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Weekend A La Carte (July 27)

A La Carte Collection cover image

My gratitude goes to Matthias Media for sponsoring the blog this week. They wanted to ensure you learn about Evangelize 2024, which promises to be an amazing event.

Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older titles.

(Yesterday on the blog: When Christians Disagree)

Godly Living vs. God-Like Ambitions

There is a simple but crucial distinction between godly living and God-like ambitions. “Several dangers arise when we prioritize space over place, presenting perennial risks for Christian ministers that have become particularly sharp in our generation. This emphasis can tempt ministers to reach for God-like attributes such as omniscience and omnipresence, leading to unrealistic expectations and potential burnout. We need to understand and accept our limits to maintain faithful ministry.”

Scarlet Thread (Video)

You may enjoy this new song by the Gettys and Zach Williams titled “Scarlet Thread.”

‘Of the Civil Magistrate’: How Presbyterians Shifted on Church-State Relations

Kevin DeYoung goes to some length to show how Presbyterians shifted on church-state relations.

How the Cross Reveals the Truth About Who God Is

Amy Hall marvels at “the utter brilliance of the cross, God’s method of upholding perfect righteousness and justice while at the same time securing grace.”

Are You a Good Chef With Your Words?

“Our world glamorizes and gravitates towards the big moments, the big events, the wins with numbers. There’s nothing wrong with these, but anyone who does something worthwhile knows that his job, day by day and hour by hour, is feeding. It’s the faithful work behind the scenes to research the meals, create a balanced plan, buy the ingredients, prep the dishes, and serve the food.”

A Glorious Competition for Every Marriage

Jacob introduces a glorious competition that ought to exist within every marriage.

Flashback: Settlers in the Land of Love

My friends, when we traded all we owned for the pearl of great price, we made no fool’s bargain. When we sold everything we had and bought the field laden with hidden treasure, we completed the wisest of all transactions.

Every man loves the mercies of God, but a saint loves the God of his mercies.

—John Flavel

  • I Regret to Inform You That Heaven Tourism Is Back

    I Regret to Inform You That Heaven Tourism Is Back

    I regret to inform you, dear reader, that heaven tourism is back. The genre possibly never went away entirely, but it did at least disappear from the bestseller lists for several years. Sadly, it has returned in Gabe Poirot’s 18 Days in Heaven.

  • A La Carte (November 6)

    Don’t despise the red flags / Your thoughts are shaping your life / Can’t you just love everyone? / Selfies are not the self: forming embodied youth in a disembodied age / Effective altruists and the spreadsheet gospel / 4 Applications for the order of love—from the home to the ends of the earth /…

  • A La Carte (November 5)

    When you feel guilty about your giving / The missing piece in John Mark Comer’s quiet time / A manifesto for phone-free church / The pull of Rome / 4 Misconceptions about spiritual warfare / Slouching toward Narnia / Kindle deals, and more

  • A Daring Suggestion for Netflix

    A Daring Suggestion for Netflix

    Netflix appears to have fallen on hard times and I have some suggestions that I’d like to think would help it: cut the sex, nudity, and profanity, and gain back the viewers it’s long been alienating.

  • A La Carte (November 4)

    Can I love my enemies while addressing wrongs and protecting myself? / Is missions too costly for kids? / Don’t stock the pantry with temptation / Churches face a shortage of worship leaders / AI brought a mathematician to Ecclesiastes / Discerning between godly and worldly grief / Harvest in fearful times / and more.

  • This Week in Christian Books

    This Week in Christian Books (November 3, 2026)

    Tuesday is the day most publishers release their new books. Here is a look at the Christian books that came our way this week, including Prodigal Culture, Scroll Less Live More, and a graphic novel of Pilgrim’s Progress.