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A La Carte (October 13)

A La Carte Collection cover image

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include lots of interesting books. Among them are several that are basically brand new. Also, you’ll now find the entire The Bible Speaks Today, Tyndale Old Testament, Tyndale New Testament, and Reformation Commentary on Scripture commentary series heavily discounted. You’ll find those discounts here. I find the BST especially helpful, most notably the volumes by Stott and Motyer, though many others are equally excellent.

I Miss the Stars

“Stars were never meant to be countable. They’re meant to overwhelm us, to remind us of how big the universe is and how small we are down here on our wet little garden rock.” 

Context Matters: Count the Cost

It is a phrase we use often: Count the cost. This article takes a look at the phrase in its biblical context and then teaches how to use it well.

Shame as the Vicious Trap of Sexual Sin

“I remember working with a military service member wrestling with bondage to sexual sin. As we talked, he eventually said, ‘You know, this reminds me of the training I received about what to do if I was ever stranded in the ocean off a sunken ship.’ I was perplexed and intrigued. Maybe you feel the same as you read his reply. I asked him to explain what he meant.”

The Clouds of Shame and Unbelief Distort the Glory of God’s Goodness

Sarah Walton: “Friend, Satan wants you and I to stay trapped and hidden in the cloud of shame and hopelessness. All he wants us to see are the muted colors of life that seem tell us that God really isn’t good, he’s keeping us from what will actually make us happy, or he’s saved up good for everyone except us.”

3 Helpful Questions to Ask When You’ve Been Blindsided

Lois offers three questions that would be helpful to ask in those times when you’ve been blindsided.

Set Your Heart

Jacob: “‘I just don’t want to be a Pharisee.’ This is normally how it starts. There is a good impulse to want to avoid self-righteousness or gospel-less obedience. But this good impulse quickly gets co-opted by the devil.”

Flashback: The Devoted Mind

The purpose of Owen’s book, and therefore the purpose of Lundgaard’s, is to draw our attention to the Beloved—to the triune God…That practice, and therefore this book, will take some effort, but it is effort that will be richly rewarded.

The cup of sin is sparkling at the top, but there is death at the bottom.

—De Witt Talmage

  • The Small Home Life

    You May Not Need Nearly as Much House as You Think You Do

    Our house is emptier than it has ever been, and that makes it feel bigger than it has ever been. It’s funny how the home that often felt just a little too small for the five of us now feels just a little too big for the two of us. Even a little house can…

  • A La Carte (May 25)

    Clearer thinking about sterilization / You did it again / The trouble underneath / Why don’t our sermons change people? / The whining Christian / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Works and Wonders

    Works & Wonders (May 24)

    Interesting and uplifting content for Sunday: Proclamation rather than proof, Fill This House, On Rainbow Wings, strange sea creatures, a faith crisis, and more.

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    Weekend A La Carte (May 23)

    Work will always matter / The rise of techno-feudalism / The gospel according to Karl Marx / The challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy / My manifesto on AI and religion / Steve McQueen, born again, set free / Cornfield baptism / 5 things most people don’t know about writing books

  • Authority

    How Men Can Use Their Authority Well

    There are few topics that have proven trickier to navigate than the topic of authority. We know we need authority to function as families, churches, and nations, yet there is something deep within our sinful humanity that causes us to rebel against it wherever it exists. We both want it and despise it. 

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    A La Carte (May 22)

    The ancient world had no word for child abuse / What I wish I had learned in theological college / Pray to the Lord of the harvest / What God is healing while not healing my health problems / Are you willing to show up? / Artificial preaching / Sales and deals / and more.