Christian Living / Practical Theology

  • Church Growth—Success At What Price? by Os Guinness

    FROM TABLETALK | April 1992

    The seductions of the modern world can be just as hard to resist as its benefits are to refuse. After all, if the church is in the business of growth, and growth is achieved through better management and marketing, then …Read More

  • Assurance by John de Witt

    FROM TABLETALK | February 1992

    What does a pastor think about assurance? By assurance here I mean the certainty that through Jesus Christ one is a child of God: forgiven, renewed, having eternal life. I cannot speak for others, but I can give my thoughts …Read More

  • Revelation-Driven Life by Tom Ascol

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2012

    God wins. If I had to summarize the message of Revelation in just two words, those would be my choice. They not only convey the point of the book but also hint at its main storyline. Despite what some overly …Read More

  • Treasures on Earth by John Piper

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    The inner essence of worship is treasuring Jesus as infinitely valuable above everything. The outer forms of worship are the acts that show how much we treasure God. Therefore, all of life is meant to be worship because God said …Read More

  • In Season and Out of Season by Douglas Wilson

    FROM TABLETALK | April 1999

    Y2K has not always been on everyone’s lips, but it will be. For years, those who had taken the responsibility of warning others were pretty lonely. Now that we have little time left, we have mounting awareness—and mounting …Read More

  • Equipped for Jihad by Carl Ellis

    FROM TABLETALK | April 1998

    When sharing my faith with a Muslim, I’ve found it helpful to evaluate why he is devoted to Islam. Three considerations are important. First, he could be moved by the standards of Islam—the doctrine, theology or teaching. Most …Read More

  • A Catechism on the Heart by Sinclair Ferguson

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2012

    Sometimes people ask authors, “Which of your books is your favorite?” The first time the question is asked, the response is likely to be “I am not sure; I have never really thought about it.” But forced to think about …Read More

  • One or Two? by Peter Jones

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2012

    An ideology is taking over the West that is both very spiritual and self-consciously anti-Christian. It intends, ever so subtly, without ever saying so explicitly, to grind the gospel into the dustbin of history. The 1960s was an incredibly formative …Read More

  • Young Women, Idolatry & the Powerful Gospel by Elyse Fitzpatrick

    FROM TABLETALK | April 2011

    We are all inveterate worshipers — it’s just something we do without thinking about it. Worshiping is part of our nature because God created us to worship Him, and, by doing so, we bring both Him and ourselves deep pleasure …Read More

  • Dealing with Lust by Joseph Pipa Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2013

    They are as close as our skin, the troika of lusts described by the Apostle John: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16). These inordinate and forbidden …Read More

  • The Fine Line by Nicholas Batzig

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2010

    Every Christian is to have a conscience singularly informed by the Word of God, but it is utterly indispensable for the minister of the gospel. Ministers are called to take a stand for truth before those who oppose the Word …Read More

  • Heralding the Good News by R.C. Sproul Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2012

    It is false to say that what we don’t know can’t hurt us, especially when it comes to the Bible. If ever there were anything we need to know, it is the very Word of God. That said …Read More

  • The Glory of Plodding by Kevin DeYoung

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2010

    It’s sexy among young people — my generation — to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church. Besides being unbiblical, such notions of churchless Christianity are unrealistic …Read More

  • Why “Let Go and Let God” Is a Bad Idea by Andrew Naselli

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2011

    What is “let-go-and-let-God” theology? It’s called Keswick theology, and it’s one of the most significant strands of second-blessing theology. It assumes that Christians experience two “blessings.” The first is getting “saved,” and the second is getting serious. The …Read More

  • God-Centered Preaching by Bernie van Eyk

    FROM TABLETALK | April 2012

    “People are starving for the greatness of God,” observes John Piper, “but most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majesty of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the …Read More