Song of Solomon – Carl Trueman writes about pastors who preach explicitly about sex from the pulpit. Where this article shines most, I think, is where it discusses the poetic nature of Song of Solomon. “The Bible’s refusal to reduce sex to physical acts is surely one of the reasons why it uses poetry to…
Reports of the blogosphere’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Another year has come and (just about) gone and the blogosphere continues to be an integral means of communication, and this despite many predictions that blogs will soon go the way of the dinosaur (or the newspaper, as the case may be). 2011 was a great…
Praying For and With Your Wife – Brian Croft is on target with this article. “It might not surprise you if I told you that many Christian man struggle to pray for their wives with their wives. What might shock you is if I told you many Christian pastors struggle to pray for and with…
Farhad Manjoo recently wrote a provocative article for Slate in which he argued that we shouldn’t support our local independent bookstores. According to Manjoo, “buying books on Amazon is better for authors, better for the economy, and better for you.” Those are fighting words! You may have heard of Amazon’s recent promotion. If you walked…
Havel & Jong-Il – Joe Carter penned an article for Gospel Coalition reflecting on the deaths of these two men. “The history books, judging by the standards of men, will record that Havel was a noble hero and Jong-il a wretched villain. They will be remembered on earth for the legacies they left behind. But…
Last week I asked if you are interested in taking The 3650 Challenge with me–to read or listen to 3,650 chapters of the Bible in 2012. A lot of you said that you are interested, so today I want to launch this plan in earnest. Through 2012 I plan to use Professor Horner’s Bible Reading…
I am hoping that this will be my final article on the Driscolls and Real Marriage, at least for the time being. I do not want this subject to dominate my web site, but I do have one more thing to say. Before I say it, I want to review a few things I haven’t…
Podcast Pastor – “When I am talking to young evangelicals, often who are in ministry, and I say, “Who has been really influential upon you in ministry and on learning to preach and to do the things of ministry?” ten years ago, most people would have given me the name of a local pastor who…
While doing some research this week I came across this wonderful little quote from Thomas Chalmers. Here he discusses the central role of the very ordinary means of God’s grace. In bygone days when God’s covenant people sought to strengthen their piety, to sharpen their effectual intercessions, and give passion to their supplications, they partook…
Tattoo Regrets – This is a really interesting article about the tattoo fad that has taken off in the past few years. “According to the Pew Research Center, more than 40 percent of Americans between the ages of 26 and 40 have at least one tattoo. Getting a tattoo, once the province of sailors rather…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by CBD Reformed. As always, they are offering up some great prizes, including the brand new book by Tim Keller. This week 5 winners will take home the following prize package: In addition, CBD Reformed is offering a 4-day sale (December 16 – December 19) on the following…
Yesterday I began a discussion of Real Marriage, the new book by Mark and Grace Driscoll (to be released on January 3). This was not a review as much as an attempt to think through the issues raised in the one chapter that is bound to be the source of the most controversy. I wanted…
Christopher Hitchens Has Died – Douglas Wilson has a must-read obituary. “Christopher knew that faithful Christians believe that it is appointed to man once to die, and after that the Judgment. He knew that we believe what Jesus taught about the reality of damnation. He also knew that we believe—for I told him—that in this…
Mark Driscoll will be all over the news in the new year. Not only is he set to be a participant at the controversial Elephant Room conference on January 25, but January 3 will also mark the release of his newest book—the one that is bound to become his most controversial yet: Real Marriage: The…
Encourage Your Husband – Jared Wilson has a helpful little blog post in which he shares 5 ways that women can encourage their husbands. The Lure of Rome – “Last month, Westminster Seminary California’s Office Hours podcast spoke with Ligonier Teaching Fellow, Dr. Robert Godfrey, about why evangelicals and other Protestants become Roman Catholic and…
There is no greater challenge in all the earth than living the Christian life. There is no challenge more difficult, no pursuit that demands more of us. Of course there is also no better pursuit and no greater joy than this—to seek the Lord. In the midst of this all-consuming task, it is wise to…
Peter’s Denials – “Regarding Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s denial and the ensuing narrative that describes the denial, Matthew, Luke, and John disagree with Mark in such a way that seems like an irreconcilable contradiction: both accounts logically cannot be true. No commentary has provided a satisfying explanation. Can anyone? Should this interfere with our belief…
Here is something to consider: Do you think it would change your life if you were to read 3,650 chapters of the Bible over the course of the next year? Let me explain why I’m asking the question. It was a little over a year ago that I discovered Professor Horner’s Bible-Reading System. His system…
Yesterday I wrote about Christians and money and tried to give an answer to 2 questions: Do I have to give some of my money away? and What should my attitude be as I give my money away? You can find that article here. Today I want to continue this little 2-part series by asking…
Air France 447 – This is an absolutely gripping and terrifying account of the last minutes of Air France flight 447 which disappeared over the Atlantic a couple of years ago. “Two years after the Airbus 330 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, Air France 447’s flight-data recorders finally turned up. The revelations from the pilot…