provide materially and not just spiritually. “Paul unequivocally states that not providing for the material needs of your family, if you are physically able, is tantamount to denying the faith and living like a pagan. This is a scathing indictment.”

Let the Guilty Lament

Ryan reminds us that it is not just the grieving who can and should lament, but also the guilty.

Looking for Your Role in God’s Kingdom? Start Here

Here’s a very simple guide to finding your role in God’s kingdom.

Flashback: 10 Issues To Work Through Before You Get Married

While courtship and engagement is, of course, the time to plan a wedding, it is also the time to plan a marriage. Here, drawn from the work of Jim Newheiser, is a list of issues to work through before you get married.

When we seek to abbreviate God-ordained waiting, we lose an opportunity to learn that he is the source of contentment.

—Glenna Marshall

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    A La Carte (January 6)

    A La Carte: Motherhood is a mission, not an identity / What Betty Friedan got wrong about motherhood / Being a better ministry dad / Young men and looksmaxxing / New CityAlight song / Resolutions for Reformed Twitter / Kindle deals / and more.

  • How do we minister to parents with broken hearts?

    For every family in the church where the children seem to be well established in the faith, there will be another family where one or more of the children have deserted it… How can we help bring comfort to parents in pain?

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    A La Carte (January 5)

    A La Carte: 5 habits for better prayer / How do you stop a malevolent idea? / The freedom of a lower reading goal / You can’t trust your eyes anymore / Write a new song / and more.

  • It Pictures Something and It Accomplishes Something

    It Pictures Something and It Accomplishes Something

    Each of the ordinances has a distinct purpose and a distinct role in the life of the Christian. Baptism is an initiatory rite, a means by which a person publicly identifies with Christ Jesus—an occasion of joy and blessing not only for the person being baptized but for the entire church.

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    Weekend A La Carte (January 3)

    A La Carte: A quiet life in the culture wars / Welcome to WALL-E’s world / How not to fall away / As far as it depends on you / When you get nothing out of your devotions / Choose your kingdom / and more.

  • Rise with the Sun

    If You’re at CROSS Conference (Or Wish You Were)

    If you are one of the young adults attending CROSS, or if you are in that demographic but were unable to attend, I want to make the 12-episode documentary available to you for free. It was filmed in 12 countries and allows you to experience worship in each of them.