A few people have asked about updates to Friends of the Blog. I’ve got good news. On September 1 there will be some great new items for the taking, including a $15 gift certificate from Westminster Books along with a new book from DayOne. So be sure to check in on September 1. Reformed and…
I mentioned a short time ago that my parents are committed readers of biography (which makes Christmas and birthday shopping really easy). A couple of years ago I bought them a copy of David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning life of Harry Truman. My mother was particularly taken with the biography and its subject and I’ve since…
It was A.W. Tozer who wrote (in The Knowledge of the Holy), “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” That is a broad statement, a grand one, but one that merits some thought, for as Tozer says, “the history of mankind will probably show that…
The Rise of Blogs – Trevin makes a good observation about the rise of blogs and the associated demise of traditional media. “Then it dawned on me. The mainstream media needs blogs in order to get traffic to their own websites. The real reason the reporter called on me was not primarily because of my…
The most recent edition of Matthias Media’s enews newsletter had a great little list of tips for teaching young children about God. It was written by Stephanie Carmichael. Carmichael has written several books for young kids and two of them, Grumpy Day and The Birthday Party are available to read online. Here are her tips:…
It’s the last weekend of the little league baseball season around here, which means that my son has between 3 and 5 games, depending on how it all shakes out. So here’s to a day spent out in the sun, watching 11-year old boys play baseball. His Eye Is On the Sparrow – Here is…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Baker Books, a name that is well-known, I’m sure. Baker publishes many of Michael Horton’s books and today they want to give some of them away. They are offering 5 prize packages and each of the 5 winners will be able to select 2 of the following…
I am convinced that one of the greatest but most subtle spiritual dangers Christians face is pragmatism. I have written about this in the past, usually in the context of statements such as, “Never criticize any method that God is blessing,” something Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Church. Over the past few days…
A Word to the Conscience – Carl Trueman: “This increasing awareness has led me to a place where I thought I would never come: I have become more and more enamoured over the years with a modest amount of formal liturgical structure to worship services. Of course, everyone has liturgy, the same as everyone has…
Here we are, at the beginning of another edition of Reading Classics Together. This is a program I began several years ago in an attempt to read some of the classics of the Christian faith and to do so in community. To this point we’ve read 10 or 15 great books, ranging from Puritan to…
For Whom the Bell Tolls – Thomas Sowell takes on the riots and violence in Britain and the US of A. “Not only the trends over the years leading up to these riots but also the squeamish responses to them by officials — on both sides of the Atlantic — reveal the moral dry rot…
These have been difficult days for C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). On July 7, in the midst of what has become an increasingly public controversy, Mahaney announced that he would take a leave of absence from SGM. He did this so the ministry’s board can evaluate charges that have been brought against him…
Gold Box – Just about every day I check Amazon’s gold box deal just to see what’s there. 99% of the time I’ve got no interest in what they are offering, but today’s deal looks like a really good one. It’s a Milwaukee M12 12-Volt Cordless Drill and Fork Meter Combo Kit for $139 off…
One of my favorite conference moments to date has been an interaction between John MacArthur and John Piper. The details are a bit hazy, but if memory serves me correct, they were participating in a panel discussion and the moderator asked them about depression. Piper described some of the darkest hours of his life and…
Individuals Interpreting Scripture – Bill Mounce: “2 Pet 1:20-21 are important verses for our doctrine of Scripture, and so it should come as no surprise that there are some differences of opinion on the meaning of the passage.” Mind Your Ens and Ems – Bloggers would do well to read this article from Smashing Magazine.…
I’ve just returned home after spending a week in the United States. I travel to the U.S. quite often–easily 8 or 10 times a year, but more often than not I am there for just a day or two and I often see nothing but an airport, a convention center or church, and a hotel.…
4 Kinds of People – According to Tim Keller, there are four kinds of people in the world. Read the article to find out who they are and what they believe. Lonely Me – “I am lonely. Any echo in your own heart, or is it just me? Those who know me casually might be…
Here is something worth meditating on for those who are in pastoral ministry. In his contribution to the book Reforming Pastoral Ministry, Art Azurdia shares some of the temptations that are particularly strong in the ministry of the gospel. To be sure, the minister of the Gospel is vulnerable to trials and temptations distinct to…
We’ve got one more day in the South before we begin to head north again. We’ll miss the people, but probably won’t miss the intense heat. Not that Toronto is all that much better this time of year. But still, a degree here and a degree there can make all the difference. Dangerous Influences –…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by The Good Book Company they have another great offer for you. The brand new edition of Christianity Explored has been described by Michael Horton as “the best resource for group and personal evangelism available”, and today we are offering 5 free starter packs sets, each worth $99.…