You may have noticed that books tend to arrive in bunches. Once publishers identify that readers are interested in a particular theme, several will often commission authors to write on the subject. Over the past couple of years we’ve seen quite a number of books on friendship. Most of them address friendship in a digital…
I have, in many ways, lived a very easy life. Sure, I’ve had my share of difficulties—I’ve lived, after all, in this broken world and not some perfect paradise. And while I know there isn’t a lot of value in comparing my little suffering to other people’s greater suffering, still I understand I have had…
One key element of our worship at Grace Fellowship Church is a pastoral prayer, in which one of the elders prays for the church and on behalf of the church. Every now and again I like to share one of those prayers. This was my prayer last Sunday. Father, at various times each one of…
You don’t have to be the one who pulls the trigger to be charged with the murder. Rather, anyone involved in the commissioning, planning, or execution of a crime can suffer its penalties. The person who hires a hitman will face a murder charge as surely the hitman himself. The driver of the getaway car,…
I am often asked if there is a future for blogs, bloggers, and blogging. It has been 20 years since they showed up on the scene and so much has changed by then. Can they really have a place even in 2020 and beyond? I am convinced they can, and I say that based on…
If you’ve followed Christian writers for any time, you’ve probably seen quite a few write a new book and then request not only that you order their book, but that you pre-order it. If you follow this Christian writer, you’ve recently seen me make that very request. But maybe you’ve wondered why there is all…
There was a time in my life when I would often be called upon to speak on the subject of sexual purity, especially to groups of men—a predictable consequence of writing a book titled Sexual Detox. But over time I grew a little weary of the topic and happily moved on. Recently, though, I was…
At times each of us is faced with destructive desires—the kind of desires that, were we to act on them, would necessarily harm ourselves or others, and necessarily distance ourselves from the God we love. In Douglas Kaine McKelvey’s quirky book Every Moment Holy, I found a prayer that expresses the sorrow of such desire…
After 180,000 miles of travel, 24 countries, at least 80 museums, and many rounds of writing, revising and designing, my new book and documentary series are pretty much ready to go! Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History explores the history of what God is accomplishing in this world–whether through princes or peasants, triumph or…
I don’t mean to be a nag. I really don’t. On the other hand, I really do love the idea of you achieving your reading goals in 2020. Or, if you don’t have a formalized reading goal, I at least love the idea of helping you to read something, and maybe even to read a…
A little while ago I offered a few practical pointers on marriage and these were drawn from a day I spent leading an event for young married couples. I had been asked to be the voice of experience that, after teaching Scripture truths, would offer some practical pointers. That first batch of tips focused on…
It is surprisingly difficult to turn a good intention into a life-long discipline. That isn’t to say it can’t be done. But it will be hard, there will be setbacks, and it will take both backbone and resilience. Now is probably a good time to remind you of that. If you are like many Christian…
If you could speak to 70 nearly-married or newly-married couples and give them some practical pointers on marriage, what would you say? That was the question I faced as I prepared for a recent event across town. My first assignment was to speak on the Christian family and then to describe some of the challenges…
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the annual (bi-annual as of 2021) G3 Conference in Atlanta. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the event and, as always, my favorite part was meeting so many of you. On the opening day of the conference I participated in a Q&A session that included John MacArthur,…
Strictly speaking, to alliterate is to provide a list of words that begin with the same letter or sound, as in “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” In a broader sense, to alliterate is to form an outline using similarly-sounding words or phrases. It is a device that, in theory, helps readers to…
We are a week into the new year. We are already a week into the new year. While not all of us took the time to set ambitious goals and resolutions as we passed from December into January, I think most of us at least saw it as a kind of fresh start. A new…
In our pain we know God is not absent, but in our pain we also wonder whether God is present. Or perhaps more correctly we wonder how God is present. In times of great grief or dark uncertainty we cling to the reality that God is a loving Father who has welcomed us into his…
In general, there are two approaches to daily Bible-reading: reading for intimacy or reading for familiarity. Intimacy with the Bible comes through slow, meditative reading that focuses on small portions—deep study of key books, chapters, and verses. Familiarity with the Bible comes through faster reading of much larger portions—the entire sweep of the biblical narrative.…
I am very much enjoying Piercing Heaven, a wonderful collection of Puritan prayers. Here is one that seems especially suitable for a Sunday morning, before you listen to that sermon. Lord, I am now entering into your presence, to hear you speak from heaven to me, to receive your rain and spiritual dew, which never…
Good morning, and merry Christmas! It occurred to me as I lay in bed this morning that my family has turned a corner when it comes to Christmas. We’ve transitioned from the kids begging to be allowed to get up ridiculously early, to the kids wanting to be able to stay in bed as long…