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A La Carte (June 11)

friday

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

Just a reminder that over at my site SquareQuotes you can find a huge collection of the quote graphics I share every day.

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of titles.

What the Plummeting Fertility Rate Means for Churches

The current trajectories when it comes to fertility rates will inevitably bring some large changes to churches in the future. Philip Jenkins explains. “That change has epochal implications for all the world faiths, and especially for Christianity. The change foreshadows a precipitous decline in organized and institutional religion of all kinds, since fertility rates correlate so closely with religious practice and affiliation. It also decides where the largest Christian populations will be found in future decades (mainly in high-fertility, high-faith Africa).”

Platforms, Polemics, and Pastoral Ministry

Nick Batzig: “When ministers of the gospel concern themselves more with platforming agendas than pastoring the local congregation, things begin to go off-kilter. When ministers spend inordinate amounts of time placarding their opinions on podcasts, social media, and others platforms, they get drawn away from the flock and enamored with controversy.”

Savor Each Sunday Service

Yes, do savor each Sunday service, knowing that each one is unique. “Every time your local Church gathers, it is an unrepeatable, unique day God sovereignly ordained for the praise of His glory and for your good.”

The Lord of the Rings Expert Answers More Tolkien Questions From Twitter (Video)

I really enjoyed this video (as I did the original).

What’s New about the New Commandment?

What was new about the new commandment that Jesus gave to his disciples? “Why did he call it a new commandment? As Jews they were familiar with the command recorded in Leviticus 19:18 – ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.’ So what was new about Jesus’ commandment?”

Do Not Delay

This is a reminder that delayed obedience is actually disobedience.

One of the Earliest (and Clearest) Summaries of Early Christian Beliefs

It is both neat and encouraging to see how the earliest Christians shared the beliefs of we who came much later.

Flashback: When My Fashion Accessory Told Me To Take a Hike

Some of these photos weren’t for you or for them—they were for me. My kids were accessories to me, a way of making me look good in your eyes or making me feel good about myself.

There is no work which God has made—the sun, moon, stars and all the world—in which so much of the glory of God appears as in a man who lives quietly in the midst of adversity.

—Jeremiah Burroughs

  • Erics Greatest Race

    Releasing Today: Eric’s Greatest Race

    My new book releases today! Eric’s Greatest Race is a fully illustrated graphic novel that tells young readers the story of Eric Liddell, the famous Olympian whose steadfast courage and commitment to Christ has inspired generations of believers. It is my sincere hope that it will introduce a whole new generation to a man whose…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 29)

    A La Carte: Has the decline of U.S. Christianity finally stopped? / Holding space for joy and sorrow / No one ever hated his own body / Wisdom principles for Christian parenting / The article you don’t want to read / A new book / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Pursuit of Virtue

    God’s character is the essence of virtue. The heart of virtue is to know the Lord and to become like him, as a child resembles her father. That is the goal, privilege, and destiny of the redeemed. #Sponsored

  • When God Plants an Acorn

    When God Plants an Acorn, He Means an Oak

    We stood together on the crest of a hill, a gentle breeze rustling the meadow around our feet. The fields ran gently downward until they met a creek that gurgled happily in its course. A few years prior, an acorn had somehow made its way to the highest point of this hill, carelessly dropped there…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 28)

    A La Carte: Protestantism’s Catholic converts / How healthy is your pursuit of health? / God’s special calling on your life / Considering a Christian university? / Testing the teachings of Catholicism / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New and Notable

    New and Notable Christian Books for April 2025

    It is surprisingly difficult to find a list of Christian books that have been released in any given month—especially if you want that list to be filtered by books released through particular publishers. That’s one of the reasons why I close each month by coming up with my list of New and Notable books. I…