I have been waiting a long time for this book. Published last year by Intervarsity Press, The Unquenchable Flame was initially released only in Europe. It has taken until now for it to make its way to North America, courtesy of Broadman & Holman who secured the rights for this side of the ocean. The…
iDolatry? – Dustin Neeley has three questions you should ask yourself before buying an iPad. I think gadgets like the iPad are very good at revealing idols of the heart, so it’s always worth asking questions like these ones. And speaking of the iPad, take a look at this article, Apple’s iPad: By the Numbers.…
More than any other question that comes in via email, I’m asked this one: “How do you read so much?” While granting that I do read a lot, I think it bears mention that there are lots of people who read as much as I do or a lot more. The difference is that I…
Calvinism Is Back – The once-daily format of A La Carte means that I’m sometimes late on the news. I’m betting this article has already been posted on 8,000 different blogs. Nevertheless, here it is again. This is from the Christian Science Monitor: “In America’s Christian faith, a surprising comeback of rock-ribbed Calvinism is challenging…
Note: This is a sponsored post. Learn about sponsored posts. Working for Moody Publishers is great because you get exposed to many fine thinkers, orators, and writers. You get to hear what’s on their hearts and minds and then watch them turn that passion into books. And my job is to help connect that passion…
My memory isn’t what it used to be. Or maybe I’m kidding myself and my memory has always been awful. Out of necessity I allow Aileen to be my memory and she’s always saying things like, “Do you remember when we had to rush Abby to the hospital for that operation and I ended up…
The Pastor’s Worst Enemy – Here’s a very good word from David Murray about the greatest enemy a pastor will face in his ministry. John Piper’s Leave – John Piper just announced that he will be taking a lengthy leave of absence. “I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense…
Here is a song we’ll be introducing at church just a little bit later today. Written by James Montgomery, it is titled “Go to Dark Gethsemane.” What I love about this hymn is the progression from Gethsemane all the way to the resurrection, from watching Christ be tempted in the Garden all the way to…
My friend Tim Kerr, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Toronto has given me permission to post the manual for prayer he has titled Take Words With You. It is a small book that contains 1600+ scripture promises & prayers to help God’s people pray more effectively. The promises are arranged around the cross–it’s purposes…
Another Friday is upon us and by now you know what that means–another edition of Free Stuff Fridays. This week’s sponsor is Shepherd Press, a name well-known among us, I’m sure. They are giving away 10 copies of Jim Andrews’ great book Polishing God’s Monuments. This was my favorite book of 2007 and one that…
Wrestling with an Angel – Here’s a must-read blog post for this morning. It begins this way: “One busy Saturday afternoon I was patrolling the local mall parking lot in my police cruiser. It was warm, so I had my windows down enjoying the fall air. As I drove though the lot I heard a…
Note: This is a sponsored post. Learn about sponsored posts. A look at the basics conference for pastors A return to basics Each year for the past ten years, pastors have gathered at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, to share advice and guidance and to receive practical help with their preaching. At the conclusion…
This morning I’ve got Whitefield and Wesley on my mind. This morning I was thinking about John Wesley’s infamous and divisive sermon called Free Grace and went looking for what I had written on it in the past. This was the sermon that began a significant rift between Whitefield and the Wesleys, for not only…
Facebook Measures Happiness – Here is some interesting analysis from the folks at Facebook. “Facebook is a friendly distraction for most of us, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be a tool: Facebook’s been exploring those billions of status updates as a social data source for example. The data on happiness indices around the…
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the music of Christa Wells and told you how much I’ve enjoyed her song “Weightless.” Christa came across that post and was kind enough to offer the song to all of you as a free download. You can download it by clicking here. (You may want to right-click…
This Sunday evening I will be driving out to Heritage College and Seminary in Cambridge and will be talking to a group of young men. I’ve been asked to share with them some of what I discussed in my book Sexual Detox (which will eventually be available as a printed book, honest). Yesterday I began…
We Can’t Sing – Michael Krahn: “I see a parallel between the lack of confidence in singing and the world of visual images in tabloid and fashion magazines. Photoshopped images create unrealistic body expectations. In the modern era of music autotuned recordings give us unrealistically perfect sounds.” An Interview – Frank Viola recently interviewed me…
I have been a Christian for two decades now and cannot deny it–the Bible is a difficult book to understand. Sure there are parts of it that are so simple that even a child can explain them. But to know the Bible well, to know how it all fits together, to know how it applies…
Practical Shepherding – Brian Croft has created a blog called “Practical Shepherding.” The blog has this as a description: “Evaluating practical issues of local church ministry biblically, theologically, and pastorally.” This looks like a great one for pastors and church leaders to bookmark. Persecution in Morocco – From TIME: “March 8 is not a day…
You know the words of Genesis 2:18. There God, having completed his work of Creation, having declared the excellence of all that he has made, says “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” It is useful to consider the context of the creation…