Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, and book reviewer.
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God told the Israelites that rather than making a beeline for the Promised Land they would need to spend years wandering in the wilderness. This was not what they wanted and not what they would have chosen, but it was his will. Because it was his will, he would sanction no grumbling about it. His will is never evil, it is never ultimately for the harm of those he loves, so it ought to have been easy for them to …
Like the great majority of other families on earth, mine is learning to adjust to unexpected new realities. It has now been three weeks since we were instructed to distance ourselves from others as much as possible, and we have done our best to comply. Here’s a little update from our neck of the woods. My son returned home after Southern Seminary had to close its doors, and he has since dutifully completed the two weeks of isolation our government …
Today’s the day — release day for my new book and 10-episode travel documentary! Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History is both a book and a documentary series that charts my journey around the world and through the ages. Touching more than 20 countries across 6 continents, you can travel the world with me to see the great big story God has been telling over the past 2,000 years. My teenaged girls may be moderately biased, but they said …
These are strange times, aren’t they? They are probably the strangest I’ve encountered in my life, comparable perhaps only to the aftermath of 9/11 in all its scope and fear and uncertainty. Like so many of you, I’m keeping an eye on the news so I know how to adapt and how my family can do our part as the increasingly severe measures are handed down and as the increasingly tragic death toll creeps higher. For those who are interested, …
Not many of us get to die the way we wished. But my dad did. A man of the earth, he had a great passion for plants, a love for flowers and trees and all manner of flora. He saw the beauty in each of them, the unique promise every one held to make this world just a little brighter, a little more beautiful. He committed the best part of his life to gardening, and though he was gifted at …
Yesterday morning my father sent a quick email to ask if he could call me later that evening—he wanted to hear about my experiences in Africa, I’m sure. Yesterday afternoon my sister made a tearful phone call to say that she had found him unconscious and unresponsive. There was nothing she or the paramedics could do—he had very suddenly and unexpectedly gone to be with the Lord. This has come as a terrible shock to the entire family—my mother, the …
I thought I might break into the regularly-scheduled programming at this site to provide a few updates on what’s going on in my life, vocation, and family. I’ve got a few updates on health, projects, travel, and so on. Health Quite a number of people have asked about my health, and especially about the strange and lingering issues with my hands. That situation is largely unchanged. I continue to try various treatments under the guidance of skilled specialists. Each treatment …
Not so well, actually, though I’m truly grateful you asked. I’m not sure if it’s pride or privacy that usually compels me to say “Fine” or “Good” when asked that question, but today I’ll just level with you. “Not so good.” These have been hard days—or maybe better, hard times lived upon lots of good days. I don’t wish to make my life sound tragic. We are just wrapping up our summer, and we enjoyed some tremendous times as family. …
Last year, before I set out on my journey round the world, I did a bit of research on the first aid supplies I ought to bring with me. After all, at some points I would be pretty far off the beaten path and pretty far from emergency care. I found all kinds of recommendations and put together a little kit to carry with me. It wasn’t much, but it was only ever meant to tide me over in the …
This flight from Kansas City to Toronto is uniquely significant to me. Though on one level it’s just another uncomfortable short-haul flight on another rickety regional jet, it marks the end of a journey that has taken me to the ends of the earth. Almost eighteen months ago I boarded a plane to Israel to mark the beginning of this journey into the history of the Christian faith—a journey I codenamed “EPIC.” It took me to 24 countries across six …