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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

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Matthias Media)

    This week the blog and the giveaway have been sponsored by Matthias Media. Matthias Media is hosting Evangelize 2024 in Denver, Colorado on October 7-9, 2024. We have partnered with 10ofThose, Calvary Family of Churches and Vinegrowers to help you raise the evangelistic temperature at your church. We want to motivate and equip people to…

  • When Christians Disagree

    When Christians Disagree

    Wouldn’t it be nice if Christians only ever got along? Wouldn’t it be grand if all the discord we see in the world around us was completely foreign to the church? Wouldn’t it be heavenly if believers ever only experienced peace? I suppose it would be heavenly and, therefore, more than we can realistically hope…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (July 26)

    A La Carte: Therapy and bug men / How to have joy in hard times / Can a single pastor date in his church? / Life from barren ground / Shulamith Firestone was a prophet / Different ways of reading people we disagree with / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 25)

    A La Carte: What does it mean to die with dignity? / Did Paul endorse slavery? / Forgiveness in marriage / 5 ways to pursue contentment / The immense value of encouragement / and more.

  • Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Of all the Christian disciplines, it is my guess that meditation may be the least practiced—though I suppose fasting might have something to say about that. Most people diligently make time to read the Bible and pray. And yet, while most people have good intentions when it comes to meditation, it so often seems to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 24)

    A La Carte: A mother to me, too / Never look your age? / Nine reminders for the struggle with body image / A ruler who trusts in Yahweh / No, I will not stop calling the church a family / Criminalizing sexual ethics / Bible journal sale / Kindle deals / and more.