Skip to content ↓

Weekend A La Carte (9/14)

A La Carte Collection cover image

Prideful Comparison – “That means the life that you have is a sacred calling. By the grace of God, you are what you are. It also means that the lives others have are sacred callings by the grace of God. And some of those saints have received sacred callings resulting in greater levels of gifting and prominence than yours. And this means that you and I frequently must battle against comparing ourselves with others.”

The Fare Up There – Having done two trans-Atlantic flights in the past week or so, airline food has been on my mind (and, unfortunately, in my stomach). This article explains why it is so difficult to make a meal that is actually worth eating.

What I Wish I’d Known – “Yancey Arrington shares how he learned to stop reading the Bible like Aesop’s Fables, plus what he wishes he had known about God’s sovereignty, discipleship, theology, and preaching.”

Don’t Knock Beauty – I agree with Julian: We can so emphasize inward character qualities that we somehow lessen the importance of beauty. He suggests we work toward a better balance. “If we lose our desire for beauty, it will only serve to diminish our desire for our beautiful God. The balance, I suppose, is learning to long for the beauty that matches his character and reflects his beauty. And then, once we find it, we give praise to the one who gives beauty to all that is beautiful.”

Machines Imitate Life – “A set of mechanical gears that work just like those seen in moving instruments and engines has been discovered in a small garden insect which uses them to kick its hind legs at exactly the same time.” The article hands it all to evolution, of course, so be sure to see God’s hand in it.

Use the Bible to Prove the Bible – “I have heard this many times. It can come from Christians or non-Christians, but it is mainly on the lips of unbelievers. The idea that the Bible itself is inadmissible as a testimony to itself. If I were trying to use the Bible to prove the validity of the Bible, from the perspective of many outsiders, this is circular reasoning. However, this statement is not only wrong, but completely misunderstands its own argument and, ironically, makes the very circular reasoning assumptions that it accuses believers of.”

The best way to do ourselves good is to be doing good to others; the best way to gather is to scatter.

—Thomas Brooks

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 2)

    A La Carte: Today’s thoughts become tomorrow’s habits / You will never reach your potential / Grieving with hope / After deconstruction, what? / What is the fruit of self-control? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A Very “Happy New Year” A La Carte

    A La Carte: Goal setting for people with actual lives / You have time to read the Bible / The only guarantee for 2026 / Audiobook sale / Holding true today prepares us for tomorrow / A year of impossible things / Tons of Kindle deals.

  • Lists

    A Year-End Roundup of Roundups

    ‘Tis the time of year to consider the year that was. For bloggers, this usually involves a roundup of the most popular articles and favorite books. To that end, here is a roundup of my various roundups!

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 31)

    A La Carte: We have smartphones—why memorize Scripture? / The long walk home / Why women are going to therapy instead of church / Inerrancy and preaching / Don’t judge newbies / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 30)

    A La Carte: Foot washing / Honoring an aging loved one / Why you should read in 2026 / Don’t forget to pray for the Ms / Fully pleasing / Kitndle deals / and more.

  • New-and-Notable

    New and Notable Christians Books for December

    Even late in the year, we continue to see some excellent new books come our way. And, one way or another, most of them make their way to boxes on my front doorstep. I sort through all those books and try to distill them down to some of the most notable. Here are the ones…