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A La Carte (June 29)

monday

I trust you enjoyed your weekend, whether it involved watching a service from home or attending a local church. My family enjoyed a mix yesterday—we attended the service, then did a Zoom-based church business meeting.

We are definitely in a bit of a lull when it comes to Kindle deals. There are still a couple to look at, though.

Stop Firing the Innocent

This article from The Atlantic covers the troubling trend of firing the innocent. “As companies and organizations of all sorts have scrambled to institute a zero-tolerance policy on racism over the past few weeks, some of them have turned out to be more interested in signaling their good intentions than punishing actual culprits. This emphasis on appearing rather than being virtuous has already resulted in the mistreatment of innocent people—not all of them public figures or well-connected individuals with wealth to cushion their fall.” (For more on the article and what’s behind it, be sure to read Alan Jacobs’ Punishing the Innocent.)

The Power of Double Listening

John Stott advocated “double listening.” Here’s what he had in mind by that phrase.

Controversy and Coronavirus Keep Church Plants Out of Schools

“When Alabama megachurch pastor Chris Hodges liked recent social media posts from conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, he launched a chain of events that led to two of his church’s campuses being expelled from their meeting spaces in Birmingham public schools.”

I’m Not Hateful, You Are

David French covers the results and implications of an interesting (and concerning) study. “On Thursday, the good folks at Beyond Conflict released a study called ‘America’s Divided Mind,’ and while I’m not sure they had Matthew 7 in mind when they looked at the results, they provided strong evidence of the spiritual consequence of unjust judgment—by the measure we judge others, so shall we be judged. Its results show why we’re in the grips of toxic polarization and a nonstop state of political emergency.”

The Prayers of the Saints

“When we look at the chaos and division in our world today, it is easy to become overwhelmed. The problems seem too great. The church seems too insignificant. Revelation shows us another perspective. In Christ, the church as it exists in the world today has a power at its disposal that is greater than any force at work in the world. We need to be reminded of what God does through the prayers of His people.”

Did Moses Write all of the Pentateuch? (Even his own obituary?)

This question comes up quite often…

COVID-19 Hit Christian Musicians Hard. Here’s How We Can Support Them.

If you’re looking to support your favorite Christian musicians at this time when they cannot do concerts and cannot tour, here are some tips…

Flashback: How Much Television Do You Actually Watch? Way Too Much!

We tend to associate media consumption with youth while the more accurate association is with age. Plan and prepare today or you, too, may someday dedicate your final years to little more than consuming media (which is to say, entertainment).

Our pride and desire to be seen a certain way prevent us from living the life God desires for us.

—Trillia Newbell

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