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Weekend A La Carte (February 17)

I’m spending a bit of time this weekend in beautiful British Columbia speaking at a men’s retreat. This is still and always one of my favorite areas of Canada, though I wouldn’t mind being just a bit deeper into the mountains…

(Yesterday on the blog: Procrastination Is a Failure to Love)

EPIC Evening in London

I’m excited to announce our next EPIC stop will be in London. If you are in the area, why don’t you come out for an evening of Q&A and some giveaways? (Also next week we will be in Sydney, Australia at Reformers Bookshop!)

18 Questions about Faith and Mental Illness

“When engaging a difficult and highly personal subject, it is better to start with good questions than a list of answers. The better our questions are, the more responsibly we will utilize the answers of which we are confidant, the more humbly we will approach areas of uncertainty, and the more we will honor one another in the process of learning.”

Will We Have Our Own Homes in Heaven?

“When you’re traveling late at night and you don’t know where you’re going to stay, nothing’s more discouraging than finding a No Vacancy sign. There’s no such sign in Heaven. If we’ve made our reservations by accepting God’s gift in Christ, then Heaven is wide open to us. Jesus knew what it was like to have no vacancy in the inn and to sleep in a barn. On the New Earth, He’ll have plenty of room for all of us.”

The Curious Case of the Fruit That Transforms Sour to Sweet (Video)

“The plant that produces the berries, Synsepalum Dulcificum, is native to West Africa, where the fruit was traditionally used to sweeten palm wine and make soured cornbread more palatable. Growing best in acidic soil in tropical zones, the coffee-sized berries were introduced to Europeans by the explorer Chevalier des Marchais.”

Praying For Our Children

“Parenting children is hard work. There are so many times I’m at a loss when it comes to leading my family. Should I discipline in this situation or let it slide? Am I being unreasonable with my requirements? How can I speak truth in such a way as to penetrate their hearts? What’s the right word of encouragement in this circumstance? How can I lead them to love the Bible, and Jesus, and the church?”

Trusting God in the Face of Tragedy

“There is such relief that comes from submitting to the will of our heavenly Father. A family in Northern Ireland lost their only child in a cruel traffic accident at the age of 12 – a child they didn’t think they would ever have. Their response? The notice of his death they placed in the newspaper finished with these words, ‘As for God, his ways are perfect.’ Strong faith? Absolutely. Blind faith? Not in the least.”

Is Facebook For Old People?

“It’s official: Facebook is for old(er) people. Teens and young adults are ditching Mark Zuckerberg’s social network as popularity among the over-55s surges, according to a report.”

What Should We Make of the Massive Repetition of Tabernacle Details in Exodus?

“If we believe that all Scripture is useful and profitable (2 Tim 3:16-17), and we are to take heed of what God has revealed about himself, how might we approach chapters 35-39 of Exodus? Will we simply skip them, trusting the lessons from Exodus 26-31 to be sufficient? Or does the Lord have more for us than that?”

Flashback: Sex on the Silver Screen: What Would a Victorian Christian Say?

Even in the 1880s, nudity and scenes of sexuality were a matter of concern and debate. And even then, people who believed it was wrong to display such things were considered prudish.

Christ had the form of a servant, without the impurities of our slavery.

—Stephen Charnock

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    A La Carte (March 19)

    A La Carte: How to know if you’re using God / The soul-poison of the little word ‘should’ / True, false, or heresy? / Truthful thinking is greater than positive thinking / Unless the seed dies / and more.

  • The Phrase that Altered My Thinking Forever

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing and is written by Ralph Cunnington. Years ago, I stumbled repeatedly on an ancient phrase that altered my thinking forever.  Distinct yet inseparable. The first time I encountered this phrase was while studying the Council of Chalcedon’s description of the two natures of Christ. Soon after,…

  • Always Look for the Light

    Always Look for the Light

    For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond.…

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    A La Carte (March 18)

    A La Carte: God is good and does good—even in our pain / Dear bride and groom / Sin won’t comfort you / Worthy of the gospel / From self-sufficiency to trusting God’s people / The gods fight for our devotion / and more.

  • Confidence

    God Takes Us Into His Confidence

    Here is another Sunday devotional—a brief thought to orient your heart toward the Lord. God takes the initiative in establishing relationship by reaching out to helpless humanity. He reveals himself to the creatures he has made. But what does it mean for him to provide such revelation of himself? John Calvin began his Institutes by…

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    Weekend A La Carte (March 16)

    A La Carte: I believe in the death of Julius Caesar and the resurrection of Jesus Christ / Reasons students and pastors shouldn’t use ChatGPT / A 1.3 gigpixel photo of a supernova / What two raw vegans taught me about sharing Jesus / If we realize we’re undeserving, suddenly the world comes alive /…