Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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When we sin against other people, our natural response is to distance ourselves from them. The naughty child who has defied her parents will look at the mess she has made, then slink away to her room. The church member who has spread gossip about another person will keep his distance the next Sunday. In this way, we imitate our first parents when they committed their first sin. In their shame and uncertainty, they ran and hid in a vain …
There’s a nice little list of Kindle deals for you to go through today if you’re into that kind of thing. Remembering My Passion for my Husband It can be hard to remember, feel, or enact the passion of the early years of marriage. “I assumed it would always be there, but now, the fear creeps in and the self-doubt begins. Why is this so hard? Shouldn’t this just be there? Shouldn’t I want to be with my husband? Why do …
It has been a bit of a slow week for Kindle deals, but there are at least a few to look at today. Logos users will want to check out this NICOT/NICNT sale. It’s a great series to have! (Yesterday on the blog: It’s Time To Break Free From the Algorithm-Driven Life) A French Evangelical’s Thoughts on Notre Dame I appreciate this French Evangelical’s thoughts on the burning of Notre Dame. “As a French Evangelical Protestant, I hardly attach any spiritual …
A recent story from Wired helpfully explains the latest batch of changes Facebook has made to its algorithm—the algorithm that sorts through the billions of available articles, photographs, and videos to determine the few we will actually see as we scroll our news feeds. This is just their latest attempt to head off the never-ending stream of content that is illegal, abusive, or otherwise inappropriate, and to deliver content that is safe, inoffensive, and within the bounds of their “community …
Westminster Books has a deal this week on Joel Beeke’s new magnum opus. (Wait, wasn’t A Puritan Theology his magnum opus? I guess you can’t go wrong either way!) On Graying Toward Glory This is such a good and encouraging article. “There is, though, a sweetness to the truth of what is happening in my body and the bodies of my peers: we know, even without looking in the mirror, we are wasting away and with that comes a strange …
It’s not much of a day for Kindle deals, but we’ll press on and try again tomorrow. (Yesterday on the blog: We Murder Babies) Pastors Are Special Jared Wilson: “Now that I’m not a pastor, I have taken seriously one of my ministerial goals in serving pastors and advocating for pastors. To that end, if you’re one of those who thinks pastors whine too much and work too little, I want to share with you some reasons you may not …
This sponsored post features a video by Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Crossway). The Meaning of Metaphor The first thing I would say to someone who asks me, “How could I take the Bible literally?” is “Have you ever had your heart broken?” Now if they’re over the age of fifteen, their answer will almost certainly be *yes*. And then I would ask them to examine what they meant when they …
We were driving across Africa’s dusty plains—he, a man who has never left his nation and I, a traveler far from my own. We bounced along rutted, unpaved roads and passed by villages with access to little more than the most rudimentary infrastructure. As we chatted about his life and mine, he asked me what’s meant by that little euphemism he has seen in Western media: “a woman’s right to choose.” As I explained it, his face registered first shock, …
Today’s Kindle deals include some good books from Crossway. What is Impassibility? It’s a word you should know! “The doctrine of Divine Impassibility is an ancient Christian belief, confessed throughout the long history of the Church, and yet often misunderstood or rejected today. It reflects classical Christian theism, and its import is well-known by theologians and has been fixed for centuries. It is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and confessed by every major English Protestant church…” When You’re Sharing …
It has been one of those weeks in which I collected more good links than I was able on include in the week’s regularly-scheduled A La Carte posts. Thus, here is a rare Sunday edition that includes some that were too good to just erase. Facebook Is Changing News Feed (Again) to Stop Fake News Facebook is once again changing their algorithm, and it matters to the content you will see. “The changes, broadly, seek to nurture what Facebook refers to …
The Kindle deals keep rolling; as usual, Saturday’s focus seems to be on some classics. (Yesterday on the blog: How to Encourage that Preacher) Must Women Really Keep Silent in the Churches? Denny Burk looks at a tricky text and whether or not it’s just a cultural command. He provides a compelling interpretation and explanation. “Not Tonight Dear” … Men Rejected Ed Welch: “Men are wretched at dealing with rejection. Women are not good at it either. But at least …
This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Christian Focus. They will be giving away five copies of Josh Moody’s book Boasting. In a competitive and self-centred world, living a humble and God-centred life can be incredibly challenging. Additionally, when the Bible tells us to ‘boast in the hope of the glory of God’ our worldly minds are confused. Isn’t boasting something that Christians should avoid? In response, Josh Moody studies Paul’s intention in Romans 5:2 and aims to improve our understanding …
While it’s always a joy to be encouraged by others, not all encouragement is created equal. Thinking through the right and best words can make the encouragement greater to both the one offering it and the one receiving it. Having spoken to many preachers and having preached a fair bit myself, I began considering the kind of encouragement that preachers most love to hear. I thought I’d pass them along and provide a brief explanation for each. As you dig …
There are some pretty good Kindle deals to take advantage of today. Westminster Books has a sale on apologetics resources, headlined by a new book by Rebecca McLaughlin. Happy and Productive This is a happy story from WORLD magazine. “When Chris Gargiulo finished his 30th year of working at a McDonald’s in this city 37 miles north of Tampa, 60 people attended a celebratory surprise party. Gargiulo ‘was shocked,’ according to Cheryl Stark, a friend from church, but someone else …
It isn’t much of a day for Kindle deals, at least as far as I can see. We’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe you can find something else interesting at Nitoy Gonzalez’s Freebie Round-Up. (Yesterday on the blog: 10 New and Notable Books for April) It’s Time To Go On the Offensive There’s lots of good stuff in this article from Rebecca McLaughlin. “When it comes to giving reasons for our faith, we Christians are playing far too defensive a game. …
I’m in the happy but overwhelming position of receiving copies of many, if not most, of the new Christian books. Every month or so I like to reduce the great big pile to a much smaller pile of just the most notable new releases. Here are 10 of them for April with the publisher’s description and sometimes a personal comment as well. The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace by Jared Wilson. I’m reading this …
The Kindle deals continue to roll on with some newer ones and some classics. Westminster Books has a collection of Easter resources on sale. There is material for individuals, families, and bulk distribution. Vain Generosity Dave Hare reflects on a tragic situation. “The truth is, giving to the poor is nearly always impractical. Try as you might, you cannot control others, you can’t make them use the money the way that you want them to. You can’t make the medicine work, …
It’s not the greatest day ever for Kindle deals, but there are still a few to look at for the collectors. (Yesterday on the blog: PreachersNSneakers and Pastors as Lifestyle Brands) Christian Discourse in an Age of Outrage Yes, we’ve all seen this again and again. “The world has never seen an age like today, filled with so many self-proclaimed experts who know so little about their professed area of expertise. The modern cycle of news and opinions coupled with the …
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
