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A La Carte (October 28)

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Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include a huge Reformation Day event from Zondervan. You will probably want to consider some of their systematic theologies (e.g., Horton, Grudem, Reymond) and some of their church history material (e.g., Church History in Plain Language, which is widely regarded as the best single-volume church history). You’ll also find my own Seasons of Sorrow at the lowest price I’ve seen it; the same is true of Pilgrim Prayers, though the discount isn’t quite as steep because it’s so new.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Father’s Prayer for His Son)

For Richer, for Poorer: How to Steward Money in Marriage

Randy Alcorn offers lots for married couples to think about together as they consider how to steward their money. “Were you to survey married couples about their money-management goals, most answers would focus on some form of financial success. Most people strive to accumulate better houses, nicer cars, more toys, and bigger retirement accounts. But when it comes to the dream of financial prosperity and security, we should ask, ‘Whose dream is it?’”

Regrets in Parenting and Bothering Jesus

Lauren Whitman writes about regrets in parenting and our fear of bothering Jesus.

Renewing Your Mind: Now on YouTube

Thirty years ago, R.C. Sproul began Renewing Your Mind, a daily teaching broadcast to help Christians grow in their knowledge of God’s Word. Now, the podcast is available on YouTube, featuring daily teaching from Dr. Sproul and other theologians. As we approach the anniversary of the Reformation this week, subscribe to the Renewing Your Mind YouTube channel and hear Dr. Sproul teach from the book of Romans. (Sponsored)

Lost

“I think we see this in our culture consistently.  In so many ways, our world thinks that it knows better than previous generations. It clearly displays what CS Lewis called ‘chronological snobbery’.  However, there is rarely any awareness of lostness. There is little recognition in our culture of where we have come from, where we are, or where we are going.  There is a refusal to admit that we might be lost.  There are millions of people in our city blind to their lostness.”

The Temptation of Temptation

John Beeson: “I think some of us similarly treat sin as we treat violence [in movies]. We are drawn to the dopamine hit of getting near sin, but not (hopefully) entering in. We want to test ourselves and prove our mettle, and so we intentionally step into temptation’s path. We want the rush of escape. Temptation is tempting.”

Our Common Purpose

Cheryl considers the way she thinks about her singleness. “I’m afraid I’ve talked about my singleness as something I’m trying to survive way too often. Even though it doesn’t always feel like it, the Bible is clear that singleness is a gift from the Lord as it allows for more time to focus on the Lord.”

How Much Should Christians Tithe?

Earlier I linked to Randy Alcorn’s article for married couples. This one from Wayne Grudem applies to married and non-married people alike. He looks at the biblical concept of the tithe and then offers lots of common sense tips and pointers for today.

Flashback: What’s The Point Of Family Devotions?

The main purpose in our family has been simple: to gather the family together with God. 

The gospel frees me to be honest about the ways I fall short instead of being crushed by them, because it reminds me that Jesus was crushed for me.

—Adam Ramsey

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

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    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

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    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.

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    A La Carte (July 10)

    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.

  • The Stranger

    The Stranger: A Short Film For You

    Based on a true story and inspired by the truth that character comes before competence, “The Stranger” is an honest, light-hearted and meaningful picture of what it means to truly serve others.