Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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The teens and twenties—these are years that can be put to very good use or that can be squandered. These are years that can form the firm foundation of a life well-lived or the unsteady foundation of a life tragically wasted. In this brief article I’d like to speak to teens and young adults to offer a word of counsel about making the most of this stage of life. You have lots of life left to live and one of …
As I survey the contemporary church, one of my gravest concerns is the power and prevalence of mysticism. It appears in pulpits, books, and conversation. It is at the heart of Sarah Young’s bestselling Jesus Calling, it is in all the much-loved books by John Eldredge, it fills the pages of so many books on spiritual disciplines or spiritual formation, it is almost everywhere you look. Language that was once considered the distinguishing language of mysticism is now commonly used …
The Royal Fetus – Denny Burk asks an insightful question: With all this coverage, I just have one question. Why is it that I have yet to hear or read anyone refer to her unborn child as the “royal fetus”? Oh, I’m sure someone has used the term “fetus,” but it seems to me that the preferred term is “royal baby” or “child,” even though the Duchess of Cambridge is in the very early stages of pregnancy. Rick Warren’s Resurrection – …
This week’s Free Stuff Friday is a little bit different, and I like it that way. It is sponsored by Reformation Heritage Books and William Boekestein who has authored Faithfulness Under Fire: The Story of Guido de Bres and The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism. Here are the prizes this week: Two winners will receive a copy of Faithfulness under Fire and a print from the book (the stained glass window scene) Three winners will receive a copy of …
Joy Has Dawned – The Getty’s have a new Christmas album out and they are giving away one of the tracks as a free download. The song is a nice, Irish smash-up of “Joy Has Dawned” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.” The whole album is well worth the purchase. Celebrity Pastors – I appreciated reading of some of the ways that James MacDonald deals with the celebrityism that follows him. Let me attest that it’s much easier in …
The End of Men – “Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women? A report on …
Pull the Plug! – Randy Alcorn: “Here is a sad and bewildering commentary that captures in one example the utter inefficiency and sometimes craziness of a government that talks about controlling spending, but never seems to actually do it even when it would appear so easy—as in JUST PULL THE PLUG!” Sola Scriptura – Canadians (or Americans who live close to the border) may want to take a look at this year’s Sola Scriptura conferences. They will be held in …
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Reformed Fellowship. Reformed Fellowship, Inc., is a group of believers in Jesus Christ who are committed to promoting the historic Christian faith as it is expressed in the Reformed confessions. We subscribe to the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confessions, the Canons of Dort, and the Westminster Confessions. We publishing books and Bible study guides, as well as a bi-monthly journal, The Outlook. For a limited time, an e-version of The Outlook is available …
I am convinced that one of the greatest but most subtle spiritual dangers Christians face is pragmatism. I have written about this in the past, usually in the context of statements such as, “Never criticize any method that God is blessing,” something Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Church. Over the past few days I have seen pragmatism rearing its ugly head in the ongoing discussions about C.J. Mahaney and the difficulties he finds himself in. In this article …
A La Carte has always been a Monday to Friday deal, but recently I’ve been thinking about also doing a weekend edition. I figure I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. So without any further ado, here’s the first ever Weekend A La Carte. Enjoy! Letter from Guido – I recently came across this letter from Reformer Guido de Bres to his wife. He is about to die and writes to comfort her and to advise her …