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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

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (May 13)

    A La Carte: She and I / The ruthless elimination of sloth / Do we need to see ourselves represented? / How do I leave my sin at the foot of the cross? / Is your family calendar built on faithfulness? / and more.

  • Does Prayer Change Things?

    Throughout Scripture God commands prayer consistently and pervasively. There’s no denying that it’s essential to Christian living. But does prayer really change things? #Sponsored

  • What Does Trouble Do

    What Does Trouble Do?

    To live is to experience trouble. There is no path through this life that does not lead through at least some kind of difficulty, sorrow, or trial—and often through a cornucopia of them. This being the case, we rightly wonder: What does trouble do? Though we may not see an answer in the immediate circumstances…

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    A La Carte (May 12)

    A La Carte: When prayer starts with panic / Tell the truth about children / When Christ is en vogue, Christians beware / Keeping learning after college / A word on diligence / Kindle deals / and more.

  • God overrules

    God Must Sometimes Overrule Us

    When we pray to God and bring our petitions before him, and then say in earnest “thy will be done,” how should we expect God to respond? Is asking God to overrule our will with his own admitting that he may actually bring us harm?

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    Weekend A La Carte (May 10)

    A La Carte: Pope Le XIV / A gift continually unfolding / Hopefully broken / This Mother’s Day / Support the caregivers in your church / One of the hardest things you’ll ever do / and more.