Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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God had promised his people a land. He had promised to lead them out of captivity and into a place of their own. And now he had delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, he had led them across the Red Sea, he had remained with them for forty years of wandering, he had taken them safely across the Jordan River. Now just one great barrier remained—the people who already inhabited that land. The first city they encountered was the …
It has been a bit of a slow week for Kindle deals, but there are at least a couple there worth checking out. The History of Pews Here’s a tongue-in-cheek history of the humble church pew. “Seating in churches didn’t really become a thing until parishioners got bored enough to wish they were sitting down—that is, about the time of the Protestant Reformation.” We Need to Learn from Christians from Other Cultures “When we talk about church in America with our …
I fear there is a plague of complacency among Christians today. Whatever happened to zeal? Whatever happened to Christians who are on fire to know and obey God, who have (in the words of John Reynolds) “an earnest desire and concern for all things pertaining to the glory of God and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus among men?” Yet while zeal is a noble trait, it must be properly directed, for not all zeal is good. Here are some …
Westminster Books is offering a solid discount on a very good collection of commentaries. You can’t go wrong with any of the ones they’ve highlighted. Teens Who Choose Life in Unplanned Pregnancies Need Support and Respect, Not Shame Here is a wise and winsome response to an article that was all over the news a couple of weeks ago. “Maddi’s story has served to become part of a bigger conversation about how Christians can both encourage and uphold standards of chastity …
It’s a fair question for the Arminian to ask: How can you preach the free offer of the gospel when you believe in a limited atonement? How can you preach the “whosoever” of John 3:16 if you cannot be certain that Christ’s atonement was for every person? How can you say, “Turn to Christ and be saved all the ends of the earth” if Christ’s atoning sacrifice does not extend to all humanity? First, a brief theological refresher. The doctrines …
Today’s Kindle deals include a few books that you may want to add to your collection. The Popular Christian Article We Need Fewer Of Yes! “The internet could use more of a lot of things. It could use more hilarious gifs, more cute animal pictures, and absolutely more people being nice. But there’s one thing it could use fewer of—Christians speaking with simultaneous confidence and inexperience.” Puberty Blockers Aren’t the Answer to Gender Confusion A new study shows what should …
Oh, Envy. You are a cunning enemy, a persistent foe. You linger on the sidelines of our lives, whispering your cunning words of discontentment. “You deserve better. You should have what he has. His success should be your success, her life your life.” The Old Testament tabernacle had one exceptional feature that set it apart from the temple: It was portable. As the Israelites wandered the wilderness, slowly making their way to the Promised Land, they could pick up that …
Today’s Kindle deals do not include the most exciting list of titles I’ve ever dug up, but there may still be a book or two to catch your eye. Do More Better, my book on productivity, is about to release a new Student Edition. We’re asking people to helps us choose a cover. Vote here. Also, if you’re a representative of a Christian college or high school, we’d love to talk to you. Cover and content customizations are available in some cases. Is …
This sponsored post was provided by Christian T. George, Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Curator, The C.H. Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. David once said, “There is only a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:3). Charles Spurgeon almost took that step many times. His mother, Eliza, gave birth to sixteen children after Spurgeon was born. Half of them died. Diseases like the plague that shut down Spurgeon’s school in Newmarket could have easily killed the preacher …
Is there anything more tragic than time? Is there anything that brings about deeper grief than seeing time pass us by, than acknowledging how much has already elapsed and how little remains? We who were made to live forever are now given a mere “threescore years and ten” (Psalm 90:10) before we are gone. “If a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all,” says wise old Solomon, “but let him remember that the days of darkness will …
Today’s Kindle deals include a number of interesting books, most of them from Crossway. Every Christian Ought To Be a Good Historian Have I mentioned how glad I am that Michael Haykin is blogging? “Many in the modern world, sadly even Christians, see the past as little more than this: a tiresome account of a few big names with little wisdom to impart for life today. At best, it may offer a couple of hours of entertainment and diversion via …
It has been too long since I’ve shared a selection of letters to the editor. Here are a few of the most noteworthy that have come my way recently. They cover blogging, preaching, gossip, and more. Letters on Nobody Respects a Blogger Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for not using the dreaded “Sign up for my newsletter” popup. I consider it one of the scourges of the internet. On every encounter, my reaction …
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
It’s little surprise when privileged men rise to prominence. Born into high circumstances, given an exceptional education, and exposed to remarkable opportunities, no one marvels when these men are successful. But we take notice when men rise from the lowest and least likely of circumstances to change the world. This is the case with a Christian man who became one of history’s greatest evangelists. He grew up in abject poverty and received only a meager education, yet he thrived because …
It is a sunny summer weekend here in Ontario. We’ve got just two weeks of school remaining, then we’re officially on summer break. It has been well-earned and we are all looking forward to changing up the pace for a little bit. But enough about me. Here are some links to get your weekend started… The Lost Genius of the Post Office It’s funny to think that the Post Office was once a force for great innovation. We Aren’t Supermen, Dads, …
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Christian Audio. They are giving away five prizes this week, each of which will be a $50 gift card that you can use to purchase anything from their site. It’s a great opportunity to load up before your summer vacation. As it happens, Christian Audio is in the midst of their twice-annual sale during which many of their digital downloads are marked down to just $7.49. That $50 will go a long …
In many ways, the Reformed resurgence of the past couple of decades has been built upon a particular style of preaching. Many Reformed leaders have faithfully practiced and forcefully advocated what we might call “consecutive exposition.” This is the practice of preaching from the beginning of a book of the Bible to the end, then choosing a new book and doing the same with that one. It’s a practice I appreciate and one that has benefitted me tremendously both as …
Today’s A La Carte headlines include: The blob that runs the body / a father’s example of a legacy worth leaving / correcting the overpopulation myth / a Mother Teresa relic current circulating through Ireland / don’t leave those kids alone / a nice collection of Kindle deals / the institution that shocked and changed a nation / and more.
Is there any trait more odious than pride or more precious than humility? Is there any trait whose presence we so highly honor in others and whose absence we so readily excuse in ourselves? Truly, pride is the chief of sins and humility the highest of virtues. Yet the Christian has the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit put pride to death and bring to life the beauty of humility. Here are 10 sure marks that you are growing in …
This print shows that as we preach to ourselves, evan-gelize to others, worship in community, and celebrate the ordinances the use and function of the gospel in our lives must and does increase. buy
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
