Chalmers' Blog

Why God’s People Must Read God’s Word, Not Paraphrases

There is something profoundly simple, and yet profoundly neglected, at the heart of the Christian life – God speaks, and his people listen.

From the opening pages of Scripture to the life of the church in the New Testament, the people of God have always been marked by their relationship to the Word of God. We are not sustained by feelings, guided by impressions, or built up by human creativity. We live, as Jesus reminds us, “by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

And yet, in our day, there is a quiet but serious drift, not away from the idea of the Bible, but away from the Bible itself.

Saturday Snippets (April 4)

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…

The Manosphere and the Way of Christ: Why “Alpha Masculinity” Falls Short of Biblical Manhood

In recent years, a loosely connected set of online voices, often referred to as the ‘manosphere’, has gained significant influence, especially among young men. Through podcasts, social media, and viral clips, these men promote a vision of masculinity built on dominance, control, sexual conquest, financial success, and personal power. While the messaging varies from person to person, the core idea is consistent – to be a “real man” is to become an alpha, to be strong, respected, feared, and never vulnerable.

For many, this message feels compelling. It promises clarity in a confusing cultural moment and offers a sense of identity in a world where masculinity is often either mocked or misunderstood. Yet for Christians, especially those seeking to be faithful to Scripture, this vision must be carefully examined. When held up against the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the worldview of the manosphere is not merely incomplete but it is fundamentally incompatible with biblical manhood.

Saturday Snippets (March 21)

Learning to Weep Before God

There was a time in my life when the language of the Christian faith felt painful.

I knew the right answers. I could preach the gospel clearly. I said that I believed every word of Scripture. And yet, in the quiet hours of the night, when the darkness pressed in and my own mind turned against me, those truths seemed distant, almost unreachable. I lived under the shadow of depression. There were seasons marked by self-harm, and moments, more than I care to admit, when I attempted to end my life.

By God’s mercy, that is no longer my story today. But it is part of my story. And it has left me with a deep conviction: many Christians have lost the biblical language for suffering.

We have lost lament.

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)

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.