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A La Carte (March 2)

tuesday

The Lord be with you and bless you today!

Today’s Kindle deals include a few odds and ends.

Logos users, I’ve got a couple of things to tell you. First, be sure to check out this month’s free and nearly free books. Second, Logos March Matchups is back and will lead to a huge discount on a commentary set, so get voting!

(Yesterday on the blog: Which Christian Best Portrays Christ?)

Sin Is Cosmic Treason

I kind of expect that by now most people are familiar with R.C. Sproul’s explanation of sin as cosmic treason. If not, here’s a good article on it. “Even the slightest sin that a creature commits against his Creator does violence to the Creator’s holiness, His glory, and His righteousness. Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is an act of rebellion against the sovereign God who reigns and rules over us and as such is an act of treason against the cosmic King.”

The Sovereign State Of Facebook vs. The World

This is increasingly the case, isn’t it? Big tech has gained more power over citizenry than entire governments. “Facebook’s 3 billion monthly active users, its mountain of money and its control over the flow of information all put the company on an equal footing with governments around the world — and, increasingly, it’s getting into fights with them.”

Worship, Sorrow, and God-Exalting Grief

Lance Ward lost his son a few months ago and, in this article, recounts how sorrow mingled with worship. “One of the hardest parts of October 17 was going to bed. The thought of waking up on the 18th was dreadful. What would it feel like to awaken to a nightmare, rather than from one? How would we get out of bed the next morning? Would we get out of bed at all?”

Remaining Faithful While We Wait

“Remaining faithful while we wait begins with daily surrender to God. This can be scary. When things don’t work out the way we want them to, we can feel as though we have to give up all our longings, our dreams, or our passions. Yet, when we open our hands in surrender to the Lord, his intention is not to take away our heart, but to satisfy us in the fullness of him alone.”

Divided Heart

Using the example of Solomon, Susan Lafferty says “A divided heart leads to ruin. Fragmented loyalties weaken resolve.”

Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration (Video)

This is a beautiful little video about tadpoles. Yes, tadpoles.

Social Algorithms Are Today’s “Lady Folly”

This article explains how social media algorithms have become one form of today’s “Lady Folly.” “This makes us utterly vulnerable to the power of suggestion, cogs in the machinery of algorithms ever more sophisticated at keeping us distracted on their platforms. We are digital wanderers, and this is a dangerous thing to be. Without a purposeful direction in digital spaces, we’re open to whatever direction an algorithm thinks we’ll like—a ‘suggested for you’ movie, article, or YouTube video that will eat up a few minutes or hours of our time.”

Flashback: From Tabernacle to Stormtrooper Dance

How did we get from sober, serious worship to the lowest depths of megachurch tomfoolery? Why is it that so many churches seem locked in a race to the absolute bottom?

What is sin? It is the “Yes” of the will to temptation.

—F.B. Meyer

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (January 17)

    A La Carte: Look to and learn from older saints / Don’t overthink your problems / Rebellion / When there is no good church / Teens and popular music / Where the gospel costs everything / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (TGBC)

    Enter to win 1 of 5 copies of Why We’re Feeling Lonely (And What We Can Do About It) and be encouraged by Shelby Abbott’s practical, biblical insights for young adults struggling with loneliness.

  • Gospel way

    Truths That Take on the World

    Christianity has a long history with catechisms—summaries of key doctrines that are arranged in a question-and-answer format. Traditionally, Presbyterians would be taught The Shorter Catechism, Dutch Reformed believers The Heidelberg Catechism, and Baptists one of the Baptist equivalents. Sadly, the use of catechisms began to decline as the years went by, so that it became…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Business meetings at the urinal / Ambition and competition / The loneliness crisis / Better than feeling seen / Exhausted and overwhelmed / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: Young people are turning to the Bible / What conservative young men need / Justifying self-gratification / The influence of reading / On boredom / and more.

  • Remember

    It Doesn’t Matter What You Remember

    I have a memory like a … what do you call it? That thing in the kitchen you use to sift the stuff you want from the stuff you don’t. A sieve! That’s it. I have a memory like a sieve. I joke about it at times, and about how I have to outsource remembering…