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Weekend A La Carte (9/14)

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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

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    A La Carte (July 25)

    A La Carte: What does it mean to die with dignity? / Did Paul endorse slavery? / Forgiveness in marriage / 5 ways to pursue contentment / The immense value of encouragement / and more.

  • Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult

    Of all the Christian disciplines, it is my guess that meditation may be the least practiced—though I suppose fasting might have something to say about that. Most people diligently make time to read the Bible and pray. And yet, while most people have good intentions when it comes to meditation, it so often seems to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 24)

    A La Carte: A mother to me, too / Never look your age? / Nine reminders for the struggle with body image / A ruler who trusts in Yahweh / No, I will not stop calling the church a family / Criminalizing sexual ethics / Bible journal sale / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (July 23)

    A La Carte: Connection and commitment / When your mind gets stuck / Prayer postures in the Bible / Fading with age / Does God care about how I work? / 7 essential things to know about God’s holiness / and more.

  • Evangelize 2024: Growing a Church That Proclaims The Gospel

    This week the blog is sponsored by Matthias Media. Does your evangelistic passion match the New Testament call to proclaim Christ’s name to all people? God calls on us to partner with him in “hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet 3:12) by laboring to make people ready for that day, having…