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Weekend A La Carte (May 6)

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of minor deals, but be sure to breeze through everything else from this week. There were lots of good ones.

Just a reminder that I’d love people to participate in writing Mother’s Day Tributes. You’ve got a week left!

Let Worship Be Local Too

This is one of the best articles I’ve ever read on modern worship.

Wal-Mart’s Expensive New E-Commerce Operation

I rather enjoyed this long look at Wal-mart’s expensive new e-commerce operation that will allow them to compete with Amazon. Personally, I don’t like their chances.

The Tempted One

Christina Fox takes a look at Jesus’ wilderness temptations. “When we face temptation, we never do so apart from Christ. We are united to Him; He is our righteousness. He has defeated sin, death, and Satan. There is nothing and no one who can separate us from Him, not even our own weak flesh.”

Watching Lightning From Above

“At a safe distance, lightning can be one of nature’s greatest shows, but big electrical storms are even more incredible when seen from space.” Here’s some proof.

“Tabletalk” Magazine: 40 Years Later

Ligonier just marked their 40th anniversary of publishing Tabletalk magazine. Here’s a brief history.

The Worst Consequence of Skipping Church

I enjoyed reading this interaction with my article on “The Worst Consequence of Skipping Church.” Of particular interest is that she goes far deeper than I did into the flow of the book of Hebrews.

Cut Off Your Hand, Tear Out Your Eye

Ray Ortlund: “Here, Jesus is calling us to personal holiness, however costly and painful, as His path for us ‘to enter life.’”

Flashback: When Gifts Lose Their Luster

I have come to realize something about those times when I grow weary of good gifts: This weariness makes a statement about me, not the gift. The weariness is so often a direct result of my neglect. I have neglected to cherish the gift and honor the giver.

4 Ways We Go Wrong in Thinking about the Holy Spirit

Thanks to Zondervan for sponsoring the blog this week with an intriguing post from Michael Horton.

False freedom: “Be true to you.” True freedom: “Be true to him.”

—Matt Smethurst

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (February 19)

    A La Carte: Save the fox, kill the fetus / Prayer meeting / Traits of great writers and artists / When productivity replaces trust / The silent killer / Brace yourself for the AI tsunami / and more.

  • Airport

    Do You Board First or Last?

    There are some travelers who like to board an airplane at the earliest possible moment. There are others who prefer to board at the last. Some rush the gate the very second the gate agents announce that boarding has commenced, while some linger until they have sounded the final call.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 18)

    A La Carte: Caring for other people’s children / Resisting the lure of Catholicism and Orthodoxy / Grace in the exhaustion of motherhood / Deal with sin in the church / Can AI preach my sermon? / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (February 17)

    A La Carte: Abstaining from communion / Get married young / When the world shifts under your feet / Eliminating envy / Messiah complex / Making temptation flee / Kindle deals / and more.

  • How to Evangelize and Disciple in a “Live Your Truth” World

    Our culture lacks any coherent, unifying worldview. We’ve moved on from post-truth postmodernism to “Live your truth” metamodernism, where good vibes matter more than consistent ideas. In this world, few see the conflict between “trans-affirming” and “pro-woman.” And the same person using mushrooms to aid spiritual “connection” tells us to “trust the science” about human…

  • AI

    A Simple Way To Ensure You Use AI Well (And Not Poorly) 

    Every new technology introduces both benefits and drawbacks to its users and to the wider culture. The world being what it is, there are always plusses and minuses, so that even as a new tech gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. We are quickly learning that Artificial Intelligence is no exception…