Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (November 19)

tuesday

You will find a new few Kindle deals if you’re into such things!

I am excited to be speaking at the graduation ceremony for African Christian University on November 30. I’ll also be preaching at Kabwata Baptist Church (AM) and Emmasdale Baptist Church (PM) in Lusaka on December 1. I hope to see you many of you there!

(Yesterday on the blog: When God Put Down a Deposit)

Preaching is Worship, Not Performance

That makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it? “A confession: When it comes to preaching, I used to care far too much about the number of people in the pews. Sure, I passed this off as a concern for the number of people hearing the gospel. My focus, however, was mostly on how many people were hearing me.”

Why C.S. Lewis Wouldn’t Write for Christianity Today

Just like the title says, here’s why C.S. Lewis chose to refuse the invitation to write for Christianity Today.

Who Were the Nephilim? (Video)

That question takes us to one of the most perplexing passages in the Bible. Dr. Peter Gentry of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary provides his answer.

A Pastor in Therapy

It takes courage for a pastor to admit this and tell others about it. “In February of this year I burned out. It was a surprising, disconcerting, and ultimately enlightening experience. The full account of how that happened and how I felt about it can be read here, but in this post I want to share about some follow up treatment I received on the advice of my doctor.”

Where Does Evangelism Fit on Sunday Morning?

I don’t think too many people doubt that Sunday morning services should acknowledge the presence of both believers and unbelievers. But the degree to which each are acknowledged is a matter of some debate. “There is an active debate about the role evangelism should play in Sunday worship services. On any given Sunday should we assume our audience are believers or nonbelievers?”

The Lazy Pastor

This is a really good article! “How can a pastor who is not lazy find himself accused of just that? The accusation, undeserved, arises from two sources: first, from a difference of opinion about what a pastor’s workday should look like, and, second, from an unfortunate but correctable lack of self-awareness on the part the minister. Let’s take each in turn.”

Flashback: Give Me a Man with an Open Bible!

An orphan can teach how to care for aging parents. An unmarried man can teach on marriage. A childless woman can teach on parenting. A poor man can teach about the temptations that come with being rich. God’s Word speaks to every one of these issues and authority in these matters does not flow from experience but from Scripture.

Sincerity is a Christian virtue, as is honesty about our struggles. But my generation needs to realize that Christianity is more than chic fragility, endless self-revelation, and the coolness that comes with authenticity.

—Kevin DeYoung

  • The Phrase that Altered My Thinking Forever

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing and is written by Ralph Cunnington. Years ago, I stumbled repeatedly on an ancient phrase that altered my thinking forever.  Distinct yet inseparable. The first time I encountered this phrase was while studying the Council of Chalcedon’s description of the two natures of Christ. Soon after,…

  • Always Look for the Light

    Always Look for the Light

    For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond.…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 18)

    A La Carte: God is good and does good—even in our pain / Dear bride and groom / Sin won’t comfort you / Worthy of the gospel / From self-sufficiency to trusting God’s people / The gods fight for our devotion / and more.

  • Confidence

    God Takes Us Into His Confidence

    Here is another Sunday devotional—a brief thought to orient your heart toward the Lord. God takes the initiative in establishing relationship by reaching out to helpless humanity. He reveals himself to the creatures he has made. But what does it mean for him to provide such revelation of himself? John Calvin began his Institutes by…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (March 16)

    A La Carte: I believe in the death of Julius Caesar and the resurrection of Jesus Christ / Reasons students and pastors shouldn’t use ChatGPT / A 1.3 gigpixel photo of a supernova / What two raw vegans taught me about sharing Jesus / If we realize we’re undeserving, suddenly the world comes alive /…

  • Ask Pastor John

    Ask Pastor John

    I admit it: I felt a little skeptical about Ask Pastor John. To be fair, I feel skeptical about most books that begin in one medium before making the leap to another. Books based on sermons, for example, can often be pretty disappointing—a powerful sermon at a conference can make a bland chapter in a…