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A La Carte (November 25)

wednesday

Westminster Books has put together a Christmas Gift Guide that may help guide your shopping.

Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway and a volume in the excellent God’s Word for You series.

Critical Race Theory, Part 1

If you’ve wondered about John Piper’s perspective on Critical Race Theory, you can find out in these special episodes of Ask Pastor John.

Always Two There Are

“A couple of posts ago, I talked about whether church should be thought of more as a family (or community) or as a society (or enterprise). I ended up arguing that both were important, and needed to be held together. And this got me thinking. Have you ever pondered just how many different aspects of Christian teaching are exactly like this—consisting of two truths that need to be held together at the same time?”

Church Comorbidities

“Comorbidities. Preexisting conditions. These words rank up there with unprecedented in a competition for word of year in 2020. Prior to March of 2020, few of us ever used the word unprecedented, we didn’t speak of preexisting conditions, and we may not have even knew what a comorbidity was.” Here’s how comorbidities may apply to the church…

The Maddening Paradox of Leadership

Dan Doriani reflects on leadership today. “Pastor feel more emotional pressure, toil longer, and seem to accomplish less than ever before. In this setting it is tempting for pastors to believe they have a uniquely difficult calling. In fact, leadership is always difficult, always paradoxical, for pastors, politicians, business folk, and more.”

Why I Write: Thoughts on Joy and Obedience

I can identify with this. “Our motivations often have more layers than we realize. But if we set aside the sinful, self-serving motives lurking around the edges of a Christian’s heart, I’d say one of my primary motivations for writing is joy. I really do enjoy tinkering with words that point people to God. I’ve heard a famous Christian author say that for him, writing is like eating ice cream, not a ‘have to’ but a ‘get to.’ I feel the same, although it wasn’t always this way.”

6 Ways Confessions of Faith Promote Church Health

This article lists some of the ways that confessions can foster church health.

Robert Rundle, the First Protestant Missionary in the Canadian Prairies

A couple of days ago I picked up a little book about Robert Rundle, the first and perhaps most prominent Protestant missionary to the Canadian prairies. At the very same time Clint Humfrey provided this helpful little biographical summary of the man and his ministry.

Flashback: 4 Common Critics and Constructive Ways to Respond to Them

In his book The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed lists four common critics and offers appropriate and constructive ways to respond to each of them.

Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than the thought can imagine – so near that a whisper can reach Him.

—Amy Carmichael

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Matthias Media)

    This week the blog and the giveaway have been sponsored by Matthias Media. Matthias Media is hosting Evangelize 2024 in Denver, Colorado on October 7-9, 2024. We have partnered with 10ofThose, Calvary Family of Churches and Vinegrowers to help you raise the evangelistic temperature at your church. We want to motivate and equip people to…

  • 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.