Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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One of the most difficult and most counter-cultural things Jesus calls us to do is to love our enemies—to do unto others as we could have them do to us (Luke 6:31). We are to treat others in the way we would wish to be treated, for the mark of true love is that it is selfless—it acts not first for the good of self but for the good of the other. To make sure we understand what this true …
Today’s Kindle deals include a few good titles, though many of them go on sale quite often. Sinclair Fergusons To Seek and to Save is, of course, worth checking out. Westminster Books has a deal on volumes of the ESV Expository Commentary which is establishing itself as an excellent series. It’s Ok To Disagree Sometimes “Disagreement is often a good thing. Not overt division and infighting, but disagreement. I am painfully aware that if I got my way on every …
I’ve come to day 6 of my first 14-day quarantine. I’ve been writing lots, but also reading some excellent pre-pub books: Cynical Theories (Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay), Live Not by Lies (Rod Dreher), and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Carl Trueman). Each is compelling in its own way, and each helps explain the world we now live in. I was able to track down just one Kindle deal today, but it’s a good one at least. …
For the past couple of weeks I have been laboring to write the third and final part of my review of Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility. The first two parts took an unusually long time to prepare, but in the end I was pleased with the results. In the first article my goal was to summarize the contents of the book as a kind of narrative that explains what the world should be like, tells what the world is actually like, …
Westminster books has some deals on Lexham Press books. My top picks would be The Care of Souls, Piercing Heaven, and Jesus Wins. There are just a couple of Kindle deals today. Leadership Savvy Doesn’t Make a Pastor “For all those lessons, I never quite became the leader I’d imagined, and it never seemed to pay back what it promised. I also began to recognize that my leadership ambitions eclipsed my desire to shepherd souls. This is the great cost …
Here’s a single sentence from Paul Martin’s pastoral prayer that I think is worth pondering. Praying specifically for our Premier (think Governor if you’re American) he prayed, “Help us to pray for him more than we complain about him.” Ouch! Methinks many of us have some repenting and praying to do… Today’s Kindle deals include some rare and interesting picks. (Yesterday on the blog: Why I Need To Spend a Month in Quarantine) You Keep Using That Word Keith Mathison …
"People who are very happy, especially those who are happy in the Lord, are not apt either to give or to take offence." (C.H. Spurgeon)
"The God of the Bible is too lovely to abandon for lesser pursuits." (Jen Wilkin)
"Begin early to teach, for children begin early to sin." (C.H. Spurgeon)
"The church already has a Savior. What she needs now is the Savior’s servant, someone to do his bidding and bring his gifts." (Harold Senkbeil)
"God hasn’t just sent you to do his work in the lives of your children; he will use the lives of your children to advance his work in you." (Paul David Tripp)
"Learning human speech begins with listening to our parents. We speak as we were spoken to. It’s the same way with prayer; we have to first listen to God before we can speak to him." (Harold Senkbeil)
"Men may die like lambs, and yet have their place with the goats." (Matthew Henry)
"Love won’t guarantee the young people will never walk away from the church, but it will make it a lot harder." (Kevin DeYoung)
There was that time I flew to Houston for an afternoon. A few years ago a conference had wanted me to deliver a single keynote address and nothing more, so they suggested I fly down in the morning, speak in the afternoon, and head home in the evening. It ended up being quite a day—I spoke at a conference 1,500 miles from my home, but woke up and went to sleep in my own bed. I’m sure I didn’t appreciate …
I recently decided to start slowly reading through church history while taking careful notes to help with my retention. I opened my note-taking app and found … notes I had taken while slowly reading through church history. Not only had I forgotten the history, but I’d forgotten the notes! This is an uphill battle… Today’s Kindle deals include some good books that rarely go on sale. (Yesterday on the blog: Little Mud Puddles at Night) The Great Distraction “I believe …
We are mirrors. We are mirrors that reflect something of Christ. We gaze upon him, and as we do so some of his character, some of his attributes, some of his loveliness is reflected in us. The old author J.R. Miller once pondered this reality in a sweet little devotional. Take a few moments and appreciate what he says: We look into a little puddle of water at night, and see the stars in it; or by day and see …
I am traveling today! For the first time since February I am going to board an airplane and cross an international border. At least, that’s the plan. This should be interesting… There are lots of Kindle deals to sort through today! You may also want to take a look at their monthly general market deals. (Yesterday on the blog: 10 New and Notable Christian Books for July 2020) Love is Inconvenient It sure is! “Inconvenience is the way of love. …
Even in the heat of summer Christian publishers continue to bring us great new books! It has actually been quite a July for Christian readers with lots of notable books coming our way. Here are a few of the ones that stood out to me. Why Is My Teenager Feeling Like This?: A Guide for Helping Teens through Anxiety and Depression by David Murray. “Have you ever looked at your anxious or depressed teenage son or daughter and wondered, Why …
I know I had said I hoped to have my White Fragility review finalized by today, but sadly I’m going to have to bounce it to next week (for which you have my apologies). Life has become very topsy-turvy for reasons that will become obvious next week. Those who keep an eye on Kindle deals will find just a couple today. We’ll hope for better tomorrow as we kick off a new month. Calvin and That Awfully Divisive Person in …
Westminster Books has a great sale on the excellent God’s Word for You series of Bible study guides which are ideal for personal or group study. (Yesterday on the blog: How To Respond to Social Media Enemies) A Real Miracle in Prosperity Network Wouldn’t this be amazing if it’s proven true over time? “In his most recent Sunday sermon (July 26), Todd White declared that God has been painfully pruning him; that he has been brought ‘trembling shaking [to] a …
The early promise of social media is that it would help us make friends. But as it has matured, it seems better suited to help us make enemies. Long gone are the happy days when it was all about connecting with others around shared interests. Today it seems to major in beating down others others over differences. If our social media world has given us new ways of making friends, it has also given us new ways of making enemies. …
There’s an eclectic list of Kindle deals today that includes my little book Devoted. Logos users will want to check out these monthly deals before they’re gone! You Will Regret Giving In Garrett Kell: “When you face temptation, you enter a battle even more dangerous than having a rattler striking at your face. The Scriptures liken Satan not only to a snake but a crouching lion who is provoking passions within us that war against our souls (Genesis 3:1–6, 4:7; …
Amazon has board games on sale today, and they include some good picks. (e.g. as a family, we’ve been enjoying some of the Exit games.) Today’s Kindle deals include books by Francis Schaeffer, Jared Wilson, Randy Alcorn, and Warren Wiersbe. (Yesterday on the blog: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters) Further Reflections on Recent Conversations about Christian Freedom Over the weekend Jonathan Leeman shared a couple of responses to John MacArthur and the elders of Grace Community Church as they …
This week the blog is sponsored by Getty Music. The team at Getty Music would like to remind you that summer registration for the Sing! Conference ends Aug 6, and if you use the code CHALLIES you can get 20% off! The Getty Music SING! Conference began in 2017 with a vision to equip believers, families, and churches to cultivate deep theology, timeless artistry, and vibrant congregational singing. For 3 years, we enjoyed gathering each fall in a city known …
When historians look back on the twenty-first century Western world, surely few things will strike them as being more deranged and more sinister than its insistence that biology has no bearing on an individual’s gender. While society has long acknowledged the rare existence of gender dysphoria, a psychological condition marked by discomfort with one’s biological sex, it now celebrates full-fledged gender fluidity. Only our contemporary context could make sense of a phrase like “some men get periods” or a headline …
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
