You have probably heard the saying before: A clean house is a sign of a wasted life. Whatever else the phrase means, it expresses some of the frustration and the sense of futility that attends life in this world. I thought of that saying when I spotted this proverb: “Where there are no oxen, the…
Indiana: A Religious Liberty Bellweather – Rod: Dreher seems to get it right when he says, “This total political and media freakout over the Indiana law is the real story.” What Dawkins, Hawking, and Harris Know About God – It’s the truth: “As we evangelize, we are not evangelizing blank slates. We are not starting…
by William P. Farley If someone polled your church with the question, “Which preacher do you listen to most frequently?” how would you respond? Some would point to the pastor. Others might suggest a minister they hear on the radio or by podcast. But if we are honest, none of these wins the contest. Believe…
I am not easily offended. People will sometimes apologize to me for something they have said or something they have done, concerned that I was offended at their behavior. But I rarely am. It usually doesn’t even occur to me to be offended. But then there is that one situation with that one friend. A…
Can Canada Teach the Rest of Us to Be Nicer? – “Canada is to niceness as Saudi Arabia is to oil. It’s awash in the stuff, and it’s about time, I say, the rest of the world imported some.” Amen! Fake Maple Syrup – First an article about Canadian niceness and then one about Americans’…
William Struthers’ book Wired for Intimacy made quite an impact when it was released in 2009. Struthers went deep into the human brain to show that God has hard-wired us for intimacy and relationships, and to show that pornography has disrupted the brain’s circuitry in dark and dangerous ways. He spoke about other matters as…
How Can Hummingbirds Hover So Well? That’s a questions scientists have wrestled with for a long time. Gene Veith writes about Who the Unchurched Really Are. “Can it be that American Christianity, with roots in this culture, has become so prosperous and middle class that it would rather not deal with people from this social…
It’s time for another Free Stuff Fridays. This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Crossway, and they are offering a family pack, of sorts. There will be 5 winners and each of them will receive the following 3 books: Enter the Draw All you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name…
The very heart of the human condition is a faulty assessment of self. We think too much of ourselves, and think of ourselves too much. We overrate our importance and underestimate our depravity. Ultimately, we elevate ourselves to the place reserved for God. In the face of such insanity, we need to know who we…
30 Years of Ministry – Mark Altrogge shares some of the lessons he has learned in 30+ years of pastoral ministry. I think the 2nd lesson is my favorite. 10 Chapter Books for Dads to Read to Their Kids – Looking for books to read out loud? Here are some options. (If your kids love…
“Pray without ceasing,” Paul says. Simple words, but a seemingly impossible challenge. How can you be expected to pray all the time? In chapter 54 of their work A Puritan Theology, Joel Beeke and Mark Jones dive deep into Matthew Henry’s great book A Method for Prayer to distil what he says about the importance…
Dating a Non-Virgin – Richard Phillips offers wise counsel in dealing with the dark side of the chastity industry. How Many Stars Are There? – Enough that every couple of weeks there is a new YouTube video that tries to wrap our minds around it. Christians, You Will Suffer – “If suffering disproves your Christianity,…
Earlier this month Crossway announced that they are considering March Pastor’s Wife Appreciation Month, and this on the occasion of Gloria Furman’s new book The Pastor’s Wife. To mark the month they have offered blog articles and video interviews featuring wives of well-known pastors, and many of these articles have been very helpful. You can…
When I Don’t Desire God – Ligonier and Desiring God have partnered to create a course called “When I Don’t Desire God” featuring John Piper. It’s free for the taking! (Also, Ligonier is having an #AskRC Live Twitter event today.) Q&A with Sam Allberry – Denny Burk recently moderated a Q&A with Sam Allberry where…
When I was growing up and still living with my parents, my family supported ministries based in the USSR, and on our fridge we had a big poster covered in photographs of Russian pastors who were imprisoned or endangered because of their faith. Every night in our devotions we would pray for one of them,…
Shelf-Life Of Worship Songs – Jamie Brown: “Things are not as simple for worship leaders/church music directors as they used to be. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s certainly a more complicated thing.” Closing Accounts – This is a sad and sobering account of elder care today. Blaine Boyer And His Personal Entourage…
By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert The below article is adapted from Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (Moody Publishers.) The world has shrunk remarkably in the space of a few decades, creating new possibilities and questions for the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul spent his life sailing…
We Christians put on a good face, don’t we? Each of us shows up on Sunday morning looking like we are doing just fine, like our lives are on cruise control, like we have had the best week ever. But ask a couple of leading questions, and probe just beneath the surface, and it soon…
The Archive of an Interesting Life – It’s not a junk drawer — it’s the archive of an interesting life. The Grace in Going to Church – I like this one: The simple grace of committing to a church and going there week in and week out. Al Mohler on Keeping the Southern Baptist Faith…
Later this week I will be at McMaster University to speak to students there about knowing and doing the will of God. Few areas of Christian theology have generated more controvery and more bad teaching than this one. In his book Prayer, Tim Keller illustrates how even good men can take impressions, feelings, or promptings…