I have wide-ranging tastes in music and will gladly listen to a host of different genres. Apple Music recently put together an accounting of all I listened to in 2023 and that got me thinking about the songs that resonated most. I eventually narrowed my favorites down to this list of 12—my 12 favorite songs…
December 13 A La Carte: How long does grieving take? / The tyranny of seeing only power / Finding grace in infertility and loss / They came to shepherds / Connection to God that connects us to one another / More light, Lord / Logos deals / and more.
Today’s A La Carte: Top 10 theology stories of 2023 / Just a stay-at-home mom / Think you know the Christmas story? / Pastoral oversight and the music ministry of the church / The greatest joy is Jesus / The weary world rejoices / Kindle deals and book sale / and more.
Today’s post is sponsored by BJU Seminary and written by Brian Hand, professor of New Testament interpretation. BJU Seminary equips Christian leaders through an educational and ministry experience that is biblically shaped, theologically rich, historically significant, and evangelistically robust. Melancholia—on a spectrum from simple sadness to profound discouragement, then crossing a moral line into despair—marks…
There are many different ways to chart the journey through life. We can do it in life stages, like childhood to adulthood to middle age to old age. We can do it in decades, like teens to twenties to thirties and so on. But lately I’ve been pondering the passing of the generations, how when…
Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include a new selection from Crossway. I’ve also created a list of all the best commentary deals that are part of Eerdmans’ month-long sale. I am aware that subscribers to the daily newsletter may be having trouble opening links if they are using Avast antivirus.…
I have finally launched a long-awaited and much-overdue refresh to the design of this site and the accompanying newsletter. The update includes the look of the site but also goes much deeper into its design and architecture. It’s easily the most significant update in the past 20 years and firms up the site’s foundation as…
In today’s A La Carte: When grief like sea billows roll through your holidays / looking upwards amidst chronic illness / 8 practical ways to flee from temptation in the moment / strong, weak, and godly / loving your adult children and grandchildren / it’s more awkward to reject the virgin birth / Kindle deals…
This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Reformation Heritage Books. Glorifying and Enjoying God (written by William Boekestein, Jonathan L. Cruse, and Andrew J. Miller) is a new devotional on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. These fifty-two short lessons teach us how reformed theology affects our daily lives. Click here to listen to a series of podcasts with the authors…
As another year draws to a close, I wanted to take some time to consider the books I read in 2023 and to assemble a list of my top picks. Apart from the first book, which I consider the best I read this year, the rest are in no particular order. In each case I’ve…
In today’s A La Carte: The antipsalms we sing / God’s writing a story of redemption in your life / seeing what you have as something that doesn’t belong to you / 7 tips for loving “those” people in your church / a lavish love / light overcomes darkness / and more.
A La Carte: Behind a tragic, Instagram-perfect life / Ayaan Hirsi Ali and our Constantian moment / don’t think about pink elephants / advice for someone about to enter seminary / a brief history of the Huguenots / blessed be the name of the Lord / Kindle deals / and more.
This week, the blog is sponsored by Reformation Heritage Books’ new devotional on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Glorifying and Enjoying God (written by William Boekestein, Jonathan L. Cruse, and Andrew J. Miller). Enjoy this brief article explaining the history and benefits of studying this precious document. Glorifying and Enjoying God is intended not only to increase knowledge but to…
There are a few little phrases I think about and repeat to myself on a regular basis. One of the simplest but most frequent is this: You will never regret the sins you do not commit. It’s basic. It’s easy. It’s obvious. But I need to hear it again and again. Like you, I know…
The Lord be with you and bless you today. Today’s Kindle deals include a number that are worth checking out. You’ll find several by John Stott, David Wells, and so on. Pain Needs Interpreting “Rather than just react to pain, the Bible calls us to act towards it. We’re not to just be subject to our pain, blown about in every…
I have been blogging at Challies.com on a daily basis for over 20 years now. That long commitment has allowed me to write thousands of articles and hundreds of book reviews while also sending millions of visitors to other sites through the daily A La Carte feature. While I’ve also written a number of books, through it…
Users of Logos will want to take a look at this month’s deals. You will find a Christmas Sale and also the usual series of free and nearly-free books. You can also get a good discount on the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries and the Bible Speaks Today series. And then there’s a flash sale on the Focus on the Bible commentaries which are…
One of the customs of our church is to thoroughly evaluate the men we call to be pastors and elders. Once we identify a candidate for the office, and once he has indicated his interest, we complete a thorough evaluation of his life and character. We work through a document that describes the qualifications the…
Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway. Also, Eerdmans has all of their commentaries on sale at an 80% discount. That includes the excellent New International Commentary on the Old Testament, New International Commentary on the New Testament, New International Greek Testament Commentary, and the Pillar New Testament Commentary. (Yesterday on the…
As an avid collector of commentaries, I like to keep an eye out for new releases, especially when they are part of the various major commentary series. With the year coming to an end, I wanted to put together a roundup of the key releases from 2023. So here are some of the most interesting…