Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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With a group of friends, I am reading Sinclair Ferguson’s Devoted To God, a book about holiness and the ways in which God instructs us to be holy even as he is holy. In this week’s reading I found a helpful illustration of the Old Testament rites and ceremonies and thought you might benefit from it as I did. Ferguson describes them as acting like pop-up picture books… The Lord unfolded it at first through liturgical rites and ceremonies prescribed …
May you know the Lord’s sweetest blessings as you prepare to worship him this weekend. Logos users may want to check out some bundled deals of resources I recommend. Today’s Kindle deals include some newer books and some classics. (Yesterday on the blog: Why I Am Still All-in With E-Books) Johann Sebastian Bach: Aria from Easter Oratorio American Bach Soloists is one of my favorite YouTube channels. Mostly recently they’ve shared an excellent recording of some Easter music. Leaving a …
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Crossway, who also sponsored the blog this week. They are giving away the new ESV Concise Study Bible. There will be five winners this week and each will receive a copy of each of these Bibles. Here is how Crossway describes it: The ESV Concise Study Bible was created to help readers explore the essential meaning of the Bible. Inspired by the best-selling ESV Study Bible, this robust Bible offers fresh content …
A number of years ago I decided to go all-in with ebooks. I was in transition at the time, having just resigned as a vocational pastor to instead be a non-vocational pastor whose primary focus is writing. My library was at the church and I didn’t fancy bringing it all home. Neither did I have space in my small house for a big collection of books. I had already been wavering between the two formats, but allowed practical considerations to …
The Lord be with you and bless you today. There is a new ESV Concise Study Bible available and Westminster Books has it on sale this week. I’ve added a few books to today’s list of Kindle deals. D. A. Carson on the Two Jews Talking the Day Before the First Passover Here’s a neat little excerpt of a sermon by D.A. Carson. No Such Thing as Too Hard Music Madelyn Canada: “It wasn’t that the music was too hard to …
Grace and peace to you, my friends. I have added a couple of Kindle deals with more possibly to come tomorrow. (Yesterday on the blog: Family Update: An Engagement, a Scholarship, and a Beautiful Bench) The Failure of Evangelical Elites Carl Trueman has some extended thoughts on the failure of Evangelical elites. “Let me put it bluntly: Talking in an outraged voice about racism within the boundaries set by the woke culture is an excellent way of not talking about the pressing moral …
"We would never choose suffering for ourselves. But when God allows suffering into our lives, he gives us opportunities to experience Jesus that we would not otherwise have." (Betsy Childs Howard)
"Christianity is not just intellectually defensible but also intellectually satisfying at the deepest of levels. Yes, we believe God with our hearts. But we can also enjoy him with our minds." (Michael Kruger)
"One of the chief purposes of trial and affliction is to make us send for our Savior." (Theodore Cuyler)
"Our infirmities become the black velvet on which the diamond of God’s love glitters all the more brightly." (Charles Spurgeon)
"It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small." (J.C. Ryle)
"If we claim to be Christians, we may not choose whom we will love." (J.R. Miller)
Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend has just come and gone and we ourselves have just come and gone—we are on our way home from a brief trip to Louisville, Kentucky, where we spent some time as a family. We very much enjoyed our few days with Abby, with Ryn (Nick’s fiancée), and with Nate, (Abby’s fiancé). Yes, my Abby is engaged! Nate asked her to marry him at just about the time they reached their one-year dating anniversary. He had spent some …
May the Lord bless and keep you today. There are lots of good titles related to counseling for sale at Westminster Books. Today’s Kindle deals include a few good titles. Dear Pastor . . . Your Shepherd Doesn’t Care How Big Your Church Is “I never forgot those days in the foyer of the church plant, begging God to send just one or two more our way. I had learned a valuable lesson in the hard days of lack that …
May the God of love and peace be with you today. (Yesterday on the blog: Longing for What’s Second Best) Think Little This article explains why we, as Christians, might to do better to think little than to think big. The God of Your Troubled Heart “Jesus knows your heart. He knows your doubts and fears. Tell him. He already knows. And, in your moments of greatest fear and doubt, you can trust that his mercy comes running to you.” …
We often overestimate our wisdom. We often overestimate our capacity to rightly assess any given situation. We often overestimate our ability to know what would be best for ourselves and those we love. We are nothing if not self-focused, nothing if not self-reliant, nothing if not self-assured. Of course we know that, in theory, we are limited little creatures whose knowledge is small and whose understanding is minimal. But this rarely stops us from acting as if we know far …
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians. I am down in Louisville visiting Abby for a couple of days. If you spend time on the SBTS campus and see me, please say hi! There is a long list of Kindle deals to work through today. That Are Not of This Fold “We, like Jesus’ initial Jewish followers, tend to believe that there are certain types of people …
Every now and again I like to share an example of one of our worship services from Grace Fellowship Church. I do this simply to provide an example of how one church structures our time of worship, hoping it will prove a helpful resource to others. This service’s cast of characters included Paul as the preacher, service leader, and lead worshipper. Tristan served as the elder who led the pastoral prayer and Scripture reading and John, an intern, handled some …
May you know the Lord’s richest blessings as you live for his glory this weekend. There’s a good group of Kindle deals today. (Yesterday on the blog: The Gospel and the Pain of Fatherlessness) Live Not by Outrage “There’s a funny thing about lies, however. They tend to show up even in the places you don’t look for them. And no medium has done more service for untruths than the internet. Conservatives are ready for combat when the topic turns …
Sometimes one person’s story can stand in for that of millions. Sometimes one person can explain a situation that affects not only themselves but also countless others. Those of us who were blessed to grow up with fathers who were present, active, and engaged may struggle to understand the particular sorrows and challenges that come to those whose fathers were detached, uninvolved, or perhaps entirely absent. Blair Linne’s Finding My Father: How the Gospel Heals the Pain of Fatherlessness tells …
Good morning, my friends. The Lord be with you and bless you today. There’s a nice list of Kindle deals to look at today. Family Bonds “My parents and my husband David’s parents met for the first time this August, 16 months after our Zoom wedding (thanks, pandemic). We were curious—and just a little nervous—about their first meeting: They have nothing in common!” Thus begins a hauntingly and tragically beautiful column from Sophia Lee. “Just Say No”? 3 Practical Ways to …
Grace and peace to you this morning. Westminster Books has a deal on some excellent little books meant to help Christians through hard times. (Yesterday on the blog: Why Domestic Abuse Is So Very Evil) Cultural Christianity Gave Us the Golden Age of CCM This is an interesting one from Samuel James: “Cultural Christianity creates a tension. As an evangelical, I confess the need for conversion, regeneration, and a purified local church membership. But there are many things worth preserving …
There are few churches that have no members who bear painful scars related to domestic abuse. There are few churches where pastors and members are not at times called upon to respond well and wisely to troubling allegations and sorrowful situations. In their book When Home Hurts, Jeremy Pierre and Greg Wilson provide guidance for such times and, as they do so, explain why domestic abuse is so very evil. I, for one, found it very helpful. “Abuse occurs,” they …
May the Lord bless and keep you today. I have heard from a few people who are saying they have been unable to click links in the newsletter for the past few days. I have turned the issue over to the newsletter support team and am waiting for them to fix it. There is a short list of Kindle deals today. Carry a Candle “Our very finite and fragile ability to love individuals around us is a gift. And it …
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
