I continue to receive a lot of interesting and challenging questions as part of my regular Ask Me Anything feature, and today I’m going to do my best to answer a few of them. These ones concern the purpose of worship services, ordinary versus radical, visiting bad churches, repenting for depraved dreams, and children who…
Tragic circumstances often bring out the best and worst of our character. They stretch our endurance, build our discipline, and strengthen our resolve. They expose the godliness we have cultivated in our hearts. But tragic circumstances can also expose the sin that remains within us. They bring us to situations beyond our strength and control,…
Today’s Kindle deals include a few deals that are worth looking at. I’m down in Dallas today, looking forward to speaking at Called to Counsel. I hope to meet some of you here! The 144,000 Many interpretations have been offered for the 144,000 people mentioned in Revelation 7:4. Kevin DeYoung has a solid, sensible explanation.…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Banner of Truth. They have 5 prize packages to give away, which means 5 winners will each receive the following titles: Learning About the Old Testament, by Allan Harman (small paperback, 144 pp.). How does the Old Testament relate to your faith? Is it just a collection…
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, is like any other business leader in that he is constantly challenged with the question of competition: Who is the competition, and what do you plan to do about them? He was asked this question a week ago during the regularly-scheduled Q1 earnings call, and his answer is both fascinating…
Today’s Kindle deals include two classics, both of which are worth reading. Westminster Books has ESV Premium Gift Bibles on sale. They always sell out really fast. Bill Nye, Progressive Science, and the Threat of Nature Alastair Roberts: “Despite the many claims to be presenting the ‘science’ of sexuality and that opposing viewpoints had no…
According to a new study by Gallup, the hottest thing at church today is not the worship and not the pastor. It’s not the smoke and lights and it’s not the hip and relevant youth programs. It’s not even the organic, fair trade coffee at the cafe. The hottest thing at church today is the…
Today’s Kindle deals include three books. The highlight is Ed Shaw’s excellent work on same-sex attraction. Logos users, don’t forget that I’ve worked with Logos to put together a curated list of excellent NT commentaries. 11 Reasons for a Weekly Service Review Jeff Lacine lists “11 reasons why you should consider starting a weekly service…
We are a culture of convenience, of personalization, of individualism. We have a million ways of customizing our lives to perfectly suit our every preference. When things are difficult, we think little of pulling away from responsibilities, of reorienting our lives away from whatever causes inconvenience. This can even extend to something as good and…
Today’s Kindle deals include quite a few good books, including two that my girls used for devotions when young. Westminster Books has a deal on an excellent place to begin in your studies of church history. An Important but Neglected Tool for Clear Thinking Justin Taylor shares an important but neglected tool for clear thinking.…
We know that pornography is an ugly and harmful sin. We know that those who indulge in porn have committed the sin of lust, but there is so much more to it than that. When you open your browser and begin to look at those images and videos, you are sinning in ways that go…
Today’s Kindle deals include several good books, including a personal favorite on prayer. Is the Enemy of My Enemy My Friend? Al Mohler takes on an important question for a time of great cultural uncertainty. Nature Documentaries Are Fake (Video) I think we already know that our favorite nature documentaries aren’t entirely real. Here’s an…
This sponsored post was prepared by Dr. Todd Chipman of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you’ve ever wondered whether pursuing a Ph.D. in your theological training would be worth it, there are lots of factors to consider aside from wondering how it might impact your career aspirations. If you’re sorting through whether Ph.D studies are…
We cannot overstate the importance of knowing our purpose. There is no doubt our lives will go awry and even go to waste if we neglect to learn the purpose for our existence and the purpose for our salvation. And central to understanding our purpose is understanding why God placed us on this earth. This…
Today’s Kindle deals include a series of titles from Crossway that deal with deep theology. God Desires To Bless You Infinitely More Than You Can Imagine There’s an encouraging thought: “He has made an unbreakable, unchangeable promise to never stop doing good to us.” The Quiet Plague of Painkillers This one is from Desiring God:…
I continue to receive Letters to the Editor that cover a variety of subjects. Today, though, I’m narrowing it down to two: what we gained and lost when we moved from hymnals to PowerPoint and tributes to godly moms. Tributes to Moms (based on Will You Write a Mother’s Day Tribute?) There are at least…
Every mother knows that at some point, in some way, she will have to surrender her children. While they are young, she is responsible for protecting and teaching and training them. But all the while, she will be preparing them for independence, preparing herself to release them to the world. Ultimately, she will be preparing…
Today’s Kindle deals include three books that will help you better understand the Bible. Westminster Books is offering deals on catechisms and resources to help teach them. How Brainy Women Benefit the Church “Even today, when my husband tells other people that I’m smarter than he is, I instinctively wince. He means it as a…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Reformation Heritage Books who also sponsored the blog this week. They have 5 prize packages to give away today, which means 5 winners will receive the following books: 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude by Sarah Ivill. “The New Testament books of 1 and 2 Peter and…
A friend of mine recently became a citizen of the United States of America. Until that point, he had been a mere resident, a visitor, a sojourner, a citizen of some other place. But he followed the process, he fulfilled his obligations, and he at last received the decision of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration…