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A La Carte (May 26)

tuesday

Today’s Kindle deals are highlighted by a book from Paul Miller and several from Ravi Zacharias.

Nitoy Gonzales has a knack for finding free stuff and shares his discoveries in regular Freebie Round-Ups.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for May 2020)

Now’s the Time for Rest

Dan Doriani has one for the pastors. “No doubt, the people who depend on you are glad you toiled ceaselessly through the opening phase of the pandemic. Churches and their leaders had never faced this challenge before. The ox was in a ditch. But oxen don’t fall into ditches every day. After weeks of unstinting toil, it’s time to re-establish healthy, God-given patterns, including a day of rest.” (See also: Corona Questions and On Not Having Closed Our Churches.)

5 Common Ways Church Members Go Astray

“As you engage relationally with your local fellowship and hear of a member in one of these situations, take note: that brother or sister could already be straying. Here are five common ways church members go astray.”

Apple’s COVID-19 Exposure Notification API: What It Is and How It Works

You’ve probably heard that Apple and Google have teamed up to create technology that would alert you if you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Here’s a description of what it does and how it works, at least on the iPhone.

Man vs. Squirrel (Video)

This is a tremendously amusing video about a man trying to outsmart squirrels.

When Zoom Becomes a Prison

“From the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve had my suspicions about Zoom. Clearly it has beneficial uses that we should be thankful for. It provides solace to those separated from loved ones, allowing grandparents to stay in touch with and ‘see’ precious grandchildren. Ultimately though, the video conference remains ‘a pale simulacrum of genuine interaction,’ says Cristine Legare, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. And now more media are starting to notice.”

The Wonder Drug That Fueled Nazi Germany

You’ve probably heard that during the Second World War, the Germany army was fueled in part by methamphetamine. This article explains.

There is No Faith So Little That It Is Not Saving

You’ll enjoy this reflection from Jared Wilson. “There is no faith so little that it can’t be saving. Faith does not have to be strong to be saving, it just has to be real. The smallest faith, if it is real, receives the same strength of Christ in salvation as the strongest faith.”

Flashback: Renew Your Mind

Which direction is your mind changing: toward conformity to the world or toward transformation into God’s image? Which has more of an influence over your mind: the Sports page of the newspaper or the Word of God?

The certainty of death should cause you to prepare for death.

—Thomas Brooks

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    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: Climate anxiety paralyzes, gospel hope propels / Living what God has written / How should I engage my rebellious child? / Satan hates your pastor / How to navigate our spiritual highs / The art of extemporaneous preaching / and more.

  • The Path to Contentment

    The Path to Contentment

    I wonder if you have ever considered that the solution to discontentment almost always seems to be more. If I only had more money I would be content. If I only had more followers, more possessions, more beauty, then at last I would consider myself successful. If only my house was bigger, my influence wider,…

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    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Why my shepherd carries a rod / When Mandisa forgave Simon Cowell / An open mind is like an open mouth / Marriage: the half-time report / The church should mind its spiritual business / Kindle deals / and more.

  • It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    Part of the joy of reading biography is having the opportunity to learn about a person who lived before us. An exceptional biography makes us feel as if we have actually come to know its subject, so that we rejoice in that person’s triumphs, grieve over his failures, and weep at his death.

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    Weekend A La Carte (April 20)

    A La Carte: Living counterculturally during election season / Borrowing a death / The many ministries of godly women / When we lose loved ones and have regrets / Ethnicity and race and the colorblindness question / The case for children’s worship services / and more.

  • The Anxious Generation

    The Great Rewiring of Childhood

    I know I’m getting old and all that, and I’m aware this means that I’ll be tempted to look unfavorably at people who are younger than myself. I know I’ll be tempted to consider what people were like when I was young and to stand in judgment of what people are like today. Yet even…