Chalmers' Blog

Why Local Pastors Should Preach Consistently

When you go to the GP (in a lot of the UK anyway) most doctor’s surgeries have multiple doctors. Having multiple doctors is fine, until you never see the same doctor twice for the same issue, it means that you’re often explaining the situation over and over again and getting different approaches to treatment. Most people I know want to see the same doctor. I think the same principle should apply to preaching. I would argue that it is more beneficial for the local church when the congregation are taught by the consistent preaching of the Pastor and other Elders.

Saturday Snippets (November 1)

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…

Losing Our Words: The Decline of Reading and the Rise of Reels

There’s a quiet crisis happening in our world today. It’s not new, but it’s growing—and it’s changing how we think, how we feel, and how we follow Jesus. It’s the slow decline of reading.

Fewer and fewer people are reading books, especially people in the younger generations. Attention spans are shrinking. Deep thought is giving way to scrolling. Words are being replaced by images, pages by pixels, and sentences by soundbites. For Christians and churches, this shift is more than just a cultural trend—it’s a spiritual concern.

The Road Back to God

The Christian world is a funny place. On the one hand we’re hearing about a so-called ‘silent revival’ (I have many thoughts on this but they go beyond the scope of this post!). But on the other hand people are also loosing interest in church and Christianity. People are leaving the church feeling disillusioned and struggling. However you look at it, there is no doubt that some people are feeling unsatisfied in the answers that the world offers. Many people are asking “surely there is more?!”

So I’m glad that Joe Barnard offers what he calls a “roadmap” for men who find themselves restless in the modern world—materialistic, distracted, spiritually numb—and yet yearning for something more. The Road Back to God invites the reader on a ten-stage journey from darkness to light, from existential confusion to authentic discipleship.

Saturday Snippets (October 25)

Diverse Reads: A Mixed Bag

It’s been quite some time since I last wrote a book review for you all. The reasons for that are a mixture of ministry life, family life and I’ve been doing a lot more of my own writing (my second book is due to be published in May 2026). However, just because I’ve not been reviewing, fear not, I have still been reading. So let me highlight some of the books that I’ve read recently that I’ve found good and helpful. It’s quite a mixed bag, but I’m sure that at least one book will stand out for you.

Saturday Snippets (October 18)

Understanding the Bible’s Unified Story

For many Christians, Bible reading can sometimes feel like flipping through a family photo album without any names or dates written on the back. The stories are familiar, the characters beloved, but how it all fits together? That’s where things get fuzzy.

Yet, the Bible wasn’t written as a collection of random inspirational quotes or disjointed stories. It’s a unified narrative, inspired by God, telling the story of his redemptive plan from creation to new creation. And to read it well—and apply it faithfully—we need to know not just what it says, but when it says it.