Chalmers' Blog

Stop Apologising for Long Bible Readings; Recovering the Lost Art of Public Scripture Reading

“I’m sorry, it’s a rather long reading this morning.”

If you have spent any time in evangelical churches, you have probably heard those words. Perhaps you have spoken them yourself. The Bible reader steps to the lectern, glances apologetically at the congregation, and warns them that what follows may test their patience. A chapter from Isaiah. A Psalm. An entire section from one of Paul’s letters. The assumption seems obvious: people do not really want this much Bible.

Yet it is worth asking a simple question – why are we apologising for the very thing God commands us to do?

Imagine a church service where the preacher stood up and said, “I’m sorry, this sermon is a bit long today.” Or where the worship leader announced, “I apologise that we are singing so many songs this morning.” We would immediately recognise the oddness. The elements of worship should not require apology. So why has the public reading of Scripture become the one part of the service for which Christians often feel compelled to say sorry?

Saturday Snippets (June 13)

As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers

Why Pastoral Ministry Can Be Difficult

I love being a pastor. I love opening the Bible week by week and helping people see the glory of Christ. I love sitting at kitchen tables, listening to stories, praying with people, rejoicing at baptisms, grieving at funerals, and watching Christians grow in holiness. Pastoral ministry is a privilege beyond measure.

And yet, it can also be difficult.

Most church members already sense this instinctively. They know the pastor’s role is demanding. But it is not always obvious why it is demanding, especially because much pastoral work happens quietly and relationally rather than publicly and visibly. I’m not writing this post to invite sympathy for pastors. I am writing to help Christians better understand the nature of pastoral ministry, so that churches and pastors can walk together with wisdom, patience, and grace.

God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Why They Are Friends, Not Enemies

Few doctrines generate more questions among Christians than the sovereignty of God.

For some, it is a source of deep comfort. For others, it feels unsettling. Many believers hear phrases like “God is sovereign” and immediately wonder: What about free will? Are our choices real? Does human responsibility matter?

Three Small Books About Big Topics

We live in an age of information overload. Students today have access to more content than any previous generation in history, yet many remain unsure about the most important questions of life. What does it mean to live well? How can I pursue holiness in a culture that normalises sexual sin? How can I speak about Christ with confidence in an increasingly sceptical society?

These are not merely student questions. They are human questions. They are church questions. They are questions that pastors, parents, lecturers, and Christian leaders wrestle with as they seek to disciple the next generation.

That is why the Track series from Christian Focus deserves careful attention. These short, accessible books are aimed primarily at students, but their usefulness extends far beyond the university campus. They tackle some of the most pressing issues facing young Christians today and do so with biblical clarity, practical wisdom, and pastoral warmth.

Here are three of the newest additions that have come across my desk recently.

Saturday Snippets (May 30)

“Praying in the Holy Spirit”: What Does Jude 20 Mean for Christians Today?

Among the shorter books of the Bible, the letter of Jude contains some remarkably weighty exhortations. Writing to Christians threatened by false teachers and spiritual compromise, Jude urges believers to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). Yet his final instructions are strikingly pastoral and deeply practical:

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ” (Jude 20–21)

For many Christians, the phrase “praying in the Holy Spirit” raises immediate questions. Does Jude refer to a special kind of prayer? Is he speaking about emotional intensity? About mystical experiences? About speaking in tongues? Or is he describing something more ordinary, and yet more profound?

For Christians from a conservative evangelical perspective (like my own), Jude’s words should neither be ignored nor sensationalised. They should instead drive us back to Scripture itself, where we discover that prayer in the Holy Spirit is not an elite spiritual technique reserved for a few unusually gifted believers. It is the ordinary privilege and calling of every Christian.

Why Don’t Our Sermons Change People?

I was speaking with a friend yesterday. I sent him my sermon manuscript for some feedback as I’m preaching in a context that I’ve not spoken in before. He said something, in a wider conversation about preaching in general, that got me thinking…

“Sermons are often 90% information and 10% application. Yet pastors expect lives transformed after every message.”

That line has stayed with me.

Not because it is universally true. There are many faithful pastors preaching Christ week by week with clarity, warmth, and pastoral wisdom. But there is enough truth in the observation to make us uncomfortable.

The God Who Keeps His People; Assurance, Perseverance, and the Comfort of the Gospel

There are some theological questions that arrive in the study quietly, and there are others that arrive with tears. This is one of the latter.

Can a true Christian finally fall away and be lost forever?

For some, the question is deeply personal. A believer battles ongoing sin and wonders whether repeated failure has exhausted the patience of God. A parent grieves over a child who once professed faith but now rejects Christ entirely. A pastor watches someone once active in church life slowly drift into unbelief and asks, “What happened?”

And beneath all of it lies a deeper concern: how secure is the grace of God, really?

Head Knowledge Isn’t Enough: Why Knowing About Jesus Is Not the Same as Knowing Him

There is a subtle danger that lurks in conservative evangelical churches, particularly those that rightly value sound doctrine and serious Bible teaching. It is the danger of confusing theological knowledge with spiritual maturity.

Now, let us be clear from the outset: doctrine matters immensely. Truth matters. God has revealed himself in words, propositions, history, commands, promises, and doctrine. The Christian faith is not anti-intellectual. Loving God includes loving him with our minds. The church desperately needs Christians who think carefully, read deeply, and handle Scripture faithfully.

But Scripture also warns us that it is entirely possible to possess accurate theology while remaining spiritually immature, or even spiritually dead.

That is the uncomfortable force of James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

That verse should shake every one of us.