Welcome to Weekend A La Carte where you can find interesting long-form content from both Christian and mainstream publishers, followed by recommendations from readers like you.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include several noteworthy Christian books that are worth a quick look. You’ll find some interesting general market titles as well.

Recommended Reading

I sometimes wish today’s young people could know the joy of reading the daily comics, one day and one strip at a time, in a newspaper that slowly turns your fingers black. There was something so neat about it. I was probably not the only person who would read them in a particular order to ensure I saved the best for last. The best, and therefore the last, was Calvin and Hobbes. I still remember the shock I felt when I read Bill Watterson’s note explaining why he was stopping it, and I remember reading that final strip.

Anyway, all that is part of why I enjoyed this long article on Bill Watterson’s insistence on maintaining the integrity of his work (and therefore his own integrity), even when it would mean leaving millions of dollars on the table.

Read: Calvin and Hobbes and the Price of Integrity.

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Soul-Stirring Stories from the East and the Global South. A would-be suicide bomber who now pastors in Turkey; war-weary Ukrainians bringing hope to their neighbors; a Rwandan pastor who forgave the man who killed his family.  Ellen Vaughn writes, “[My] focus in telling these strange stories to myself and to you is to remind us of something more elemental: the absolute mystery and power of the gospel. Many of us have forgotten the main thing. There is power in the name of Jesus.” Use code CHALLIES and get 30% off at thegoodbook.com. (Sponsored)

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O. Palmer Robertson may not quite be a household name, even among people who hold to Reformed theology, but he has had a substantial impact on it, and especially on the development of covenantal theology. Christianity Today has a long and appreciative profile of him. Here’s how it begins:

In December 1973, members of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) revolted against their church leadership over liberal drift. Affiliated seminaries had denied the infallibility of the Bible. Education committees had questioned Mosaic authorship of the Bible’s first five books. Fearing even the beloved Westminster Confession was at risk of being watered down, 296 delegates gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, to launch a new denomination.

Decrying a milquetoast Christianity, 36-year-old Owen Palmer Robertson, a seminary professor in a suit with a paisley tie, addressed the assembly. Behind dark-rimmed glasses, he lambasted the modern spirit of promoting faith over “the faith” and caring that someone believed rather than what someone believed.

“Agonize for the faith!” he declared. “Don’t just sit there when men speak untruth, or leave the truth unspoken. Agonize!”

Read: The Man Who Said To Agonize for the Faith. (Gift Link)

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I often find myself thinking of the final words of Proverbs 12:10: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” If you want to find examples of cruel mercy, you can find many in the causes of progressivism. That’s very much true of the decriminalization of drugs and the provision of safe spaces for people to use them. Parts of Canada have gone a step further and actually provided drugs to addicts, reasoning that drugs that are known to be safe are better than drugs that could be laced with something even worse.

This article from The Atlantic visits several cities in the United States and Canada that said yes to drugs and describes what has happened.

From 2014 to 2024, roughly 862,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, more than twice the toll of the previous decade. Several studies have shown that addicts who shoot up at official injection sites are far less likely to die of overdoses than those who use drugs in, say, alleyways and parks. Over the past decade, however, overdose-death rates climbed sharply in nearly every city where the strongest harm-reduction policies were in place, and even with declines in the past two years, the rates remain well above those of previous decades. From 2016 to 2025, 7,089 people died of overdoses in King County, which includes Seattle—seven times the number of homicides in that period.

Read: The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs.(Gift Link)

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Cole Douglas Claybourn believes something about relationships has changed recently, and thinks he may have gotten to the bottom of it with the concept of “transactional relationships.” He writes about a new trend in college athletics and says, “when circumstances change or a better opportunity appears elsewhere, moving on has never been easier, more acceptable, or more common.”

He continues in this way:

That shift mirrors a larger cultural instinct, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z: evaluate the current relationship according to what it offers, compare it with available alternatives, and move if the return appears better elsewhere.

In other words, relationships have started to look less like commitments and more like transactions.

This logic makes sense in the marketplace or business world, where people frequently leave one job for another that provides more money or a clearer path toward advancement. But what happens when we begin applying that same approach to relationships?

Read: The Rise of Transactional Relationships.

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I have not thought a whole lot about gene-edited animals, though I suppose I probably ought to. After all, some of what we determine to be right or wrong when it comes to gene-edited animals may well inform what we determine to be right or wrong when it comes to gene-edited human beings. This article from the New York Times writes about the frontier of the pet world which is using techniques like CRISPR to create dogs that are truly hypoallergenic. Yet doing so opens up a huge ethical can of works that pertains and dogs and men alike.

Now our canine engineering efforts are entering a new era. Earlier this month, Kindred Companion Sciences, a biotech start-up based in New York, revealed that it had used the technique known as CRISPR to create the first gene-edited, hypoallergenic dogs. Thanks to a single genetic tweak, the dogs — two undeniably adorable beagles — appear unable to produce a protein that can leave some people red-eyed and wheezing.

Still, it’s a long way from the lab to the laps of pet owners across America. (It’s been two and a half years since scientists announced a gene-edited, hypoallergenic cat, but such felines are not yet available to the public.) More time and data are needed to determine whether Kindred has truly delivered on its promise of hypoallergenic dogs, experts said. Can a single gene edit reliably stave off the sniffles in humans?

Read: How Much Is That Gene-Edited Dog in the Window?(Gift Link)

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We live in an area that has a pretty strong recycling program, to the extent that recycling gets picked up every week while garbage only gets picked up every two weeks (which can be pretty hard to take in summer when it means trash has been cooking outside for two weeks before it gets hauled off). I have often heard that a lot of what we take to be true about both recycling and garbage disposal is wrong, and this article from Works in Progress makes that case.

Every child is taught that landfill is the worst place our trash can end up. It is the sad consequence of a failure to recycle: a mountain of waste leaking chemicals and smells, blighting the land forever.

What if that picture is wrong? What if landfill, properly done, is actually one of the cleanest, cheapest, and most environmentally sensible things we can do with our waste? It turns out that for much of what we throw away, the humble landfill beats the recycling bin.

Read: Just Bury Your Trash.

What Readers Clicked Most This Week:

• Learning From the Jason Arday Tragedy
• When Your Child Moves Out as an Unbeliever
• The Most Measured Woman in History
• Porn Brain Will Destroy Us

Reader Recommendations

Every week, I ask readers of this site what they are enjoying and therefore what they recommend. Here’s what you came up with this week.

Josh recommends Shelby Ray’s article She Is Not My Prize; Jesus Is. He says he was blessed to read of her faith through difficult circumstances.

Jenny says “Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead is beautiful, funny, and bittersweet. By the end of the book I felt I knew the narrator, and, although my theology is quite different, I was encouraged in my faith.”

Annette recommends the streaming channel, Tubi. “It is free. It has a great collection of old movies from the old Hollywood era. It has newer movies, but I am enjoying the older movies.”

Jim is enjoying the internet browser on his Smart TV. “I would sometimes watch Christian teaching videos on my computer and a few days ago it occurred to me that I can watch them on TV. Stunning video and audio, it’s so much better than most programming. Comfortable seating too!”

Keegan recommends John Paton’s autobiography which he describes as “a faithful missionary telling his own story with a powerfully theological lens.”

Louene is reading Sinclair Ferguson’s In Christ Alone for the second time. “So helpful, short chapters, challenging applications.”

Elizabeth says that “for those who enjoy Lord of the Rings, there’s a new online fan club that came out this summer. Lots of great community, games, discounts, and other perks!”

Hannah says that she and her son enjoy playing the daily Versle, then “texting each other our results. In Versle, you are given a verse and you come up with the reference in 5 tries.”

Eurico recommends “the recently published Jonathan Edwards Study Bible with texts and study notes selected by Dr. Matthew Everhard. The Bible contains also Edwards’ resolutions which are very useful for devotional purposes discipline.”

John is thankful for Parents Days. “Here in Ireland the government give dads up to 9 weeks off (at lower pay) to take within the first 2 years of each child’s life. Most men don’t use them. I do, and am so enjoying this precious time with my daughters.”

Michael recommends this site which “has a great directory of NT manuscripts for each book of the NT.”

Flashback

The Duty of Introspection. If we wish to live moral lives, ethical lives, successful lives, significant lives, we must live as Jesus lived.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include Blair Linne’s Made to Tremble, which I believe is making its debut on the list. You’ll also find The Deconstruction of Christianity, Managing God’s Money, and more.

Recommended Reading

How Can I Summarize Marriage in One Word? Kraig Keck: “A few months ago a young couple in our church that was on the cusp of engagement asked me what one word is most important in marriage. They had been asking other older Christian couples to summarize what was necessary in a Christian marriage in a single word. I honestly don’t remember what I told them, and it’s really hard to list one word as more important than others in a Christian marriage. However, I know what I would say now.”

How to Pray When You Feel Like You Pray the Same Thing Every Day. Courtney Reissig addresses something I’m pretty sure we all grapple with from time to time: How should we pray when it feels like we are praying the same things just about every day? She offers a few practical ideas.

Hymn Readings for Daily Devotion. From The Sing! Hymnal editor Dan Kreider, this elegant devotional features 365 classic hymns, including many unfamiliar gems, each paired with a brief meditation and suggested tune. (Sponsored)

Full Disclosure: Why Should I Tell My Spouse About Past Sins? Caitlin McCaffrey explores the practice of full disclosure when it comes to sexual sin. “A full disclosure is when a spouse writes, with thoughtfulness and prayer, the nature and history of their sexual sin. It is a decisive way to walk in repentance. It includes enough detail for your spouse to know you in your specific struggle but avoids descriptions of sensations or graphic visuals.”

John Piper: Why Did Jesus Call Her a Dog? In a story from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus refers to a foreign woman as a dog. A concerned reader of Scripture writes to John Piper to ask him why he would do such a thing. “What did he mean by this? Surely, we are not to speak of people from other nations and cultures like animals. So, how should we understand his words in light of his love and compassion for so many?”

God Brought Them Here: How Should We See Church Visitors? Siyabulela Zalabe has had this thought playing in his mind recently: we often fail to notice the very people God has graciously brought to us. “What if we began seeing visitors differently? Instead of thinking, ‘someone else will greet them,’ what if we asked, ‘could this be someone whom God has graciously brought for me to meet today?’ The Lord is still building his church. He’s still drawing people to himself. Sometimes he does so through faithful evangelism during the week. Sometimes, in his wonderful providence, he simply brings people through the doors of our churches. May we never take that for granted.”

How Do I Live in God’s Presence Every Day? We know, I think, that we are called to live in God’s presence day by day, but perhaps we aren’t sure what that entails. Daniel Hyde explains for Reformation21. “Gathered worship might take up two hours of your week. That leaves about 166 hours somewhere else: in traffic on Pacific Coast Highway, at your desk doing remote work, out past the break waiting for a set, in a hospital waiting room, at school trying to fit in. But we pour a lot of energy into those two hours. I can spend thirty hours preparing for two and quietly treat the other 166 as filler. That’s backwards.”

The Funnies

My friend Chris Martin maintains a Substack called The Funnies, and every Saturday he shares a few fun and silly things he found on the internet—something I see as a modern equivalent to the comics pages that used to be in every newspaper. I asked him to share a couple with you.

Small print: The inclusion of someone’s “funny” here is neither an endorsement of that person nor a recommendation that you follow them on social media. Just laugh or roll your eyes and then move on.

Flashback

Are You a Lover of Good? When it comes to your spouse, when it comes to your children, when it comes to the members of your church, when it comes to other Christians of any kind, are you more skilled at identifying good or evil, sinfulness or virtue?

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include books on singleness, Mormonism, philosophy, and more.

Recommended Reading

Understanding Revelation: Who Are the 144,000? I have been enjoying Benjamin L. Gladd’s series on the book of Revelation. In this entry he explores the much-disputed 144,000. “Though we could say a great deal about how the 144,000 relate to other portions of Revelation, let’s just consider 7:4–8 and see how the group figuratively refers to the church between the two comings of Christ.”

Should I Plead My Righteousness? Dan Crabtree asks a question that is maybe a bit more complicated than it first appears. “Should we pray to the Lord to deal with us according to our own righteousness? Should we ask, ‘Father, please help me because I’m innocent in this’? Can we humbly say, ‘O God, please give me what I deserve’?”

Soul-Stirring Stories from the East and the Global South A would-be suicide bomber who now pastors in Turkey; war-weary Ukrainians bringing hope to their neighbors; a Rwandan pastor who forgave the man who killed his family.  Ellen Vaughn writes, “[My] focus in telling these strange stories to myself and to you is to remind us of something more elemental: the absolute mystery and power of the gospel. Many of us have forgotten the main thing. There is power in the name of Jesus.” Use code CHALLIES and get 30% off at thegoodbook.com. (Sponsored)

Rummaging Through Bins, All for a Walk. In an especially sweet article, Marie Garreau draws a biblical lesson from a life experience. “I glanced about to see if anyone watched before lifting the lid to the trash can. No one. So I peered in—nothing. We moved down the back road behind the nice houses to the next one, looking for all intents and purposes like rummaging vagabonds—except, we weren’t.”

Science Can’t Tell Us the Most Amazing Things About the Human Body. Chase Krug has a thought-provoking article about the human body. “Because of the amazing insight furnished by modern research, it’s natural to assume that the key to discerning the most profound truths about the body’s design and capabilities lies in scientific inquiry. Intuitive as it might seem, I believe this assumption is mistaken.”

The Ministry of Saying Less. Peter Mead explains how you might serve best by saying a whole lot less. “In preaching, teaching, counselling, and leadership, there is something to be said for saying less. I am not suggesting that we become aloof and mysterious. But there is a danger that we can say so much that people start to miss what they most need to hear.”

Don’t Let AI Steal Your Blessing. This is wise counsel for those who use AI: make sure it doesn’t steal your blessing. “Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for quite a while. Think 1984, James Cameron’s The Terminator. Rogue AI coming to destroy humanity. Little did Cameron know at the time that AI’s most powerful form would be used for making Will Smith eat spaghetti and creating terrible music. And while, at least for now, I’m not concerned about AI overlords destroying humanity, I still find myself worried. I’m not worried that AI will take my job or my life, but I’m concerned that AI will take my blessing.”

Enjoying

Here are a few things I have been enjoying recently.

Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea. This new Netflix documentary tells about the sinking of the Costa Concordia. It’s probably just an average documentary in a lot of ways, but I was delighted to hear a Christian couple speak explicitly of their faith and their trust in the Lord. I found that especially encouraging.

Siri AI. I don’t generally use beta software, but I made an exception for the new iPadOS. Apple products have fallen very far behind their competitors when it comes to their digital assistants, and I was eager to try the new Siri AI. While I can say that I have not been blown away, I am thankful that it has come a long way when compared to its predecessor, especially when it comes to voice-to-text, which I use constantly.

Japanese Cheesecake. I had never had Japanese cheesecake before this weekend, when we visited some church members and they served it to us. I will most definitely be having it again. It is much lighter and airier than other cheesecakes and, in that way, very enjoyable. Highly recommended!

Flashback

Why Marriage Is Better Than Cohabitation. Marriage offers a number of important benefits that are absent from cohabitation—benefits that extend to couples, to their children, to their families, and to society as a whole. Christopher Ash helpfully outlines these in his book Married for God.

Sales & Deals

A new month has brought some new Kindle deals and today you’ll find some especially good ones by Jerry Bridges, Paul Miller, J.I. Packer, and others. I’m always amazed that such good-quality books can be had for such a low price.

Logos users, be sure to grab your free book of the month, Engaging with the Holy Spirit by Graham Cole. It’s also worth a look at the Super Sale, where you’ll find lots of good deals on commentaries and other resources.

Recommended Reading

I Joined a Violent Chicago Gang. Then a Church Moved Onto the Block. I enjoyed reading this account of a man getting saved after living a violent life. “I questioned how I had gotten to this point. How had I thrown my life away for people who had no regard for me? My situation was hopeless. I knew there was nothing I could do to change it. But all of a sudden, it occurred to me that God could change my situation. For years, I’d had conversations with church people about a God who could raise the dead to life. I thought of all the times a certain youth pastor had shared the gospel with me. And so, closing my eyes to my reflection, I prayed.”

Porn Brain Will Destroy Us. This is a difficult article to read, but it describes a reality we ought to be aware of. “What is new is the way that widespread access and addiction to pornography shapes and weaponizes a particular form of misogyny. Porn is like the artificial hormones that make factory-farmed chickens too heavy to walk: a modern innovation that supercharges depravity. Porn addiction’s effects on cognition and moral judgment are well documented, even if analyses of how porn warps social and political views are rare.”

Awake, My Soul Hymns are first and foremost devotional poetry, meticulously written with care and skill to awaken the soul and, in the words of Isaac Watts, “turn a divine meditation.” Though the church regularly sings hymns paired with the beauty of music, good hymn texts can stand on their own, and I have sought to reflect that in this book. Whether these hymns are familiar or new to you, the intention is for you to meditate on the truth and beauty of the lyrics. To that end, you may sing the hymns or simply read them. (Sponsored)

The Staggering Beauty and Burden of Church Life. “We are partway through a song. I am standing, along with everyone else, on an utterly normal Sunday morning church service. As I glance around the room, I am struck by a peculiar feeling that I will call the staggering beauty and burden of church life. In that moment, I glimpse just how meaningful an ordinary worship gathering is.” Phil Cotnoir’s article celebrates a beauty that we can experience every week if only we’ll allow ourselves to notice it.

You Don’t Have to Dread Your Vocation. Casey McCall explains why neither pastors nor the rest of us have to dread our vocations. “Teacher, do you rejoice in your trials? Do you habitually focus on the joys of your job rather than exclusively on the headaches? Do you see work as a way to honor and worship the God who made you in his image and redeemed you through his Son? What about you, stay-at-home mom? Every single day we engage in battle within our minds to apply the gospel to all of life. Which voice will be loudest?”

Oh, for Eyes to See the Greatest in the Kingdom. Dónal longs to see as God sees, which is to say, to see who is truly the greatest in the Kingdom. “The kingdom belongs to the children, the praying women hidden away, daily praying for people who don’t even know them. It belongs to those who with stuttering tongue pray from the heart, simply out of a heart to praise God. It belongs to those who look at their forefathers and long to be as faithful as them, and to those who say of those behind them, ‘they are better than I’.”

I’m Praying for You. Bethany Broderick offers some practical whys and hows on praying for others. “Prayer is intimate communication between a person and God, but it can also unify and encourage other believers. By letting someone know specifically how and when you are praying for them, you are not boasting about your prayer life. Rather, you are loving others through your intentional intercessions.”

New Book Releases

Publishers released a handful of new books this week. Here are a few that came my way.

Create in Me a Clean Heart by Matt Boswell. This book “reflects on the beauty of Psalm 51. In examining the chapter’s key themes of repentance, restoration, renewal, and response, Boswell offers a fresh, unhurried look into David’s heart and the Christian walk.” (Note: it’s on special at Westminster Books.)

Biblical Authority by Andrew M. Davis. “In an age of moral confusion and shifting values, many churches struggle to find clarity and conviction. Biblical Authority calls the church out of this culture of uncertainty and back to the trustworthy authority of Scripture.”

The Surprising Savior by Dave Furman. “Dave Furman shares his love and excitement for Christmas in an Advent devotional that explores the surprising ways God fulfilled his promises through the birth of Jesus.”

Flashback

I Know It Broke Her Heart. We as Christians ought to pursue every avenue of unity for the sake of our Father—for the sake of his joy, the obedience to his demands, and the accomplishing of his purposes.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of top-tier commentaries, a book about prayer, and a book about not inadvertently harming those we try to help.

Recommended Reading

Plagiarism and the Preacher. There has been a lot of talk online about preachers and plagiarism. I think Kevin Schaal’s article deals with the subject in a healthy way. “It’s daunting to think that members of the congregation can be using tools on their phones to evaluate the words of the preacher as he speaks. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and a misunderstanding of the nature of preaching versus the published word or academic paper. So, a few words are in order now, and a fuller development of the subject should follow later. Please read or listen to the end before you criticize.”

How to Help Your Children Build Relationships With Christian Mentors. This is some wise counsel for parents: Help your children build relationships with Christian mentors. “Studies show that one of the most significant factors in a young person walking with the Lord is a quality relationship with a parent or mentor. How can we encourage these relationships in the church?”

Meditate on the Theology of Our Hymns. One hymn. One meditation. Every day. “Rediscover the beauty, depth, and devotional power of the church’s great hymns.” —Douglas Sean O’Donnell (Sponsored)

A Crack in Big Tech’s Armor. Brad Littlejohn celebrates the recent Meta settlement and considers what’s next. “For nearly two decades now, Meta and its rivals haven’t given their restless young users a rest, bombarding them with ads and notifications night and day. Neither should we give them a rest now. It’s time for parents, advocates, and lawmakers to demand a lasting transformation of the digital economy that gives our children space to be children again.”

Should I Homeschool My Kids? I enjoy it when mature Christians honestly assess their decisions in life, which is what Tessa Lind does here after many years of homeschooling. “I never thought I’d be a homeschool mom. It was never on my radar. People who homeschooled were, well, in my opinion, weird. That was a quarter century ago. Opinions change.”

Five Ways God’s People Minister God’s Grace to Each Other. The premise of this article is simple enough: that Christians can, should, and must minister God’s grace to each other. It lays out five ways we can do that.

Melissa’s Advice for a Young Bride. Melissa Edgington offers and explains a word of counsel for young brides. “If I could give advice to a young bride today, after three decades of experimentally learning how to live a life that’s hopelessly and gloriously intertwined with a man’s, I would urge her to embrace her dependence on her husband. I would tell her not to just embrace it, but to revel in it, enjoy it, and celebrate it as one of the great joys of married life.”

Recommended Podcasts

I don’t listen to many podcasts, but my friend Paul does, so from time to time I ask him to share some recommendations. Here are his recent picks.

Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt interview Noelle Mering about her new book, No Contact. Paul says, “This short discussion was very useful in identifying some of the causes behind adult children cutting off all contact with their parents. It also provides some helpful strategies on how to navigate the situation if you are the parent. Mering is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and I am looking forward to reading her book after this podcast.”

Sean DeMars interviews Denny Burk about his new book, Mere Complementarianism, in this long-form discussion. “This is a particularly useful look at the history of modern complementarianism if you are in a church or denomination that is getting wobbly on the issue. Plus, Denny is just an interesting guy!”

Paul really enjoyed this interview by Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever with John Piper to reflect on his book, The Pleasures of God. “I think I have heard Mark say before that he thinks this is Piper’s most important book and that seems to come out in the interview. There is a lot here to enjoy and to use for your own delight in our gracious Maker.”

Flashback

The Mysterious Power of Male Sexuality. A wise man is aware of the power of his sexuality and never grows apathetic in his knowledge that it can so easily be used for harm.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include some choice picks like Gentle and Lowly, New Morning Mercies, Everyday Gospel, and The Lord of Psalm 23. You couldn’t go wrong with any of them!

Westminster Books has a deal on a new kids’ edition of Paul Tripp’s New Morning Mercies.

Recommended Reading

Healing Came Quietly. Kirsten Black transparently describes the journey through grief and the way healing comes. “Ever so slowly, however, the lighter days became more frequent; like the quiet arrival of spring as new life begins to peek out from under winters’ frozen blanket. Good days began to stack on top of one another. I found I could smile a little more easily; engage life with a little less duty. The hard days still came, sometimes many in a row, but as time marched on, even as those bad days came, I found hope that the easier days would come as well. The darkness began to lift. The sorrow was no longer all-encompassing.”

Mourning Our Lasts. I appreciate Bethany Broderick’s lament for life’s “lasts”—something she is reflecting on as she prepares to move across the country. “Perhaps that’s what makes ‘lasts’ so painful. They tempt us to believe in scarcity—to believe that because something is ending, something irreplaceable is being taken from us. But the gospel teaches me to live differently. The God who gave me these good gifts in Alabama is not limited by geography.”

Pastoral Fortitude: Courage in the Ministry of Word and Prayer.  Joseph Lanier: “The virtue of fortitude plays a unique role in pastoral ministry. Particularly, it is seen in the ministry of Word and prayer. As the pastor shepherds the flock entrusted to him, his mode of shepherding is administering God’s Word to sinners and sufferers as he intercedes on their behalf. In other words, not only does the virtue of fortitude aid the pastor in his ability to keenly comfort the afflicted and patiently admonish the wayward, but in doing so, those brothers and sisters are equipped to endure on their pilgrimage.”

2026 Is Big Tech’s Big Tobacco Moment. Clare Morell describes Meta’s recent settlement is Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment. “The point isn’t the 18 billion dollar price tag. The headline is the design requirements the States’ Attorney Generals are insisting on to protect kids online. This settlement gets rid of many of the most dangerous and addictive features of social media platforms and most importantly requires robust age-verification on Meta products (Instagram and Facebook) in order to keep underage users off (13 and under) and ensure these new safeguards are applied to all minors under 18. The goal is to have these same standards accepted by the other platforms in this litigation: Youtube, Snapchat, and TikTok, as well.” Yet the war is not won.

Young Woman, What’s Your Legacy? Ashley Gibson writes for younger women and challenges them to already consider their legacy. “In your teens, twenties, and even thirties, it can be tempting to focus only on what’s a few years ahead—what college you’ll attend, when you’ll get married, what job you’ll have, when you’ll have kids, where you’ll live. But as you head into each new season, remember: there are women who are coming behind you, watching your life as they step into where you’ve just been.”

When Unhealed Illness Brings Shame. “From the moment I was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, we began to hear stories. Stories of people who had lived 5, 10, even 14 years with the same kind of tumor. The intention was to encourage us that, even though the doctors warn that I have a short time left to live, people have long outlived those expectations.” Rob Edenfield helps Christians who feel some shame because they feel they should have been healed, but haven’t been.

Reader Recommendations

Once a week, I like to ask what you enjoy and recommend. What books, products, videos, sites, or experiences do you recommend to others who read this blog/newsletter? Let me know, and I’ll share a collection on Saturday. (If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to visit my site to fill out the form. Go here to read last week’s recommendations.)

Flashback

So You’ve Been Told You Should Read Some Old Books… A reader of this site … has been a believer for quite a long time and along the way has heard of the value of reading “Christian classics.” Yet she hasn’t been sure where to begin and asked for some guidance.

Welcome to Weekend A La Carte. As you scroll down, you’ll find a collection of interesting pieces to read followed by a list of recommendations from people like you. Enjoy!

Before we get to anything else, though, let me give a word of thanks to Zondervan Reflective for sponsoring the blog this week. They wanted to be sure you know about the new book The Wisdom of Sleep.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include quite a long list of great deals. At the top of the list are Sam Storms’ Our God Reigns and Sean DeMars’ Get Married, Have Babies, Join a Church.

Recommended Reading

Joshua Budimlic is one of many people who owes a great debt of gratitude to Paul Washer. He says, “Paul Washer is something of a spiritual father to me. I’ve never met Washer, but one day, I most certainly will. And on that day, I look forward to thanking him, in Christ, for the great spiritual blessing he has been to me throughout the years.”

We are in the season when many parents are dropping their kids at college. Yet not every parent is confident that their child is following the Lord. That’s the case for Stephen Jones, and he writes about it in this heartfelt article.

Next week, we will pack up the car with my son’s clothes and most important possessions, and we’ll hit the road and drop him off at University. He’s a boy, so he has not started packing yet. I don’t think he has started thinking about packing yet, but I am not anticipating that he will pack his Bible. Not out of oversight, I think he will choose not to pack it.

I had developed some ideas about what this day would look like throughout the years, but as it draws near, I have to accept that he will be moving out as an unbeliever.

Read: When Your Child Moves Out as an Unbeliever.

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His article leads to him telling of the need for each of us to have a “fig tree.”

In light of these realities, be sure to find your fig tree. Find and forge that place where you can be alone with the Lord; where you can sup with Him, fellowship with Him, delight in Him, and even wrestle with Him—be it in a book-bound study, a cozy corner of the couch as the sun rises (but before the children rise), or during a walk at some point in the day.

Read: Find the Place You Meet God Alone.

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Eddie LaRow is far from the only person to observe that nothing seems to be original anymore, especially in the world of entertainment. He looks to the 90s and early 2000s as a better era, then contrasts it with today.

Movies during this time were likewise intriguing. Blockbuster hits like Jurassic Park (based in part on the Michael Crichton novel), The Patriot, Dances with Wolves, Legends of the Fall, and Saving Private Ryan captivated audiences and introduced them to a fusion of newer video capabilities, better sound, and clearer images. These weren’t just technical showcases — they were original stories, or original enough adaptations, told by people willing to take a swing.

But over time, things became more and more derivative. Instead of taking chances, studios took safer bets: remakes, reboots, the fifth sequel to a franchise that ran out of ideas around the third. As society grew more complex, it also stifled the ability to create apart from what was already created. The pioneers had done their job — maybe too well. Their foundations calcified into formulas, and the formulas became the whole industry.

Read: Why Is Nothing Original Anymore?

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You have probably heard of Bryan Johnson, the fantastically wealthy tech entrepreneur who is essentially attempting to become immortal. You may have also heard of his girlfriend Kate Tolo, who is becoming the most measured woman in history. Emma Waters has the same concerns as all of us with much of this, but she does point to an interesting possible upside.

[He] and his co-founder and girlfriend Kate Tolo are documenting their own bodies at a level of biomedical detail almost no one has attempted, and what comes out of it may end up mattering most for women, whose health conditions have gone underfunded and understudied for decades. In short, the Don’t Die project is anti-human. Its downstream effects may be a gift, especially to women.

…

Bryan Johnson’s health and longevity project has garnered an infamous reputation from the beginning—and has been well-marketed to stay in the news—but when he announced that he would be investing the same level of research into Kate, and specifically into assessing, diagnosing, and treating her reproductive health conditions, I think the heart of every woman in America grew more favorable toward Bryan and Kate about 10x that day.

Read: The Most Measured Woman in History.

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Gavin Ortlund considers what he considers, rightly, I think, as an overlooked argument for Christianity: the messianic character of the Bible and the ways in which Christ fulfills prophecy.

How detailed are these prophecies? Could apparent similarities to Jesus be a coincidence? How do we know the texts haven’t been altered? And what about the possibility of an intentional fulfillment (by Jesus or his followers—or both)?

Arguments from prophecy have often failed to take these concerns seriously. Hence they tend to be unpopular today. But more careful expressions of argument are possible.

The key to the argument is the cumulative weight of Old Testament prophecies. It’s the sheer number of them, and the way they unfold organically and yet seemingly coherently—almost like a LEGO set being slowly constructed, piece by piece, with the end clearly in mind.

Read: An Overlooked Argument for Christianity.

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Pierce Taylor Hibbs has been diving deep into the works of David Powlison for the forthcoming book Dissecting the Heart: Secular Psychology, Spiritual Warfare, and True Theology. He uncovered one of Powlison’s concerns about the church that seems as appropriate today as the day it was written.

Powlison says there are three questions that people struggle to answer in the realm of psychology and spirituality. In fact, the church tries to answer these questions while the broader culture wages war with its own answers. It’s a war of influence, waged for the affection and trust of every soul.

I will leave you to read about it and follow the question of whether the church has become blind, deaf, and dumb, then to decide whether Powlison’s proposed solution is correct.

Read: Is the Church Blind, Deaf, and Dumb?

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Reader Recommendations

Every week I like to ask what you, the reader, are enjoying these days and therefore what you recommend to others. Here is this week’s list:

Tim says that while he’s only partway into The Redeemed Man, edited by Beeke, Phillips, and Smalley, he believes that chapter five, “The Redeemed Man Honoring His Parents” by Terry Johnson, “is something I wish every person on earth would read and follow.”

Deborah suggests you subscribe to a daily email from Ray Majoran “which includes a photograph, Bible verse, brief devotional and an application question.” She says it is always a blessing.

Seth has been enjoying Bruce Ware’s book, The Man Christ Jesus. He says it has “challenged me much on how often do I lean on scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit in my day to day life as I look to the example of Christ.”

Philip recently went back to the old book Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraaff from the 90s. He said it gave him “a good history of the worst streams of Pentecostalism and put some of the things in today’s charismatic movement in perspective.”

Rachel recommends that “Canadian readers have a look at ARPA Canada. They are an organization that encourages church members to engage in political action. They give important updates on policies and bills, tools for letter writing, and tips for how to develop a relationship with local politicians.”

Kari says she has “been deeply changed by an old memoir about a young Christian woman living in Pennsylvania in the 1800’s: A Life Hid with Christ in God written by Alfred Lee. Susan Allibone “suffered from consumption but lived an incredible life from her sick room. … Her written letters, prayers, and self-examination are a stunning example of a life with a single devotion to God.”

Bill and his wife have started using the new 365 day devotional Awake, My Soul: Hymn Readings for Daily Devotion by Dan Kreider, one of the editors of The Sing! Hymnal. Jake recommends it as well.

Sharon has just begun the only Brant Hansen book she still hasn’t read. “I have so enjoyed all of his books and would highly recommend any of them. They are easy to read, funny, and also convicting in a totally disarming way.”

Elizabeth recommends the gospel tract, Two Ways to Live. “I love how thorough it is without being too lengthy. I also appreciate how the response to the gospel (repentance and faith) is presented as being relational and not transactional.”

Sarah only just discovered the free e-book library app from Monergism.

Landon is enjoying Dave Ramsey’s Build a Business You Love. “My wife and I are reading this together as we take on the adventure of starting a craft business from homemade goods.”

Check back in Monday’s A La Carte, and there will be an opportunity for you to add more recommendations.

Flashback

We Don’t Celebrate the Tool. When we receive the benefit of another person’s gifting we ought to express gratitude to God, not the one who merely made use of what God had generously bestowed upon him. We praise God, not the tool.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include several good books from Christian Focus. They cover the evangelism, the doctrine of God, the Lord’s Supper, and more.

Westminster Books has a deal on a book they describe as a practical guide on a neglected topic.

Recommended Reading

Are You Losing Heart? Kimberly Wagner says “It’s possible for a believer to enter a hard season and feel forgotten, even question God’s care. Losing heart can happen, especially in the darkness of despair.” Yet she wants you to know that there is always hope in that darkness.

Walking Alongside Parents of LGBTQ+ Identifying Children: A Call to the Church. Writing for Harvest USA, Joy Worrell offers ways Christians can support parents whose children identify as LGBTQ+. “Many parents of LGBTQ+ identifying children tell us they hear little more than passing references to sexuality and gender confusion from the pulpit or in Sunday School classes. As a result, they often suffer in silence, assuming they’re alone or that only ‘dysfunctional families’ face such struggles. To be sure, there are many churches faithfully walking with hurting families. But when a ministry like ours hears the same story repeatedly, it becomes clear that this is an area where the church must grow.”

Why America Doesn’t Have Insane Asylums Anymore. As I make my way through old books and study history, I often read of insane asylums. Yet such institutions don’t exist anymore. In this article, Marvin Olasky considers why that is and what has or has not replaced them. “The 19th-century asylum movement had begun with … compassion. But it turned rancid. Underfunded and overcrowded, without enough food, heat, or competent nursing care, these facilities became places of horror, as Bly would witness. A Psychiatric Quarterly story, ‘From Beauty to Despair,’ tells the story succinctly.”

Learning From the Jason Arday Tragedy. David Robertson took some time after the Jason Arday story came to a tragic end, and now passes along several lessons. “I had no desire to add to the endless articles that have appeared in both the secular and Christian media about this subject. However, Andy Burnham who rightly described the death as ‘a tragedy on so many levels’, called for a ‘moment of reflection’. I have heeded the call and have spent the last week reading an unhealthy amount of articles and other people’s reflections, so I thought I would write something on what the Church can learn from this.”

The England I Knew Is Gone. Arday’s name also comes up in Carl Trueman’s lament for the England he once knew. “England exemplifies the political shape a country takes when expressive individualism grips the imagination of its ruling class. It is impossible for any culture to allow everyone to be who they want to be, from transgender activists to traditional Christians. Somebody therefore has to bring order to the potential chaos, and as expressive individualism tends strongly toward the transgressive, with its core notion that personal authenticity lies in breaking with the herd (that is, the social expectations of the past), the culture-makers will typically favor those who want to demolish received ideas and traditions deemed stumbling blocks to self-realization. This turns morality on its head.”

What Is a Liturgy, and Should We Have One? It’s important to know that your church has a liturgy. However, there are good liturgies and bad ones. In this article, Jonathan Threlfall urges churches to embrace a good and meaningful liturgy for their worship services.

A La Quiz

Did you pay attention to A La Carte this week? Find out by testing yourself against the three most-clicked articles of the week.

A well-known personality recently attacked Calvinism, and Anthony Faggiano replied. Who was that well-known personality? (Find out)

Ken Davis put out a call for pastors to speak to their parishioners in particular ways. What was he calling them to? (Find out)

Last weekend, Grace Community Church announced their new senior pastor. Who is it? (Find out)

Flashback

No Fear of Old Age. Why should we despise the fact that a story begun must also end? Should we not anticipate it as the beautiful final act? Should we not determine to close the story in a way that is beautiful and admirable and honoring to God?

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include a book about a church that cares, a book about leadership, and another that is a careful study of Titus.

Logos users may be interested in this sale on Gold Libraries. Also, here’s one last reminder to grab this month’s free book.

Recommended Reading

Parenting in the Parent Blaming Generation. This article touches on some important realities that I have often witnessed among Millennials and Gen Zers. “To be overly simplistic, we millennials and Gen Zers have developed a habit of blaming our parents (and their parents) for our perceived faults while taking credit for our successes. We are anxious because of our upbringing, but we were able to graduate from college and secure jobs thanks to our own resilience. But now, we’re suffering from the consequences of this behavior.”

What Did Jesus Mean by “Cut Off Your Hand if It Causes You to Sin”? (Video) What did Jesus mean when he said, “cut off your hand if it causes you to sin”? Dr. Daniel Stevens provides a thorough and helpful answer that deals honestly with the phrase and deals just as honestly with the ugliness of sin.

Seasons of Marriage. John Beeson writes about some of the different seasons of marriage. “To build a marital love that lasts, we must deepen our friendship, strengthen our covenant, cultivate romance, and grow in joyful sacrifice toward one another. We’ve sat with too many couples who, after having children, come to see themselves merely as partners in parenting. In some cases, their deepest relational bonds have shifted almost entirely toward their children. We’ve watched as couples neglect their friendship and romance with one another. We have seen spouses act selflessly toward their children while failing to extend the same patience, service, and tenderness to each other.”

Why Good Stories Have Bad Examples. This is thought-provoking: our children benefit from negative examples, not just positive ones. “It’s a blessing to live in an age where a quick look at our phone can tell us nearly everything there is to know about the content of a potential book for our kids. But one category, ‘Negative Examples,’ may require more digging. To be sure, stories can be written in such a way that presents negative behaviors in a positive light. In such cases, wise parents will talk with their kids about the issue or choose to pass over the story in favor of others that more clearly illustrate the good, true, and beautiful.”

Christian, Your Suffering Isn’t Pointless. “At one point or another, we all suffer. But what adds to our suffering is the suspicion that it’s meaningless. If our suffering serves a just cause, we can at least endure knowing it does something noble. Or if our suffering is the just consequence of our sin, at least we can accept responsibility for our actions. But often we find ourselves in situations like Job’s, where we aren’t suffering nobly or justly. We’re just suffering.” Alan Noble helps us endure such times in a distinctly Christian way.

Why I Refuse To Give Up Printed Books. It is too late for me, and I have few regrets. However, Matthew Adams is holding on to printed books and explains why he thinks this is the right choice. “I understand the appeal. I use digital books, and I am thankful for them. They are extraordinarily useful tools. However, I refuse to give up physical books. In fact, the older I get, the more convinced I become that there are some efficiencies that are not improvements.”

A Very Different Story

I enjoyed this quote from De Witt Talmage who considers how God has made us each to be different, and how it is good to embrace our own strengths instead of envying someone else’s.

Jonathan Edwards preached Christ in the severest argument ever penned. John Bunyan preached Christ in the sublimest allegory ever composed. Edward Payson, sick and exhausted, leaned up against the side of the pulpit and wept out his discourse; while George Whitefield, with the manner and the voice and the style of an actor overwhelmed his audience. It might have been a very different story if Jonathan Edwards had tried to write and dream about a pilgrim’s progress to the celestial city, or John Bunyan had attempted an “Essay on the Human Will.”

(Drawn from a collection of his sermons)

Flashback

What Does Prophecy Offer that Scripture Does Not? What Chandler lays out seems to downplay the deeply personal nature of Scripture. I am concerned that his examples of prophecy tacitly teach that the Bible is broad and general in contrast to prophecy which is pointed and specific.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include some solid options from New Growth Press. Also, since a handful of books from Crossway were slow to show up on Monday, I have added them back to the list for today.

Recommended Reading

Lindsay Clancy and the Problem of Therapy Culture. Samuel James sees the situation surrounding Lindsay Clancy’s trial as evidence of the problems that come with therapy culture. “Clancy’s defense is obviously controversial, and for the same reason common to nearly all insanity pleas in cases of murder. It is no easy thing to weigh the reality of moral agency alongside the reality of mental illness. Complexities and social media, however, do not usually get along.” (You may also be interested in this article from First Things, though you may find it behind a paywall: Lindsay Clancy and the Trials of Modern Parenting.)

Help! My Child Is Entering Puberty. This is a wise article on parenting from Darby Strickland, who wants to ensure that parents look beyond mere physical changes. “We should be careful not to narrow the scope of puberty conversations to strictly physical matters. Sometimes children are told, directly or indirectly, that puberty mainly matters because it means one day they will be able to become a parent. That is true, but it is not the whole truth. Growing up is more important than reproduction. It includes wisdom, responsibility, courage, compassion, self-control, friendship, work, service, worship, and love of neighbor.”

The Abortion Pioneer Who Became a Pro-Life Champion. Jonathon Van Maren highlights Dr. Aleck Bourne, an abortion pioneer who unexpectedly became a pro-life champion. “The life and work of Dr. Aleck Bourne provide a sterling example for the medical professionals who seek to follow in his footsteps. He was not simply known as a pro-life advocate; he was known for his courage. Even those who fiercely disagreed with him saw him as a man of integrity; none second-guessed his commitment to each of his patients. The way in which he engaged in pro-life advocacy is a model for today, in a far more hostile culture.”

Parents, What Drives You to Frustration Might Be What Changes the World. Michael Kelley wants you to think twice about some of those aspects of your child’s personality that you sometimes find troublesome or concerning. “Think with me for a minute about that one thing in your child. That one thing that can both lift your heart and make you roll your eyes. That one thing that might even be a mirror of yourself. That one thing which, among many other things, makes your child unique.”

What Your Church Owns Is Not Ultimately Yours. Michael Jensen provides a brief and helpful theology of property stewardship for churches. “Christian ‘ownership’ is always penultimate. We may possess property legally and responsibly, but we never possess it absolutely. What we own is ultimately God’s, and therefore our possession entails responsibility rather than unrestricted entitlement.”

My Father Spent Years Preparing His Boat for Journeys He Never Took. I enjoyed reading Ed Stych’s article about his father’s passion for building a boat and the necessity of eventually handing it off to someone else. It reminds me that so much of what we set out to do in life will ultimately remain undone and so many of our dreams will remain unfulfilled. I’m so thankful for heaven.

Free Things

Ligonier Ministries recently announced that R.C. Sproul’s entire teaching series library is now free forever. You can find them all on Ligonier’s Teaching Series page.

Did you know that Reformation Heritage Books offers all kinds of Puritan books for free? There are 85 books available now, with more to come. You can read them online or download them in PDF format at ThePuritans.com.

You can get a free five-day course on prayer taught by Michael Reeves if you sign up for Union’s email list (which you can unsubscribe from at any time).

Flashback

I Used To Dream Big Dreams. I used to be a dreamer. I used to lie awake at night thinking of the great man I might be, the great awards I might win, the great deeds I might accomplish for the Lord. I would eventually drift to sleep convinced of my own potential and glimpsing visions of my own grandeur.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include some great picks. The headliner is the new edition of Meet the Puritans. You’ll also find a book on prayer, a daily devotional, and several volumes of The Gospel According to the Old Testament series.

Westminster Books has a sale on Alistair Begg’s now-famous “Man on the Middle Cross.”

Recommended Reading

The LORD Will Keep Your Children’s Lives. Holly Huffstutler acknowledges that it is relatively easy to trust God’s promises for her own life, but much harder to trust them for her children’s lives. “My children have a far greater Keeper than me. The best thing I can do for them is point them to their Keeper. Instead of trying to keep control of them, I must relinquish them to the One who perfectly keeps them from this time forth and forevermore.”

Dinesh D’Souza’s Case Against Calvinism, Answered. Dinesh D’Souza recently made a very public case against Calvinism. Anthony Faggiano carefully considers the claims and answers them well. Not surprisingly, he finds that D’Souza did not accurately represent many aspects of a Calvinistic understanding of predestination, free will, and justification.

Do Religious Families Actually Have More Kids? Ryan Burge does some digging to see whether religious families tend to have more children than non-religious ones. “[Quiverfull is] the image that pops into most American minds when they see a family with a whole bunch of children at the grocery store or piling out of a fifteen-passenger van in the church parking lot. They assume that mom and dad are deeply devout people who are having all those kids for Jesus. It’s a tidy little stereotype. The only problem is that the data doesn’t really back it up.”

The Incomparable Joy of Reading to Your Kids. I affirm what Zak Mellgren says here: That the joy of reading good books to your children is incomparable. “Honestly, I’m so excited for the season I’m in right now with my family. My wife and I are reading Anne of Green Gables with our girls after the boys go to bed, and I find myself nearly laughing out loud most nights – laughter I fight to suppress, by the way, because I take my job as narrator and voice actor very seriously.” (And yes, Anne is a funny and brilliant read.)

The Real Reason Iran Is Capturing Christians. (YouTube) This video from Radical details Iran’s persecution of Christians and explains why believers should still feel hopeful about the future.

How Much of My Suffering Should I Share With My People? Garrett Kell considers an important question, and while his article pertains specifically to pastors, every Christian needs to consider it. “The past few years have been a uniquely trying season for my family and me. We’ve endured numerous hardships that have changed nearly everything about our lives. In December 2023, my oldest daughter had a seizure that lasted twenty-six hours and forced her onto life support. That was followed by a six-month hospital stay. This coincided with my mother’s brutal battle with pancreatic cancer. Other trials during this time have only been shared with a small circle of friends.”

Headlines

Here are a couple of recent headlines from Christian news.

US Missionary Freed After 9 Months Captivity in Niger. Christianity Today reports the happy news that Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who had been held hostage for nine months in Niger, has been released. “Rideout’s abduction reveals the growing insecurity and Islamic extremism in the West African country. That, combined with tightened government restrictions on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), has made it more difficult for missionaries to continue serving in fields such as humanitarian aid, health care, and education.”

Grace Community Church Names New Senior Pastor. I was pleased to learn that Grace Community Church has named Nathan Busenitz as the senior pastor who will succeed John MacArthur. The Christian Post reports. “Busenitz served for several years as MacArthur’s personal assistant. He was a student at The Master’s University (TMU) and The Master’s Seminary (TMS), both led by MacArthur, and he later served as executive vice president at the university.”

Canadian Military Chaplains Can’t Mention God in Public. Also from Christianity Today is this report about a new rule for Canada’s military chaplains: They are now forbidden from mentioning God in public settings. Do pray for those faithful chaplains who may need to make some difficult decisions in the days ahead.

Flashback

The Times When You Are Most Vulnerable. Even in your hardest times, you still have so much to be grateful for…Christian, make it your commitment to pray in the hardest times and give thanks to God for his many mercies.