Parenting adult children — more resources

This month’s book of the month for our church is the recent release by Jim Newheiser and Elyse Fitzpatrick, You Never Stop Being a Parent. In addition to this book, there are a couple of related resources by Newheiser that are available online. Jim did two seminars on the topic that may be accessed here: […]

Twilight and renewing your mind and your reading

Ephesians 4 is perhaps on of the most crucial portions of Scripture concerning the spiritual life of the believer. While the truths stated here are echoed throughout Scripture and the NT, so many statements about the inner life of the believer are made clearly and directly in this passage: …walk in a manner worthy of […]

Tabletalk archives

One of the things I enjoy most about Tabletalk magazine is the articles that begin each issue. Arranged around one theme in each issue, these articles are always provocative — I may not always agree with the author, but they always make me think (and that’s good!). And now many of those articles have been […]

Reading Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes may be one of the more misapplied books of the Bible because it has been often understood to be pointing out the hopelessness of life only. Many writers have failed to see in this book any measure of hope and joy. And perhaps if one excluded reading the final verses of the book that […]

Book Review: A Sweet and Bitter Providence

Title: A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God Author: John Piper Publisher: Crossway Books, 2010; 160 pp. $17.99 (or you may download the entire book as a PDF or listen to the sermons this book was based on for free) Recommendation (4-star scale): Who hasn’t experienced trouble and trial in […]

Is knowing sovereignty an advantage?

Is it to our advantage to know that God is sovereign? And if so, what is that advantage? The Heidelberg Confession affirms that it is to our advantage. And then it answers what that advantage is — That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter […]

Free Tozer audio book

This month Christian Audio is making A. W. Tozer’s book The Pursuit of God (unabridged) available for free. Instructions are as follows: Add the download to your cart and use the coupon code JUL2010 when prompted to receive this month’s free download! You must use the code to receive the download for free. Already use […]

The Getty’s new blog

Keith and Kristyn Getty, who have written so much good music for the modern church, have begun a new blog. You can find it here. The first post is about writing music (and literature) for children. It looks like this will be a blog worth reading regularly.

Sleepy thinkers?

Paul is clear that the ability to put off (repent of and stop doing) sin and putting on (embracing and habitually doing) righteousness is the result of allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds through the taking in of Scripture. A changed life comes from a renewed mind. The key is alertness of mind […]

Sunday Leftovers (6/27/10)

Okay, I didn’t preach on Sunday, but appreciating what Jack said about missions and evangelism, these two statements came to mind in the past couple of days (one is an expansion of a quote he gave in his message): All of the early Christians were missionaries. They did not leave the evangelistic task either to […]

Casting out demons?

When I was in seminary, I had a professor who was prone to seeing the influence of Satan in (too) many places. He regularly regaled us with accounts of exorcism — including one that was allegedly controlling his wife’s failing eyesight. While there was some measure of interest and entertainment in his tales, I wondered […]

Love and marriage

In his book, What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage (a really fine book), Paul Tripp offers the following definition for love: Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving. From that definition, he draws two dozen implications for […]

Will we risk?

Tomorrow begins a two-part series of sermons on missions at our church. And thinking about missions (overseas missions, anyway), often invites a question something like, “what will you risk for the cause of Christ?” John Piper has addressed the topic of risk in sermons and articles. But several years ago he gave two sermons entitled, […]

How do you respond to multiplied sufferings?

How do you respond to suffering? And how do you respond when you suffer in a similar way again? And again? The example of Joni Eareckson Tada is an encouragement about how to respond when we suffer physically again and again. She has been a quadriplegic for more than 40 years, and her testimony of […]

When God says “No”

We pray. But that is no guarantee that God will answer what we ask, the way we ask it, or in the time frame that we ask it. He is no genie in a bottle for us. So when God seems slow to answer, or answers prayers contrary to our asking, we might ask ourselves […]