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A La Carte (September 7)

monday

It is Labour Day here in Canada, just as it is in the USA and perhaps elsewhere. For that reason I’ll mostly be laying low and trying to figure out what to do for an outdoor holiday on a rainy day!

Today’s Kindle deals include Al Mohler’s excellent new book The Gathering Storm which I’m surprised to see on sale so soon after release.

(Yesterday on the blog: Teach Us the Art of Praise!)

When Looking for a Church, Beware the “Right Fit”

“‘I’m looking for a church that’s just like me.’ Few people would say it quite so crassly, but the sentiment is common. I often hear people say they’re looking for a church that has ‘the right fit.’” By which people mean, “I’m looking for a church that provides the ministries I am looking for, full of people I can identify with, and where the style reflects my personal preferences.’”

Older Women, Young Churches Need You

This article expresses it well. “I’m convinced that many of our churches are suffering from a lack of mature, older women. I’m in my mid-30s, and I’ve mostly been part of city-center churches, church plants, and university churches. On any Sunday, I see three, maybe four gray heads when I worship. But gray heads are exactly what we need. Young women need older women. We might not be good at communicating it, but it’s true. But we often don’t realize how much we need help until we’re in crisis.”

3 Questions about Self-Care

Jen Oshman addresses some questions about the whole notion of self-care.

Trusting God in Times of Plenty

We know we will be challenged to trust God in times of difficulty, but what about in times of plenty?

Should Parents Spank Their Children?

Here’s one way of putting it. “Just as bad preaching doesn’t disqualify all pulpits, and bad writing doesn’t mean we should banish publishing, and a bad haircut doesn’t mean you should go Nazarite, so bad spanking doesn’t mean there isn’t good spanking.”

Raise Your Kids So They’re Not Self-Reliant

“Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3) and parents are stewards of that gift. If we believe our children belong to God, shouldn’t our goal be to point them to Him as their Ultimate Security?”

Flashback: No Excuses for Preaching Bad Sermons

The very tools that can help us can also hinder us. The tools can keep us from preaching poor sermons can also keep us from preaching excellent ones.

Wherever we go, whatever decisions are before us, the way of life should be illuminated by God’s Word. To live otherwise is to walk in darkness.

—Donald Whitney

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