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A La Carte (March 19)

thursday

I said yesterday that despite the urgency of the epidemic, I am trying to find articles on other subjects. That was especially difficult to for today, but I did find at least a few. Then I’ve also provided some top articles on COVID-19 from Christian and nonChristian sources.

Today’s Kindle deals include a few more good picks.

Here’s a reminder that my book and documentary series Epic: An Around-the-World Journey Through Christian History releases in a couple of weeks. Please do consider pre-ordering it from Westminster Books who is offering it at a great price.

(Yesterday on the blog: Preparation Is Not Panic and Confusion is Not Chaos)

10 Ways in which this Coronavirus Pandemic Can Be for Our Good

Brian Najapfour writes about some of the ways that this pandemic can be for our good (just as God promises in Romans 8:28). (See also 10 Gifts I Pray God Gives The Church Through The Coronavirus, The Prosperity Gospel in a Time of Plague, and About Those Viral Graphs.)

Why Covid-19 Is Worse Than the Flu, in One Chart

We really need to stop making too-simple comparisons between this virus and the flu. Here’s why. (See also How Soap Kills the Coronavirus)

Worth A Lot of Sparrows

Jim Elliff: “What a person is worth is no small matter. We live in a culture addicted to self-esteem. We are always wanting to know what we are worth. If everybody despises me, then I feel a certain right to be depressed. Living as a valueless individual sends some people over the bridge or to the institution.”

Guides for Kids and Middle-Schoolers to Take Notes During the Sermon

Here are some guides for your kids as they listen to sermons (at home for now, in many cases).

The Kettle War

Until now, I had never heard of The Kettle War. “The Kettle War of 1784 was a quintessential David versus Goliath story. A formidable naval fleet of the Holy Roman Empire faces a lone battleship, underpowered and hopelessly outnumbered, yet comes back defeated. In the short battle, lasting less than a day, only a single shot was fired, and the only casualty was a soup kettle.”

‘I Long to See You’ – the Glory of Contingency

“I have been thinking about the place of contingency in Christian ministry, and the strategic weight that the Lord himself appears to place upon it. Thinking biblically and pastorally about contingency might help in some way to assuage the pain and anguish of those who wrestle with the disruption that churches will inevitably face.”

Who Owns America’s Gas Stations? (Video)

CNBC explains how it all works.

Flashback: It Takes a Church To Raise Your Child

It takes a church to raise a child because it is in the church that our children find a whole community of adults who love them, who have a deep concern for them, and who are eager to see them come to faith and grow in godly character.

There’s nothing and no one who compares to our God. And this truth provides strength to our hearts. Our flesh may fail, our hearts may fail, but we will endure because God is the strength of our heart.

—Trillia Newbell

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    A La Carte (May 20)

    A La Carte: The foibles and fallibility of Christian leaders / Mental illness / Why didn’t Christ come sooner? / When it’s okay to die / Spiritual formation / and more.

  • Unlock Your Ministry Potential with Microcredentials

    Are you looking for accessible faith-based resources that can help you serve your church community with confidence? Check out Redeemer University’s online church leadership microcredentials—available anytime, anywhere. #Sponsored

  • Discernment

    What Does a Discerning Person Do?

    Some Christians seem to be specially gifted when it comes to spiritual discernment. Others take a special interest in discernment and expend the hard effort of growing in the discipline of it. But they may sometimes wonder: What should I do with this discernment?

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    A La Carte (May 19)

    A La Carte: Dangers of theological controversy / No confidence? No problem! / The goodness of gardening friends / Jeff the low stakes prophet / Hurting people / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    The Reward They Longed for They Received

    Jesus, who knew what was in the heart of men, warned of the hypocrisy of those whose prayer life is only ever public. “When you pray,” he said, “you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen…

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    Weekend A La Carte (May 17)

    A La Carte: Generalizations are not stereotypes / Hospitality and reaching the dechurched / Essential lessons for pastors / The rise of Islam and the resilience of the church / Gossip and godly church / Fear takes you where grace has not yet gone / and more.