I was scrolling through my GoogleReader this morning (that’s what Saturday morning is for, right?) and found some very interesting articles/interviews. And since I have nothing worthwhile to share I will direct you to others.

The first is Al Mohler answering a question regarding from where the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart” comes. Is it a right phrase? Is it heresy? I found his answer very interesting. It is obviously one he has thoroughly considered.

The second is an interview with Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Rev. Billy and Ruth Graham. JT asks questions about what it was like to have the Grahams for grandparents, about Tchividjian’s new book, about his five years of rebellion and how the family treated him, about seminary (did you know Billy Graham feels so strongly about pastors attending seminary that he paid for his grandson’s education AND helped fund Gordon-Conwell?), and about starting a church. It really is a fascinating interview. I thought the bit about his being sure of his salvation most interesting. Tchividjian says,

I wanted to pinpoint the time and place. My spiritual life depended on it, or so I thought. About that time I had lunch with Arnie, one of my wisest, most godly friends. As I shared my struggle with him, he looked at me and said, “Tullian, does it really matter? The Bible has a lot more to say about how the Christian life ends than how it begins.” I dropped my fork. He was right. I thought about all those places in the Bible that speak about finishing the race, obtaining the prize, pressing on, and straining forward. I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Pinpointing the time and place I became a Christian didn’t matter, ultimately. What did matter was my daily pursuit of God. What did matter was my need to continue in the faith from that day forward. John Stott said, “He who stands firm in the faith to the end will be saved, not because salvation is the reward of endurance, but because endurance is the hallmark of the saved.” Arnie helped me see that my ongoing endurance, not my ability to isolate a moment when my relationship with God began, is what helps me be certain about my relationship with God today.

He also recommends reading Puritans and other dead theologians. Happy reading!