Sexual Detox: Recommended Resources (10/31/09 - 10 Comments)
Having wrapped up the Sexual Detox series, I thought it would be useful to provide a list of recommended resources for those who wish to do reading on a particular topic. Pretty much every author who has written more than, say, ten books has written one on the Lord's Prayer and one on either sex or marriage (or perhaps both). It seems to be some kind of rite of passage. I assume I'll get a...
Sexual Detox V: Freedom (10/30/09 - 20 Comments)
Note (11/08/09) - This complete series is now available for free download. Click here to learn more. This is the final entry in a series of articles about sex and, in particular, about sexual detoxification. First I wrote about Pornifying the Marriage Bed, then about Breaking Free and A Theology of Sex. The fourth article dealt with Detoxification. The series was written specifically to target young men--those who are newly married or nearly married or...
Sexual Detox IV: Detoxification (10/29/09 - 17 Comments)
Note (11/08/09) - This complete series is now available for free download. Click here to learn more. This is now the fourth entry in a series of articles about sex and, in particular, about sexual detoxification--about replacing lies with truth. First I wrote about Pornifying the Marriage Bed, then about Breaking Free and finally about A Theology of Sex. Today the series continues with Detoxification. The purpose of this series of articles is to lead...
Sexual Detox III: A Theology of Sex (10/28/09 - 31 Comments)
Note (11/08/09) - This complete series is now available for free download. Click here to learn more. This is the third article in a series targeted specifically at young men but applying, I am learning, to all of us. So far I have written about Pornifying the Marriage Bed and about Breaking Free. What did God create first: hunger or food? Did God make man hungry and then invent food to fill the need? Or...
Sexual Detox II: Breaking Free (10/27/09 - 23 Comments)
Note (11/08/09) - This complete series is now available for free download. Click here to learn more. This is the second entry in a series dealing with sex and, in particular, challenging young men with the notion that their consumption of pornography has so shaped their perception of sex that they need to detox if they are going to be suitable husbands to their wives. In the first part of the series I wrote about...
This Week's Sponsor: True Church Conference 2010 (10/26/09 - 11 Comments)
Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts) 
True Church Conference is hosted by: Anchored in Truth Ministries The Quagmire of Hyper-Calvinism A quagmire is a difficult, precarious, entrapping position. How could the church of the Lord Jesus Christ find itself in such a place? By misusing the most glorious truths in the Bible, the Doctrines of Grace. Finding Balance In recent years there has been a genuine awakening to...
Sexual Detox I: Pornifying the Marriage Bed (10/26/09 - 65 Comments)
Note (11/08/09) - This complete series is now available for free download. Click here to learn more. This week I am going to devote most of the articles on this site to the topic of sex. I want to speak especially to young men, those who are teenagers or dating or engaged or newly married. However, I do hope that anyone can read and enjoy the series, even if the teen years are far behind...
Music Roundup (10/25/09 - 2 Comments)
I realized the other day that I have a growing stack of CDs around here awaiting some kind of attention on the blog. So today let me draw your attention to a few noteworthy new albums. Nate Fancher: The Cross of Jesus - I wasn't quite sure how to describe the sound of this EP, but found some help at Nate's site: "A catchy and classy pop/rock genre graced with rhythmic arrangements, ambient guitars, percussive...
The Case for God (10/24/09 - 19 Comments)
This is a review I wrote a couple of weeks ago for another site. But I thought it might be worth posting here as well.It is a rare occasion that I find it difficult to point out any redeeming features in a book-when I struggle to find a single positive to write in a review. Unfortunately Karen Armstrong's The Case for God is one of those books-one that is so monstrously bad, so hopelessly awful,...
Free Stuff Fridays (10/23/09 - 5 Comments)
Well, another Free Stuff Fridays is upon us. This week's sponsor is Evangelical Press, a non-profit publisher whose mission "is to place sound Christian books and sound biblical teaching within reach of as many people as it can across the world." Today they are offering to place a brand new book with five readers of this site. The prize they are offering is the newly published Who Made God?: Searching for a Theory of...
Great Truths (10/23/09 - 9 Comments)
If you were one of the four million people to read the bestselling book Freakonomics, you will pretty well know what to expect from the long-awaited sequel SuperFreakonomics. It has five chapters, each of which stands on its own and each of which ties varied economic data into some kind of a cohesive whole. It is just as interesting as its predecessor and sticks very closely to the formula that made the first book such...
Reading Classics Together (10/22/09 - 44 Comments)
It has been a few weeks now since we finished reading The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, the most recent entry in Reading Classics Together. The impetus for this project was the simple realization that, though many Christians want to read through the classics of the faith, few of us have the motivation to actually make it happen. This program allows us to read them together, providing both a level of accountability and the added...
Outgrowing the Need for Grace (10/21/09 - 13 Comments)
Last night was one of those nights where the kids kept me up for pretty much the whole thing. This morning I tried to do some writing but my brain was still clearly lying in bed. Therefore I am going to post something I wrote a couple of years ago; it is a topic that has been in my mind a good bit lately and I hope you can benefit from it. It's no secret...
Book Review - "Counterfeit Gods" by Tim Keller (10/20/09 - 19 Comments)
Tim Keller knows how to tell a Bible story. Like The Prodigal God before it, his latest book, Counterfeit Gods is built around them. And every time I read one of those stories, I feel like I am hearing it for the first time. I find myself lost in the story, anticipating how it could, how it might, end. In the back of my mind I know exactly how it will turn out, but somehow...
This Week's Sponsor: ESV Study Bible (10/19/09 - 11 Comments)
Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts) Celebrating One Year of the ESV Study Bible By Geoff Dennis, Crossway Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Media On October 15th, 2008 Crossway launched the ESV Study Bible to help people understand the timeless truth of God's powerful, compelling, and life-changing Word in a deeper way. And now, one year later, we rejoice and praise God as we see how the...
Meet the Ministries: Acts 29 (10/19/09 - 11 Comments)
A few weeks ago I began a series called "Meet the Ministries." This purpose of this series is to learn about some of the more prominent or more interesting ministries seeking to serve the church today. In the past this series has stopped at Grace to You and Desiring God. Today it continues to Acts 29 where Scott Thomas, Acts 29's Chairman and Director, was kind enough to answer a few questions. How and when...
A Minister's Strength (10/18/09 - 8 Comments)
The prayer immediately before a sermon is one where the congregation is prone to drift off. This prayer is usually a minister's plea for God to grant him words to speak and for God to grant the ability to hear and understand for those who listen to the sermon. I've noticed, though, that when I am the one who is to preach immediately afterward, this prayer takes on a new dimension of desperation. The one...
Have a Little Faith (10/17/09 - 5 Comments)
I did not ever read Tuesdays With Morrie, a book that has been described as "The bestselling memoir of all time." I find that claim a little difficult to believe, but I suppose that the eleven million copies in print may prove it correct. From the pen of that same author, Mitch Albom, now comes Have a Little Faith, a book that shot straight to the top of the New York Times list of bestsellers...
Free Stuff Fridays (10/16/09 - 56 Comments)
I am away on a retreat today but am leaving behind a new edition of Free Stuff Fridays. This week it is sponsored by Desiring God, a ministry that probably needs little introduction. The mission of DG "is to produce and distribute resources that spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ." And today they want to distribute some of those resources...
New Commentaries & Reference Books (10/15/09 - 7 Comments)
While I write many book reviews, the majority of these reviews cover titles that are written on a popular level. Rarely do I look at reference material or commentaries. Yet I do receive many such books and today I want to mention some of the more notable ones that have come across my desk recently. The Acts of the Apostles by David G. Peterson (The Pillar New Testament Commentary) - With this huge addition to...
Teachers, Watchmen, Gatekeepers (10/14/09 - 6 Comments)
Earlier this year I was asked to prepare a talk on families and technology. I was to speak to a group of adults, mostly parents of teenagers, and address issues related to digital technology. I was pleased with the challenge and was reasonably happy with the final result. As I prepared that talk I began to think about the role of parents in the media consumption of their children. I turned to the Bible and...
The Greatest Show on Earth (10/13/09 - 26 Comments)
It has been a couple of years since Richard Dawkins' last major work, The God Delusion (my review). That book was a long-time fixture on the bestseller lists and served to establish Dawkins as the foremost spokesman for the New Atheists. Dawkins has long had two related emphases in his writing and speaking: the non-existence of God and the evidence in nature that evolution is responsible for all that exists. Where The God Delusion emphasized...
This Week's Sponsor - Banner of Truth (10/12/09 - 77 Comments)
Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts) No matter how you cut it, there's something different about The Banner of Truth! I knew it 30 years ago when I was working my way through seminary. I knew it 20 years ago when I was pastoring families outside Philadelphia. I knew it 5 years ago when I took over the helm here at Banner's North American office. And I can...
Thanksgiving (10/12/09 - 4 Comments)
As I mentioned on Saturday, this is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Where our neighbors to the south celebrate Thanksgiving on a Thursday, here we do so on a Monday. So today is an official holiday--all the stores are closed and everyone gets a day off. Even bloggers. Today I'll leave you with some links I had bookmarked over the weekend, hoping you enjoy them as I did. How Jerusalem Was Spared. Yesterday Paul preached...
Mr. Tweedle (10/11/09 - 5 Comments)
I found myself reminiscing this afternoon about old Mr. Tweedle--a man I hadn't thought about in ages. Years ago, when we were members at a Reformed church in Hamilton, Mr. Tweedle had shown up at the church. He was an elderly man already, probably well into his seventies. He was a refugee from Canada's United Church, a denomination that had slid from liberal to liberaler to liberalerst. When he found out from a neighbor that...
Thanksgiving Weekend (10/10/09 - 22 Comments)
It is Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada--about as early a Thanksgiving as we ever have, I think. It comes a long time before the American equivalent, at any rate. The Canadian Thanksgiving is a fair bit like its American counterpart, though without the storied history. Where Americans have great stories about Pilgrims and the Indians who saved their lives, Canadians just know that we get the day off and that it's a good day to...
Free Stuff Fridays (10/09/09 - 5 Comments)
Where does the time ago? Another Friday has come and with it another edition of Free Stuff Fridays. This week's sponsor is The Good Book Company and they are giving away three great prizes--Starter Packs of Christianity Explored. There are many ways of introducing people to Jesus, but the principle behind Christianity Explored is to keep it simple and let the Gospel tell the gospel. Its a short, informal course based in Mark's Gospel...
Friday Ramblings (10/09/09 - 22 Comments)
Here are just a few random things I wanted to mention before I post this week's Free Stuff Friday giveaway. Book News I mentioned a short time ago that I was in the midst of putting together book proposals. That was completed some time ago and in the very near future I should have some exciting news about my next writing projects. I'm just sorting through details right now but should be able to bring...
Books I Didn't Review (10/08/09 - 15 Comments)
I've been doing a lot of reading lately--an near-obnoxious amount, really. Quite a few of the books have just not been that interesting, but there have been a few exceptions. Here are reviews of three of the more notable books I've read. Each of these titles is currently on the New York Times list of bestsellers. End the Fed Love him or hate him, you probably have an opinion about Ron Paul. He's a guy...
Meet the Ministries: Desiring God (10/07/09 - 9 Comments)
Last week I began an interview series I am calling "Meet the Ministries." This is an opportunity for us to meet some of the Christian ministries available to serve us. The first interview featured Grace to You. This week I'm glad to share an interview with Matt Perman, Director of Strategy for Desiring God. How and when did Desiring God begin? Desiring God as an organization began in 1994. An elderly couple had been in...
Book Review - Calvin (10/06/09 - 7 Comments)
It is here at last. For years now I have been waiting for a great biography of Calvin--the kind of biography which I would recommend without hesitation for those who would want to learn about the life of the great Reformer. In a year that has seen the arrival of at least half a dozen biographies of Calvin, this one, I believe, stands as the best. Written by Bruce Gordon, professor of Reformation History at...
This Week's Sponsor: Crossway (10/05/09 - 0 Comments)
Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts) Proclaiming the Gospel through Publishing: An Introduction and a Special Offer My name is James Kinnard and I serve as the Director of Marketing at Crossway. I help organize our marketing and communication efforts. Crossway's not-for-profit publishing ministry is fueled by a desire to proclaim the gospel through publishing and see God's Word applied to every area of life. To that end...
Applying the Heat (10/05/09 - 17 Comments)
In my experience there is usually one of the spouses in a marriage that handles the majority of the doctoring and nursing duties. There is one who has the medical knowledge and who knows what to do when a child or spouse is injured or maybe just plain under the weather. There is one who can clean up vomit without adding to the mess themselves. For my marriage, this person is most definitely Aileen. She...
A Nursery for Heaven (10/04/09 - 2 Comments)
This is one of my favorite prayers in The Valley of Vision. It is a prayer for family, asking God not only for grace in raising a family in a way that brings him glory but also asking God for grace in the lives of other family members. I think it is notable that a prayer for family first begins with soul-searching prayer about self. In fact it moves seamlessly from adoration of God to...
An Easy-Going God (10/03/09 - 12 Comments)
Here is some food for thought from John Stott. It comes courtesy of The Cross of Christ. ***** The kind of God that appeals to most people today would be easy-going in his tolerance of our offenses. He would be gentle, kind, accommodating. He would have no violent reactions. Unhappily, even in the church we seemed to have lost the vision of the majesty of God. There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets...
Free Stuff Fridays (10/02/09 - 5 Comments)
We're back with another edition of Free Stuff Fridays. This one is sponsored by Zondervan, a company which I'm guessing needs little introduction. They are offering five copies of a brand new book and one that is just beautiful. The Inklings of Oxford is a coffee table kind of book that focuses on "C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Their Friends." Written by Harry Lee Poe and featuring the photography of James...
Chasing Delight (10/02/09 - 6 Comments)
I went for a walk this morning, and pretty much had the town to myself, it seemed. Few people were out and about at 5:30 in the cold, dark, pre-dawn. This was the first time this year I've had to wear a coat while walking and the first time I've been able to see my breath misting the air around me. Winter is fast approaching. I was thinking, as I walked, about Proverbs 11:1. It...
Two Great Barriers to Faith (10/01/09 - 11 Comments)
Some time ago, no doubt while I was awake in the middle of the night with one of the children, I saw a documentary about some weird disease that causes a patient's skin to harden. This disease often sets in during childhood and causes the skin to become hard and shiny. I searched around to find the name of this condition and I think it must be "systemic sclerosis." "Dermatology Online Journal" describes it this...
