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  • And…We’re Back (For Now)

    I woke up this morning to find my site replaced by a little message saying “Your account has been suspended. We have sent you an email explaining why. This email should also contain information on how you can unsuspend your account.” That was quite a rude awakening and managed to throw my entire day into…

  • Debate: Pagitt versus DeWaay

    For all the discussion created by and about the Emerging Church there has been precious little formal debate about the important issues at stake. I know of pastors or theologians who have attempted to debate the issues only to have their requests refused. Finally, though, we are about to see a significant debate. On January…

  • Brokeback Watch

    I don’t have a whole lot to say about the film Brokeback Mountain beyond what I wrote last week in the article Rape of the Marlboro Man. The media, on the other hand, just can’t get enough. It has apparently been worthy of national media attention that one theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah, has…

  • Design Updates

    At long last and after many promises I have finally changed the color of the site. The background is no longer the red that some people loved while other people despised, but is now a subtle grey pattern. It is not quite as interesting but should be at least somewhat more conducive to reading. Those…

  • Happy New Year

    And just like that 2006 is upon us. I rang in 2006 in the same way I’ve rung in most of the last few years: I watched television from 11:59 until 12:01 and turned it off before the “Happy New Year” banner had been removed from the screen. Then I went to bed, whispered “happy…

  • Color Scheme

    Since launching the new design of Challies Dot Com I have received lots of feedback. Some has been positive and some has been negative. The negative comments have mostly been concerned with two things: the color of the background and the loss of the photo that was in the banner of the old design. I…

  • Blogs For Music

    This came in to my inbox a little too late to make this morning’s A La Carte, but I thought that if I left it until tomorrow it would be too late. Bob Kauflin, of Sovereign Grace Ministries, is spearheading a “Blogs for Music” campaign which is similar to what Sovereign Grace did a few…

  • The Truly Reformed and Narnia

    This morning Kurt Nordstrom, one of the fellows at Boar’s Head Tavern, wrote the following in an article entitled “The TRs watch ‘Narnia’:” [TR stands for “Truly Reformed” a term that is generally used in a pejorative sense] Well, I’ve yet to see LW&W, and it’ll probably be a while, due to life (hopefully I…

  • Paradoxes

    The following is a prayer taken from The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett. I read this prayer yesterday and was gripped by the honesty and humility it displays. I was challenged to ask myself if I really believe all of this or if I feel I am something just a little bit better.…

  • Toronto Evangelical Bloggers Brunch

    Ian Clary, who blogs at Ruminations by the Lake, and who serves as Research and Administrative Assistant to the Principal of Toronto Baptist Seminary (the Principle being Michael Haykin), has begun to organize a Toronto-area Evangelical Bloggers Brunch. “This will hopefully provide an opportunity for a lot of us who only know each other through…

  • Interviewing Derek Webb

    I have been given the opportunity to interview Derek Webb, something I consider quite an honor. Derek is a singer and songwriter whom I much admire both for his talent and for his courage in taking on the difficult subjects. Never one to shy from a fight, he has written songs that have rattled many…

  • An Anniversary of Sorts (2005 Edition)

    Two years ago, on October 31, 2003, I sat myself down and had a good chat with me. Challies Dot Com was a poorly-designed, silly little site that primarily contained photographs of my family. I had recently added a blog to the site and was enjoying being a blogger but realized that I had become…

  • The Pearcey Report

    I just received the following press release from my friend Rick Pearcey. Today marks the official launch of The Pearcey Report, a website of news, comment, information, and worldview. It can be viewed online at www.pearceyreport.com. J. Richard Pearcey is editor and publisher of the report. Rick has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor…

  • Infantile Baptism

    Yesterday afternoon my son and I sat down to watch a DVD called Reformation Overview. It is a 6-part presentation covering some of the most important contributors to the Protestant Reformation, and yesterday we watched the segment on the Anabaptists. My son seemed to enjoy it, though I had to distract him from a scene…

  • Katrina: The Southern Baptist Response

    Much has been said, over the past week, about relief organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. But one major organization which, as far as I know, has received no significant recognition in the media is the Southern Baptist Convention’s Disaster Relief organization which is part of the North American Mission Board.…

  • Prayer Request Update

    The following was sent to me by Lighthouse Trails Publishing: At around 1:15am (EDT), Steve Muse’s wife, Catherine, passed away quietly and peacefully. She was 49 years old. The outpouring of prayers, concern and compassion have upheld Steve and his family during these past few difficult days. He is comforted to know that Catherine is…

  • More Katrina Links

    I’m not going to talk about politics anymore. One of the primary reasons I shy away from sharing my political views on this site is that fewer issues ignite more passion. Unfortunately, politics seems to ignite anger more than anything. So I try to leave the politics to the big guys. I’ll stick to theology!…

  • Time to Turn Off the Television

    I have watched far too much coverage of the Katrina aftermath. In fact, I don’t think I have watched so much news coverage since 9/11. I do not have a lot of choice of what to watch, as CNN is the only news outlet in my list of channels that is constantly covering the event.…

  • Katrina Prayer Request

    Don’t forget Alabama. The following was sent to me via the Reformed Baptist Distribution List from Lawrence Underwood, pastor of a reforming congregation in Mobile, Alabama: I’m popping out from the shadows (and from under several fallen trees) to ask you to pray for our area. Obviously everyone is aware of what is the aftermath…