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A La Carte (March 29)

Today’s Kindle deals include a relatively new book by John Piper, a good one by John MacArthur, and a few other picks.

We’ve Lost Our Vocabulary of Wonder About Heaven

Randy Alcorn: “By losing our vocabulary of wonder, I mean that we’ve come to think of Heaven as utterly immaterial and non-physical, a home suited for body-less angels, not real people. Floating in clouds while strumming harps isn’t anybody’s idea of a great time.”

No, You’re Not Welcome To Our New Church Launch!

I love this: “Not beating about the bush, let me give you this blog in a sentence: Thanks SO much for supporting our church plant. But unless you’re local to Gracemount, please, please, please DON’T come to our church launch on Easter Sunday.”

Why We Think Outhouses All Had Crescent Moons in Their Doors

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the classic symbol of an outdoor toilet was probably just made up.

You Might Be a Pharisee If …

“The odds are good that someone, somewhere, at some point has called you a Pharisee. The odds are even better that you’ve slapped that label on someone else.” Here’s what it really does and does not mean.

The Spiders Will Eat Us All

Here are interesting facts about spiders that you probably don’t want to know.

A Friendly Critic on the Best New Resource for Charismatics

I really appreciate Steve Timmis’s review of Practicing the Power by Sam Storms. “Practicing the Power reflects a form of the reductionism it critiques. It sets out to challenge its readers to faith and expectancy, yet it inadvertently encourages them to be satisfied with something less than the New Testament Christianity it claims to espouse. It’s a form of revisionism.”

Did Jesus Ever Experience Doubt?

Denny Burk answers a recent article in the New York Times where the author finds comfort in the fact that Jesus at times experienced doubt.

Flashback: What the Law-Keeper Cries to the Gospel-Lover

It is simple enough to look at other people’s religious observances and stand in judgment. But we would be remiss if we did not look for ourselves here. Even Christians are prone to hedge ourselves around with rules. It’s as if grace is so foreign a concept to us that we simply cannot or will not believe it, and instead flee back to the law.

Men are opposed to God in their sin, and God is opposed to men in His holiness.

—J.I. Packer

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 6)

    A La Carte: Rightly ordered desires / Ordinary wonders / For my good, not my comfort / Make room for special-needs families / Christmas spirit / Wisdom rarely makes you famous / and more.

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    Noteworthy New Commentaries from 2025

    There are few resources I rely on more than I rely on my commentaries. Over the years, I have developed an extensive collection and turn to them often. I try to keep tabs on new commentaries and thought I would let you know about some of the best options that were published in 2025

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    A La Carte (December 5)

    A La Carte: Doug Wilson vs public schools / Your church needs you to sing / Wicca’s origins and Christian Nationalism / Out of season / Amish millionaires / Two wedding aisles to walk down / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 4)

    A La Carte: Why I changed my mind on mixed martial arts / Misunderstanding porn / When time feels short / The Bible and friendship / Is God disappointed in me? / and more.

  • Thoughts

    Can Satan Put Thoughts Into Our Minds?

    Each of us is familiar with the experience of being tempted to sin. Sometimes these temptations arise from outside of us and sometimes they arise from within. Each of our three sworn enemies—the world, the flesh, and the devil—has the ability to tempt us to do what God forbids or fail to do what God…