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Weekend A La Carte (September 23)

Today’s Kindle deals include a few titles you will want to check out.

For some reason there has been a surge of interest in my book Do More Better. Here are some recent links: the Waiting Tables podcast, aimed at ministry leaders, interviewed me; so did indoubt which targets students. Dan had a brief review while Jonathan focused on the system the book teaches.

Seven Lies I Once Believed about Missions

This article might be interesting no matter who wrote it, but it’s especially interesting coming from Conrad Mbewe whose nation and continent have largely been on the receiving end of missions.

Should I Force My Teen to Go to Church?

R.C. Sproul provides a brief but helpful answer.

The Term “Gospel-Centered”

Alastair Roberts has taken to answering questions from interested individuals. I particularly enjoyed his response to his opinion on the term “gospel-centered.” “Terms like ‘gospel-centred’ typically function in the same way as terms in the science section of shampoo commercials. It isn’t entirely clear what they mean, if they mean anything at all, but they create a desired psychological response in the hearer.”

This Changed Everything

If you are looking to grow in your knowledge of the Reformation, you may enjoy This Changed Everything, a video series that does quite a good (and professional-quality) job of presenting it.

Think about Your Welcome

The first and last elements of your service are often the make or break for visitors. Know your context and prepare to do those elements well.

The Cheap Way To Bless Your Pastor

Kevin DeYoung speaks on their behalf.

Flashback: Are You Going to Hurt Me?

Strength that was given to protect has been used to destroy, what was meant to bless has been used to harm. It has left this trail of fear, this trail of hurt, this trail of devastation.

3 Pivotal Questions on the Reformation and the Doctrine of Justification

My thanks goes to Zondervan for sponsoring the blog this week.

The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.

—Elisabeth Elliot

  • The Phrase that Altered My Thinking Forever

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing and is written by Ralph Cunnington. Years ago, I stumbled repeatedly on an ancient phrase that altered my thinking forever.  Distinct yet inseparable. The first time I encountered this phrase was while studying the Council of Chalcedon’s description of the two natures of Christ. Soon after,…

  • Always Look for the Light

    Always Look for the Light

    For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond.…

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    A La Carte (March 18)

    A La Carte: God is good and does good—even in our pain / Dear bride and groom / Sin won’t comfort you / Worthy of the gospel / From self-sufficiency to trusting God’s people / The gods fight for our devotion / and more.

  • Confidence

    God Takes Us Into His Confidence

    Here is another Sunday devotional—a brief thought to orient your heart toward the Lord. God takes the initiative in establishing relationship by reaching out to helpless humanity. He reveals himself to the creatures he has made. But what does it mean for him to provide such revelation of himself? John Calvin began his Institutes by…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (March 16)

    A La Carte: I believe in the death of Julius Caesar and the resurrection of Jesus Christ / Reasons students and pastors shouldn’t use ChatGPT / A 1.3 gigpixel photo of a supernova / What two raw vegans taught me about sharing Jesus / If we realize we’re undeserving, suddenly the world comes alive /…

  • Ask Pastor John

    Ask Pastor John

    I admit it: I felt a little skeptical about Ask Pastor John. To be fair, I feel skeptical about most books that begin in one medium before making the leap to another. Books based on sermons, for example, can often be pretty disappointing—a powerful sermon at a conference can make a bland chapter in a…