Need more time?

Rare is the day when someone doesn’t say something to me like, “I just need a little more time…” I say it too. Near the end of his biography on Whitfield, Arnold Dallimore offers this personal observation that is both an encouragement and exhortation: When the present author is stirring at 7 in the morning, […]

Book Review: George Whitfield

Arnold Dallimore has written numerous biographies, including ones on Spurgeon, several on the Wesley family, and the definitive two–volume work on George Whitfield, which he latter summarized into a more manageable, one-volume, 200-page book: George Whitfield: God’s Annointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. (This latter book also may be accessed through […]

Book Review: The Cross He Bore

I regularly look for and purchase and read books about Jesus Christ — and particularly Christ and the cross. The cross is of first importance for the believer. We cannot think about it too much. We often think about it too little. So when I read an encouragement by Tim Challies to purchase The Cross […]

What makes a good home?

In his sermon, “The Pastor as Son of an Earthly Father,” D. A. Carson says this: “The worst kind of home to be brought up in is the one with many pretensions and low performance.The best kind of home to be brought up in is the one with few pretensions and high performance.” The entire […]

Why I (and others) appreciate Piper’s preaching

Mark Dever wrote this about John Piper in the Introduction to Preaching the Cross (which C. J. Mahaney also quoted in his recent interview of Dever): What a gift John is to the church. While too many of us are saying a lot of things quickly and running on to the next, John stops. And […]

What are you giving up for Lent?

As today is Ash Wednesday, this is a common question — “what are you giving up for Lent?” I’ve heard a variety of answers — from the sublime to the ridiculous (but mostly ridiculous) — cole slaw, eye-liner, premarital sex with a fiancé, running yellow lights among them. Even giving up Lent. Hmmm. I am […]

The sacrifice of Christ

I was introduced to the poetry of George Herbert 25 years ago in a college literature class. In fact, I had to purchase a textbook comprised almost entirely of his poetry. I didn’t have an appreciation for his writing at the time — even after reading a significant amount from that book. Now I do. […]

Book Review: Through the Looking Glass

I stumbled onto Kris Lundgaard’s first book, The Enemy Within, at a second-hand book store. I was unfamiliar with the book, but knew the reputation of the publisher, and seeing the commendation from J. I. Packer on the back, I ventured the few dollars for the book on the hope they would be worthwhile. They […]

Overloaded?

I first saw the link to this web article on another blog, somewhere, sometime in the last week. Don’t know who, don’t know when. I just remember seeing it, and then seeing it referenced again by Desiring God today. I don’t have 157 books to read like Phil Ryken, but I do have over 100 […]

Three conferences this week

This week I will be attending three conferences (kind of). The first is in Minneapolis, hosted by Bethlehem Baptist Church (pastored by John Piper). The theme of this pastor’s conference is “The Pastor as Father and Son.” And while I won’t actually be in physical attendance, Desiring God generally makes the audio from each session […]

Books on the cross

C. J. Mahaney, who himself has written a book or two about the cross (The Cross-Centered Life and Living the Cross Centered Life) today posted his list of favored books on the cross. I concur with his choice of Stott’s book, and am looking forward to beginning to read this weekend Pierced for Our Transgressions […]

Book Review: Is That You Lord?

Fleeces, open and closed doors, impressions, “peace” (or a lack of it) — all these are common means for believers attempting to discover the sovereign will of God for their lives. To that idea, pastor Gary Gilley counters in his book Is That You Lord? that there is a better, more God-exalting, Scripture-trusting, and freedom-giving […]

Another testimony for permanent marriages

In yesterday’s blog, Al Mohler, citing a recent article from the Washington Post, articulates a downside to divorce that has rarely been mentioned. We speak often of the impact of divorce on young children, and the detriment it is to the marriage partners, but after decades of increased divorce rates, the influence on divorce for […]

The great "I am" and a correction

Tozer said it well when he wrote the following in The Pursuit of God: There must be somewhere a fixed center against which everything else is measured, where the law of relativity does not enter and we can say “IS” and make no allowances. Such a center is God. When God would make His Name […]

Sunday Leftovers (1/27/08)

The gospel of John was written to introduce the readers to Christ in such a way that they would be stimulated to believe Him. John accomplishes this through the seven-fold declaration of Christ’s “I am’s,” through the seven miracles of Christ, and even through the very names that John uses to refer to Christ. Each […]