Twice in the last few months, I’ve encountered the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture touted as a remedy against using illustrations, humor or contextualization in sermons. I’ve also encountered using this doctrine as a support for the word-for-word ESV Bible, in Jon Nielson’s “How to Study the Bible” (which I heartily recommend otherwise). Now,…

If you have not read the book Knowing God, by J. I. Packer, you have missed one of the most influential books of the past 40 years. I have read it more often and given it away more frequently than any other book. Here is a quote to whet your appetite. Take 30 seconds to…

In 2013, I was living in Vietnam and wrote a piece that I never published. Although now a bit dated, the subject matter speaks to some universal questions. Now, it is January 2017 and I am in Ho Chi Minh City once again. I remembered the article and decided that now was a good time to post it….

Dave Hall is a friend of mine. He is now a pastor at Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, California, where he oversees the church’s efforts in global ministry. When we first met, we were students together more than forty years ago. Dave and his wife, Joni, have been married 40 years. They have three adult children and…

Today, Nicholas McDonald is our guest blogger. I first came across Nick’s writing a few years back. Through our occasional correspondence, I have come to appreciate Nick’s work – so much so, that I have become a Patreon. Tom ********************** God’s Glory Requires Skill “The power of the pulpit is not in the skill of…

Today, July 22, 2016, is J. I. Packer’s 90th birthday. Next to my grandfather, I can think of no other person to whom I am more deeply indebted for what I have come to believe theologically than James Innell Packer. My first exposure to his writing came in my first year at Bible college. In…

I have a friend who is a professional musician. To be specific, a professional classical musician. She has studied and worked in the field for years, and served as conductor of one of Canada’s symphony orchestras. She is a precise and masterful pianist, and a passionate educator. She takes all things musical very seriously. A…