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A La Carte (November 14)

tuesday

I wanted to let you know that the deal Logos offered after my recent webinar (25% off new or upgraded base packages) has been extended until November 16. Also, they’ve just released their third batch of Weekly Cyber Deals.

You’ll also find some new Kindle deals today if that’s your thing.

(Yesterday on the blog: One Unexpected Key To a Joyful Marriage)

What Does Romans 8:28 Mean?

Romans 8:28 is an especially important and comforting text. It’s important, though, to know what it does and does not mean.

The Gospel According to Envy: How Jealousy Corrupts Ministry

“Envy exists because inequality exists. We live in a world made by a glorious Father who has sprinkled his glory all over creation and imbued human souls with a special portion of this glory. Because of sin, the people he has made are cracked mirrors, walking around in T-shirts and jeans, but we are still made in his image and so possess trace amounts of his glory.”

When A Prisoner Becomes A Preacher: Sample A Free Chapter From ’27 Summers’

As a teenager Ronald Olivier ran wild in the streets of New Orleans, selling drugs, stealing cars, and finally killing someone on what was supposed to be the happiest day of the year–Christmas Day. Facing the consequences of his crime, he remembered what his mother once said. “Baby, if you ever have real trouble, the kind that I can’t get you out of, you can always call on Jesus.” So he did. Sample a free chapter today for a limited time at 27SummersBook.com. (Sponsored Link)

A World Without Babies

This article is not written by or for Christians, but still applies to us. It questions why so many nations are seeing their birthrates plummet and considers what the world may look like unless the trend reverses itself.

How to Prepare a Sermon: From Complexity to Clarity

“Many new preachers put in so much hard work to interpret the text that they are tempted to shortchange the sermon writing stage, leaving their sermons unclear and unfocused. Determining what to say and determining how to say it aren’t the same thing.2 Therefore, once you have put in the hard work to determine what is the main idea of the text, then you must continue the hard work of determining how to say the main idea in a clear and focused manner.”

Footsteps Left

Andrea found herself thinking about footsteps—those left by others and the ones she herself will leave behind.

The Body of Jesus Was Eaten by Dogs?

“When you encounter unbelievers, often you’ll find with a bit of digging that they really have no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to Christianity and the Bible. They read a novel like the Da Vinci Code and suddenly they believe themselves to be experts in the Bible and “the true history” of Christianity. They watch a few YouTube videos from viral skeptics and they’re specialists in everything wrong with the Christian faith.”

Flashback: Does Nick Send Me Signs?

I understand the impulse to look for a sign and I understand the comfort that can come when we believe we have received one…It is natural, then, to hope for some kind of information, to seek some kind of a sign, to know that they are okay.

The difference between believing that God is gracious and tasting that God is gracious is as different as having a rational belief that honey is sweet and having the actual sense of its sweetness.

—Jonathan Edwards

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    New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    As October draws to its close, I wanted to ensure you know about at least some of the most notable books it brought our way. I did not see quite the quantity of new books I have seen in some previous months, but there were still some special ones. For each, I’ve provided the publisher’s…

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    From Practice to Perfection

    You should stop by someday,” he said. “The orchestra is beginning to learn a new piece. I think you would enjoy hearing them. As promised, he met me in the lobby and led me through a locked door. As we walked down a long hallway, I could begin to hear music coming from somewhere ahead.…

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    The Practice of Accepting Disappointment

    One of the most important habits you can develop is the habit of accepting that life is full of disappointments. One of the best ways to grow in contentment is to accept the inevitability of discontentment. One of the ways you can be most joyful in life is to be realistic about life, to know…