Christian Living / Spiritual Growth

  • In the Dungeon of Giant Despair by Andrew McGowan

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2006

    At one point on their pilgrimage, Christian and his companion Hopeful stepped aside from the true Way, into By-Path-Meadow, because it looked easier and seemed to be going in the same direction as the Way. Soon they realized their mistake …Read More

  • Vanity Fair by Derek Thomas

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2006

    For John Bunyan, a Puritan to his fingertips, the Christian life was an experience of conflict and tension with this world. Imprisoned for upwards of twelve years, he experienced firsthand the world’s hostility. Cheerful and sanguine by temperament, his …Read More

  • Progress Redefined by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2006

    The world measures success in terms of that which is tangible — by what is bigger, faster, and by what draws the most attention. For many people, success is defined solely by numbers and circumstantial outcomes. True success, however, cannot be …Read More

  • With Great Joy by Chris Larson

    FROM TABLETALK | December 2005

    At the end of Jude’s epistle stand two verses that rival the most rapturous language found in Scripture. Tucked into verses 24–25 is a small phrase that should bring comfort to Christians who struggle with weak faith. We …Read More

  • A Woman Richly Blessed by Starr Meade

    FROM TABLETALK | December 2005

    Imagine a contemporary teenage girl who becomes convinced, without a doubt, that God especially favors her. She knows God will bless her richly, beyond what any other woman ever has known. What does she expect that to mean? Surely God …Read More

  • Somebody to Love by Mark Dever

    FROM TABLETALK | November 2005

    Why should I love other people? It’s a good question, and a question that all of us have asked from time to time as we’ve been challenged in our relationships. If that’s an important issue for you …Read More

  • In the Face of Death by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | November 2005

    “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Are you afraid of dying? I have seen some people overcome …Read More

  • Hearts Aflame: Reformed Piety by Philip Ryken

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2005

    Calvinism is well known and widely respected for its theology. But can we say the same thing about its piety? It is sometimes said that Calvinists do not make very good Christians. According to one critic: “Nothing will foster pride …Read More

  • Love One Another by Kaki Cobb

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2005

    My husband and I recently celebrated our second wedding anniversary. In the five years that I have known him we have learned, and will continue to learn, a great deal about love. My husband takes the meaning of love so …Read More

  • Love and Its Counterfeit by Mark Dever

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2005

    I mentioned some months ago in my article that 2005 was the 450th anniversary of the martyrdom of John Bradford. It also is the 450th anniversary of the martyrdoms of Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, two bishops in the English …Read More

  • Relying on Christ by Mark Dever

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2005

    How can we confess our sins as John tells us to in I John 1:9? Let me make four suggestions: First, know God’s Word; second, know our lives; third, know our sins; fourth, confess our sins. When I …Read More

  • Are You Listening? by Tim Dick

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2005

    Communication is always a hot topic at management seminars and for consultants that relentlessly try to convince me they can improve our ministry. Having several years of experience in what is known as “cold calling” in a sales-type industry, I …Read More

  • The Second Great Commandment by Phil Johnson

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2005

    When some Pharisees put Jesus to the test concerning the greatest of all God’s commandments, He answered with a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul …Read More

  • Why Do We Suffer? by Robert Rothwell

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2005

    Throughout my life I have always been a voracious reader. I can remember being enamored by books at a very young age and becoming excited during my preschool years as I was first taught to read. Even today, hardly a …Read More

  • Restoring Love by W. Duncan Rankin

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2005

    God takes sexual sin seriously. So must we. The depth of His resolve on this issue can only be plumbed on Calvary. In the agony of His Son, the full measure of His devotion to opposing our perversions becomes clear …Read More