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  • We Who Have Few Talents and Sparse Gifts

    We Who Have Few Talents and Sparse Gifts

    If only I was wealthy, then I could really make a difference in the world,” he told me. “I want to be rich so I can better serve God’s cause, so I can give even more to his work.” But does it really take a lot of money to serve the Lord? In the New…

  • How Little It Takes To Be Happy

    How Little It Takes To Be Happy (And How Much To Be Wretched)

    We often make the mistake of thinking that more money would bring more happiness. We know in our minds that money brings as many cares as it does freedoms and that the wealthy are no happier than the merely comfortable. Yet we still believe that we would be more satisfied if we only had more…

  • Infants Are Easily Discontented

    Infants Are Easily Discontented

    Infants are easily discontented. They cry when hungry, they cry when tired, they cry when uncomfortable, they cry when afraid. It often seems they cry for no reason at all! Toddlers are perhaps a little better, but they are still quick to fuss and complain, still quick to express every little sorrow and every minor…

  • When The Great Resignation Comes to Church

    When The Great Resignation Comes to Church

    We aren’t colleagues. We aren’t comrades. We aren’t neighbors. We are family. If we are to understand the nature of the relationship between believers, we don’t need to understand work, politics, or geography. We need to understand family. The Bible displays this truth in any number of ways. Together we call God “Father,” and if…

  • Money

    Our Lust Is Furious and Our Greed Limitless

    If you have ever wanted a taste of Calvin’s Institutes but without committing to the whole thing, you may want to try reading A Little Book on the Christian Life. It is an excerpt of the larger work, and one focused largely on Christian living. Here’s an extract from a new edition translated by Aaron…

  • On Being an Ordinary Christian

    One of the more popular blog posts I’ve written, and one that seemed to resonate with many of those who read it, is the one in which I declared the goodness of the ordinary, or really, the goodness of being ordinary. Ordinary has since been a popular theme in Christian publishing, with two books now…

  • Hymn Stories: Just As I Am

    Just As I Am” is one of the few hymns for which we know not only the author’s story but also the exact circumstances in which it was written. Charlotte Elliott of Brighton, England (1789–1871) was either born, or in early life had become, an invalid. Her life was a testimony to patient endurance in…

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    If We Have Died to Sin, Why Do We Still Sin?

    I have read Jerry Bridges’ books all out of order, undoubtedly not the best way to read an author’s works. However, doing this has shown me something I find interesting: Throughout his writing career, he has remained on a single trajectory and has emphasized and re-emphasized only a few themes. In reading The Discipline of…

  • Dangerous Sin Symptoms

    This is my once-monthly post on the Puritan John Owen. In this series of posts I am sharing some of what John Owen says about putting sin to death, or what he calls mortification. I have been going through John Owen’s book Overcoming Sin and Temptation and trying to distill each chapter to its essence—to…

  • Putting Sin to Death

    This is my once-monthly post on the Puritan John Owen. In this series of posts I am sharing some of what John Owen says about putting sin to death, or what he calls mortification. I have been going through John Owen’s book Overcoming Sin and Temptation and trying to distill each chapter to its essence—to…

  • Not Putting Sin to Death

    This is my once-monthly Puritan post. I know that I’ve lost 50% of you with the word Puritan, but don’t be too hasty to run away; if you take the time to read this post, I know that you’ll benefit from it. I am simply sharing some of what John Owen says about putting sin…

  • Stuff and Contentment

    This topic has been much on my mind lately–possessions, stuff and contentment. Not too long ago I found a prayer by Scotty Smith that did a great job of asking God for contentment admist all the stuff we do have and amidst all the stuff we could have. He looks to these two Scripture passages:…

  • What Sin Desires

    There was a time when God walked and talked with the people he created. This must have been an amazing experience for Adam and Eve. But alas, it was a short-lived experience. One evening God came to the garden for his evening stroll and Adam and the woman were nowhere to be found. They had…

  • The Bride of Christ

    It’s easy to grow discouraged at the state of the church. As a person who invests a lot of time and attention to studying the church, her health and what Jesus requires of her, I often find myself prone to lamenting her state. Writers from all backgrounds and denominations have written about the church, and…

  • Getting My Share

    Lydia Brownback, author and editor extraordinaire, has recently released a couple of books in a new “On-the-Go Devotional” series. Written for women, “On-the-Go Devotionals easily tuck into a purse or gym bag and make great gifts. Each lesson is self-contained, with Scripture and a paragraph or two of teaching that will steer women away from…

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    A La Carte (7/9)

    Monday July 9, 2007 Humor: Alex Chediak made my day with this. ChurchMerch: ChurchMerch goes to a new, even more revolting extreme. Music: I found this video really interesting. The speaker, Evelyn Glennie, is a very talented deaf percussionist and she explains how to listen to music with your whole body. Books: CT recently had…

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    A La Carte (11/14)

    Tuesday November 14, 2006 Music: at Reformed Blacks of America Miguel Davilla writes an interesting article about Holy Hip Hop. “It can be real easy to look at (or listen to) the unregenerate, unconverted Hip Hop culture and music and know that it is unclean and wicked. The mistake that we need to avoid is…

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    A La Carte (10/30)

    Monday October 30, 2006 Reformation Day: If you are a blogger, don’t forget about the Reformation Day Symposium. Entries are due by tomorrow. Get details here. Music: The wonderfully eclectic Sufjan Stevens has a series of Christmas albums coming out and they are available for pre-order beginning tomorrow from this site. “Having an inherent aversion…