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A La Carte (November 27)

Today’s Kindle deals include a long, long list of Cyber Monday specials.

Also be sure to check this list for more Cyber Monday Deals for Christians.

Their Friend Sang Amazing Grace and Was Shot

Be sure to read this one. “Stuck in a kidnap gang’s hideout in Nigeria’s lawless Delta area, missionaries David and Shirley Donovan and their two companions were trying their best to keep up morale. The night before, they had been dragged from their beds by men armed with AK-47s, who had burst into their lodgings near the Donovans’ bush clinic. Ignoring their pleas that they were missionary medics, not wealthy oil workers, the gang whisked them by speedboat to a shack on stilts in a remote swamp.”

The Gospel Is the Only Stable Source of Identity and Value

“In a post-Christian culture, it’s really important Christian ambassadors are good translators. People steeped in our modern culture have a very different worldview than Christianity. It’s easy for those we’re talking with about the Gospel to misunderstand what we’re saying.”

WWJD – about Transgender?

“It’s that moment you always know will arrive. You’re in the midst of an online discussion in which you are going against the general zeitgeist on a social issue (in this case transgender) and then it happens: someone comes up with what they think is a devastating riposte – ‘WWJD?’. The implication being that your response is not ‘Christlike’. Now apart from being pleased that non-Christians and atheists are so concerned about what Jesus thinks, how does one respond to this?”

4 Truths About Christian Giving

Here’s some help from J.I. Packer. “Christian virtues, of which generosity is one, are disciplines that Christ commends, commands, and models as life qualities that should mark out all his disciples, that is, all those who have committed themselves to learn his way of living.”

The Last Black Friday

Seth Godin interprets Black Friday: “As the malls continue to die, as retailers everywhere struggle to come up with a reason why people should spend extra time and extra money to visit them, the herd dynamic of Black Friday is fading. It’s hard to whip yourself into a frenzy when you’re sitting at home, in your bathrobe, staring at a screen.”

Hop Onboard the Shortest Flight in the World (Video)

“Got a tight 80 seconds to spare? It’s all the time you need to fly commercial across the Orkney Islands. The word’s shortest nonstop flight is a tiny hop between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in the United Kingdom, a mere 1.7 miles (2.7 km) apart.”

Flashback: True Peace with God Comes on God’s Terms

God delights to put our sin to death, when we labor in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we do that we can expect peace, and we can know true peace.

The only path to pleasure is in pleasing God.

—Richard Owen Roberts

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 13)

    A La Carte: No one drifts into godlIness / Your subscriptions are holding you captive / Fighting sexual temptation / An orderly case for raising hands in worship / Kirk Cameron and remodeling hell / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Harvest House Publishers)

    This week, the blog and this giveaway are sponsored by Harvest House Publishers. Meet 52 Unsung Heroes Throughout history, the stories of brave Black believers and their remarkable contributions to the Christian faith and our nation have too often gone overlooked. Passionate writer and educator Jasmine L. Holmes brings 52 notable Black Christians’ stories to life…

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    My Top Ten Books from 2025 (+ a Bonus)

    As another year draws to a close, I wanted to take some time to consider the books I read in 2025 and to assemble a list of my top picks. Apart from the first book, which I consider the best I read this year, the rest are in no particular order. In each case I’ve…

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    A La Carte (December 12)

    A La Carte: How to fight your phone idolatry / The weakness of God / Strong and fearless faith / Loving aging parents well / Changed by love / and more.

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    A La Carte (December 11)

    A La Carte: Gift giving in an age of abundance / Canada’s Bill C-9 / In memory of Jubilant Sykes / Motherhood is a refining fire / A gentle pastor isn’t a weak pastor / When God’s plans leave us distressed / and more.

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    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…