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Articles by Tullian Tchividjian
Out of Control | "Life Without God, Part 07" | Tullian Tchividjian
Out of Control | "Life Without God, Part 07" | Tullian Tchividjian Out of Control | "Life Without God, Part 07" | Tullian Tchividjian
"MS understood long time ago that cricket is an integral part of his life": Khan
"MS understood long time ago that cricket is an integral part of his life": Khan Wednesday, 20 March 2024 (13 minutes ago) Zaheer Khan said, "When you`re playing, switching off (from the game) is very important. Cricket is not everything. Every cricketer has to face this eventually." At the age of 42, Dhoni is all set to lead the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming IPL 2024.
Resource Library | The Gospel Coalition
You searched for: Name > Tchividjian, Tullian Name > tchividjian, tullian Source > the gospel coalition The Christian in Conflict Tullian Tchividjian Galatians 5:16-17 What Not to Say to Someone Who's Suffering Tullian Tchividjian, Paul Tripp, and Dave Furman What Are the Biggest Mistakes Young Preachers Make?
"Get Better" Doesn't Work — Tullian
In a New York Times Op-Ed entitled “Who Goes To Work To Have Fun”, British journalist Oliver Burkeman suggests something counter-intuitive, but obvious: the more you force someone to have fun, the less fun they’ll have.
Jesus And Cancel Culture — Tullian
“Cancel culture” is all the rage right now. Because tensions are high and tolerance is low, people are getting “cancelled” left and right. The phrase “cancel culture” refers to the practice of withdrawing support for (or canceling) people—usually public figures—after they have done or said something destructive or objectionable.
I Failed to Become Like Daddy Bill
A year ago today I woke up to the sad news that my grandfather had died. And even though we had been anticipating this moment for quite some time, it was still a shock. Regardless of age or cause, death is always jolting and painful. It is, after all, “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). As I sat on the edge of the bed, numbness came over me. The finality of it hit me hard.
My New "Ministry"
I was sitting with my wife at her son’s baseball game when I looked at her and said, “I don’t want to do any kind of ministry ever again. I love God and I know he loves me but I want nothing to do with Christians.” That was two and half years ago. I was still bitter, cynical, and untrusting towards the church following the collapse of my life and ministry due to my adultery. I felt erased, abandoned, orphaned.
Progressing Downward - Tullian
In the minds of many people inside the Christian community, “strength” is the essence and goal of the Christian life. We like our Christianity to be muscular, triumphant. We’ve come to believe that the Christian life is a progression from weakness to strength—“Started from the bottom, now we’re here” (Drake) seems to be the victory chant of modern Christianity.
Grace for the Disgraced: Showing Forgiving Mercy to Former Ministers — Tullian
In light of the numerous scandals that have erupted over the last five years alone with regard to church leaders, my friend Chad Bird and I co-authored the following article that we hope encourages, provokes, and enlightens the conversation so that ultimately all eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
What Does it Mean to be "Biblically Balanced"? — Tullian
I often hear people talk about the need for theology and preaching to be “balanced.” And as best as I can tell, what they mean is that we need to spend the same amount of time talking about everything the Bible talks about. So, for example, since the Bible talks about what God has done and also what we ought to do in light of what God has done, to be balanced we need to give both themes equal airtime.
The Truth About Freedom
How is it that we use our freedom? Usually, it seems, we use it pretty selfishly. A couple of years ago, then-Laker Andrew Bynum (an All-Star center who plays close to the basket) took a ridiculous three-pointer in a game. It barely touched the rim, missing by a mile. Incensed, coach Mike Brown immediately called Bynum to the bench and put in a substitute. “I’m good,” Bynum said postgame.
Reading the Bible Narcissistically
We often read the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us: our improvement, our life, our triumph, our victory, our faith, our holiness, our marriages, our money, our children. And it does talk about those things. But is the Bible fundamentally about us? In my experience, most people treat the Bible like a book of timeless principles that will give us our best life now if we simply apply those principles. We treat it, in other words, like it’s a heaven-sent self-help manual.
Jesus + Nothing = Everything is Being Republished
I’m excited to announce that my book Jesus + Nothing = Everything is being republished and will be available this fall. Just over three years ago, the book was taken out of print by the original publisher because I violated the morality clause in my contract and the rights were returned to me. I never thought it would ever be republished.
How Can I Keep from Singing? — Tullian
My friend Jacob Smith once suggested that all of us are three bad days away from becoming a tabloid headline, and most of us are already on day two. At a time when our worst private moments, most shameful secrets, and deepest character flaws can be easily found out and publicly exposed for the whole world to see, I find great comfort in the fact that King David knew what that felt like. This “man after God’s own heart” appallingly brought disgrace on his divinely appointed office.
How is Grace Commonly Misunderstood? — Tullian
During an interview a few years ago, the interviewer asked this question: “In what ways is grace most commonly misunderstood today?” This was my answer then. And it is still my answer now. I think the main way grace is misunderstood today is when people confuse it with cheapened law.
What is Grace? - Tullian
The definition I give for grace in my book One-Way Love comes from Paul Zahl: Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…. The cliché definition of grace is “unconditional love.” It is a true cliché, for it is a good description of the thing. Let’s go a little further, though. Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved.
Daddy Bill (1918-2018) - Tullian
It was May 2, 1996, and I was sitting in the U.S. Capitol rotunda with my family. We were eagerly anticipating the ceremony that was getting ready to begin. I had been to Washington DC once before, back in 1985, when I was just 13 years old. This trip was different though. We were there because my grandparents were being honored on this day with the Congressional Gold Medal—the highest honor the United States Congress can bestow on a citizen.
The Life of an Amputee — Tullian
A while back, I was driving my daughter Genna (17) to her mom’s. We both love music and we both like to listen to it loud. We always have fun in my car enjoying our favorite songs together. At one point during our two-hour drive, I looked over and Genna was crying. I turned the music down and asked, “What’s the matter, honey?” She said, “I’m sad.” I asked her why. She said, “I like the way life used to be. Life is broken now.” I took her hand in mine.
Grace and Drunk Driving
At a dinner one evening, my friend Dr. Rod Rosenbladt told me a true story of how he’d wrecked his car when he was sixteen years old. Rod had been drinking, and in fact, he and his friends were all drunk. After the accident, Rod called his dad, and the first thing his dad asked him was, “Are you all right?” Rod assured him that he was fine. Then he confessed to his father that he was drunk. Rod was naturally terrified about how his father might respond.
One Way We Avoid Ourselves — Tullian
One effective way to avoid our own dark shadows is to hide behind the bright and obvious faults of someone else. The following transparent and honest illustration from Dan Allender in his article, Loving Our Enemies: A Look at Why We Wrongly Love Our Enemies (1995), reveals the ways and reasons we unite with one another around a common enemy. It is remarkably insightful and scarily revealing. If we look honestly at ourselves, we’ll see we are all guilty of this.
God is Always Holding On — Tullian
In 1738, literary giant Samuel Johnson wrote in his diary: “O Lord, enable me … to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.” Nineteen years later, he wrote, “Almighty God, enable me to shake off sloth, and to redeem the time misspent in idleness and sin, by a diligent application of the days yet remaining.” Every few years thereafter, he wrote some variation of this prayer, finally culminating in 1775, when he wrote, “When I look back upon resolutions of improvement and amendment, which...
Christmas Rest for the Weary and Heavy Laden — Tullian
Christmas is supposed to be “…the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” But for many of us, it’s the most painful. It’s that time of year when budgets break; when you’re reminded of how dysfunctional your family is; when you miss the people you love who have either died or left you. Maybe you’re still single, and Christmas is a painful reminder that you are alone and can’t seem to find the love your heart longs for.
God Meets You Where You Are — Tullian
We all suffer. Pain is unavoidable. It’s not a question of “if” but “when.” It can take the form of a sudden catastrophe, such as the news of a brain tumor or an affair or the death of a child. Or it can be something more ordinary like a strained relationship that never seems to get easier, dragging on in a kind of dull ache. There are physical sources of suffering, of course, and there are emotional sources; sometimes they are one and the same.
Life Without God
Believe it or not, when people ask me which book of the Bible they should read first, I often answer, “Ecclesiastes.” It is unlike any other. Smack dab in the middle of the Old Testament sits a bombshell of diagnostic brilliance, capable of cutting through our avoidances and suppressions, and returning us to reality. Also, unlike most of the books that surround it, you don’t need much context to understand Ecclesiastes.
The Forgiveness Business - Tullian
“The church is not in the world to teach sinners how to straighten up and fly right. That’s the world’s business; and on the whole it does a fairly competent—even gleefully aggressive—job of it. The church is supposed to be in the forgiveness business. Its job in filling pulpits is to find derelict nobodies who are willing to admit that they’re sinners and mean it.
Jesus + Nothing = Everything — Tullian
Last weekend I had the privilege of spending a few days in Salt Lake City at the kind and gracious invitation of South Mountain Community Church. To celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, they asked me to come out and talk about grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone in light of my own personal (and self-imposed) collapse. Below is the message I gave on Christ alone entitled Jesus + Nothing = Everything. I hope it encourages you. Photo Credit: Matt Botsford on Unsplash
Being Kicked Into Freedom — Tullian
I used to be what some would say was a successful pastor. In addition to coming from a famous family, I used to lead a large, well-known church. I was writing a book a year, traveling extensively across the country speaking at conferences, churches, colleges, and various events. I was on TV every week around the world and on the radio every day. However one wants to define a “celebrity pastor,” I was one. And then it all came crashing down.
It’s OK to Admit that You’re Not OK
If you’ve made a mess of your life (like I have), then you probably struggle with a lot of guilt, shame, and regret (like I do). And if you’re a parent (like I am) and the mess you’ve made has hurt your kids (like mine did), then the guilt, shame, and regret you probably feel is often paralyzing (like mine is). There hasn’t been a day since I became a dad twenty-three years ago that I have not wanted to be a dad.
Punk’d by Love - Tullian
During a radio interview a few years ago, my interviewer told me the following story which gets to the heart of how love produces what the law demands, but cannot deliver. One summer this man (the interviewer) was a camp counselor, and one of his responsibilities was to go around with another counselor and check the cabins every morning while the students were at breakfast.
But God… - Tullian
Whatever bad stuff you may have read or heard about me, whether it is true or false, this I can tell you for sure: I am way worse than anyone knows. In fact, I am certain that if all my sins (thoughts, words, and deeds) over the last four decades were broadcast universally, the only person who would still love me is Jesus (and sometimes in my darkest moments of doubt and despair, I have wondered whether even he would).
Grace in Practice: A Tribute to Paul Zahl — Tullian
Over the last three years, I’ve said to many people that best friends are revealed when you’re at your worst, not your best--when you're at the bottom, not the top. When you’re at the top, it’s hard to know who your true friends are because you have so much to offer. But when you’re at the bottom and have nothing to offer but leprosy and liability to anyone who comes close, that’s when you take notice of who is there.
The Good News of “Dysfunction”
Growing up in the church around mostly “good” people and “good” families, broken families were seen as “less than.” Families with a track record of teenage pregnancies, multiple marriages and divorces, affairs, addiction issues, step children, half-siblings, and so on, were examples of what to spend your life avoiding.
My God, He Knoweth None — Tullian
My friend Rod Rosenbladt told me a story about a middle-aged woman who needed help from her pastor. She went to her pastor and said, “Pastor, I had an abortion a number of years ago?” “OK,” the Pastor replied. “Well, I need to talk to you about the man I’ve since married.” “Alright,” replied the Pastor. “Well, we met a while back, and started dating and I thought, I need to tell him about the abortion. But I just couldn’t.
All is Grace: A Tribute to Brennan Manning — Tullian
Long before the recent resurgence of interest in “gospel-centrality,” Brennan Manning (1934-2013) was a voice calling out in the wilderness. Through his many books and messages, he reminded us that we are great sinners—but God is a greater Savior. Severely flawed and broken, Brennan was a man on a passionate mission to remind us of the truth that we can never out-sin the coverage of God’s forgiveness.
The Freedom in Losing it All
Hello. My name is Tullian Tchividjan. I used to be a pastor. Some would even say a successful pastor. I was leading a large church that had a school and a seminary, writing a book a year, traveling extensively all over the country speaking at conferences and churches and various events. However one wants to define “celebrity pastor”, I was one. And then it all came crashing down.
A necessary magnitude
The magnitude of Christ Jesus is something we desperately need to understand better. We need it because seeing him for all that he is will ultimately be the only way we can overcome our temptations to idolatry. In Desiring God, John Piper writes, “I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God.” And nothing can give us that “superior satisfaction in God” better than a clearer focus on Jesus and his greatness.
“It Is Finished” Is Good News All Year
Today, Christians all over the world consider the cross of Jesus in an intensified way. Today is Good Friday–the day when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Christians love the cross because it signals our rescue, our salvation. Today we will talk about it, write about it, sing about it. But, while the cross may be what we talk about most today, we like ladders better. My life typically reflects a ladder-centered version of the Christian faith rather than a cross-centered one. Maybe yours does too.
Welcome 2015: It may be two steps forward, one step back, but here's what matters
Today, January 1, 2015 is the very first day of a brand new year. And for many that means renewed efforts at a fresh start. New Year’s resolutions, we call them. This is the year. It all starts now. We resolve to turn over a new leaf-and this time we’re serious. This time we’re really going to try, we’re not going to quit. We promise ourselves that we’re going to quit bad habits and start good ones. We’re going to get in shape, eat better, be more content, more disciplined, more intentional.
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