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A La Carte (June 12)

monday

Good morning from Brazil where I am beginning to make my homeward journey after a successful week recording another episode of Worship Round the World.

Today’s Kindle deals include some high-quality devotional resources.

(Yesterday on the blog: Restful Blissful Ignorance)

Christianity Challenges the (Stoic) Spirit

I’m glad to see this examination of the growing popularity of stoicism. “Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Cameron Hanes, David Goggins, Jocko Willink. What unites them? They’re gurus of a new self-help philosophy and lifestyle: grind yourself to the bone to achieve greatness.”

Scooby Doo, Oxfam and The Sexular Age

Stephen McAlpline: “Let’s call this The Scooby Doo moment. You know the show that started in the 70s? Crazy kids in a van called The Mystery Machine, with a dog called Scooby Doo (Arf-Arf!)? Always turning up at haunted houses or the like, exposing the evil criminals hiding behind scary ghoul masks, or dressed up as werewolves. I’m sure those kids were all on Scooby snacks.”

The Making Of Andy Stanley: Pastors Son, Turned Renegade Preacher (Video)

Honest Youth Pastor has put together a helpful video on Andy Stanley.

Are Things Getting Worse?

It’s easy to believe that the world is getting worse and worse. But is it really?

Nine Ways I’ve Seen Mark Dever Disciple Men and Raise Up Leaders

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“What does Mark Dever do to disciple men and raise up pastors in the context of the local church? Here are nine points that Mark has publicly shared are his practices, with some of my own reflections as someone who has benefitted Mark’s discipling and observed its effects on others.”

Death is not fun

Mark Loughridge says “we often make jokes when we are nervous or don’t know how to react to something serious. We’ve probably all done that. That’s what this is. Our society has lost the ability to be serious about serious things. We have elevated the trivial and trivialised the serious.”

Flashback: On Helping Your Wife Become Like Christ by Identifying Her Every Fault

“At their most unimaginative moments, husbands try to help spouses be like Christ’s perfected bride by identifying their wives’ faults with clinical precision.” But there is a better way.

When a sin is pardoned, it is gone—it is gone out of the books, it is gone out of the memory, it is gone out of existence.

—De Witt Talmage

  • Authority

    How Men Can Use Their Authority Well

    There are few topics that have proven trickier to navigate than the topic of authority. We know we need authority to function as families, churches, and nations, yet there is something deep within our sinful humanity that causes us to rebel against it wherever it exists. We both want it and despise it. 

  • fri 3

    A La Carte (May 22)

    The ancient world had no word for child abuse / What I wish I had learned in theological college / Pray to the Lord of the harvest / What God is healing while not healing my health problems / Are you willing to show up? / Artificial preaching / Sales and deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (May 21)

    One step becomes a three-day walk / Tolkien, foolishness, and the ordinary means of grace / The staggering beauty and burden of church life / Denominational health / Three truths to combat your news anxiety / Don’t do the Devil’s work for him / and more.

  • The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. Why do these receive so much attention?

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    A La Carte (May 20)

    The pastor who refuses to back down / The missionary with Ebola / Why we don’t trust pastors / Rushing our quiet times / The other side of seminary / The remedy, the problem, and the church / Why we need to interpret the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (May 19)

    The wrong lessons from the latest scandal / The blessing of being forgotten / If your chatbot offers prayer / Have tongues ceased? / Consider the small town / Thinking Christianly about complex topics / Book releases / and more.