Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (November 18)

thursday

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

We are seeing some Kindle deals related to ETS. They are worth checking out and include the excellent books The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self and Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Beauty of an Heirloom Bible)

Assurance of Things Hoped For: Christians Will Meet Again in Heaven

You know what I love about blogs? That people write content as good and encouraging as this, and then joyfully give it away for free. “‘You’re welcome,’ I replied, mostly because those were the only words that formed in the weight of the moment. If he noticed my emotion, I’ll never know. For he simply returned to reading the open Bible in his lap. Our visit to Maine was filled with times like this—long periods of quiet introspection, beside an octogenarian who has been a significant force in my life for more than thirty years, with staccato spurts of outward expression.”

Capturing A Moment

Here’s another great example. “The warm sunlight is filtering through the trees, there’s music in the air, and amid the bustle of the servers and the clink of the cutlery there’s a constant hum of lively conversation. I’m not there. I don’t even know where it is, but when I look at the painting of this scene that hangs over our mantle, I can hear it all. I can feel it all, and I love it.”

The 2021 Reformed Gift Guide

Having trouble checking off your Christmas list? Here is a curated guide packed with great ideas that is sure to make them smile! Also, don’t miss out on the early Black Friday deals. (Sponsored Link)

Why did God wait to reveal the Trinity?

That’s a very good question! Dr. Blair Smith answers it in this video from RTS.

Book Tribalism

It’s worth reading Jim Elliff’s little tale about a tribe that was exposed to the Bible and then, a while later, to Christian books.

Why Did God Give Us the Book of Revelation?

Many of us are about to begin reading Revelation in our Bible-reading plans. Here’s an article from Lucky Mogakane that reminds us why God gave us that particular book. “When asked, most Christians will admit they haven’t read the book of Revelation. And those who have, usually say they will never read it again. Forgetting that it was written for our blessing (Revelation 1:3), many Christians are fearful of Revelation.”

Until You Pray

Glenna Marshall discusses what it means to “pray until you pray”—an old Puritan expression.

Flashback: Satan’s Great Trick

Satan’s great joy is to convince you that the sin you are about to commit is very small and the sin you have just committed is very large.

The choice is not whether you will be a Christian soldier or a Christian civilian but whether you will be a prepared Christian soldier or an unprepared one.

—Iain Duguid

  • Southern Africa

    A Trip to Southern Africa

    I don’t often write trip reports after I travel, except, of course, in the form of books and documentary projects like Epic and From the Rising of the Sun. Yet, I thought I would make a rare exception after returning from my recent journey to Southern Africa (and, strangely, Northern California). While I am accustomed…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 10)

    A La Carte: Top 10 theology stories of 2025 / Mama, you don’t have to save Christmas / Giving up all your Sundays to advent / An empty chair at Christmas / Pray for the church in Rwanda / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 9)

    A La Carte: Reforming generosity / Let the young man come to church / Your wife is beauty / Combating imposter syndrome / Be known, not impressive / Dan McClellan / and more.

  • AI Slop

    The Rise of AI Book Slop

    We often hear these days of “AI slop,” a term that’s used to refer to the massive amounts of poor-quality AI-created material that is churned out and unceremoniously dumped onto the internet. This was once primarily artistless artwork and authorless articles, but has now advanced to much bigger and more substantial forms of content.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 8)

    A La Carte: A plea to older women / Let someone serve you in suffering / Why AI writing can’t compete / Influencers / The hidden danger in online sermons / Discipling young people / Excellent Kindle deals / and more.

  • Hymns

    Pitch Perfect and Tone Deaf

    God commands us to sing. Yet while some of God’s people are gifted singers, the plain fact is that others are not. In any congregation, it’s likely that some have near-perfect pitch while others are functionally tone-deaf. Those who struggle to sing may be self-conscious, tempted to stay quiet or to do no more than…