5 Warnings to Those Who Merely Pretend To Be Godly

There is in each of us a dangerous temptation toward hypocrisy, to be one thing but to pretend to be another. There are many within the church who are hypocrites, people who claim to be Christians but who are, in fact, unbelievers attempting to convince others (and perhaps themselves) that they are followers of Jesus Christ. They are people who do not practice true virtue but who instead offer counterfeit versions of it. Jude compares them to clouds without water …

A La Carte (May 25)

Today’s Kindle deals include several titles, as usual. You know how it goes… Westminster Books is offering a good discount on a number of books, including the KNOW series by The Gospel Coalition. The Most Marginalized Minority “Is it possible, despite our allegiance to justice and compassion, that we have left the disabled on the fringes, that we are guilty of being selective in our compassion? Have we neglected to ‘invite . . . the crippled, the lame, the blind’ to …

Eliminating the Human

Musician David Byrne recently advanced an interesting theory about humanity and technology. The overarching agenda of technology, he believes, is intended to eliminate human interaction. The displacement of human beings by modern technology has become so obvious and so widespread that he has been forced to conclude it is more than an unintentional byproduct of increased automation. “What much of this technology seems to have in common is that it removes the need to deal with humans directly. The tech …

A La Carte (May 24)

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of deals. We will hope for more tomorrow. What 1,000 Americans Avoid Most Christianity Today reports on a new study showing the rise of shame over guilt as what people fear the most. The implications for our presentation of the gospel are profound. Thankfully, the gospel addresses shame just as much as it addresses guilt. Towards a Theology of Place Dan DeWitt: “Why pray if God knows everything? Why do anything if God …

Embrace Your Purpose

At this very moment, you are running a race. You are running a race even if you are sitting on the bus reading these words on your phone, even if you are reading this to take a break from the drudgery of your work. Everywhere and at all times you are running the race of all races, the Christian life. The question is not if you are running but how. Are you running well or running poorly? Are you out …

A La Carte (May 23)

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of classics and a couple of modern-day books worth reading. Do Catholics and Protestants believe in the same Trinity? “Many people are happy to say that Muslims and Christians believe in different gods based on what they think about Jesus. … Are the differences between Catholics and Protestants so stark that we could conclude that we believe in different gods?” Worldliness: A Rich Person’s Problem? “Is worldliness a problem for the rich or for the …

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Book Reviews

The Waiting

The Waiting

Cathy LaGrow

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So Others May Hear and Live

“So Others May Hear and Live.” This is the rallying cry of every missionary called to unreached and hard-to-reach people groups. And it is the rallying cry for Midwestern College’s Fusion program, which is training college students for that very mission.

Run To Win! The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man

Every four years another Olympics begins and the whole world becomes obsessed with activities they haven’t thought about since the last games. Suddenly we find ourselves waking up early and staying up late to watch athletes pole vault and throw javelins and dive into pools. We can’t help but cheer as we watch little-known sports like field hockey and handball and water polo. What is it that compels us to watch these strange events and to cheer for people we …

A La Carte (May 22)

Today’s Kindle deals include a hodgepodge of books which are worth checking out. Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians. Enjoy your day off! What If I Don’t Feel Forgiven? “There is an important difference between guilt and guilt feelings. The distinction is between that which is objective and that which is subjective.” Do I Need to Confess Every Sin to Be Forgiven? There is a difference between failing to confess a sin and refusing to confess a sin. What …

You, Yes You, Are a Minister!

Sometimes God’s truth goes into your life like a quiet whisper. Sometimes it goes in like a hand grenade. Have you had one of those times? One day you hear a sermon, or you have a conversation with a fellow church member, or maybe a friend confronts you with a sin they’ve seen in your life, and in a moment it’s like something inside has exploded. You suddenly see a sin you’ve never identified before, or you see an area …

A Plea to Christian Publishers on Behalf of Their Authors

I love to review books that are of special interest to Christians. And even when I’m not able to review them, I still love to make people aware of titles that are new and noteworthy. Based on the number of books that are stuffed into my mailbox just about every day, I presume that Christian publishers appreciate it when I do this. I hope this gives me a voice to those publishers, and I want to use it to plead …

Weekend A La Carte (May 21)

Westminster Books has a great deal on various works by John Frame. You can’t go wrong with any of his books. Public Discourse in the Age of Social Media “Christians must understand that the medium of social media has a tendency to cheapen that which is rich and to deprecate that which is holy. But, ahead we charge. Because, even on social media, the eternal import of the gospel bursts like a light in the darkness of an endless stream …

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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

Free Stuff Fridays (The Gospel for Life Series)

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention which, as you know, also sponsored the blog this week. ERLC has recently released a series of books titled “The Gospel for Life” and they are giving away two complete sets. That means there will be two winners this week and each will receive: The Gospel and Work The Gospel and Parenting The Gospel and Pornography The Gospel and Same-Sex Marriage The Gospel and …

Nobody Respects a Blogger

Blogs have come a long way in a short time. Though an early form of blogging existed as early as the 90s, it was not until the early 2000s that the term became widely-used and the medium became widely-adopted. In this way blogging is still in its infancy, though some are convinced it’s also in its death throes. Most blogs exist outside the mainstream, outside the purview of the traditional gatekeepers. Political blogs do not require the approval of the …

A La Carte (May 19)

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of books and a couple of Bibles. Hey Bill Johnson & Bethel Church…  “I receive emails from people around the world who are deeply confused and frightened by the teaching and supposed ‘miracle’ ministry of Bill Johnson, Bethel Church, and Jesus Culture in Redding California. Many of these emails are from well meaning friends and family who have a loved one ‘immersed’ in Bethel culture who won’t respond to their basic appeals for biblical clarity. Interestingly, time …

Advance! Advance in Favor

When I was in my early 20s, one of my friends had a sudden experience of spiritual growth and enthusiasm. Suddenly, he had a new fervor for the Lord and a fresh desire to serve him. He began using new words and imaginative phrases to describe his relationship with God and his longing to live for his glory. One of these was “audience of One.” “I don’t care what other people think of me,” he said. “I’m just going to …

A La Carte (May 18)

Christian Audio is having a mix and match sale; select 4 books and you’ll get all 4 for $15. Maybe load up your phone before that long vacation drive? Eight Of The Most Common Worship Leading Mistakes Jamie Brown: “Our goal is not to become flawless worship leaders who never make mistakes. Our goal is simply to keep being humbled by our awareness of our imperfection, and to keep growing, so we can more effectively point our congregations to Jesus …

The Whole Christian Life Every Sunday

A well-planned worship service is a tremendous blessing to those who participate in it. A well-planned service is not necessarily one in which the projector never flickers and the microphones never buzz, or one in which the transitions are smooth and the sermon doesn’t go long. Rather, a well-planned service is one whose elements have been carefully planned to fulfill God’s purposes for the public gatherings of his church. How, then, do we plan our services? What elements should a …

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Messy Grace

Function & Use of the Gospel Print

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Three In One T-Shirt

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The Trinity is a simple yet infinitely complex mystery. The Three in One shirt displays that theological concept in a minimalist simple design that is sure to spark some questions. buy