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Weekend A La Carte (November 5)

My gratitude goes to Ligonier Ministries for sponsoring the blog this week. They’ve got a free book on Luther, a Reformed theology bundle, and R.C. Sproul’s commentary on Galatians they’d like to tell you about.

Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older titles.

Why Study Church History?

“If church history does not get your blood pumping, you had better check your spiritual pulse.” That’s how Jon Payne begins his article about why you should study church history.

A Grandmother’s Heart for Her Loved Ones

Patsy Kuipers explains how she influences her children and grandchildren.

The Tyranny of Sin

“Seldom do we think about sin with as much seriousness as we should, but its destruction is all around us. Its effects devastate both those we love and those we consider enemies. Quite often, we play with sin as if it were a favored pet that could never turn on us, but in reality, the only reason we think little of it is because it has already sunk its teeth into us and has us under its sway.”

God’s Work and Our Work, Hand in Hand

Ryan uses the illustration of a child learning to walk to explain a spiritual reality.

Six Reasons to Persevere through Pain As We Groan for Glory

“As I was thinking about life and counseling recently, I thought to myself, ‘It’s just not pretty, is it?’ So much sin within and pain without. So many ways to feel lost, stuck, and discouraged. I thought about my own sins and failures, my limitations and clumsiness as a counselor, health issues as I get older, and my struggle to love people well. And since I am privileged as a counselor to share in the struggles of many others, my own list is multiplied exponentially.”

God’s Ministry to the Disappointing

“I loathe disappointment. I really don’t like being disappointed, but I’m a thousand times more averse to causing disappointment in others. The worst is when it hits me by surprise. When this happens, my inner world can come to a halt, and I can easily become fixated on it, analyzing what happened and how to address it.”

Flashback: Solemnity and Celebration, Exclusivity and Inclusivity

With the warning for some to stay beyond the fence is the invitation for others to enjoy the rewards of abiding within it.

God has written a heavenly, perfect story for us that will start the moment our story in this world ends. It’s a story that will never end, and it will be so good we’ll never want it to end.

—David Murray

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    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.

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    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?

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    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…

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    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.