These have been troubling days for C.J. Mahaney and everyone associated with Sovereign Grace Ministries. Once a thriving and growing group of churches, SGM has recently seen many of its key churches and leaders disassociate themselves, including the flagship Covenant Life Church under the leadership of Joshua Harris. This turbulence has followed allegations that C.J.…
The Brutal Side of Papal Politics – This article looks at the brutal politics involved in choosing a new pope. “From champion of married priests to disgraced churchman within 72 hours, O’Brien’s trajectory is stunning but also emblematic of the frenetic and fever-pitched campaigning that occurs during the tiny window between a pope’s death or…
This morning I reviewed Tim Keller’s new book Galatians For You. I also wanted to share this quote from the book–a very helpful way to understand the four different kinds of people in the world. Here is what Keller says: It is helpful to see that there are four kinds of people in the world:…
Galatians is all about the gospel. It’s obvious, I guess, and yet many people seem to miss the sheer gospel-centeredness of the book with all the joy and freedom it holds out. Perhaps more than any other book of the Bible it shows with utter clarity that the gospel is not only the message that…
The Place for Biblical Counseling – David Powlison: “Can local churches become a natural home for counseling ministry? Often the limitations or failures of the church get cited first, making it seem that church is at best an adjunct to ‘the real work of counseling.’ But, in principle, the local church is the natural home…
I have been reflecting a lot on Ecclesiastes’ concept of vanity or meaninglessness. As every one of us can testify, this life can grow tiresome and we often wonder if anything we do really has any real significance. I came across a good little illustration in Gordon Cheng’s Encouragement: How Words Change Lives as he…
C. Everett Koop – Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop went to be with the Lord yesterday. Justin Taylor has a short account of his life. You’ll Cry – Just go ahead and try not to cry when you watch this video. Manufactured Crisis – “Even during this desultory economic recovery, one industry thrives —…
Have you ever seen a bloodhound at work, tracking down a fugitive? Bloodhounds are absolutely remarkable creatures that are able to distinguish smells a thousand times more effectively than human beings. An article at PBS tells how they get on a trail and how they stay on it: When a bloodhound sniffs a scent article…
Legalized Prostitution – “The Netherlands, that once-Calvinist land, has gone farther than just about any other country in legalizing ‘victimless crimes,’ such as prostitution, drug use, and euthanasia. Now that country is facing the unintended consequences…” Reaching Catholics – Chris Costaldo has an article about reaching Roman Catholics with the gospel. On a similar note,…
Admonition, or any kind of tough love, is a Christian responsibility and an often neglected evidence of the Spirit’s work within us. Perhaps for fear of coming across as judgmental, “holier than thou,” or insensitive, or perhaps out of fear of burning a bridge or just plain fear of man, we can neglect warning one…
A Letter from Prison – Saeed’s Abedini is a pastor who has been imprisoned within Iran. Here is a letter he recently wrote to his wife from behind prison bars. Tebow’s Big Fumble – Dr. Mohler: “For Tim Tebow, speaking at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, had to look like a great opportunity.…
We live in a digital world where online resources are endless. Whether we want the latest news, immediate commentary, unique humor, shopping, our favorite television shows, or a million other things, the Internet provides a one-stop shop. Unfortunately, superb online Christian college or seminary education is not as easy to find. For over 40 years,…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Evangelical Press and they’ve got a pretty good collection of books to give away. They are offering 5 prize packages, each of which will consist of 6 books! Bitesize Biographies: This growing series from EP Books covers a wide range of Christian history. There is a volume…
Earth As Art – “This set of images is all about showing off the ‘beauty of the Earth,’ says Lawrence Friedl, the director of NASA’s Applied Sciences Program and the editor of a project called Earth as Art. “We want people to look at these images and say, ‘How did nature do that?’” It’s great…
A few days ago I reflected on the human brain, God’s masterpiece. Those reflections came as I read the popular book Moonwalking With Einstein, a book that deals with the art and science of remembering everything (or anything, for that). The first lesson is the one I shared in “God’s Masterpiece”–that the human brain is…
Be Like Mike – Matt Smethurst writes about a recent article on Michael Jordan. “Thompson’s piece pulsates with the sense that Jordan isn’t happy. ‘I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball,’ the Hall of Famer confesses. When asked how he replaces it, Jordan simply states, ‘You don’t.…
I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I’ve received: Faithmapping by Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper. “Most…
I’m not a grumbler, a complainer, and it’s a good thing, too, because complaining is one of those sins that I find especially offensive. Jerry Bridges counts it as one of Evangelicalism’s “respectable sin,” one that falls under our collective radar. He is probably right. But I’m onto it. I can spot it blindfolded at…
7 Ways to Do a Bad Word Study – “How can a lay person (or pastor) know whether a word study is legitimate? Here are some bad ways to do a word study, courtesy of Dr. Jennings of Gordon Conwell and Dr. Grant Osborne of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School…” God’s Everywhere Grace – David proposes…
For the past few weeks David Murray and I have been throwing around different ideas for the fourth season of our Connected Kingdom podcast. In the past we’ve done interviews, Q&A’s, monologues, and more. This time we thought we’d do something completely different. We’ve decided to learn something together and we want to invite you…