Christian Living / Spiritual Growth

  • Resolved Tensions by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2004

    We live in a world of tensions. We are a holy people who have been set apart from the world and yet called to live in the world as a light to the world. We are strangers in a strange …Read More

  • Treasures in Heaven by Rosemary Jensen

    FROM TABLETALK | August 2009

    As my husband and I were preparing to go to Africa as missionaries more than fifty years ago, we eagerly sought wisdom from those who had gone before us. One such retired missionary doctor who had served the Lord for …Read More

  • Marks of a Great Teacher: Understanding by R.C. Sproul

    FROM TABLETALK | April 1993

    The K-I-S-S principle is frequently requested in a learning environment. The acrostic stands for “Keep it simple, stupid.” It seems we are a people who loathe difficult study. We want easy answers and we want them quickly. Mastery of a …Read More

  • The Christian Club by W. Robert Godfrey

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2010

    Many American churches are in a mess. Theologically they are indifferent, confused, or dangerously wrong. Liturgically they are the captives of superficial fads. Morally they live lives indistinguishable from the world. They often have a lot of people, money, and …Read More

  • The Altar of Cynicism by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2008

    People lose their souls to many gods. There are the popular gods like money, sex, and power. But there is one unusual god to which men lose their souls, and maybe that god has seduced more people than any of …Read More

  • Uncommon Belief by John Hutchinson

    FROM TABLETALK | November 2004

    “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh, Book VII Through our study of …Read More

  • Pruned to Perfection by Robert Rothwell

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2004

    A newborn baby is such a wonderful example of the beauty of God’s creation. When a newborn is in the room, anyone present is awestruck by how small, cute, and innocent the infant is. At the same time, however …Read More

  • In God We Trust by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2004

    We want patience, and we want it now. We are a society consumed with instant gratification. If something takes too long, we turn to something faster, and there’s no time to waste. For whatever reason, we are under the …Read More

  • Beauty and the Best by R.C. Sproul

    FROM TABLETALK | April 2009

    There is a tension among the people of God that reflects a delicate balance to which the Bible calls us. Paul, you will recall, argued that in his passion for the gospel, he wished to be all things to all …Read More

  • When to Stop, When to Go, When to Slow Down by R.C. Sproul

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2010

    The college I attended was situated in a small western Pennsylvania town in an area heavily populated by one of the largest gatherings of Amish people found in the United States. The Amish are a delightful group totally committed to …Read More

  • Repentance from First to Last by Chris Donato

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2004

    On October 31, 1517, Dr. Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on the academy bulletin board (which happened to be the church door in those days). Essentially, the theses rebuked church leaders for abusing indulgences. Indulgences, he argued, cannot forgive …Read More

  • In Jesus’ Name by Chris Donato

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2004

    “In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.” Is this just habit, a formal closing in public prayer? Or, is it a powerful declaration that we who pray in that name are in Him to whom that name belongs? Well, Christians from …Read More

  • The Protestant Work Ethic by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2006

    The Protestant work ethic promotes excellence. But what is the connection between Protestantism, work, and excellence? The pioneering sociologist Max Weber was the first to draw attention to the Protestant work ethic. In his book The Protestant Ethic and the …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

  • Total Surrender by Kevin Smith

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2009

    Gary Thomas, in his book Seeking the Face of God, makes this statement: “Christian health is not defined by how happy we are, how prosperous or healthy we are, or even by how many people we have led to the …Read More