Chalmers' Blog

Wisdom, Loneliness, Grace, and the Goodness of Singleness

Christians have always been a people shaped by good books. Long before podcasts and livestreams, believers gathered around the written word, Scripture first and foremost, but also the thoughtful reflections of faithful teachers who help us apply biblical truth to the realities of life.

In every generation, the church needs books that help us think clearly, feel rightly, and live faithfully. We need books that confront cultural confusion, deepen our understanding of Scripture, and encourage Christians in the ordinary challenges of discipleship and obedience to the Lord Jesus.

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of reading four books that do just that. Though they address very different topics (loneliness, biblical wisdom, the transforming grace of the gospel, and the vocation of singleness) each of them serves the church well. I’m sure that there will be something here for you to enjoy.

Saturday Snippets (March 14)

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…

Overcoming Comparison: Finding Christ-Centered Contentment

It has never been easier to compare our lives with others. With a few swipes of a screen we can peer into the homes, holidays, achievements, ministries, bodies, wardrobes, and successes of countless people. Whether through social media, advertising, or the subtle pressures of modern life, we are constantly told that what we have is not enough and perhaps that we are not enough.

The result is predictable: discontentment.

We may have more possessions, opportunities, and conveniences than any generation before us, yet dissatisfaction is widespread. The Christian is not immune. We compare ministries, churches, houses, careers, families, and spiritual experiences. Quietly and subtly, comparison robs us of joy.

But the gospel offers a radically different way to live.

The Man on the Middle Cross

Few gospel summaries are as arresting, or as disarmingly simple, as the line that inspired Alistair Begg’s short book The Man on the Middle Cross “The man on the middle cross said I can come.” Maybe you recognise that phrase from a video that does the rounds on social media every few months. From that memorable phrase, Begg unfolds a brief but powerful meditation on the heart of the Christian message.

Saturday Snippets (March 7)

Saturday Snippets (February 28)

Disagreeing Well: Unity Without Uniformity

In an age shaped by hot takes, comment threads, and quick exits, we have forgotten how to disagree well. Too often, disagreement is treated as disloyalty. Someone else’s view is no longer just another view, instead it becomes a threat. A secondary issue becomes a dividing wall, and before long, distance replaces dialogue. But healthy communities are not built on uniformity of opinion. They are built on shared allegiance to Christ, patient love, and a commitment to remain at the table even when we see things differently.

Saturday Snippets (February 21)

The Loving Severity of Christ: Why Church Discipline Still Matters

Church discipline is rarely the subject of conference banners or popular podcasts. It feels awkward, heavy, and (if we are honest) it can feel dangerous. In a culture that seems to be growing more suspicious of authority and is allergic to judgement, the very phrase ‘church discipline’ can sound harsh. Yet when we turn to the New Testament, we discover that church discipline is not a regrettable add-on to the local church. It is an expression of the holy love of the Lord Jesus for his church.

If we are to be biblical Christians in more than name, we must be biblical where the Bible is biblical. And the New Testament is unmistakably clear: loving discipline belongs to the life of a healthy church.

Navigating Faith: Books for Today’s Christian Questions

In every generation (at least in modern times) Christians find themselves asking the same deep questions: Why do I suffer? Why do my children wander? How do I know the real Jesus? How can I grow? What does faithfulness look like in the quiet, unseen places of church life?

Some of the recent books that have come across my desk tackle these questions with pastoral warmth and theological depth. Together, they could form something of a mini-library for the thoughtful Christian, helpful read to have at home on a pastor’s desk, or simply to be added to the ‘to read’ pile on your bedside table.