Skip to content ↓

Weekend A La Carte (July 29)

Yesterday I preached my seventh(!) and final message at Muskoka Bible Centre, then headed home. I’m finally back at my desk after two weeks away–one week of vacation and one week of teaching. As always, it’s great to be home.

Today’s Kindle deals include a single, solitary title, but it’s a good one that’s new to Kindle.

Who Were the Galatians?

Tom Schreiner tells who the Galatians were. “Was Paul’s letter to the Galatians written to south or north Galatia? Why does it even matter? It should be said at the outset that the destination of the letter does not fundamentally change its interpretation. Where it makes a difference is in terms of history. The destination of the letter determines how we correlate Galatians with Acts.”

How to Make a Movie Out of Anything

This article tells why people keep cranking out dumb movies (and the occasional good one) based on toys, board games, video games, and so on.

Do Visitors at Your Church Really Feel Welcome?

These simple things really matter. And it’s amazing to me how often they are missed. “If you’re a church leader who cares about the experience of hospitality for those who visit your church services, I hope you will work through the following questions with eyes open to the impression your church may be leaving visitors.”

The Upside of Rotting Carcasses

Here’s a strangely interesting one from Smithsonian. “Large animals dying en masse are crucial to the the Serengeti—and they aren’t the only ones.”

Pursuit (Video)

Here’s some incredible, haunting storm footage.

Tips on Building a Digital Library

Jeff Straub: “I know there has been discussion on the long-term viability of digital vs. the continued preference for print. I still think that the advantages of digital far surpass their potential limitations, especially if you are starting out building a new collection for use in a lifetime of ministry.”

The Polygamous Town Facing Genetic Disaster

“In a remote region of the US, a town is struggling with a chilling health crisis caused by a recessive gene. The reason? Here, polygamy is still practised.”

Flashback: Why We Fail at Family Devotions

Make sure you allow your family devotions to reflect the uniqueness of your family. Make them your own, and do them for the good of your family and the glory of God. Mostly, just do them.

From The Seahawks to Seminary

My gratitude to MBTS for sponsoring the blog this week.

Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive.

—Elisabeth Elliot

  • Gospel way

    Truths That Take on the World

    Christianity has a long history with catechisms—summaries of key doctrines that are arranged in a question-and-answer format. Traditionally, Presbyterians would be taught The Shorter Catechism, Dutch Reformed believers The Heidelberg Catechism, and Baptists one of the Baptist equivalents. Sadly, the use of catechisms began to decline as the years went by, so that it became…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Business meetings at the urinal / Ambition and competition / The loneliness crisis / Better than feeling seen / Exhausted and overwhelmed / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: Young people are turning to the Bible / What conservative young men need / Justifying self-gratification / The influence of reading / On boredom / and more.

  • Remember

    It Doesn’t Matter What You Remember

    I have a memory like a … what do you call it? That thing in the kitchen you use to sift the stuff you want from the stuff you don’t. A sieve! That’s it. I have a memory like a sieve. I joke about it at times, and about how I have to outsource remembering…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 14)

    A La Carte: Always being right / Sex advice for newlyweds / Making Christianity look good / Soul care / Stop straining for shortcuts / When writing feels like a chair / Rare Kindle deals / and more.

  • Post Woke

    Are We Post Woke?

    It is too early to tell, I think, whether the “wokeness” craze has already peaked and even begun to slip into decline, or whether it’s just pausing to gather energy for another surge. What seems clear for the moment, though, is that it has lost at least some of its initial momentum, probably because it…