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Weekend A La Carte (September 27)

A La Carte Collection cover image

I noticed as I was putting this together that yesterday marked 8,000 consecutive days of posting something to this site. Thanks for continuing to read along!

Westminster Books is offering a deal on a neat new resource that allows you to actually see connections between the Old and New Testaments.

There’s an extensive list of Kindle deals to browse through today. It has been quite an amazing week for those of us who like to build our libraries a couple of dollars at a time!

When ‘Evangelical’ Means Everything but the Gospel

Joe Carter asks what many have been asking for the past few years: Is the label “evangelical” worth fighting for and hanging onto? He looks at the recent State of Theology study to find that it seems to mean everything but what it should!

Tragedy Overload

Sometimes it seems like we are living through a kind of tragedy overload and that’s what Alan Shlemon speaks to in this article. “Up until the last few seconds of human history, we never were burdened with tragedies near and far. We weren’t saddled with the sorrow of every victim and their families. But now we are. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be this way.”

The Quiet Strength of a Soft Answer

Yes, there is a kind of quiet strength in a soft answer, isn’t there? “I’m learning that a soft, measured out answer is not weakness. It’s not a resigned acceptance but a conscious deliberate choice to choose love over pride, peace over provocation, and Christ over self.”

You Keep Him in Perfect Peace

I am always appreciative when Paul Levy shares his letters to his church. This one is especially encouraging.

My Tongue Must Tell of a Better King

Andrew explains why he simply must tell of a better king than any we have known.

No Service for Jesus Is Small

“Most of us live most our lives doing mostly mundane things. We might experience a few pivotal, defining moments in life. But most days we don’t get married, receive a positive pregnancy test, or achieve a breakthrough in our field. Most days, we’re commuting, studying, parenting, working, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or paying the bills. Do those activities count in God’s eyes? Does the mundane matter to him?”

Flashback: Our Understanding of Earth and Our Assumptions of Heaven

Our responsibility is to exercise the gifts and embrace the duties God has given us, no matter what they are, no matter how public, no matter how visible.

We never imagine that getting our heart’s deepest desires might be the worst thing that can ever happen to us.

—Tim Keller

  • weekend 3

    Weekend A La Carte (May 23)

    Work will always matter / The rise of techno-feudalism / The gospel according to Karl Marx / The challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy / My manifesto on AI and religion / Steve McQueen, born again, set free / Cornfield baptism / 5 things most people don’t know about writing books

  • Authority

    How Men Can Use Their Authority Well

    There are few topics that have proven trickier to navigate than the topic of authority. We know we need authority to function as families, churches, and nations, yet there is something deep within our sinful humanity that causes us to rebel against it wherever it exists. We both want it and despise it. 

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    A La Carte (May 22)

    The ancient world had no word for child abuse / What I wish I had learned in theological college / Pray to the Lord of the harvest / What God is healing while not healing my health problems / Are you willing to show up? / Artificial preaching / Sales and deals / and more.

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    A La Carte (May 21)

    One step becomes a three-day walk / Tolkien, foolishness, and the ordinary means of grace / The staggering beauty and burden of church life / Denominational health / Three truths to combat your news anxiety / Don’t do the Devil’s work for him / and more.

  • The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    The Most Neglected Element of Worship

    There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. Why do these receive so much attention?

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    A La Carte (May 20)

    The pastor who refuses to back down / The missionary with Ebola / Why we don’t trust pastors / Rushing our quiet times / The other side of seminary / The remedy, the problem, and the church / Why we need to interpret the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.