Christian Living / Spiritual Growth

  • Unquenchable Joy by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2005

    “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2). Was James a masochist? “When you face trials, do it with joy.” Who gets …Read More

  • Christianity and the Material World by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2010

    “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (Luke 12:15). The story Jesus told of the rich man (vv …Read More

  • Ancient Wisdom by Chris Donato

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2005

    A certain sage-like professor once quipped: “Would you, after having obtained a one-hundred dollar bill, proceed to throw away the fifty crumpled up in your pocket?” The rhetorical question was aimed at the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. To …Read More

  • Partakers of Holiness by Douglas Kelly

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2004

    The pain involved in following the Lord Jesus Christ in a hostile world is never hidden from us in Scripture. The early Hebrew Christians to whom this epistle seems first to have been written were no strangers to “reproaches and …Read More

  • Kill Your Sin by Tom Ascol

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2008

    On May 1, 2003, Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven year old backpacker, did something unthinkable in order to save his life. After being pinned for five days by an eight-hundred pound boulder in a remote Utah canyon, he took his dull …Read More

  • Served by God, Serving Man by David Mathis

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2009

    My dad hasn’t been to seminary. He has no formal theological training. Nobody pays him and Mom for their endless hours serving the church. But they could write an article on sacrificial service to the church. They’ve lived …Read More

  • The Gain of Godliness by Terry Johnson

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    Rich people are materialistic. We all know it. All they care about is their money and things. Or so I thought. My background consists of a blue-collar neighborhood and an inner-city high school in Southern California. My quick judgment of …Read More

  • Stewards of God’s Gifts by Ken Jones

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    A steward is one who manages or administers the estate, affairs, or goods of another. Inherent in this definition is the fact that a steward is not the owner of what he manages and is therefore accountable to the actual …Read More

  • Authority in Vocation by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2009

    Do you want to know how Christians can influence the culture? How to have a strong family? Do you want to know the meaning of your life? Do you want to know how authority works? Then attend to the Reformation …Read More

  • The Constant Struggle by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11). It is as if he said, “As a man of God, you must live toward a definite end …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

  • Prayers Well Aimed by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2009

    “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every …Read More

  • The Blessings of Humility by Jerry Bridges

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2008

    The two Christian character traits taught most frequently in the New Testament are love and humility. The classic passage on love is, of course, 1 Corinthians 13. The classic passage on humility, though it never uses the word, is Matthew …Read More

  • Money, Money, Money by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    Not long ago, I learned that thirty-eight percent of my retirement account has vanished and that my house is suddenly worth less than the mortgage I am paying on it. I wasn’t wasteful or reckless. I didn’t vandalize …Read More

  • True Life by John Petersen

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    As we look around America today, we see what our forefathers envisioned — a land of freedom and opportunity. Even households at the “poverty level” in this country today have a much better standard of living than those in third world …Read More