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A La Carte (June 3)

friday

We are going around the world in A La Carte today! What a blessing that so many writers from so many nations choose to bless us with their wisdom.

There are a few new Kindle deals today.

Westminster Books is offering deals on their summer reading picks.

The Intermediate State of the Dead in Christ

From the Philippines, here’s Noel Espinosa on the intermediate state. “A recent death in our Church generated much lament. The brother was so young, and so actively useful in our ministries. What is more, he had no known precondition. This event drove me to refresh the subject of the intermediate state of the righteous.”

The Benefit of Ancient Creeds for the Contemporary Church

Next we go to India where Christopher Poshin David writes about Christian creeds. “I recall standing with an outstretched arm in the morning assembly at school reciting the Indian national pledge on Republic Day and Independence Day. The national pledge is an oath of allegiance. It also reminds us of our identity as part of a national community bigger than our individual selves. The church of Jesus Christ similarly has pledges that remind us of our corporate identity as the people of God. These pledges are called the creeds of the church.”

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7 Critical Supplements To Evangelistic Fervour

In Uganda Eddie Ssemakula is concerned about evangelistic techniques. “It is my humble opinion, and suggestion of this post, that we need to rethink our evangelistic efforts in Africa. Something isn’t quite right. How can Africa have one of the fastest growing Christian populations, yet at the same time rank as one of the most corrupt continents in the world? Preaching that proclaims Christ can be heard in the streets, for sure. But are we seeing his lordship and kingdom expand?”

Are Cuss Words Sinful?

In Kenya, the writers of the Kuza site/app consider how and why cuss words are sinful. “You hear them in movies, television series, and in actual conversations. To some, these words sound cool, and they have made them part of their lives. Yet when you learn their meaning, cuss words will make you cringe.”

Grace as the Heart’s Desire

Italy is next, and here Leonardo De Chirico is writing about Roman Catholicism and saying “If one wants to come to terms with Roman Catholic theology, sooner than later one needs to address the ‘nature-grace interdependence.’”

Nothing To Be Ashamed Of: Penal Substitutionary Atonement In Honor-Shame Cultures

We will end in the United Arab Emirates with an article on why penal substitutionary cannot be downplayed or ignored even in honor-shame cultures. “We, the authors, were born, raised, born again, and currently live and serve in what may be appropriately labeled as honor-shame cultures. The prevailing view among many theologians and missiologists concerning our cultural context is that presenting Christ’s atonement in terms of penal substitution is ineffective at best, and is a distortion of the gospel at worst.”

Flashback: But God Makes No Mistakes

There is no condition in which it’s impossible to be a true Christian and to exemplify all the wonderful virtues of Christianity.

One supreme duty which the prevalence of sickness places on us is that of living always prepared to meet God.

—J.C. Ryle

  • 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…

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    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…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (April 26)

    A La Carte: Every pinch of pain has purpose / China closed Christian bookstores / Watch for the thing after the thing / For everything there is a time / Showers of blessing / What Pope Francis can teach us about preaching / and more.

  • What Makes You Beautiful

    What Makes You Beautiful

    I have often thought of a conversation that took place when my girls were little. Abby was perhaps 5 or 6 at the time and Michaela just working her way through the “terrible twos” (which for our kids always happened when they were three or four). A stranger saw me interacting with them one day…