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Weekend A La Carte (September 26)

Today’s Kindle deals include some classics, some lesser-known works by C.S. Lewis, and a few others as well.

(Yesterday on the blog: Good Things Happen When My Wife Watches Cooking Shows)

Is It Selfish To Go To Church?

This article responds to what some people may be charging, especially in the UK. “Our choice to gather in a group is putting everybody else at risk. What if sports crowds or entertainment venues did the same? In this atmosphere, the perception of church going could be transformed from something that was curious, and quirky, but ultimately private, to something sinister, that threatens the safety of the British population.”

Why We Should be More Familiar with OT Sacrifices

Here’s a neat little reflection on paying careful attention to Leviticus and the OT sacrifices.

Managing Expectations

“Congregations can have unrealistic expectations of their pastor. But, and maybe even sometimes more often, pastors impose unbiblical expectations on themselves.” Here’s a word about some of those expectations.

He Prunes Us Because He Loves Us

Lauren Washer’s writes about a theme I also covered this week. “Wherever you find yourself, may you know this: God isn’t standing over you cutting away all those things in your life because he doesn’t care about you and he wants you to be miserable. He’s pruning you because he loves you.”

When Life Feels Crushing

And then Vaneetha Risner is not far off of that theme either. “Grief upon grief upon grief. Many of us understand grief that is piled on top of each other. Seasons where the difficulties we face go from bad to worse to impossible. Seasons where crushing seems the only apt word to describe what we’re going through. Seasons where life feels relentless.”

Confessions in Practice

Michael Reeves writes about the necessity of confessions. “We’ve never needed confessions more, even as we witness the extraordinary doctrinal retreat of the church in the face of an increasingly aggressive culture. Specifically, for God’s people to remain loyal to what God has said, they will need confessions that dare to take a stand.”

Holy Is Who You Are

“Sanctification, then, is both definitive and progressive; Christ becomes our holiness, and then we gradually grow to reflect his holiness. If that distinction feels like splitting theological hairs, consider three implications of definitive sanctification, beginning here…”

Flashback: The Joys and Challenges of the Church in India

While I was in India, I had the privilege of sitting down with a dear friend who pastors a key local church in northern India. I got to ask him questions about some of the joys and some of the challenges of ministry in that great land.

A godly man will not go as far as he may, lest he go further than he should.

—Thomas Watson

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    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.

  • The Stranger

    The Stranger: A Short Film For You

    Based on a true story and inspired by the truth that character comes before competence, “The Stranger” is an honest, light-hearted and meaningful picture of what it means to truly serve others.

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    A La Carte (July 9)

    A La Carte: The singer who changed the course of my life / Stay on the line / Incompatible thick communities / Lulla-Bible? / The solution is not megachurch / Who were the Anabaptists? / and more.

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    A La Carte (July 8)

    A La Carte: 15 ways to discern false teaching / The queering of history / The best part of my day / 6 kinds of hearers of God’s Word / Countering Muslim attacks on the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

  • The Wonder of the Human Face

    The Wonder of the Human Face

    Then there are the wonders of human ingenuity: the machines, the inventions, the works of art. One lifetime is not nearly enough to explore or appreciate even the smallest fraction of them all.

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    A La Carte (July 7)

    A La Carte: A Christian patriot and his wayward nation / Outprinting the prosperity gospel / The organic church / A stranger in my homeland / Friendship’s faithful wounds / Sharing the gospel with someone who keeps rejecting it / Kindle deals / and more.