Chalmers' Blog

Saturday Snippets (September 23)

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…

Weightlifting and the Christian life

Over the last year I’ve gotten back into the gym. When I was younger I was quite active in the gym and enjoyed lifting but some injuries and moving countries out a stop to that. But a year ago I started going back and lifting again. Personally I find that hitting the gym helps me to relax, clear my mind and it helps with both my mental and my physical health.

Training and equipping little ones

As a Pastor, part of my job is training and equipping the church to use the gifts that God has given them to serve Him for the upbuilding of the body of Christ, that ‘job description’ is pretty clear from Ephesians 4. Most people would nod along and agree with that when it comes to adults, but when it comes to children there is a tendency to focus more on fun and games rather than training and equipping. However, there are so many good resources out there that have been produced to help you train and equip little ones, here are four that have come across my desk recently.

Saturday Snippets (September 16)

Preaching that transforms is preaching that speaks to the heart

There are a plethora of books and blog posts out there on preaching, so I’m sorry to add another one to the mix. Most books on preaching have a focus on text work (how do you understand and exegete a text), communication work (voice variation, illustrations, engagement, etc.) or practical things (script or not script, why preach, etc.). All of those things are good and helpful, but there can often be an overlooked element of preaching.

Do not be true to yourself

The message that many of our children and young people hear regularly is “be true to yourself, be whoever you want to be, ignore the rest of the world and follow your dreams, blaze your own path”. It sounds like a freeing and harmless message on the surface, but in reality many young people are left with doubts and anxiety at the sheer volume of big decisions they are given to make (expected to make) at a very young age. So here comes Kevin DeYoung with some countercultural advice for the rest of your life.

Saturday Snippets (September 9)

Saturday Snippets (September 2)

Love, Death & Resurrection

There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jesus changed the world. Even those who are not Christians cannot deny that the life of Jesus continues to change the world as His followers go about doing His good work and sharing His message. As Christians we share Jesus by speaking to people about His life, death and resurrection and by pointing people to the Bible, mostly the New Testament (in evangelistic conversations at least). But the New Testament can seem strange to non-Christians. The way it’s put together with chapters and verses, with subheadings and footnotes, doesn’t make it feel like any other book and so it can seem strange. In comes the Scottish Bible Society.