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A La Carte (October 6)

friday

Today’s Kindle deals include a whole collection of books related to the Reformation and Reformed theology.

Westminster Books has a great sale on some top-notch commentaries and resources.

The Pointlessness of Vegas is Its Point

“Forget your conspiracy theories, which are coming thick and fast. Forget your sociological investigations, and the handwringing over US gun control. The sheer meaningless of the action is its meaning.”

Church, Stop Telling Her to “Wait” on Her Boaz

“If you read the book of Ruth, you see that she wasn’t ‘waiting’ for her Boaz at all. We see her loyalty to her mother in law, Naomi, clinging to her, while forsaking her ethnic identity and her decision to follow and worship the God of Israel.

Pastor, Keep a Close Watch On Your Life and Illustrations

Jared Wilson: “We all know a good illustration when we hear one in a sermon. But I’m gonna go out on a (sturdy) limb here and suggest that sermon illustrations these days are way overrated.”

The Problem With “Pan-Millennialism”

“But the person who tells the ‘panmillennial’ joke, and really means it, isn’t interested in details about the endtimes. He realizes that eschatology (the study of last things) is loaded with difficulties, and says, ‘I’m not going to think much about end times doctrine anymore. Jesus is going to make everything right when He comes again, and that’s good enough for me.’”

God’s Word Never Returns Void

“The preaching of God’s word on Sundays does its work in the lives of his people. It might seem small and pointless. It might seem slow and like growth isn’t happening (Hab. 2:3) It might seem monotonous and routine (for the one preparing the sermon). It might even seem like foolishness to the outsider looking in (1 Cor. 1:18). But it works.”

How Do You Translate Metaphors and Images? (Video)

I thoroughly enjoyed this video by Bill Mounce. He points out good ways and bad ways to translate metaphors.

Weapons in the Fight Against Anxiety and Fear

“The desire to know why things are happening in our life and even more so to control things in our life is one of the greatest killers of contentment. It also proves to be one of the greatest engines of anxiety.”

Flashback: No One Else Is Coming

They worked, waited, prayed, and hoped. They waited for a church planter to develop a heart for their neighborhood, to come with a calling, a mandate, a core team. But after a while they had to face it: “We realized, no one else is coming.”

He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men.

—C.H. Spurgeon

  • Service

    You Are in the Circumstances in Which You Can Best Serve

    There are times when we all find ourselves lamenting our circumstances. These may be times in which we grieve life’s losses or suffer life’s indignities, or these may be times in which we grapple with the frustrations that come with life in this world—when our skills are underutilized, or our contributions are underappreciated.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 15)

    A La Carte: Blood soaks into the sand of Bondi Beach / This year’s biggest religious trend / The best Christian music of 2025 / The challenges this Christmas / Micromanaging your habits / Notable Kindle deals / and more.

  • A Moving Picture of the Gospel

    A Moving Picture of the Gospel

    As we gather on Sundays, we preach the Bible, read the Bible, pray the Bible, and sing the Bible. But that is not all, for we also “see” the Bible. Here’s how Mark Dever expresses it: “The ordinances are the dramatic presentations of the gospel. They are the moving pictures that represent the spiritual realities…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    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…

  • Top Ten

    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…