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Weekend A La Carte (November 1)

Here’s your regular reminder that my site SquareQuotes is updated weekly with new quote graphics. There are hundreds of them to download!

Today’s Kindle deals include a few good picks.

(Recently on the blog: What Makes a Really Good Study Bible?)

Daylight Savings and Spiritual Disciplines

I think Glenna Marshall is onto something here. “I think sometimes we view January 1st as an excuse to keep living life per usual, especially when it comes to spiritual disciplines like Bible-reading and prayer. We’ve made a mess of our spiritual habits to this point, we think. Might as well wait a few more months to start over.”

‘Born This Way’ Is Old Science

As you undoubtedly heard, “During the confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii expressed outrage and shock that the nominee used the term ‘sexual preference’ instead of ‘sexual orientation.’” But “beyond the Orwellianism of changing the dictionary to support political claims, it seems that Senator Hirono is the one who is actually behind the times on the whole sexual orientation vs. sexual preference issue.”

Winter Is Coming: COVID-19 Forces Hard Choices for Churches

I found it really interesting to read how different churches in different parts of the US are thinking differently about COVID-19 and making different decisions about it.

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Revisiting the Prophetic Work of Neil Postman

“Thirty-five years ago, New York University professor of communications Neil Postman predicted the political and social implosion we have witnessed in 2020. We must learn to dominate digital media technology, lest it dominate us. Otherwise, we may very well amuse ourselves, and our polis, to death.” His work has proven prophetic, as this article illustrates.

Finding Meaning In Daily Acts Of Good (Video)

I enjoyed this video, a TEDx talk about Jesus.

When You’re Tired of the Battle, Persevere in Prayer

Colin Smith: “Everyone has a battle to face, and there will be times when you get tired of yours. The obvious question is, ‘How can I get more perseverance?’”

Only His Heart Can Heal Yours

“We all walk through this fallen world on streets of shattered promises. Believer or unbeliever, wealthy or poor, young or old, few, if any, remain exempt. For some, a father vowed much but was present little. For others, a trusted friend finally retreated from you in the hour of need. For still others, an unfaithful wife deserted, leaving the serrated memory of her empty vow, ’til death do us part. We know what it is to expose our hearts and feel them bleed.”

Flashback: 6 Marks of a Faithful Ministry

The pastor’s ministry is humble and bold and pure. It is concerned with all kinds of teaching before all kinds of people. Its content is the gospel.

You will never have a better friend than a friend who points you to Christ.

—Alistair Begg

  • Pastoral Prayer

    The Pastoral Prayer: Examples and Inspirations

    Of all the elements that once made up traditional Protestant worship, there is probably none that has fallen on harder times than prayer. It is not unusual to visit a church today and find that prayer is perfunctory, rare, or absent altogether. If that is true of prayer in general, it is particularly true of…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (September 11)

    A La Carte: Pro-natalism / Why a good God commanded the destruction of the Canaanites / An encouragement to husbands / Pastoring, productivity, and priorities / I had a horrific childhood / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (September 10)

    A La Carte: Why we worry when choosing a Bible translation / Why Christian parents should resist school-issued devices / Take your worst to the table / The quickest to anger and the slowest to forgive / A big batch of Kindle deals / and more.

  • What Is God’s Calling For Me?

    This week the blog is sponsored by Reformed Free Publishing Association. Today’s post is written by William Boekestein, author of the  new book, Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling. William is a pastor and husband. He and his wife have four children: a college student, two high schoolers, and a…

  • Past Through Over Around

    Past Them, Through Them, Over Them, Around Them

    It is inevitable that we face times of difficulty and impossible that we escape them altogether. To be born is to suffer and to live is to endure all manner of trouble and trial. Just as none of us escapes death, none of us escapes all hardships. And when we face such hardships, we invariably…