Scruffy Hospitality This is good: “Scruffy hospitality means you’re not waiting for everything in your house to be in order before you host and serve friends in your home. Scruffy hospitality means you hunger more for good conversation and serving a simple meal of what you have, not what you don’t have.” The Most Important…
This week’s letters to the editor were almost all in response to my article Going All-in With Ebooks. I suppose this is not too surprising since Christians in general, and perhaps especially Christians who read a site like this one, tend to be committed readers. Every committed reader has an opinion, and often a very…
Freedom in Grief, Not Freedom From Grief This is an important distinction for those who are grieving (and those who are grieving alongside them). When Abortion Suddenly Stopped Making Sense “We thought, back then, that few abortions would ever be done. It’s a grim experience, going through an abortion, and we assumed a woman would…
Last week’s Free Stuff Fridays, sponsored by The Master’s College, was popular enough that we are going to do it again this week! There will be 5 winners this week, and each of them will receive two great items: a complete course called The Land of the Bible for you to complete at home along…
In his book The Forgotten Fear, Albert Martin lists eight “specific directives for maintaining and increasing the fear of God in our hearts.” What follows are his eight directives along with summaries of each point in his own words (lightly tweaked). Consider following these strategies for your own growth in Christlikeness. 1) Be certain that…
The Lady Bible Hunters Here’s a great tale: “Scottish twins Agnes and Margaret Smith were the last people you’d expect to discover one of the earliest known copies of the gospels, but in a dusty closet in an Egyptian monastery in 1859–without a university education or formal language training between them–the God-fearing twins uncovered the…
I told you last week about a new series that looks at the character of the Christian. What I mean to do is explore how the character qualifications of elders are actually God’s calling on all Christians. While elders are meant to exemplify these traits, all Christians are to display them. I want us to…
Down’s Syndrome Extinction While this article is still pro-choice, it expresses great concern about the coming extinction of people with Down’s Syndrome. The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy Al Mohler: “We will not believe more than we know, and we will not live higher than our beliefs.” Husbands, It’s Time to Start Leading Family Worship Don…
I am selling my library. At least, I think I am. I’ve made the decision. Almost. It feels just a little too final to actually say it like that. But I’ve got a big library and a small house and something has got to give. See, back in October I stopped working full-time at Grace…
Elderly Missionary Couple Kidnapped It’s quite a religion that kidnaps medical missionaries in the name of its god. Frozen Soap Bubbles What an amazing little video. How can there be so much beauty in something so simple and so ordinary? The Future of Retail “Amazon Books is now open for business in Seattle. The floor…
So here’s the challenge: “At every point in my Christian life, from the moment I breathe my first breath as a new creature in Christ to the moment when I take my last breath, the entire time of my sojourning—all of this is to be marked by the fear of God.” So says Albert Martin…
Is God Sovereign Over My Free Will? John Piper ventures into difficult territory with an answer to these questions: “Will God use His sovereignty to overwrite our free will at times to exemplify His perfect will? And if so, do we truly have free will?” How Diverse Was Early Christianity? I’ve really been enjoying Michael…
This sponsored post was prepared by The Master’s College. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow by it.” 2 Timothy 3 says the same thing, that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, that the man of God may be…
It is a common phrase, and I am sure you have heard it many times over: There but for the grace of God go I. You may hear it especially frequently when a scandal erupts. We look at the person whose life or family or ministry has imploded and say softly, “There but for the…
Why Daughters Need Their Dads I needed to read this. “I have watched daughters talk to fathers. When you come in the room, they change. Everything about them changes: their eyes, their mouths, their gestures, their body language. Daughters are never lukewarm in the presence of their fathers. They might take their mothers for granted,…
I’ve got a little bit of Spurgeon to share with you today. Here is Spurgeon reminding you of the cost of your sin and calling you to repentance for it. A deep sense and clear sight of sin, its heinousness, and the punishment which it deserves, should make us lie low before the throne. We…
Is It Bad to Skip Breakfast? Apparently it’s not quite as bad as you’ve heard. But I’m still going to start every day with my toast and eggs. A Modest Proposal for the “Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God” Debate Justin Taylor brings some much-needed reason to the debate. A New Podcast Podcast…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by The Master’s College (which, as you know, also sponsored the blog this week). There will be 5 winners this week, and each of them will receive two great items: A complete course called The Land of the Bible for you to complete at a home along with…
There was a time, and it wasn’t too long ago, when book reviews were primarily the realm of newspapers, magazines, and journals. Then came online shopping, blogs, and social media, and reviews would never be the same. For good and for ill, the Internet democratized reviewing, allowing all of us to have a voice. This…
It has once again been a bit of a slow time with Kindle deals, perhaps because we were spoiled so badly in December. We will hope for some more exciting deals next week. In the meantime, here are some links worth checking out. Ten Theses on Immigration This column from Ross Douthat has been gaining…