Resolved, like Jonathan Edwards

In this season of resolutions — before all our promises are undone by the realities of weak commitments — we do well to hear the words of Jonathan Edwards about resolutions and the need for them to arise from a quest for God’s mercy and grace, as well as our own heart desire for transformation: […]

For the Love of God – a free book

Several years ago I read through the Bible using Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible reading plan — a plan that leads the reader through the OT once and the NT and Psalms twice in one year. Somewhere during that time, I was made aware of D. A. Carson’s two-volume set For the Love of God, in […]

Book Review: The God Who is There

Title: The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story Author: D. A. Carson Publisher: Crossway, 2010; 234 pp. $16.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Three days ago our church again began our annual trek through the Scriptures. Now one of the so-called problems of reading through the Bible in one year is the inevitable […]

Free Bridges audio book

Every month Christian Audio makes available a free audio book and this month’s selection is a classic — Jerry Bridges’ The Pursuit of Holiness. Download it for free at Christianaudio. Just follow the instructions on the page.

Resolutions, moment-by-moment

Paul Tripp has noted that the effectiveness of resolutions is not in the decisiveness of one moment (e.g., January 1 resolutions), but in the 10,000 moment-by-moment decisions we make to reinforce those resolutions — You and I live in little moments, and if God doesn’t rule our little moments and doesn’t work to recreate us […]

John Piper’s report on his leave of absence

At the end of April, John Piper took an 8-month leave of absence from ministry — no preaching, writing, blogging, meetings, or any other responsibilities, apart from a few select opportunities that were agreed upon with his wife and elders. That leave ended at the end of December, and he is now returning to his […]

Resolved to read and pray

Today many people will make resolutions for the coming year. Even believers will make resolutions concerning their spiritual lives. Setting spiritual goals is a worthy enterprise. But the task of spiritual growth is often overwhelming: where shall we start and what shall we do? We know we need more biblical reading and study and memorization […]

What will God do in 2011?

What will God do in the coming year? What will life be like in the next 12 months? What changes or additions will be made in your life? It’s impossible to tell. No man knows the future — no palm reader, no crystal ball, no horoscope, and no biorhythm chart. Many will be attempting today […]

Book Review: The Call to Joy and Pain

Title: The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry Author: Ajith Fernando Publisher: Crossway, 2007; 192 pp. $14.99 ($7.99 as an ebook) Recommendation (4-star scale): For many generations, the Western church — and especially the American church — has sent missionaries with the message of the gospel to other countries. The […]

How big is your gospel?

We should preach the gospel, Jerry Bridges has said, to ourselves everyday. That is, the gospel is not a one-time event but a lifetime transformation. Paul said that we are not saved by the gospel and transformed by something else. The gospel, like Christ, is our life. A gospel which is only about the moment […]

Grab Bag

A few things I’ve spotted around the Internet recently: The end of the year means the inevitable “year in review” lists. Here is a list of “Top 10 Theology and Church Stories” (with many supporting links) from Colin Hansen. Accordance recounts a brief (and recent) history of the study Bible. [Accordance is my Bible study […]

Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards

I’m not sure how long this book has been available, but the entire text of Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards is available on Google Books. I’ve been reading this book as part of my devotional reading this year and have found it to be very helpful and encouraging. The editor, Randall Pederson, has selected […]

Book blurbs

I have recently finished reading a number of books and pamphlets and the thought of writing several full-length reviews has become too daunting. I know myself and recognize that if I don’t write something short, then I won’t write anything at all about these works. So, in the interest of “something is better than nothing,” […]

One trouble with TV

Phil Calloway, while on his back recovering from an ATV accident, exposed himself to too much TV, and he recognized a particular problem with that: The trouble with TV is that it is filled with whatsoever things are of bad report. Who would keep a friend around who is rude, loud, and uncouth? One who […]

The Innkeeper

For years, John Piper would write four poems each advent season to commemorate the coming of Christ. One of my personal favorite — and evidently the favorite of many others as well — is called, “The Innkeeper”. You can listen to it here, as well as hear about the two influences that motivated him to […]