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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

  • When Christians Disagree

    When Christians Disagree

    Wouldn’t it be nice if Christians only ever got along? Wouldn’t it be grand if all the discord we see in the world around us was completely foreign to the church? Wouldn’t it be heavenly if believers ever only experienced peace? I suppose it would be heavenly and, therefore, more than we can realistically hope…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (July 26)

    A La Carte: Therapy and bug men / How to have joy in hard times / Can a single pastor date in his church? / Life from barren ground / Shulamith Firestone was a prophet / Different ways of reading people we disagree with / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (July 25)

    A La Carte: What does it mean to die with dignity? / Did Paul endorse slavery? / Forgiveness in marriage / 5 ways to pursue contentment / The immense value of encouragement / and more.

  • Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Of all the Christian disciplines, it is my guess that meditation may be the least practiced—though I suppose fasting might have something to say about that. Most people diligently make time to read the Bible and pray. And yet, while most people have good intentions when it comes to meditation, it so often seems to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 24)

    A La Carte: A mother to me, too / Never look your age? / Nine reminders for the struggle with body image / A ruler who trusts in Yahweh / No, I will not stop calling the church a family / Criminalizing sexual ethics / Bible journal sale / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 23)

    A La Carte: Connection and commitment / When your mind gets stuck / Prayer postures in the Bible / Fading with age / Does God care about how I work? / 7 essential things to know about God’s holiness / and more.