Spiritual Growth / Sanctification and Growth

  • 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

  • Dividing Walls That Unite by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2012

    “Be not ashamed of your faith; remember it is the ancient gospel of the martyrs, confessors, reformers and saints. Above all, it is the truth of God, against which the gates of Hell cannot prevail. Let your lives adorn your …Read More

  • When God is Not Enough by Scotty Smith

    FROM TABLETALK | April 2013

    “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Augustine, Confessions). “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but …Read More

  • Keep the Presence of God by John Piper

    FROM TABLETALK | November 2011

    On vacation, I kept a copy of Jonathan Edwards’ sermons on my bedside table as a way of going to sleep with a God-centered mind. One of those sermons was called “Keeping the Presence of God.” It was preached on …Read More

  • Pilgrims in a Post-Christian Culture by Voddie Baucham

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2012

    In John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress, the Wicket Gate is a symbol for entrance into the Christian life. There, the main character, Christian, encounters the gatekeeper, Good-Will. Their encounter, like the rest of the book, is filled …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

  • A Charitable Reaction by R.C. Sproul

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2013

    Has anyone ever said something unkind to you or about you? I think we all have had that experience. Becoming victims of slander or malicious gossip can be difficult to bear. However, God calls us to exhibit a very specific …Read More

  • Feeding Your Soul by Jon Bloom

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2012

    When your soul is in turmoil, it’s hard to see clearly. Fear, anger, sorrow, and despair can distort your perception of reality. It’s hard to keep things in perspective. They can actually magnify your troubles. Often, when you …Read More

  • How to Stay Christian in Seminary by David Mathis

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2012

    “The point is this.” I love it when Paul says that in 2 Corinthians 9:6. He makes sure he has our attention and tells it straight. Behind the reasoned prose and the rhetorical flourishes, here’s what he’s …Read More

  • The Wait of Glory by R.C. Sproul Jr.

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2004

    My family has been blessed mightily in the last six months or so. My dear wife Denise and I have suffered through two miscarriages. (And three more in the years before that.) Our daughter Shannon, who is mentally retarded, began …Read More

  • Every Conflict Is a Test by Alexander Strauch

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2012

    The New Testament does not hide the fact that nearly every church in the Apostolic age experienced conflict. As the New Testament writers addressed these matters, they provided invaluable instruction on how believers are to think, act, and treat one …Read More

  • Where and How Do We Draw the Line? by Kevin DeYoung

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2012

    “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” Sounds nice, but which are which? Everyone wants to be unified in what really matters, to agree to disagree on what isn’t as important, and to exercise love in …Read More

  • The Pursuit of Holiness: An Interview with Jerry Bridges by Jerry Bridges

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2012

    Tabletalk: What do you see as the greatest need in the church today? Jerry Bridges: There are so many needs in the church today that it is difficult to single out one as the greatest. However, if I had to …Read More

  • Listening Before Answering by John Piper

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2011

    “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (Prov. 18:13). It is arrogant to answer before you hear. Humility does not presume that it knows precisely what a person is asking until the …Read More

  • Keep On by Eric Alexander

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2012

    While I was still a theological student, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones came from London to Glasgow to preach at the great St. Andrews Hall. This auditorium held more than two thousand people. It was packed, and the preaching was wonderful. After …Read More