The world was still new, the earth was still young, humanity was still barely east of Eden. And deep in virgin forests, unseen by human eye, untrod by human foot, a gentle fern was summoned forth from the soil. Its fronds were perfectly symmetrical, its leaves were vibrant green, it was uniquely patterned with the…
A La Carte: Is being salt and light worth it? / known but to God / let’s pray real quick / the Bible and wallpaper / treading the path toward death / uprooted / Logos sale / sale on Christianity & Liberalism / Kindle deals / and more.
A La Carte: 7 reasons why your church should engage in door-to-door evangelism / on not giving up (aka why ministry has changed from golf to hockey) / Lutheran vs Dutch Reformed view of baptism / offerings at the door of Eden? / how to pray at a military grave / reconstructing my faith /…
Today’s post is sponsored by P&R Publishing and written by P&R’s editorial director, Amanda Martin. I learned a new word last year, as I often do when talking to my dad. Diatessaron. Five syllables of majestic-sounding Greek. He said it with relish, which is exactly how such a word ought to be said. It was…
There was no silence like the silence that descended over the trenches of Western Europe on the morning of November 11, 1918. At exactly 11 AM, an armistice came into effect that brought a halt to all fighting on land, sea, and air. Never had silence been better appreciated than when that silence marked the…
Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include a good selection related to women’s ministry. (Yesterday on the blog: Worship Round the World: An Update) Definitive, Positional, and Progressive Sanctification Nick Batzig explains an often-overlooked aspect of sanctification. “Many tend to think of sanctification as something entirely progressive, and, therefore, miss out…
It seems like a very long time ago that Tim Keesee and I announced a new project called Worship Round the World. In fact, in some ways, it was a very long time ago since it happened before any of us had ever heard of COVID and before any of us imagined that world travel…
I’m grateful to Radius International for sponsoring the blog this week to let you know about their forthcoming conference (which you can attend in-person or virtually). Sponsors are crucial to the functioning of this site, so I’m thankful for each and every one. Today’s Kindle deals include a small selection of classics. (Yesterday on the…
This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Radius International. They are giving away a conference package that includes: 2 tickets, a Radius pullover, and 4 books. The winner will receive two free tickets to The Radius Conference being held June 28-29, 2023, at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA. This event will be live…
For every truth of the Christian faith, it seems there is a corresponding fallacy. For every great doctrine there is an opposite misconception. It is a constant challenge to sort the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, the truth from the error. Yet that is exactly the task Mike Wittmer takes on…
A La Carte: Stopping to pray / two sexes, created to be distinct / how did animals recolonize the world after the flood? / tagless / the basics — election / find your way to help the hurting / The Biggest Story Curriculum on sale / Costi Hinn on The One True Gospel Throughout the…
A La Carte: Are they the ones who pray all the time? / cynicism isn’t a spiritual gift / are you casual with the holiness of God? / fear is a function of worship / more than you can handle / why every church should practice both “open” and “closed” communion / Logos Memorial Day…
It has been about 8 months since the release of my book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God. And it has been an encouraging time. I wanted to share a few updates and pieces of information that may be of interest to you. Perhaps the greatest encouragement has come…
A La Carte: You can’t tear down the norm and then be surprised by what comes next / things I wish I heard in a funeral sermon / may I never outgrow the walls of my church / those who walk in pride / God is good to bring afflictions / five reasons why pastors…
A La Carte: Thousands of happy, unwitting plagiarists: the shaping legacy of Tim Keller / God’s grace in our weakness / anything worth doing is worth doing badly / the Lord has comforted us … a year later / Donald Macleod: in memoriam / working on the inside, not only the outside / and more.
I am tip-toeing—or perhaps lurching—toward the age of 50. Whatever it means to be middle-aged, I am indisputably now well within that range. This stage of life has introduced some new trials, new difficulties, and new indignities, many of them related to a body that is no longer what it once was. But this stretch…
Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway. (Yesterday on the blog: If We Could Both Go Together) Gordon Keddie (1944-2023) I learned over the weekend that pastor and biblical commentator Gordon Keddie passed away on Friday. Here is a brief announcement from his family. I, for…
I am slowly (but steadily!) making my way through the collected sermons of De Witt Talmage. Though he is little-known and little-remembered today, he was considered one of the great preachers of his time. In one of his sermons I found this sweet tribute to his parents and the joy of a long marriage.
A La Carte: Remembering Tim Keller who modeled winsome witness / taken so suddenly, missed so greatly, but safe with Jesus / giving thanks for Harry Reeder / Jesus can’t wait to see you either, Tim / we travel to a world unseen / since Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil, we are we…
I love a good biography. I love a good biography when it’s a “standard” or “pure” biography that simply describes a person’s life from beginning to end. But I also love a good biography when it is written purposefully or thematically—when instead of chronologically detailing all the events of a person’s life it provides selective…