De Witt Talmage was considered a great preacher in his day, though it is rare to see him quoted or referenced in modern times. Still, I have benefited a lot by reading his sermons, and perhaps especially one he preached on Isaiah 52:3. He preached it at a time when many were objecting to the…
Whatever this weekend brings, may you know the Lord’s sweet blessings through it all. (Yesterday on the blog: The Death of Porn) Many Voices, One Song I appreciate this reflection on the Sing! Conference and, beyond that, singing in general. “I’m writing this post because I don’t want a profound dynamic of this conference to…
There was a time, and it was not so very long ago, when the Christian world was tragically under-resourced when it came to books confronting pornography and the men who indulge in it. At that time just about any resource was better than nothing if only it would help men make headway against their addiction.*…
Grace and peace to you today. There are a few books discounted for Kindle today, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen any of these titles on sale before. Pride (in the Name of Love) Jared Wilson: “Jesus was perfect, and yet he did not look down on others. I am ridiculously imperfect, but…
Good morning. May the Lord bless and keep you today. There is an eclectic little group of Kindle deals to browse through today. (Yesterday on the blog: The Ministry of Being a Little Bit Further Along) My Darkest Night; Hopefully Not Yours Jim Elliff: “At 3:30 a.m., I awoke to a black room, so dark…
No church can survive solely upon the labors of its pastors. No church can thrive when the expectation is that all ministry must be formal and must originate from the front of the room. No church can remain healthy when it falls to the elders to give and the members to consume. Rather, the work…
May the Lord bless and keep you today. This week Westminster Books is offering a discount on a book that will interest pastors, scholars, and serious students of the Bible. Talitha Cumi This is a sweet bit of writing. “With the quiet of the room and the mourning of the parents… With Peter and James…
May the God of love and peace be with you today. Today’s Kindle deals include a series of deals from Crossway. (Yesterday on the blog: The Song I Sing in the Darkness) The Americans Who Don’t Want to Leave Afghanistan “Every time President Biden or Press Secretary Jen Psaki talk about the American withdrawal from…
Beginning today, thousands of believers from around the globe will be gathering online for a three-day immersive virtual experience packed with worship led from six continents, a first-time-ever performance of the upcoming Keith & Kristyn Getty album, exclusive Sing! Global conversations with key leaders in the church, culture, and arts, and talks featuring 100+ Christian…
No work of art is more beautiful, more valuable, more irreplaceable, than the twenty-third psalm. It has stood through the ages as a work of art more exquisite than The Night Watch, more faultless than Mona Lisa, more thought-provoking than Starry Night. The lines of the greatest poets cannot match its imagery, the words of…
Good morning, my friends. May grace and peace be with you today. (Yesterday on the blog: The Stranger in Smokeland) 5 Reasons to Read Your Bible Beyond Practical Application “Treat personal application as the only consistent outcome for your Bible reading, and you may simply miss out on these other benefits the Lord wishes for…
In his book Lessons from the Upper Room, Sinclair Ferguson provides an allegory he titles “The Stranger in Smokeland”—an allegory he says needs little interpretation. For that reason, I will provide it as-is, without commentary. I think you’ll enjoy it. The Stranger had lived all his life in the Highlands. Here streams of crystal-clear water…
May the Lord bless and keep you this weekend as you serve him and delight in him. As usual, there are some Kindle deals to look at. (Yesterday on the blog: If You Could Go Back To Any Moment In Time…) Even To Old Age and Gray Hairs William Farley shares some thoughts on grandparenting.…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Zondervan, who also sponsored the blog this week. They are giving away FIVE 3-packs of Bill Mounce’s NEWEST book Why I Trust the Bible, so you can do a reading group with your family or friends. Here is more about the book: We are often told we…
If you could go back in time and insert yourself into any point in history, even if only to be a proverbial fly on the wall, what would you choose? What moment would you wish to observe, or what event would you wish to witness? Would you want to watch God create the world? Would…
Grace and peace to you on this fine today. This is an unusually good day for Kindle deals with lots of excellent resources steeply discounted. Westminster Books has just put the excellent NSBT series on sale for those who need to catch up with some of the newer volumes! How a Divisive Nigerian Pastor Built…
Good morning. May the Lord bless and keep you today. Westminster Books has a collection of new and especially noteworthy books on sale. There is once again a nice little collection of Kindle deals to browse through. (Yesterday on the blog: My New Book Is Out: Knowing and Enjoying God) How To Make Sense Of…
If you have frequented this site over the years, you have undoubtedly seen some SquareQuotes—the quotes combined with graphics that I release on a daily basis. A couple of years ago Jules Koblun and I had the idea of combining some fresh SquareQuotes with short devotionals. While she got busy with the designing, I got…
The Lord bless and keep you today. There are some worthwhile Kindle deals today. (Yesterday on the blog: What Can God Do With Broken Hearts?) Turning Toward Light Andrea Sanborn: “Pessimism is my soul’s default setting. Even when life is filled with blessing, melancholy has always been my temperament’s natural course. As a result, it…
God has a special place in his heart for the weak, the weary, the downtrodden, the broken. “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden,” he says, and “bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” His special blessing is upon those who are poor in spirit, who are meek and…