It is one of the realities of the Christian faith that people love to criticize—the reality that there are a host of different denominations and a multitude of different expressions of Christian worship. We hear it from skeptics: If Christianity is true and if it really changes people, then why can’t you get along? We hear it from Roman Catholics: If the Protestant faith is biblical, then why is it splintered while the Catholic Church remains unified? I do not deny that both skeptics and Catholics ask valid questions. But while believers have become accustomed to responding to this criticism ..read more

The God of peace be with you, my friends. Westminster Books is offering $20 off a new book meant to help you better understand Covenant Theology. Want to Grow in Hospitality? Start with Your Inner Circle “I’ve always thought of hospitality as opening my home to outsiders. And, of course, hospitality is not less than that . But as I’ve pondered this topic over the past few weeks, it has occurred to me that I I need to start my journey of hospitality with the people who make up my innermost circle. Hospitality to outsiders will be both hollow and shallow if I don’t practice it with my own fami ..read more

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today. I didn’t find a lot of Kindle deals yesterday, but will search again first thing in the morning. (Yesterday on the blog: The Path to Contentment) Climate Anxiety Paralyzes. Gospel Hope Propels. “Christianity has been accused of being pessimistic because of the doctrine of original sin, but it looks downright cheerful in comparison to much of climate activism. It has the best antidote to the problem of climate anxiety because it offers a vision of hope to a culture in despair.” Living What God Has Written This is such a sweet article from ..read more

I wonder if you have ever considered that the solution to discontentment almost always seems to be more. If I only had more money I would be content. If I only had more followers, more possessions, more beauty, then at last I would consider myself successful. If only my house was bigger, my influence wider, my sales higher. Then, at last, I would achieve the contentment that has been so elusive. The trouble, of course, is that “more” is a changing and escalating standard rather than a stable one. No matter what you have, there is still more to be had. Even if you earn more there is still mor ..read more

Good morning. Grace and peace to you. Today’s Kindle deals include several excellent titles like Andrew Wilson’s Remaking the World, Sinclair Ferguson’s The Whole Christ, and the updated edition of Kent Hughes’ Disciplines of a Godly Man. (Yesterday on the blog: It Begins and Ends with Speaking) Why My Shepherd Carries a Rod David Gibson explains why his shepherd, who I trust is also your shepherd, carries a rod. There’s comfort in the metaphor! When Mandisa Forgave Simon Cowell I am not really familiar with the Christian musician Mandisa (who recently passed away), but this tribute focuses ..read more

Part of the joy of reading biography is having the opportunity to learn about a person who lived before us. An exceptional biography makes us feel as if we have actually come to know its subject, so that we rejoice in that person’s triumphs, grieve over his failures, and weep at his death. There is a sense in which the Bible is a biography, in which it is the story of God. It reveals God by describing what he has done and what he has said, for if the living God is to be known, “He must make Himself known, and He has done this in the acts and words recorded in Scripture.” The Bible begins wit ..read more

My thanks goes to ChurchSocial for sponsoring the blog this week. Church Social gives congregations a safe place to communicate, share information, and manage membership online. There are a few new Kindle deals to close out the week. (Yesterday on the blog: The Great Rewiring of Childhood) Rome Is Not Our Home: Live Counterculturally During Election Season This article offers some helpful perspectives on living as Christians during politically-charged times. Borrowing a Death “When was the last time you were at a funeral when someone didn’t take the opportunity to talk ab ..read more

I know I’m getting old and all that, and I’m aware this means that I’ll be tempted to look unfavorably at people who are younger than myself. I know I’ll be tempted to consider what people were like when I was young and to stand in judgment of what people are like today. Yet even with all that in mind, it’s undeniable that the younger generation today is different from the generations that came before it. That difference is expressed in many different ways, though perhaps the ones we notice most are the levels of anxiety experienced by young people along with their relationship to social med ..read more

I am heading off this morning for an extended speaking trip that will take me to Chilliwack and Vancouver, British Columbia, then Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. I am looking forward to meeting some of you along the way! Westminster Books has a deal on a new book meant to challenge and encourage perfectionists. Today’s Kindle deals include a few noteworthy titles. Among them is the helpful And So To Bed… The Gateway Drug to Post-Christian Paganism Carl Trueman has a thoughtful piece here about several German theologians who ended up coming to support Hitler. Could the early steps that led to a ..read more

The Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day. I added a couple of noteworthy Kindle deals just a little bit late yesterday. And I’ll be on the hunt for more today. (Yesterday on the blog: It’s Okay To Be a Two-Talent Christian) Good Cop, Bad Cop in the Home Ed Welch explains why it’s so important for parents to avoid playing good cop, bad cop roles with their children. “The good cop, bad cop approach may work well when eliciting criminal confessions, but it was never intended for the home.” “Quite …Able to Communicate” I love this little anecdote from the life of Brother Andrew. And i ..read more