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Weekend A La Carte (June 2)

Today’s Kindle deals include quite a few good-quality books.

(Yesterday on the blog: Don’t Leave Jesus Out of Your Marriage)

Paige Patterson Fired by Southwestern, Stripped of Retirement Benefits

“A week after trustees voted to immediately shift Paige Patterson to ‘president emeritus’ at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), the board’s executive committee has stripped the Southern Baptist stalwart of all ‘benefits, rights and privileges.’ In a statement announcing Patterson’s termination, the committee stated today that it had confirmed information regarding reports that he mishandled a sexual abuse allegation while president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS).”

How Jesus’ Death Proved He Was King

“In Christ’s earthly ministry, the Jewish people were expecting him to raise an army like any earthly kind would in order to resuscitate the Davidic kingdom (e.g., John 6:15). This was on their minds when Jesus entered Jerusalem in a royal ‘parousia’ mounted on a donkey.”

What are the Most Common Mistakes New Pastors Make? (Video)

“‘What are the most common mistakes new pastors make?’ Dr. Hershael York answers in Honest Answers”

Words, Labels, and “Sexual Minorities”

You may have heard about the upcoming Revoice Conference coming to Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis at the end of July. The goal of the conference is stated succinctly: ‘Supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can experience the life-giving character of the historic Christian tradition.’ The plenary speakers are well-known in the celibate gay identity movement, a movement in which many authors and writers are happy to embrace the self-description ‘gay Christian.’”

Whate’re My God Ordains is Right

Jennifer Weitz writes, “May 10, 2018 was the most beautiful yet painful day of our lives. Our long-awaited daughter, Dayna Euphemia, safely entered into the world and became part of our family. This is our family’s story about the pain, hope, sorrow and joy that have come with the twists and turns in the adventure that is our life – an adventure we’ve learned can’t be scripted.”

Court Oversight of Church Discipline (an Update)

“Today, the Supreme Court of Canada released a very significant decision regarding religious freedom in Canada.”

The Dangerous Allure of Being a Cultural Warrior

“There is something tempting about being a cultural warrior. We jump into battle on social media, in our Sunday School lessons, occasionally in our work. Our day seems ripe for war. We hear of wars and rumors of wars. There is no shortage of cultural landmines to step on, or ideological trip-wires to activate. Daily we’re provided with new fronts for the battle. There are many thoughts to contradict and many philosophies to oppose (Col 2:8).”

Flashback: How to Know How Satan Is Tempting You

Satan knows how to custom-craft temptations to fit each one of us.

Satan hates God and hates anyone created in the image of God. He has made a long and intense study of humanity. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows our secret desires. Satan knows how to custom-craft temptations to fit each one of us.

The Bible Is Not About You

I’m grateful to Lifeway for sponsoring the blog this week. Sponsors play a key role in keeping this site running, so I’m thankful for each and every one of them.

The gospel is where perfectionism goes to die.

—Jaquelle Crowe

  • Quiet Time

    The Quiet Time Kickstart

    We are all people of habits. To some degree, we are always battling to establish good habits while battling to supplant bad ones. This is true of us in many different areas of life and most certainly true in our spiritual lives. In fact, some have argued that when we describe the way we relate…

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (January 16)

    A La Carte: Why don’t we read the Bible more? / Did David rape Bathsheba? / To (almost) die is gain / Learn to pray the Bible / When you’re close to burnout / Called to freedom / and more.

  • How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025

    I think we can sometimes fool ourselves into believing that the Reformation caused the Roman Catholic Church to abandon some, most, or all of the doctrine that was so concerning to the Reformers. We can sometimes believe that the Catholicism of today is materially different from that of the 16th century or that it has…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 15)

    A La Carte: iPhones, idolatry, and evil spirits / At my mother’s deathbed / Nothing to do but pray / Bible study tips for beginners / Jesus did condemn homosexuality / Please don’t sing “Imagine” at funerals / Kindle and book deals.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 14)

    A La Carte: Narcissus in public / A famous poet, KFC, and peace with my past / Does empowerment come from boudoir photoshoots? / Surrendering them to God / Sermon prep / Your plans for this year / and more.

  • 10 Reasons to Teach the Bible’s Big Truths to Children

    📖 Why teach children the big truths of the Bible? Moses commanded Israel to gather everyone—men, women, and little ones—to hear God’s law. Why? So they could “hear and learn to fear the Lord.” (Deut. 31:12-13) Children need the deep, rich truths of Scripture to know God, embrace the Gospel, and build a faith that…