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A La Carte (September 10)

thursday

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good books, one of them suitable for those struggling with pornography (or attempting to help someone who is).

(Yesterday on the blog: Learning To Thrive as a Diverse Church)

Why Unhealthy People Crave Controversy

This is good and important. “Quarrels sometimes come, and sometimes those controversies are what it takes to be faithful to the Spirit. But just as one engaged in sexual immorality can always convince himself that this is a special case of ‘love,’ ‘soulmates,’ or ‘destiny,’ the one with an unhealthy craving for controversy can always convince himself that he’s a warrior for Christ—instead of a captive to his passions.”

How a Massive Bomb Came Together in Beirut’s Port

This is an amazing visualization from the New York Times—and a good bit of journalism to go with it.

Plus Ça Change And Clapped Out Cars

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. So goes the old epigram. The more it changes, the more it stays the same. I was set to thinking about this phrase as I received yet another call from the police about another abandoned car that had dumped on our church car park.”

A Short History of Racism

As this article so aptly shows, racism has a long, ugly, and worldwide history.

The Christian And the State

There are lots of good takeaways from this article by Paul Carter which concerns churches and the pandemic. Including this: “Government regulations differ region to region, province to province and country to country, so every church must wrestle with the correct application of these principles to their particular context…”

When Detours Become Destinations

Sometimes the detour does become the destination…

What Is Time?

Consider how much our lives are governed by time, we probably don’t think much about what time really is…

Flashback: The Folly Bound Up in the Heart of a Child

The beautiful jewel of salvation highlights the deep darkness of sin. Our children’s holiness reveals just how foolish they were, it displays how badly they needed to be saved, and it proves the great power of God’s salvation.

Anger is against God because he is the one who directs the details of our lives. In fact, in our anger and outrage, we have decided that we want to be God rather than submit to him.

—Ed Welch

  • Idleness

    Neither Idle nor Idolatrous

    As a new Lord’s Day dawns, it seems fitting that we remind ourselves of the power and purpose of the precious privileges of hearing from God, speaking to God, and belonging to God. As Christians through the centuries have pondered these means of grace, these key habits of the Christian life, they have always felt…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (January 24)

    A La Carte: Who is rich and who is poor? / The new rise of stoicism / A new hymn / When your daughter becomes a mother / The fruit of kindness / How we worship / and more.

  • The Humility Project

    The Humility Project for Men

    I have lots of good memories from the various conferences I have been to through the years, but there is one that often stands out. I was one of many speakers at a counseling conference and, at some point, the speakers were invited to join together for a group activity. We were given the option:…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 23)

    A La Carte: Escaping the touchscreen trap / A censorious spirit / John Piper on the best religion / The evil of envy / The men God uses / Managing email well / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 22)

    A La Carte: Suffering as spiritual formation / Save the humanities from the slop / Dying to give / Someone is getting played / Using gifts or burning out? / Preparing to pray / and more.