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Weekend A La Carte (February 22)

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I’m grateful to Ligonier Ministries for sponsoring the blog this week. They want you to know that a 40th anniversary edition of The Holiness of God is available when you provide a donation of any amount. Many would echo me when I say it’s one of the best and most formative books I’ve ever read.

Today’s Kindle deals include a selection of newer books and classics.

(Yesterday on the blog: Either/Or or Both/And?)

Augustine’s ‘Ordo Amoris’ and Immigration Policy

J.V. Fesko considers the “ordo amoris” and draws out an interesting point of encouragement. “For the last several decades, politics has become a battle of sound bites; more recently, our nation has undone 400 years of literacy by plying cultural memes as an engine of political and cultural warfare. In an otherwise bleak landscape, Vance’s invocation of Augustine’s order of love means that, whether right or wrong, he has appealed to a substantive idea rather than a sound bite or meme.”

The Unspoken Tongue

Joshua reflects on the silence of death. “Muffled tears and soft words broke the moment now and again, like small pebbles tossed onto the calm, unbroken surface of a lake. However, all these noises seemed swallowed up within the silence itself – the silence was roaring. One would expect the normal reaction to death and loss to be tears and grief; but when you come face to face with the beast itself, silence often feels most natural.”

Sin Casts a Long Shadow

Paul Levy reminds us that sin casts a long shadow.

But for the Cross of Christ (Video)

You may enjoy this new song from Bryan Fowler. “What is the truth / That ever anchors me / Amidst the waves of all my guilt / That Christ has shed / His blood and pardoned me / At the cross, at the cross.”

Prayers for Scrupulosity

Aubrynn shares some prayers she prays as she faces scrupulosity. They will be helpful, though, even for those who do not.

Don’t Wait to Be Thankful

Erin writes transparently about an especially difficult time in her life and faith. “I’m done waiting to be thankful. Today I give God praise that the dark thoughts have been absent. Even if they return tomorrow, that doesn’t erase the fact that I’ve had three days without them, and it doesn’t erase the fact that God heard my prayers and the prayers of those who love me. Tomorrow’s troubles don’t negate today’s blessings, and nothing can take away God’s goodness.”

Flashback: When We Go Unnourished

…if you, my friend, fail to nourish your soul, you have no cause to be surprised when your soul feels dry, when your faith feels parched, when you seem only to whither and fade.

The Jesus admired by liberals and skeptics would never have been convicted of blasphemy and crucified.

—Michael Horton

  • From the Rising of the Sun

    Preorder My New Book and Documentary!

    A few years ago I had an audacious idea: To travel the world and worship with Christians from east to west and north to south. The idea became a proposal and the proposal became a journey. Before I knew it I was traveling to Tonga, Fiji, Australia and far beyond.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

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    A La Carte: Carl Trueman on abolishing ourselves / In praise of honest hypocrisy / The path to growth / Is marriage a submission competition? / What really is the gift of tongues? / and more.

  • The Quiet Power of a Courageous Word

    The Quiet Power of a Courageous Word

    Sometimes it is the simplest of matters that bear the greatest fruit. A simple deed, a simple gift, a simple word can make all the difference. They can even begin a cascade that changes lives and changes the world.

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    A La Carte (July 23)

    A La Carte: That thing that happened at the Coldplay concert / Marrying an unbeliever / Caring for elderly parents / Test yourself, but trust in Jesus / Dangers to avoid in parenting / H.B. Charles remembers John MacArthur / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 22)

    A La Carte: Coldplay and hypocrisy / Unconditional election explained / Scottie Scheffler’s secret / A brilliant apologetic strategy / Bad dreams / How prayer works / Kindle deals / and more.