Tag: Articles

I can be prone to self-loathing. Sometimes this takes the form of thinking about things I’ve done or recounting words I’ve said and detesting myself for them. Sometimes it takes the form of thinking about who I am and hating who God has made me to be, or thinking about the way God has gifted me and despising those gifts in favor of others.See AlsoWhat’s Going On In Your Pastor’s Mind?When God Doesn’t Give His Beloved SleepGod Hates Evil Thoughts

While it may be rare to find a church that dedicates a substantial portion of the service to prayers and Scripture reading, it would be rare to find a church that fails to dedicate a substantial portion of the service to singing. Christians love to sing, and we have always regarded it as an essential component of our worship. See AlsoHow We Worshipped: Reformation SundayThe Missing Elements of Modern WorshipWhy I Sing Psalms

Black Friday is upon us and with it the opportunity to save a bit of money as we shop for the holidays or build out our libraries. I have listed hundreds of deals below and will be adding to it throughout the course of the weekend. Note that I will update this list throughout the weekend and especially for Cyber Monday.See AlsoCyber Monday Deals for ChristiansBlack Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Deals for ChristiansBlack Friday Kindle Deals for the Christian Reader

Though the year is coming to its end, it’s not over yet! That means publishers still have some books to release—books we would not wish to overlook before 2025 gives way to 2026. Here are some of the ones I consider especially noteworthy. In each case, I’ve included the editorial description to give you a bit of information about it. I hope there’s something here that interests you.See AlsoBehind-the-Scenes: Christian PublishingA Golden Age in Christian PublishingA Disturbing Trend

I have been blogging at Challies.com on a daily basis for well over 22 years now. That long commitment has allowed me to write thousands of articles and hundreds of book reviews while also sending millions of visitors to other sites through the daily A La Carte feature. While I’ve also written a number of books, through it all, the blog has remained the “main thing.” Much of the blog’s content is now also translated into Spanish, French, and a number of other languages.See AlsoWould You Consider Supporting My Work?Would You Consider Becoming a Patron?Would You Consider Supporting My Work As a Patron?

There is a certain kind of sober-mindedness that seems to come over Christians as they age. It can flow from many sources, I’m sure, but I think it often arises from a kind of fear—a fear that they may not finish their race without some kind of a major stumble. After living the Christian life for so long, they have seen friends fall, pastors give up, and peers drop out. This has alarmed them, and they feel a brooding sense of fear that perhaps they could be next.See AlsoAm I Sanctified or Am I Tired?Marriage Happy, Marriage HolyWeekend A La Carte (August 24)

Sometimes humor accomplishes what soberness cannot, as an old quote from D.L. Moody illustrates. “Some people’s prayers need to be cut off at both ends and set on fire in the middle.” After all, we have all had to endure prayers that were a little too long (or perhaps a lot too long) or that could have used a little more preparation (or perhaps a lot more preparation).See AlsoWhy We Ask So Little of GodThe Pastoral Prayer: Examples and InspirationsHave You Ever Tried Praying Poetically?

I think each one of us has probably had a kind of disquieting experience in which we’ve suddenly realized that a lot of Christian publishing is bunk. While we are undoubtedly blessed with far more truthful and edifying books than ever before, we are also cursed with far more untruthful and unedifying books.See AlsoDon’t Be a Partial ChristianNew Christian Books for Children and TeensNew and Notable Christian Books for September 2024

Canada has gained a lot of attention in recent years due to its commitment to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), its preferred idiom for euthanasia. Some honor Canada as groundbreaking in its commitment to bringing dignity to death while others abhor it as taking advantage of the weak, the elderly, and the vulnerable. Already euthanasia is responsible for more than 5% of deaths in Canada and the rates are rising fast.See AlsoA La Carte (August 15)How Should We Then Die?A La Carte (February 27)

Christians have long compared prayer to a thermometer that measures spiritual heat. When we grow complacent in our relationship with the Lord, that thermometer almost invariably registers cool, for in such times we pray seldom and we pray without fervor. See AlsoWe Neglect it at Our PerilThe Pastoral Prayer: Examples and InspirationsPray For Your Pastor!

It often surprises me how inadvertently selfish we human beings can be and how obliviously self-centered our behavior can become. I see this in many ways, but one has stood out to me over the past little stretch of time.See AlsoHow To Lead Your FamilyThe Pursuit of VirtueSelfish Prayer

No Christian tradition is perfect, which means that every Christian tradition has its own strengths and weaknesses. Every tradition has areas in which it presses hard to understand and live according to biblical truth, but then also areas in which it inevitably fails to completely match Scripture’s teaching and emphases. Since every tradition is the product of imperfect human beings, it stands to reason that every tradition will fall well short of perfection.See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Lifeway)The Christian Standard Commentary: A Modern Commentary Steeped in Ancient TraditionAnswering 2 Objections to Sola Scriptura