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A La Carte (Thanksgiving Edition)

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The Cool Pastor: Oxymoron or Just Moron? – “I had to do a double-take when I saw the tour bus. There it was, idling softly in the parking lot, with the pastor’s name and newest book title emblazoned large–in bright yellow letters–across either side. Being advertised on that conspicuous rolling billboard was a ‘special evening,’ (no doubt repeated dozens of times in select cities across the nation) with the newest ‘it’ pastor.”

Take Time to Give Thanks – “What are you doing to ready your heart for Thanksgiving? Regardless of the kind of year you’ve had, Scripture teaches us to see all circumstances—good and bad—as an opportunity to give thanks. That’s easier said than done, however. How are we to spot these good and perfect gifts that have come down to us from the Father of Lights? Below are three simple instructions for preparing your heart to give thanks this Thanksgiving…”

Story of the Bass – This video series on instruments has been fascinating. Here they look at the bass.

African Safari – Here’s an amazing photo gallery of an African safari.

Happy Thanksgiving From R.C. Sproul – “How much thanks do you give each year? In this special two-part message, R.C. Sproul reminds us of what is missing from so many Thanksgiving feasts and the fundamental sin we are guilty of everyday.” It’s free for the day.

Why Do Pastors Get a Housing Allowance? – “Last week a federal judge ruled that the long standing practice of churches (and synagoges, mosques, dioceses, etc.) giving their pastors a housing allowance was unconstitutional. This story is likely to pick up steam in the media, and my experience with this topic is that most people (including many elders and pastors) have no idea how housing allowances work, or why they are there to begin with.”

The Many Marriages of Henry VIII – Timothy Paul Jones takes a look at how the many marriages of Henry VIII changed the history of Christianity.

Manton

Doctrine is only the drawing of the bow; application is hitting the mark.

—Thomas Manton

  • AI Slop

    The Rise of AI Book Slop

    We often hear these days of “AI slop,” a term that’s used to refer to the massive amounts of poor-quality AI-created material that is churned out and unceremoniously dumped onto the internet. This was once primarily artistless artwork and authorless articles, but has now advanced to much bigger and more substantial forms of content.

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    A La Carte (December 8)

    A La Carte: A plea to older women / Let someone serve you in suffering / Why AI writing can’t compete / Influencers / The hidden danger in online sermons / Discipling young people / Excellent Kindle deals / and more.

  • Hymns

    Pitch Perfect and Tone Deaf

    God commands us to sing. Yet while some of God’s people are gifted singers, the plain fact is that others are not. In any congregation, it’s likely that some have near-perfect pitch while others are functionally tone-deaf. Those who struggle to sing may be self-conscious, tempted to stay quiet or to do no more than…

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    Weekend A La Carte (December 6)

    A La Carte: Rightly ordered desires / Ordinary wonders / For my good, not my comfort / Make room for special-needs families / Christmas spirit / Wisdom rarely makes you famous / and more.

  • New Dimensions Template

    Noteworthy New Commentaries from 2025

    There are few resources I rely on more than I rely on my commentaries. Over the years, I have developed an extensive collection and turn to them often. I try to keep tabs on new commentaries and thought I would let you know about some of the best options that were published in 2025