Skip to content ↓

Weekend A La Carte (March 19)

God bless you as you serve him today and worship him tomorrow!

There’s a nice combination of older and newer books in today’s list of Kindle deals.

(Yesterday on the blog: Hymns in Hard Places)

Is Disability Normal?

“We … can sometimes be confused about how disability impacts life in this world. But it’s only when we understand how Western society views disability, and how this contrasts with the Bible’s view, that we can begin to better understand the experience of disability and more effectively include people with disabilities in the church.”

What Should We Make of Healing Ministries?

John Piper considers healing ministries in this episode of Ask Pastor John.

Nothing is Too Hard for God

Lauren Washer: “I turn to the last page in my prayer journal for the assigned day, and continue praying. Friends, family, the world, my own heart—there are so many burdens to carry to the Lord. My heart feels heavy, my mind and soul are weak. As I pour out my heart and intercede for the needs of others, the Spirit whispers to my soul: Nothing is too difficult for me.”

The Presence of Joy, Even in the Midst of Tears

“A common thought is that joy and happiness are one in the same. And it’s true that there are several places in the Bible where the word joy is used as a synonym for happiness or gladness. But there is a deeper meaning to biblical joy that is different from happiness because joy is not dependent on our circumstances.”

Are You Principled or Just a Contentious Jerk?

“The apostle Paul says ‘an overseer must be … not quarrelsome’ (1 Tim. 3:2–3). Yet in my experience, quarrelsome people often hide behind the excuse, ‘I’m just principled’ or ‘I’m standing up for the truth when no one else will.’”

What does it mean to have free will?

Here’s an answer from Stephen Nichols and Robert Godfrey.

Flashback: To Be Looked Through, Not Looked At

In all areas of life the Christian is to be that set of spectacles that allows people to see something beyond, something better, something greater. The Christian is to point to Christ and do to this he needs to be looked through, not at.

They that know God will be humble. They that know themselves cannot be proud.

—John Flavel

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 15)

    A La Carte: Sharing our struggles / The danger of inaction / “You don’t love your daughter” / A godly sense of humor / Three excuses for not reading your Bible / A closer look at Noah’s ark / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 14)

    A La Carte: Distorted doctrine destroys lives / Making sense of bad things / Be the Jonathan / A bridegroom of blood / Administrative sludge / Musical elements / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.