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A La Carte (October 19)

thursday

As a devotee of chronological Bible-reading plans, I was pleased to learn of the new ESV Chronological Bible that Crossway just announced and released. It’s available in hardcover and TruTone.

(Yesterday on the blog: On the Day When God Fails in Just One of His Promises)

The Remembrance of Blood

This is a strong article by Andrew Roycroft. “As Christians what do we have to say about human life, large scale bloodshed, and the injustice that often follows it? Does the Bible provide us with a framework for processing and addressing these issues in a morally satisfying way? How can we think well about the legacy of blood that stains the conscience of the world we live in?”

Remember Sybil

“Remember Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)? The 1980 diagnostic manual called DSM-III defined MPD for the first time, but the psychiatric professionals in 1994 changed the diagnosis (in the DSM-IV) to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). According to Psychology Today the change was ‘to reflect a better understanding of the condition—namely, that it is characterized by fragmentation or splintering of identity, rather than by proliferation or growth of separate personalities.’ (PT, 9.21). Splintering rather than separate.” Nathan draws an important lesson from this.

Is It Wrong to Have Sex Before Marriage?

Obviously it is wrong, but it’s important we consider the reasons for this (as Kevin DeYoung does here). “Not long ago, an American politician found herself in an awkward situation when she mentioned at a prayer breakfast that she was running late for the event because her fiancé wanted to have sex that morning. From her public admission, it was clear that the woman and her fiancé were living together and were in a sexual relationship. What was also clear is that the woman—a professing Christian at an evangelical church (with her pastor in the audience)—didn’t realize she had said or done anything wrong.”

Prayer Requests from a Church in Israel

Randy Alcorn passes along prayer requests from a local church in Israel. It is good to know how to pray for our brothers and sisters there.

“Have you ever met a chronic navel-gazer? Well, if you haven’t before, you have now. Hi, my name is Brittany. Nice to meet you.”

Trust the Lord in Your Marriage

We know that God calls us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart.” In this article, Jacob calls us to do so in a very particular area.

Flashback: 5 Bad Substitutes for Discipline

Because discipline is unpopular and unpleasant, parents often find themselves looking for substitutes. In her book Parenting Against the Tide, Ann Benton lists five poor substitutes for disciplining our children—five poor substitutes that fail to address the heart.

Believers don’t depend on luck, chance, fate, or fortune. We trust a God who has planned all things for our good and His glory. Trust, rejoice, obey.

—Dustin Benge

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    Weekend A La Carte (September 12)

    It’s 10 p.m., and your kids want to know where you are / The dark side of mindfulness / Planet of bots / How to love your local public school / The beautiful complexity of the human eye / Hard cases: no time to talk / Reader recommendations.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Harvest House Publishers)

    This week, the blog and this giveaway are sponsored by Harvest House Publishers. Dear Millie,  You are cordially invited to The God Party.Love, F, S, & HS Who sent this strange invitation and what does it mean? Millie has no idea—that is, until her fiendishly funny friends, the REAL BAD GUYS, shed some light on the…

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    We Will Be Changed

    A review of Alistair Begg’s We Will Be Changed, an exposition of the fruit of the Spirit—essential character that is produced in us but not by us.

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    A La Carte (September 11)

    Pastors who prey on the flock / On (not) making very important Christian people / 5 helpful reminders for praying moms / Conspiracy theories are simple / The faithful friendship a marriage needs / A catechism on technology / Book and Kindle deals.

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    A La Carte (September 10)

    I wasn’t outside of God’s will. I was tired. / The NFL quarterbacks who found God in defeat / How to raise a son who is boring and unattractive to women / How do we know when to shut down a church? / Headship and submission when husbands and wives disagree / Is church membership…

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    How Scammers Are Targeting Christian Authors

    Scammers are using AI to target Christian authors. They use fake marketing, offers of translation, and fabricated book clubs. Here’s how to recognize the scams and how to avoid being fooled by them.