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A La Carte (July 9)

friday

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

Westminster Books has a really good sale on some new and noteworthy books. They are also offering a deep discount on an excellent new version of Pilgrim’s Progress for kids.

Thanks for being patient with some light blogging (A La Carte only) this week. I’ll be back with the usual schedule of articles next week.

The Contagious Sin of Cynicism

Cynicism is no fruit of the Spirit, as Peter Adam explains here. “Cynicism today, as at any time, contradicts the three vital signs of Christianity according to Paul: faith in Jesus Christ, love for all the saints, and hope as we await the return of Christ..”

An Inexpressible Gift

“Inexpressible? Paul certainly spent a lot of time expressing the gospel! So what did he mean?” Jacob Tanner considers the joy and privilege it is to preach the gospel to others.

Moms and Dads: Show Your Need

“‘I have one regret of how I parented,’ my friend David Towne told me. I leaned forward. David is a godly man married to a godly wife. He’s kind and gentle and wise. As an educator, he’s witnessed a lot of parenting, good and bad, in his day. His adult children have had their struggles but are good people. I would ask him for parenting advice in a second. What was his greatest regret?”

Far From Home

Andrea Sanborn: “We hosted international students for years. They taught me a lot about the universal need for family. They taught our kids the importance of welcoming the stranger. Our family is infinitely richer from having them share our table all those years.”

An Inherited Garden (A Ministry Parable)

Andrew Roycroft shares a ministry parable from his new garden.

Embracing the Quiet Life

Chris Thomas: “Most people I know don’t simply dislike the idea of a quiet life. They are terrified of the notion. Now I presume you may think—’No way! I know heaps of people who say they’d trade everything for a quiet life.’ Sure, I know quite a number of people who say that too. But I suspect many of them are lying.”

The Depressing Dead End of ‘Your Truth’

Brett McCracken: “Your truth. Those two words are so entrenched in our lexicon today that we hardly recognize them for the incoherent nightmare that they are.”

Flashback: Use the Rod, Lose the Child?

We know God expects us to discipline our children and we know he expects us to obey our rulers. So what do we do when those two come into conflict?

Thousands acknowledge they are sinners, who have never mourned over the fact.

—A.W. Pink

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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.

  • How to Evangelize and Disciple in a “Live Your Truth” World

    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…

  • AI

    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…

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    A La Carte (February 16)

    A La Carte: God is glad to forgive you / Gen Z needs this doctrine / The draw of Eastern Orthodoxy / Rest for the restless / Finding love after loss / Kindle and book deals / and more.

  • Duty

    For Our Good, Not For Our Bondage

    Matthew Henry once said that when we are out of the way of duty, we are in the way of temptation. Yet Jerry Bridges warns that the spiritual disciplines are privileges to be used, not duties to be performed. So are they duties or are they not?

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    Weekend A La Carte (February 14)

    A La Carte: Satan wants you alone this Sunday / The discipline of unlearning / Asking a pastor to step down / Holy humor / Intentional thankfulness / and more.