Chalmers' Blog

Saturday Snippets (July 2)

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…

Neglected or Misused: Understanding God’s Word

Over the years I’ve spent so many hours with Christians, in pastoral situations, in general conversations and in conversations about what they’re reading (both in terms of Bible books and other reading materials). One of the books that isn’t read much is Deuteronomy, if Leviticus is the place Bible reading plans go to die, those that power on, might fall flat at Deuteronomy. The other book that isn’t read much, or is misused a fair bit, is Nehemiah. Here are three helpful resources that can help you understand and use both Deuteronomy and Nehemiah properly as you desire to grow in your faith and understanding of the Bible.

Saturday Snippets (June 25)

Church, Knowing God, Forgiveness, Women, Suffering and thing in common…

I was recently on holiday, as you can probably imagine, one of the hardest things for me going on holiday is knowing which books to take with me. Depending on the holiday destination, I like to spend a lot of time on the beach or by the pool with a good book. That’s what I did this time, except for a day trip to Ephesus which was very fun! Admittedly, I didn’t read as much as I normally would, I did read a few good books that I’d like to share with you all. I previously posted a few reviews here, but I wanted to give you a few more short reviews of books that I read on holiday…

Saturday Snippets (June 18)

Are we a selective church?

Over the last few days my Twitter feed has been full of shenanigans from the SBC annual convention in the US. I’m obviously not part of the SBC, I live in the UK, but it’s highlighted some things that have got me thinking…

Why love the local church?

We live in a world where the local church is coming under fire more and more. People, even Christians, are doubting the necessity of the local gathering of the body of Christ. How do we as Christians fight against this decline in love for the local church? We get to know why the local church is necessary and beneficial for all believers. The Bible never calls Christians to an individualistic faith, but to a community of believers who gather together to celebrate Jesus, to glorify the Father and to encourage one another.

Saturday Snippets (June 11)

Three things Christians should learn from devout Muslims…

Over the last few years I’ve had the privilege of getting to know some Muslim families. We’ve eaten in their homes and seen how they interact with their families and how their Islamic faith is lived out. In different contexts, I’ve also spent time discussing faith with Muslims which has helped me to be able to articulate my faith better, know how to defend my faith and how to graciously engage in debate. From my experience of devout Muslims, I think Christians can and should learn a thing or two from them. I don’t mean their faith, because Christianity and Islam are two very different beliefs, but the way that their faith interacts with their life. Here are three things that Christians can and should learn form devout Muslims.

Changed lives that then changed lives

Reading the stories of Christians from the past who served the Lord is always a good thing to do. it encourages us to remember that the Christian message is not new, but that it has gone forth and changed many lives in the past. Stories from the past also help you see what the Lord has done in people’s lives and how they served Him, which may in turn help you consider how you look at God’s work in your own life and how you consider serving Him.