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Weekend A La Carte (2/2)

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The Superbowl and Women – This is a brilliant and very important article. Give it some time and attention! “I contend that the way we consume iconic national events like the Super Bowl better depicts what we really believe about women and their so-called roles than do our formal theological statements, denominational position papers, teachings about the spiritual disciplines, and admonitions toward modesty and fidelity. For in the invisibility of normality, there we find our idolatry.”

Going Outside the Camp – James Coffield challenges us: “We have all ‘sinned against sinners.’ The church is often quick to reach out and serve those suffering from physical sickness, as it should.” But we do not do so well when it comes to mental illness. “As believers, we are often curious about the factors that may have contributed to the illness, but we are called to be humble and kind. We need humble curiosity when dealing with those afflicted with mental illness.”

Secrets of Grand Central Terminal – This is fun. It’s an interactive map displaying some of the secrets of New York’s Grand Central Terminal.

The Rented Crowd – I always enjoy Conrad Mbewe’s descriptions of the cultural nuances of his context. Here he writes about the African phenomenon of the “rented” crowd and warns you to be careful when counting attendance during your missions trips.

8 Notes on Counseling Abused Children – I’m not sure how helpful it is to distill so serious a charge (the charge to counsel an abused child) down to 8 short points, but I did appreciate Victor Vieth’s attempt to set helpful directions. The final point gives us all a challenge: “Preaching the gospel to abused children involves more than waiting for one to appear in our office or even our churches—it means an active search for the lost.”

Superhero Dad – If you happened to catch the viral photo of a superhero dad and his superhero son out shopping, this article gives context. It never ceases to surprise me how 15 minutes of fame can come about in a digital world!

Sex is from God. He gave it to us as a gift. It’s a wedding gift.

—Bill Shannon

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    A La Carte (July 1)

    A La Carte: The Queen of Sheba tries AI / Did we sin our marriage away? / When to stop treatment / Essential practices when comforting the grieving / Jesus doesn’t use fake plants / Kindle deals.

  • Satan Can Stage a Quiet Revival Too

    Satan Can Stage a Quiet Revival Too

    We are hearing encouraging reports of a kind of quiet revival that is spreading throughout the West. There appears to be a small but noticeable interest in the Christian faith by groups that, until recently, had eschewed it

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    A La Carte (June 30)

    A La Carte: The gift of what I’ll never write / Bible reading blues / The gift of middle age / So, you can’t seem to function today / Neither authoritarian nor anti-institution / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Hell

    Let Them Leap To Hell Over Our Bodies

    One of the most sacred and most important of our tasks in prayer is to intercede on behalf of the lost. We know that every one of our friends, neighbors, and family members needs to hear the good news of the gospel and repent and believe. We know that God is the Good Shepherd, who…

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    Weekend A La Carte (June 28)

    A La Carte: Why you escape to the mountains / Evangelism for introverts / Come, Let Us Return to the Lord (a new song) / My child’s success isn’t my crowning glory / Watering dirt / and more.