"The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment is a truly important work-one that should be required reading not only for church leaders, but for all sober-minded laypeople as well."

John MacArthur (From the Foreword)

"If you were more discerning you’d probably buy this book. If you do read this book, you will be! This book on discernment is simple, clear, well-written and well-illustrated...

Mark Dever

Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author and web designer. My first book, "The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment," is now available everywhere.

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Site News Archive

2007 Book Guide (11/17/07 - 3 Comments)
Last year around this time I began what I suppose is about to become a tradition—I made up a book guide to help people choose books to buy others for Christmas (or, of course, just to buy for themselves). As you know, I read and review a lot of books, usually around 100 per year. I have been pleased to find that others are able to benefit from my love of reading through these reviews....

Looking for Advertisers (10/03/07 - 5 Comments)
As you've no doubt noticed by now, I've begun to do a bit of advertising through this site. I have added spots for three 125 x 125 banner ads in the right sidebar and have also opened up a bit of space for some text ads. Though I'm somewhat leery of doing this, I explained last week that the time has come, I think, to attempt to monetize the blog just a little bit. I...

5 Years Young (09/25/07 - 24 Comments)
This blog passes a milestone... Today marks the fifth anniversary of the day I began this web site. In September of 2002, the first month this site was in operation--just a little blog dedicated to sharing pictures of my children with family members who had moved far away--it had two visitors, my mother and my wife. And I thought that was just fine. Just five years later, in September of 2007, the pictures of my...

Reading the Classics Together (08/15/07 - 62 Comments)
If you're like me there are probably quite a few books that you wish you had read and yet, for some reason, you still haven't. There are classics kicking around your desk that you've been meaning to pick up, but to this point you've never actually taken the time to read them. Or perhaps you've read bits and pieces but have never read the whole thing. Maybe it's Holiness by J.C. Ryle or The Freedom...

Ten New or Redesigned Features (08/05/07 - 29 Comments)
I wrote about my site yesterday and I'm going to do so again today. Please forgive what must appear to be narcissism. I don't plan on posting about it again for a while after today. But because I added several new features in yesterday's redesign, I wanted to introduce them to you and show you how they can make your life easier and can make all of your wildest dreams come true. That may be...

Site Upgrades and Updates (08/04/07 - 66 Comments)
The site gets its annual design update. The upgrade went fairly well, as these things go. If you are still seeing the old site or are seeing a messy hybrid, trying hitting "Refresh" in your browser a couple of times. That should clear things up. Whenever I change the look of the site I am always asked why (and tend to receive plenty of negative feedback as well!). There are a few reasons for this...

Blog Updates (07/20/07 - 41 Comments)
Featuring...You? Way back near the end of 2005 I began the feature I called "King for a Week," where I highlight another person's blog for a week or two (perhaps the name was not the best choice, but it's too late to change it now). I'm glad I did this and, though I've pretty well exhausted my list of long-time regular reads, I plan to continue with it. But I realize that there are many...

An Upcoming Interview Series (09/10/06 - 91 Comments)
You may recall that last year I did several interviews and posted them to this site. I interviewed, among others, Sam Waldron, Wayne Grudem and Derek Webb. I would like to put together another series of interviews to be posted sometime this fall and winter. I am thinking of turning them into podcasts, posting audio of the interviews this year rather than transcribing them as I have done in the past. I'll decide that later....

Server Upgrade (09/05/06 - 2 Comments)
I am moving the site to a new server this evening. It is entirely possible that things will be a little erratic for the next day or two. Please bear with me. If you have something really important to say via email, but sure to request a reply. If you do not get that reply within a couple of days, send the email again as this may mean that I did not receive it. Thanks...

A Whole New Look (07/15/06 - 56 Comments)
It has been one of those long days. But it's been a good day. We are still in the midst of a heat-wave here in Toronto. While the temperatures are not all that high, the humidity is through the roof leaving us with some hot, sticky, nasty weather. But it gave us an opportunity to take the children to the local splash pad and to let them have fun there. And we've spent much of...

The Art of Ron Cowle (01/13/06 - 4 Comments)
A couple of years ago I made a web site for Ron Cowle who happens to be both an exceptionally gifted artist and my uncle. The design for his site was really quite unique because he sat with me at my desk while I created it. My job as the designer was to translate his vision for the site from his sketchbook onto the computer screen. So really the design was more his than it...