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A La Carte (September 8)

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The Public Reading of Scripture in Corporate Worship

Few things irk me more than a very poor public reading of Scripture. This article offers really helpful pointers on doing it right (and explains why we ought to make the effort).

Rosaria Butterfield on Sexuality and Identity

In this short video (less than 3 minutes) Rosaria Butterfield explains why we should not accept sexuality as a category of identity.

The Myth of Quality Time

I enjoyed this reflection on the importance of quantity, not merely quality, of time. “We delude ourselves … when we invoke and venerate ‘quality time,’ a shopworn phrase with a debatable promise: that we can plan instances of extraordinary candor, plot episodes of exquisite tenderness, engineer intimacy in an appointed hour.”

Faithfulness in Small Places

“As I speak in other churches, I find few that are impressive. Again, the people are great, and the ministry significant, but it always seems that things are humble, and that the real action’s taking place somewhere else. It’s tempting to wish that we were there, rather than in the small, humble places where we serve.”

HappinessPre-order Worthy: Randy Alcorn’s next major work, Happiness, releases on October 1. “In Happiness, noted theologian Randy Alcorn dispels centuries of misconceptions about happiness and provides indisputable proof that God not only wants us to be happy, He commands it.” Pre-order at Amazon.

The Drifters

Christianity Today has a neat article and photo gallery celebrating God’s hand in giving us phytoplankton. Yes, you read that right: phytoplankton.

How to Spot a Liar

It turns out that most of the old methods you’ve heard about are pretty much useless at spotting liars. “Forget body language or eye movements. There are much better ways to identify the deceitful.”

Un Petit Enfant

Sometimes I enjoy listening to worship music in other languages. Recently I came across Kim Tran (Faculté Jean Calvin) and have enjoyed his French worship songs.

Mohler

Hell will be filled with people who were avidly committed to Christian values.

—Al Mohler

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    A La Carte (April 30)

    A La Carte: Warblers and the question of gratuitous beauty / Are parents to blame for prodigals? / The freebie round-up / Scripts for healthy masculinity / 5 traits of great spiritual leaders / Why daily bread is better / and more.

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    This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective, and the post is written by Jared C. Wilson. “It doesn’t really matter if I can ‘dress it up;’ I just have to have the facts right.” I’ve heard some variation of that sentiment a number of times over the years, more lately while teaching my…

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    The Great Man and the Local Church

    There is a way of telling history that focuses on the impact of the few great figures that rise up in any generation. This “great man theory” says that history can best be understood when we focus on the dominant figures of the time. History, it says, turns on the actions, decisions, obsessions, and natural…

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    A La Carte: The absence of opposition / Life and death are in the power of the fingers / Preaching Goliath’s sword / This piece of land / Sin wants us isolated / Foolosophy / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A Book Unlike Any Other

    A Book Unlike Any Other

    The Bible may be a book, but it is a book unlike any other. The Bible is inspired—breathed out by God and in that way perfectly reflects the mind and will of God. The Bible is also complete, sufficient, inerrant, and infallible. Because the Bible is all these things and so many more, it is…

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    Weekend A La Carte (April 27)

    A La Carte: How to talk to your teens about Taylor Swift’s new album / Soft discipleship / Why doesn’t God make his existence more evident? / Three ways God is working through your suffering / Jesus didn’t come to make any nation great / and more.