A La Carte (February 9)
Good morning, my friends. May the God of peace be with you today.
Carl Trueman: “Human history indicates that the self-evident nonsense of an idea is seldom a barrier to it becoming the dominant philosophy of its age. That man is born free and is everywhere in chains is one. That sex is a cost-free, light recreation is another. And we are paying a heavy price for this sexual fantasy.” (If this link fails due to spam protections, just click the A La Carte heading above to visit my site.)
There are some interesting thoughts here on the different challenges of big and small churches. “In short, house churches will need intentional organizing and big churches will need intentional multiplying. Left to themselves, most house churches will naturally multiply, but will not naturally organize. And big churches will naturally organize, but not naturally multiply.”
Bring your various church-related schedules online in a powerful way with Church Social, an online software platform for churches. Add schedules for the nursery, greeters, welcoming family, deacons, and other volunteer tasks. Members can then view those schedules in the app, and even get email reminders automatically sent to them. (Sponsored Link)
Kim Riddelbarger describes the basics of the second coming of Jesus Christ. “The biblical account of the redemption of our fallen race takes many twists and turns throughout the course of redemptive history. But the story comes to a glorious resolution when we come to the final chapter. There is indeed coming a day when all injustices will be made right, all human suffering will cease, when every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and death will be no more.”
Somewhat similarly, Jonny Raine answers some questions about the life beyond. “A few weeks ago, we asked on social media what questions people had about the life beyond. Unfortunately I don’t have space to tackle all the questions, nor do I have the space to answer them in the depth they deserve. Yet, as a starting point, these are the answers I would give to the frequently asked questions about the life beyond.”
John Beeson takes a look at the strange story of the witch of Endor. He works toward this application: “While most of us are probably not in jeopardy of disobeying God’s commandment to consult a medium (please don’t!), many of us are in danger of what led Saul to take this action—an over-the-top longing for God’s direction.”
Are boycotts biblical? Are they possibly unbiblical? This is a clarifying look at the questions.
God will no more fulfill half a promise than build half a tower and no more come through on half a vow than fight half a battle.
Great sins draw out great grace; and where guilt is most terrible and fierce, there the mercy of God in Christ…appears most high and mighty.
—John Bunyan
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A La Carte (March 8)
I apologize to the email subscribers who did not receive yesterday’s A La Carte. The fault was mine!
Westminster Books has a special deal on a new book for pastors. Several other titles for pastors are similarly discounted.
(Yesterday on the blog: God’s Grace for Every Family)Kevin DeYoung outlines some qualities we should look for (and hope for and wish for) in our political leaders.
Carl Trueman: “We have witnessed amazing technological advances since the 1940s. The transformation of humanity from a given, limited, teleological essence to a potency whose limits and ends are merely technical problems to be overcome is now complete (at least in the cultural imagination). Ironically, human technical brilliance has served to make human beings into nothing of any great significance. We are the only creatures on the planet who are intelligent and intentional enough to have abolished ourselves.”
CityAlight is celebrating 10 years since their first single by releasing a previously-unreleased video of what I still think is one of their best songs.
“One of the great anxieties that parents face is the fear of what our own sins could do to corrupt our kids. It can be a paralyzing anxiety, one that has come up on the podcast in many different forms.” John Piper addresses such a distressed parent in this Ask Pastor John.
You’ve heard it before, I’m sure: leaders are readers. But is that necessarily the case? Stephen takes a slightly contrarian position here.
Most people and most religions operate (whether subtly or explicitly) in such a way that good people get good things and bad people get bad things. Sometimes even Christians.
Do we really fully surrender to him those things that we love most, or do we effectively bring him what is lame and spotted, what is of little consequence and low on our list of priorities?
We may meet death in confidence and victory only if our hopes are firmly and entirely grounded in His merits on our behalf.
—Guy Prentiss Waters -
A La Carte (December 29)
Just a reminder that this week I am featuring A La Carte only. The usual slate of original articles will return next week as the holiday season wraps up.
There are some new Kindle deals today for the avid collectors.
(Yesterday on the blog: How I’ll Be Reading the Bible in 2024)This is quite a long article about new year’s resolutions and other kinds of resolutions. “As Christians, such a miserable ratio of success to failure should cause us to examine the whole concept of the new year’s resolution from a biblical perspective.”
Jacob thinks back to his growth as a Christian and concludes, “I’ve learned that if I don’t plan to grow, I’ll be less like Jesus than I could be.”
When discussing the specifics of church missions programs, it is critical to begin by understanding the motivation behind missions. Properly understanding “God’s Mission” will result in a more deeply rooted mission program and, ultimately, a more effective gospel witness. So, today, The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is offering How to Build an Effective Missions Program as a free ebook. Download your copy today at tmai.org/challies to develop a strategy for an effective missions program in your church. (Sponsored Link)
Rob Golding explains why Protestants can struggle to understand how the Pope can bless same-sex marriages while also standing “firm” on the traditional doctrine of marriage.
“If we are honest with ourselves, many of the things that happened in the past year we didn’t plan or expect. We probably were unwell at some stage. We might have lost a job or had an unexpected job offer. Any number of things might have happened that we could never have known in advance.”
Mitch offers a short explanation of what Mary and Joseph did after Jesus was born.
This is a helpful little summary of the four gospels—what makes them similar and what makes them distinct. “One story told from four viewpoints into four first century situations they might be, but we wouldn’t be without any one of the four twenty centuries later.”
As I’ve considered the year that is almost upon us, I have been helped by this prayer from John MacArthur’s At the Throne of Grace. I think you’ll enjoy it too.
To desire revival…and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.
—A.W. Tozer -
Free Stuff Fridays (D3 Youth Conference)
Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by the D3 Youth Conference on the campus of Boyce College in Louisville, KY March 8-9, 2024.
Parents and leaders of teens are always on the lookout for discipleship material. Today, you are invited to enter the Boyce College/D3 Giveaway to win those resources for free! That includes free tuition for a Boyce College dual credit course for a student you know or an SBTS credit course that will better equip you as a leader!
Here are discipleship resources you may win by entering the D3 Youth Conference Promotion:
Student Discipleship Bundle:*Boyce College Dual Enrollment 3-Hour Course
Boyce College T-shirt
Track: A Student’s Guide to Social Media by Jason Thacker
Marks of a Disciple Bible Study by Dean Inserra
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Praying the Bible by Donald WhitneyLeader Bundle:*
SBTS 3 Hour Course
Boyce College Quarter Zip
Following Jesus in a Digital Age by Jason Thacker
Iron Sharpens Iron: Friendship and the Grace of God by Michael Haykin
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Shepherding God’s Flock by Benjamin Merkle & Tom Schreiner
You Are a Theologian by Jen Wilkin & J.T. English
Family Worship by Donald WhitneyClick the D3 Giveaway Entry form below. Complete and submit it today so your name will be included in our random drawing on Monday, February 19, 2024. The winners will be notified by email.
D3 Giveaway Entry Form: http://www.d3youth.com/challies-giveaway
