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…
INTIMACY: WHAT WE DON’T UNDERSTAND AND DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT
“We don’t have sex simply because we’re animals, driven by biological urges that we can’t understand. Sex is both a physical experience and an expression of our hearts. In other words, the mysteries of sex are more mysteries of our hearts than mysteries of our bodies.”
The Importance of Christian Biography
“The blessings that come from reading Christian biography cannot be fully enumerated or overstated. There is a measure of comfort, joy, and inspiration that comes from beholding the hand of God in the lives of His flawed yet faithful servants. So inspiring are the lives of believers in history, in fact, that even the world often takes note and admires the remarkable fortitude and towering influence of Christian heroes. And while there is tremendous benefit from reading the many secular biographies available, I want to argue for the specific value and practice of Christians writing Christian biographies.”
I’ve Reached My Breaking Point as a Pastor
“Normally, pastors might rely on their personal relationships to navigate such fraught dynamics. But COVID-19 has taken that away as well, forcing us to rely on phone calls and video screens—which are no substitutes for physical presence. The situations are complex, the consequences weighty, the criticism unrelenting, and the path forward unclear. All of this has driven many pastors, including myself, to the breaking point.”
A Death-Blow To Modern Productivity
“We all know that feeling, you wake up in the morning and all you see is a massive to-do list. You sit in a staff meeting and you talk about the week ahead and with every task your anxiety rises. You wake up to little faces staring at you and you’re thinking of entertaining them whilst also sorting a million other things. Let’s be honest, productivity is tiring!”
5 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor
“We live in a day in which faithful and true shepherds experience a high rate of burnout, depression; far too many leave ministry altogether. In our fallen world, sin knows no boundaries, sheep bite, wolves creep into churches, and life is hard.”
Miracles Don’t Violate the Laws of Nature
“Why do many people embrace a worldview that won’t even consider evidence for miracles? Sometimes they assume that science opposes miracles, but that assumption goes back not to scientific inquiry itself but to an 18th-century philosopher. Knowingly or unknowingly, many people have followed the thesis of Scottish skeptic David Hume (1711–1776).”
LOVE THE PEOPLE THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU, NOT THE ONES YOU HOPE TO HAVE
“We ought to love the church God had given us first, and let them know it, before we start insisting there are groups we want to reach. If our people don’t know we love them and are grateful for them, there is little chance they won’t hear ‘we need to reach X demographic’ as an implicit suggestion that you don’t really want them.”
Pastor, Take a Break Before You Quit
An interesting look at Sabbaticals, what they are and why (Wilson argues) they’re needed.
The Difference between the Apple and the Worm
“As I have observed popular debates about complementarianism over the years, I have noticed how people often confuse what the doctrine is with other associations that have little or nothing to do with the teaching. In short, folks confuse the essence with the accidents.”
Chalmers' Blog 