Spiritual Growth / Sanctification and Growth

  • The Battle of Our Lives by Stanley Gale

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2007

    After dinner, the Bible study group sat down to discuss what topic they would take up next. Someone suggested they study spiritual warfare. “Why would we study that?” asked another member, “What does that have to do with us?” The …Read More

  • Not to Us by Patrick Lennox

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2007

    Our society applauds the rich religious diversity found throughout the world. I know this because the satellite dish on the roof of my house keeps receiving signals from National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and a host of other programs daring …Read More

  • A Face-to-Face Encounter by Chris Donato

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2007

    At its core, sin stems from failing to worship (or love) God exclusively and failing to love our neighbors as ourselves. Clearly Jacob and his family are guilty of both. After God calls on Jacob to fulfill his vow …Read More

  • Our Daily Bread on Steroids by R.C. Sproul Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2007

      Over the years, Tabletalk has been called all sorts of things. At first, it was more homey than glossy, giving the appearance of having been mimeographed in some back room. It was, early on, and appropriately so, in a …Read More

  • Justice Served by Robert Rothwell

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2007

    From a young age my family always encouraged me to read. Without fail, I received at least one book in addition to other presents every birthday or Christmas morning. My favorite books to read as a child were in …Read More

  • Wily Jacob by Derek Thomas

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2007

    Sell me your birthright now,” Jacob demanded of his twin brother, Esau (Gen. 25:31). Thus begins the sorry tale of Abraham’s grandson. From the start, Jacob challenges us to dislike him: a self-willed, pampered child with ruthless skills …Read More

  • With Malice Aforethought by Kris Lundgaard

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    When Genevieve told Liz she was wearing her blouse inside-out, Liz was mortified. The verb mortify comes from a Latin word for death, so it fits Liz: she wanted to die. Nowadays we rarely use the word in any other …Read More

  • A Matter of Life and Death by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    The Christian marketplace is filled with T-shirts, tracts, and trinkets that speak of how to have the ideal Christian life. Every year, Christians spend millions of dollars on self-help books and “how-to” guides for living an abundant life. For …Read More

  • Set Free to Die by Joseph Pipa Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    Central to the practice of mortification is the believer’s union with Christ Jesus. In Romans 6:1–13, Paul shows the relationship of union with Christ to mortification. In Romans 6, the apostle is answering the objection that justification …Read More

  • The Practice of Mortification by Sinclair Ferguson

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    The aftermath of a conversation can change the way we later think of its significance. My friend — a younger minister — sat down with me at the end of a conference in his church and said: “Before we retire tonight, just …Read More

  • Feeling Good about Ourselves by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    We tend to underestimate the magnitude of sin, in particular, our own sin. And our failure to confront our sinfulness in an honest way — our tendency rather to revel in how good we are — can have devastating consequences in …Read More

  • Fire and Rain by R.C. Sproul Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2007

    I can’t help but love my doctor. Any man who commits himself to serving those suffering from cancer probably has a large heart himself. He was a gracious help to my wife a few years ago, and he was …Read More

  • A World of Tomorrows by R.C. Sproul Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2006

    Like the March hare, I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date. My column for this issue of Tabletalk was due yesterday. This morning I received from my friends at Ligonier a polite email reminding me of …Read More

  • Radically Contagious by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2006

    When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). I have always been leery of vaccinations. The …Read More

  • Eternal Persuasion by John Cobb

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2006

    Marketing is a difficult term to define. Books have been written, gurus have weighed in, and countless others have offered various opinions. Boiled down, however, one simple definition of marketing is “the attempt to influence the behaviors of others.” In …Read More