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A La Carte (June 20)

Today’s Kindle deals include a whole collection of excellent Puritan works (and more).

(Yesterday on the blog: Why the Best Missions Sermon Is All About God’s Sovereignty)

What Makes a Translation Accurate?

Bill Mounce answers the question. And the answer isn’t as simple as you might think.

A Psalm-Singing Resurgence

This is a good development. “We are experiencing something of a Psalm-singing resurgence in our day. Resources abound online for people who would like to learn more about psalm singing. Churches are making strategic plans to train their members in singing the psalms. Blogs buzz with excitement over the Psalter. It is undeniable that the church is waking up to that which once marked it–the passionate singing of psalms.”

Specific Ways You Can Pray for Your Pastor

Here is a great list of specific ways you can pray for your pastor.

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A Parent’s Guide to the 5 Skeptics Who Want to Shame Your Kids for Being Christian

This is helpful for parents. “To be clear, none of the non-believers I personally know would use shaming tactics in person. But when people are behind their screens, it brings down the ‘barrier’ of civility, and faith conversations often look very different. You can see it on social media (even with friends who wouldn’t say such things in person), comments on news articles, blog posts—everywhere.”

I Need a Woman Who Can Mulch

“What is fifteen minutes of pleasure compared to a lifetime of companionship, mutual care, and the dirty fingernails of a woman who gives her time and sweat (and back muscles!) to infuse beauty into our home? What kind of senseless fool would throw that away? What dope reduces their life to the fulfillment of sexual desire when there is so much more that only the lifelong, mutual commitment in the covenant of marriage could ever satisfy?”

The Challenges and Joys of a Young Pastor

I appreciate this view of the early years of ministry. “Nothing can prepare you for the emotional, mental, physical and psychological demands of shepherding people. From the highs of rejoicing with those who are rejoicing, to the lows of weeping with those who are weeping or being devastated by a member who falls into sin, to enduring attacks on you and your family.”

‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’: And Other Misleading Advice to Young Husbands

Yes, I received this advice as a young husband. “We see Adam’s passivity echoed in countless marriages today. The temptation to be emotionally and spiritually absent, when physically present, has merely changed hairstyles over time. The same unmanly repose still beckons men to recline in the passenger’s seat. God calls out to husbands today with the same question he asked in the garden: ‘Adam, where are you?’”

Flashback: I Forbid You To Say These Things at My Funeral

Here are a few things I sincerely hope no one will say about me at my funeral or any time thereafter. In fact, I hereby forbid it.

People prefer to ask God to make them powerful rather than tender; when tenderness is what best expresses God’s power.

—Harold Segura

  • A Book Unlike Any Other

    A Book Unlike Any Other

    The Bible may be a book, but it is a book unlike any other. The Bible is inspired—breathed out by God and in that way perfectly reflects the mind and will of God. The Bible is also complete, sufficient, inerrant, and infallible. Because the Bible is all these things and so many more, it is…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (April 27)

    A La Carte: How to talk to your teens about Taylor Swift’s new album / Soft discipleship / Why doesn’t God make his existence more evident? / Three ways God is working through your suffering / Jesus didn’t come to make any nation great / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (21Five)

    This week the blog is sponsored by 21Five, a new Canadian Christian bookstore. In recent years, many Christian bookstores across Canada have closed their physical and online doors. This is disappointing for believers, as many of the best products come from abroad and can be costly or complicated for Canadians to bring home. There are…

  • New and Notable Books

    New and Notable Christian Books for April 2024

    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…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (April 26)

    A La Carte: The parable of Kanye West / Biden’s new regulation reinforces transgender “orthodoxy” / 12 wonderful responsibilities God has given to women / Slow happiness / What I wish the church would understand about disability / Discerning true repentance from fake / Book and Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (April 25)

    A La Carte: For everything there is a seasoning / Influencer culture is toxic for teenagers / The death of attention and loss of our ability to listen / Evangelism in ordinary life / On using wine in communion / And more.