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Weekend A La Carte (1/8)

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A La Carte has always been a Monday to Friday deal, but recently I’ve been thinking about also doing a weekend edition. I figure I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. So without any further ado, here’s the first ever Weekend A La Carte. Enjoy!

Letter from Guido – I recently came across this letter from Reformer Guido de Bres to his wife. He is about to die and writes to comfort her and to advise her on the future. It’s a beautiful, sweet, pastoral letter.

E-Book Sales – Between 3 and 5 million e-reading devices were activated in the week following Christmas. And millions of e-books were sold in the days following. It seems that we’re closer and closer to a tipping point here where e-books are going to surge past printed books.

God and the Big Bang – The Roman Catholic Church continues to give ground to evolution. “God’s mind was behind complex scientific theories such as the Big Bang, and Christians should reject the idea that the universe came into being by accident, Pope Benedict said on Thursday.”

Christian Communicator’s – Did you know that Jim Elliff’s ministry will send free books or other resources to pastors, teachers and ministry leaders? They offer some great books, so check out the offer and the conditions at the link.

The Relation of Church and Family – This article by Sam Waldron is a useful critique of some of the tenets of the Family Integrated Church movement. “In the last couple of decades a significant ecclesiastical trend has arisen out of the home-schooling movement which raises significant issues with regard to the relation of the church and the family. The movement I have in mind is associated with Vision Forum, Patriarch Magazine, and represented by the book by Eric Wallace, Uniting Church and Home, and the New Testament Restoration Foundation. The views of this movement are by no means homogeneous, but there is a sufficient commonality to ground a unified critique of their characteristic perspectives.” (Note: here’s a follow-up letter from Dr. Waldron)

Books I’ve Read – In case you’re interested, here are a few books I’ve read recently (continuing on with my love of books dealing with the Second World War): Ghost Soldiers (very interesting book, ideal for lazy Saturday afternoons), Berlin at War (quite an interesting study of Berlin and Berliners; probably a bit niche for most people), and The Third Reich at War (I didn’t get all the way through it as it becomes quite dense and repetitive; it’s largely a discussion of German atrocities).

Gospel Coalition Q&A – There’s lots of good content in this interview with D.A. Carson (if you’ve got an hour to spare on a Saturday!):

Gospel Coalition Q & A from Realityla on Vimeo.


  • Quiet Time

    The Quiet Time Kickstart

    We are all people of habits. To some degree, we are always battling to establish good habits while battling to supplant bad ones. This is true of us in many different areas of life and most certainly true in our spiritual lives. In fact, some have argued that when we describe the way we relate…

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Why don’t we read the Bible more? / Did David rape Bathsheba? / To (almost) die is gain / Learn to pray the Bible / When you’re close to burnout / Called to freedom / and more.

  • How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    I think we can sometimes fool ourselves into believing that the Reformation caused the Roman Catholic Church to abandon some, most, or all of the doctrine that was so concerning to the Reformers. We can sometimes believe that the Catholicism of today is materially different from that of the 16th century or that it has…

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    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: iPhones, idolatry, and evil spirits / At my mother’s deathbed / Nothing to do but pray / Bible study tips for beginners / Jesus did condemn homosexuality / Please don’t sing “Imagine” at funerals / Kindle and book deals.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 14)

    A La Carte: Narcissus in public / A famous poet, KFC, and peace with my past / Does empowerment come from boudoir photoshoots? / Surrendering them to God / Sermon prep / Your plans for this year / and more.

  • 10 Reasons to Teach the Bible’s Big Truths to Children

    📖 Why teach children the big truths of the Bible? Moses commanded Israel to gather everyone—men, women, and little ones—to hear God’s law. Why? So they could “hear and learn to fear the Lord.” (Deut. 31:12-13) Children need the deep, rich truths of Scripture to know God, embrace the Gospel, and build a faith that…