A La Carte (May 30)

Good morning! If you didn’t check in yesterday, you’ll want to take a quick look at the updated list of Kindle deals. (Yesterday on the blog: The Calm Will Be the Better) 7 Reasons Why Your Church Should Engage in Door-to-Door Evangelism “Door-to-door evangelism tends to get a bad rap, and many Christians question its effectiveness. But in our experience, the people in our community have responded positively. At about half of the homes we visit, someone answers the door and …

What on Earth Is a Diatessaron?

Today’s post is sponsored by P&R Publishing and written by P&R’s editorial director, Amanda Martin. I learned a new word last year, as I often do when talking to my dad. Diatessaron. Five syllables of majestic-sounding Greek. He said it with relish, which is exactly how such a word ought to be said. It was a word I immediately wanted to use, but my opportunities to do so are limited. This is because a diatessaron is a single-narrative arrangement of …

The Calm Will Be the Better

There was no silence like the silence that descended over the trenches of Western Europe on the morning of November 11, 1918. At exactly 11 AM, an armistice came into effect that brought a halt to all fighting on land, sea, and air. Never had silence been better appreciated than when that silence marked the end of the four brutal years we now call the First World War. In its own way, the silence was a song that told of …

A La Carte (May 29)

Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include a good selection related to women’s ministry. (Yesterday on the blog: Worship Round the World: An Update) Definitive, Positional, and Progressive Sanctification Nick Batzig explains an often-overlooked aspect of sanctification. “Many tend to think of sanctification as something entirely progressive, and, therefore, miss out on understanding one of the richest and most spiritually impacting Gospel truths.” Why Did God Send Bears to Attack a Group of Boys? We have …

Worship Round the World: An Update

It seems like a very long time ago that Tim Keesee and I announced a new project called Worship Round the World. In fact, in some ways, it was a very long time ago since it happened before any of us had ever heard of COVID and before any of us imagined that world travel could one day just slam shut. It happened before my family experienced our great loss and before the other Tim was diagnosed with cancer. Back …

Weekend A La Carte (May 27)

I’m grateful to Radius International for sponsoring the blog this week to let you know about their forthcoming conference (which you can attend in-person or virtually). Sponsors are crucial to the functioning of this site, so I’m thankful for each and every one. Today’s Kindle deals include a small selection of classics. (Yesterday on the blog: Urban Legends of Theology) Forgiving Ourselves This is a good take on the idea of forgiving ourselves. “I don’t think it is appropriate to …

Follow on Instagram

Instagram

challies

View

May 29

Open
"Every test and trial, every storm in life is another opportunity for you to see the glory of Jesus Christ and discover his power in your life." (Sinclair Ferguson)

"Every test and trial, every storm in life is another opportunity for you to see the glory of Jesus Christ and discover his power in your life." (Sinclair Ferguson) ...

817 0

challies

View

May 27

Open
"The enemy of joy is not suffering, it is idolatry." (Matt Papa)

"The enemy of joy is not suffering, it is idolatry." (Matt Papa) ...

1964 12

challies

View

May 26

Open
"Let everything be a means to this end: the treasuring of Christ and the enjoying of his glory." (Jared C. Wilson)

"Let everything be a means to this end: the treasuring of Christ and the enjoying of his glory." (Jared C. Wilson) ...

778 2

challies

View

May 25

Open
"In Jesus, our judgment day was moved from the future to the past." (Scott Sauls)

"In Jesus, our judgment day was moved from the future to the past." (Scott Sauls) ...

661 2

challies

View

May 24

Open
"If Jesus didn’t think he could handle life without knowing the Scripture inside and out, what makes you think you can?" (Tim Keller)

"If Jesus didn’t think he could handle life without knowing the Scripture inside and out, what makes you think you can?" (Tim Keller) ...

654 2

challies

View

May 23

Open
"If you and I see ourselves merely as peddlers or purveyors of a spiritual "message", we rapidly become salesmen for the gospel instead of true ministers of the gospel." (Harold Senkbeil)

"If you and I see ourselves merely as peddlers or purveyors of a spiritual "message", we rapidly become salesmen for the gospel instead of true ministers of the gospel." (Harold Senkbeil) ...

359 0

challies

View

May 22

Open
"You are faced with the resistance of your children because God is a God of amazing grace. His grace has the power to turn very bad moments into the very good moments. Isn’t this what the cross of Jesus Christ is about?" (Paul David Tripp)

"You are faced with the resistance of your children because God is a God of amazing grace. His grace has the power to turn very bad moments into the very good moments. Isn’t this what the cross of Jesus Christ is about?" (Paul David Tripp) ...

585 2

Free Stuff Fridays (Radius International)

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Radius International.  They are giving away a conference package that includes: 2 tickets, a Radius pullover, and 4 books. The winner will receive two free tickets to The Radius Conference being held June 28-29, 2023, at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA. This event will be live in person or available as a live stream. John MacArthur, Costi Hinn, Ian Hamilton, Wayne Chen, Brooks Buser, Chad Vegas, and others from the Radius …

Urban Legends of Theology

For every truth of the Christian faith, it seems there is a corresponding fallacy. For every great doctrine there is an opposite misconception. It is a constant challenge to sort the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, the truth from the error. Yet that is exactly the task Mike Wittmer takes on in Urban Legends of Theology. An urban legend “is something popularly believed—in the church or culture or both—that is not true.” Yet not all errors …

A La Carte (May 26)

A La Carte: Stopping to pray / two sexes, created to be distinct / how did animals recolonize the world after the flood? / tagless / the basics — election / find your way to help the hurting / The Biggest Story Curriculum on sale / Costi Hinn on The One True Gospel Throughout the World / and more.

A La Carte (May 25)

A La Carte: Are they the ones who pray all the time? / cynicism isn’t a spiritual gift / are you casual with the holiness of God? / fear is a function of worship / more than you can handle / why every church should practice both “open” and “closed” communion / Logos Memorial Day sale / Kindle deals / and more.

Seasons of Sorrow: Updates, Awards, and Aileen’s First Interview

It has been about 8 months since the release of my book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God. And it has been an encouraging time. I wanted to share a few updates and pieces of information that may be of interest to you. Perhaps the greatest encouragement has come from grieving families who have gotten in touch to share how the book has been meaningful to them. Subsequent to that has been people who …

A La Carte (May 24)

A La Carte: You can’t tear down the norm and then be surprised by what comes next / things I wish I heard in a funeral sermon / may I never outgrow the walls of my church / those who walk in pride / God is good to bring afflictions / five reasons why pastors should share their pulpit / book and Kindle deals / and more.

See all

Book Reviews

Urban Legends of Theology

Urban Legends of Theology

Michael Wittmer

Read full review

Become a Patron

A La Carte (May 23)

A La Carte: Thousands of happy, unwitting plagiarists: the shaping legacy of Tim Keller / God’s grace in our weakness / anything worth doing is worth doing badly / the Lord has comforted us … a year later / Donald Macleod: in memoriam / working on the inside, not only the outside / and more.

The Freedom of Embracing My Weaknesses

I am tip-toeing—or perhaps lurching—toward the age of 50. Whatever it means to be middle-aged, I am indisputably now well within that range. This stage of life has introduced some new trials, new difficulties, and new indignities, many of them related to a body that is no longer what it once was. But this stretch of time has also introduced some blessings. Among those blessings is a sense of realism about myself that may have been missing in my younger …

A La Carte (May 22)

Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway. (Yesterday on the blog: If We Could Both Go Together) Gordon Keddie (1944-2023) I learned over the weekend that pastor and biblical commentator Gordon Keddie passed away on Friday. Here is a brief announcement from his family. I, for one, have benefited a lot from his many commentaries. Why Boys Don’t Wrestle Girls “In my son’s first wrestling tournament, he was dominant. His preparation …

If We Could Both Go Together

I am slowly (but steadily!) making my way through the collected sermons of De Witt Talmage. Though he is little-known and little-remembered today, he was considered one of the great preachers of his time. In one of his sermons I found this sweet tribute to his parents and the joy of a long marriage. My mind is full of the memory of a couple who were united in holy marriage December 19th, 1803. Their Christian names were old-fashioned like themselves: …

Weekend A La Carte (May 20)

A La Carte: Remembering Tim Keller who modeled winsome witness / taken so suddenly, missed so greatly, but safe with Jesus / giving thanks for Harry Reeder / Jesus can’t wait to see you either, Tim / we travel to a world unseen / since Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil, we are we still battling these enemies? / you cannot out-sin the cross / and more.

Lessons for a Life of Joyful Eagerness

I love a good biography. I love a good biography when it’s a “standard” or “pure” biography that simply describes a person’s life from beginning to end. But I also love a good biography when it is written purposefully or thematically—when instead of chronologically detailing all the events of a person’s life it provides selective details and draws lessons for its readers. This is exactly the kind of biography Mary Mohler has written about Susannah Spurgeon in Susannah Spurgeon: Lessons …

See all

My Books

Do More Better Cover

Do More Better

by Tim Challies

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