Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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One of the things I most admire about the Millennial generation is their desire to make a difference in the world. They are convinced that it’s their responsibility to make the world a better place. Not only that, but they believe they actually can. It’s little wonder, then, that it’s so easy to rally this generation to the sake of causes—climate change or gun control or social inequalities or other matters of justice. They’ve got a high assessment of both …
Today’s Kindle deals include a book by John Piper and a book about Lloyd-Jones. Crossway will give you a free ebook copy of 12 Ways Your iPhone is Changing You if you fill out a brief survey. Pro-Life For All: The Image of God in the Elderly Be sure to read this one! “The statistics on the needs of the aging population in the United States should be a sounding alarm for the American church. A sea of elderly and …
There are a few new Kindle deals for today. (Yesterday on the blog: This Is Not Your Grandparents’ Church) What the New Testament Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage Andy Naselli shared an article on divorce and remarriage he wrote for the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal. If you’d like to better understand the lay of the land and read a defense of the most common position among Christians, you will benefit from reading it. The Scars of Heaven This is a moving …
One of the ugliest boasts of so many of the churches created during the era of the Church Growth Movement was this: This is not your grandparents’ church. This was a slogan they proudly broadcast on signs outside their churches multi-function ministry centers, a motto they printed on postcards and mailed to nearby homes. Just about every upper middle class neighborhood in North America got at least a few of these in the late 90s and early aughts. These churches …
Today’s Kindle deals include some books from Crossway and a personal favorite by Richard Rogers. Wokeness and Legalism This is a very interesting look at how the secular woke movement is essentially a religion that is fatally flawed by legalism. “What does it mean to ‘become woke?’ It is to gain a special insight, right? How is that different from being born again? We Christians believe that this rebirth allows us to have a new relationship with God. In a …
Every day I scour the internet to look for interesting articles and videos. Sometimes I find far more than can fit from Monday to Saturday, and this was one of those weeks. Hence, here’s a Sunday edition of A La Carte. I recommend watching Alistair Begg on “Knowing vs Feeling in Worship” at least once per year. The Naked Truth This is a very interesting article that poetically celebrates the gift and the mystery of sexuality. “I want to loosen …
Today’s Kindle deals include plenty of books and study Bibles. Christian Audio is having their twice-yearly sale which means just about everything is marked down to $7.49. It’s a good time to stock up for those long summer drives. (Yesterday on the blog: 8 New and Notable Books for June) The Downfall of the Virtual Assistant This article describes exactly why I so rarely use Siri, and especially for anything that is important or requires precision. “Call me crazy, but …
This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Moody Publishers who also sponsored the blog this week. They are giving away 5 copies of Practicing the Present: The Neglected Art of Living in the Now by John Koessler. Here’s how they describe it: The present is more than a place where the past comes to rest. It is more than a staging ground for the future. The present is where God shows up. We live our lives in the present, …
It’s that time again! I couldn’t possibly read or review every good book (not to mention every bad book) that finds its way into my mailbox. However, I do like to look them all over and let my readers know about some of the new ones that are most noteworthy. So here are the new and notable books that appeared in my mailbox over the last month or so. In each case, I’ve included the publisher’s description to give you …
Westminster Books discounted has three titles they recommend you read this summer. If you know Greek or want to, you may enjoy Bill Mounce’s “Greek Word of the Day” videos on YouTube. They are worth the 30-40 second investment. Recollection Let yourself just get lost in this beautiful writing. (Here’s hoping this is someday just one chapter in a much longer book.) Friend and Counselor I’ve linked to a few articles about David Powlison, but this short one by Andrée …
I managed to scrape together a small collection of Kindle deals you can browse through. (Yesterday on the blog: Peril on Both Sides) Touch Read this one. Seriously, just read it. The Normcore Opulence of Preachers Wearing Four-Figure Sneakers That Instagram account Preachersnsneakers continues to make waves, this time hitting the New Yorker. They say the account, “which is run pseudonymously by an observant Christian who lives in Texas, blew up by probing the sensitive area where the values of the prosperity …
I’m thankful that preachers are increasingly aware of the Bible’s big picture and are preaching accordingly. I’m grateful to see preachers focused on understanding and explaining how the Bible is a cohesive, coherent book, and doing this by exploring the many connections within it. This compares favorably with using the Bible as little more than a collection of isolated proverbs to be hauled out to prove whatever point a preacher wishes to make. But it has been my observation that …
I spent a bunch of time this morning scrolling through endless lists of books and found some neat Kindle deals along the way. Westminster Books has a great new edition of a great old book you may want to check out. How to Choose the Right Seminary: 6 Factors to Consider If you’re thinking about seminary, this article’s guidance may prove useful. Love Languages in Missions What interesting reflections from Zambia. “I’ve spent the last 12 years trying my best to …
There’s a fair bit of Piper and Keller in today’s Kindle deals, though some of it is on the high end of bargain territory. Still, there are deals to be had. If you’re into podcasts, or even if you’re not, you may enjoy the new show “Extremities.” Episode one was just fascinating. David Powlison’s memorial service is scheduled for today at 3 PM EST. You can watch the livestream at CCEF. (Yesterday on the blog: Love Is Not Heavy-Handed) How a …
This week the blog is sponsored by Moody Publishers. John Koessler is an award-winning author and teacher who served on the Moody faculty for 25 years. In his new book, Practicing the Present: The Neglected Art of Living in the Now (Moody, 2019), he addresses how to evade the tyranny of past regrets and future plans and meet God right where we are, in the present. Get Out of Your Discomfort Zone The other day a friend asked me, “What …
Whatever else we learn about church life, we learn quickly that it will at times come with conflict. We are, after all, sinful people attempting to share community with other sinners. It’s inevitable that problems will arise, inevitable that there will be angry words, unfortunate misunderstandings, unintentional insults. While there will be many great blessings that come through the local church, there will also be real sorrows. Thankfully, God has not left us unequipped when it comes to dealing with …
There are just a few Kindle deals today, but they are some good ones, at least. (Yesterday on the blog: How We Worshipped One Sunday in June) Dad Jokes Never Go Out of Style I can’t even tell how much I enjoy making my daughters roll their eyes through a great (which is to say, terrible) dad joke. “The first recorded use of the term can be found in a 1987 Gettysburg Times column by Jim Kalbaugh. On Father’s Day of that …
Every few weeks I like to share an example of one of our worship services from Grace Fellowship Church. I do so hoping they serve as a model of how one church attempts to worship the Lord in a distinctly biblical way. This service’s cast of characters included Paul as our service leader and preacher, Josh as our lead worshipper, and me as the elder who read the Scripture text and prayed. Steve, our associate pastor, closed out the service …
I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today’s digital world. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. Read More
