Books
From Jim Elliff and Christian Communicators Worldwide...
We want to partner with you in evangelism next year by offering one of our most popular books very close to our cost.
[...]
Our New edition of Pursuing God, Lowest Price Ever plus Free Shipping
(by 10s, 100s or case only)
10 pack $27.50 ea (reg $40)
100 pack 275.00 ea (reg $310)
Prices good up to Dec 31 midnight.
I've reviewed Pursuing God and recommend it. Grab a bunch! And check out the online discussion guide.
David Murray of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary & the blog Head, Heart, Hand has listed Joe Thorn's book, Note To Self, as his #1 book of the year. If you don't have it, get Note To Self.
I’ve never been impacted so much by such a small book. Came at just the right time in my life. It’s a primer on “preaching to yourself,” which in Joe Thorn’s hands is a kind of meditation with muscles. Short, punchy, meaty, heart-searching, and encouraging chapters that make an ideal warm-up for daily Bible reading – at least that’s how I used it. I’ve also found it a great book for mentoring others. With this book, Joe Thorn became my favorite modern Puritan! Hope that doesn’t harm your ministry, Joe!
Cheap Kindle books (several from Shepherd Press)...
5 Ways Wives Can Encourage Their Husbands | Jared Wilson
When you nitpick and nag, you give mouthpiece to the accuser who wants your husband to know not only does he not have what it takes, he is worthless because of it. So find ways to constructively criticize and help him repent, but more than that, tell him what you like about him, how you find him attractive or admirable, how you respect him or are impressed by him. Outdo him in showing honor (Rom. 12:10).
Coming Together On Culture, Part 1: Theological Issues | Tim Keller
On the surface, the Reformed and evangelical world seems divided between "Cultural Transformationists" and the "Two Kingdoms" views of these things. Transformationists fall into fairly different camps, including the neo-Calvinists who follow Abraham Kuyper, the Christian Right, and the theonomists. Though different in significant ways, they all believe Christians should be about redeeming and changing the culture along Christian lines.
Pencil Does Not Fade | Joe Thorn
A cursory search on the internet shows most people stating as fact, “Writing in pencil will fade over time.” Rather than trust the opinion of some random dude on Yahoo Answers who hasn’t even read an article on the subject, I thought I would ask some people who could give me better direction. So I contacted the National Archives. They were happy to answer my questions quickly and provide helpful references. After a few email exchanges with people who spend their time in historic documents, here is the bottom line for those wondering if writing in pencil will fade.
Graphite pencil is a very stable material. It does not fade in light. It does not bleed in water unless other dyes were added.
Mark Dever - Reading Sibbes Aloud | After purchasing the 7 vol Works of Richard Sibbes I was reminded that Mark Dever, who literally wrote the book on Sibbes, has read aloud a number of Sibbes sermons. A nice idea, and worth checking out.
Sale on Cruciform Press eBooks. Kindle books from $0.99-$2.99! Go get'm!
$0.99
$2.99
For $1.99 each on Kindle pick up John Piper's excellent book on pastoral ministry, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, and Dave Kraft's Re:Lit book, Leaders Who Last.
There be two sorts of people always in the visible church, one that Satan keeps under with false peace, whose life is nothing but a diversion to present contentments, and a running away from God and their own hearts, which they know can speak no good unto them; these speak peace to themselves, but God speaks none. Such have nothing to do with this Scripture, Ps xlii 11; the way for these men to enjoy comfort, is to be soundly troubled. True peace arises from knowing the worst first, and then our freedom from it. It is a miserable peace that riseth from ignorance of evil. The angel 'troubled the waters,' John v. 4, and then it cured those that stepped in. It is Christ's manner to trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing in his wings.
But there is another sort of people, who being drawn out of Satan's kingdom and within the covenant of grace, whom Satan labours to unsettle and disquiet: being the 'god of this world,' 2 Cor. iv. 4, he is vexed to see men in the world, walk above the world. Since he cannot hinder their estate, he will trouble their peace, and damp their spirits, and cut asunder the sinews of all their endeavours. These should take themselves to task as David doth here, and labour to maintain their portion and the glory of a Christian profession.
Richard Sibbes, Vol 1, p 127 | The Soul's Conflict With Itself
Tim Keller is 100 gifts to the Church. Maybe one of the most important is his ability to talk to non-Christians & intellectuals. Here's his hour long talk to the employees at Google on The Meaning of Marriage. How many Christians could talk to this crowd in such a reasonable and inviting way on an issue of decreasing weight in our culture? Wonderful. (HT:JT)
Joe has been pestering me with multiple emails, insisting I get an ESV Journaling Bible. Now he's gone public with his love for it in his new post, "How I'm Using the ESV Journaling Bible." I'm ordering this one today. Here's a few words on how he uses the lined, wide margins...
1. Summation, Connection, and Implication.
I often write out a summation of certain truths, arguments, or passages that make things clear for me.
2. Cross references.
Some people won’t like that the ESV Journaling Bible doesn’t have cross refernces, but I like that I get to add my own.
3. Quotes.
I’m even throwing helpful quotes from other writers/theologians when helpful to me or those I may wind up teaching.
Check out the rest of his post. And check out the ESV Journaling Bible (also in black calfskin, natural brown leather, and other editions).
Gospel wakefulness means treasuring Christ more greatly and savoring his power more sweetly. Treasuring Christ more greatly and savoring his power more sweetly is simply the the long way of writing worship.
Worship is the ascribing of the worth to something or someone. In this case, of course, the recipient of this worship is God, the only one worthy of our worship. What happens in gospel wakefulness is that in our brokenness, our sense of self-worth and sufficiency in things other than God gets destroyed, and as the good news of Christ's finished work is applied to us, our affections become reformed, renewed, and revitalized.
Jared Wilson in Gospel Wakefulness, p 77 (bold emphasis mine).
A few cheap Kindle books I've found lately...
$2.99
$3.99
If you don't have a Kindle, you can still read these books with a Kindle app on your computer or phone. Just download a free app. Or buy a Kindle for $79, $99 (Touch), $149 (Touch 3G), or $199 (Fire, color & apps).
Joel Beeke & Brian Najapfour in Taking Hold of God: Reformed & Puritan Perspectives on Prayer list what John Calvin (Institutes: book 3, chapter 20) sees as the six (at least) purposes of prayer.
- To fly to God with every need and gain from Him what is lacking in ourselves to live the Christian life
- To learn to desire wholeheartedly only what is right as we place all our petitions before God
- To prepare us to receive God's benefits and responses to to our petitions with humble gratitude
- To meditate on God's kindness to us as we receive what we have asked for
- To instill the proper spirit of delight for God's answers in prayer
- To confirm God's faithful providence so that we may glorify Him and trust in His present help more readily as we witness His regularly answering our prayers
"All of these purposes are designed to foster communion with God so that 'the promises of God should have their way with us.'" (quoting Niesel, Theology of Calvin, 157)
From Taking Hold of God, pg 31-32.
From Jared Wilson's new book, Gospel Wakefulness, here are 11 signs (pgs 72-73) you haven't experienced gospel wakefulness...
Joe Thorn was interviewed by Tim Challies (@Challies) & David Murray (@DavidPMurray). The discussion ran from what it means to be Gospel-Centered to Joe's excellent book, Note To Self.
Gospel wakened people feel swept off their feet by their romancing God. (If you're a man, and this sort of "church as feminine" language bothers you, you will have to get over it. This is how God draws our character. You will have to nail your machismo to the cross and stop thinking you're more of a man than your Groom.) When the power of the gospel saps the power of idols from our veins, when we have really tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we are so smitten we can't help but ditch every back door Johnny we ever messed around with. How pathetic they are! And how pathetic we were for ever giving in to their two-bit come-ons.
A bride joined to her groom forsakes all others. She writes the spiritual equivalent of Dear John letters to her idols. When God's love captivates you, you go around spurning all your other lovers. I call this "blaspheming" your idols.
Blaspheme them. Tell them they have no appeal to you anymore. Tell them you don't need their damage, their pain, their anti-glories. Tell them you have no desires to use and abuse them anymore. Tell them your heart, mind, soul, and strength belong wholly to God now. And then don't speak as a love to them ever again. Sinful relationships must end.
From Jared Wilson's Gospel Wakefulness, p 70, bold emphasis mine.
Two steps to Gospel Wakefulness: It's simple...& impossible for you to do...
Gospel Wakefulness, page 35.
Check out the Christmas Catalog from The Good Book. These guys are really good at putting together resources for all ages, plus books from Tim Chester, Christianity Explored, & more.
Tim Chester's new book, Gospel-Centred Marriage: Becoming the Couple God Wants You To Be, is out from The Good Book Company. It's short (about 100 pages) and perfect for personal study, couples study, and group study.
WTS has it for 60% off, but when you put it in your cart the first copy is reduced to $2.99! TheGoodBook.com has it for 65% off. Either way, it's a great deal on a new book you should own.
Karen Swallow Prior interviews Tim Keller on his new book, The Meaning of Marriage. A blurb...
What does your book contributes to the conversation about marriage that other books have not?
It's not simply a how-to manual. Many Christian marriage books are "here's how to work on your problems." On the other hand, the book is not just theological on "here's the biblical view of marriage." The most recent and the best-selling Christian books on marriage from the last few years were either theological, polemical, or absolutely practical. This is a combination of those. Most books I know on the subject recently have not been written by pastors; they've been written by counselors or theologians or people like that. This book was originally a series of sermons. When you preach, the sermon usually goes from the theological to the more polemical and into the practical.
Read the entire interview.
Tullian Tchividjian's new book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything, is out today and I encourage you to buy your copy right away. He had a copy with him at Together 4 Adoption, but only one, so I couldn't talk him into giving it to me. I probably wasn't the first person asking him for it.
I got my copy of J+N=E from Crossway last week. It's one of my most anticipated books of the year (along with Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson). Here are a few endorsements for Jesus + Nothing = Everything...
“In an evangelical culture where so many of us are unaware that the gospel isn’t just what we believe to save us but also what sustains us and carries us into maturity, this book hammers home the gospel’s power for the believer. Whether you have been in church your whole life or recently converted, this book will fuel your affections for our great God and King.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Highland Village, Texas; author, The Explicit Gospel
“My friend Tullian is a loser. So am I. If we’re honest, all of us fit that description, but the good news is that Christ came for people like us. We qualify! Under the rubric of ‘Jesus plus nothing equals everything,’ this accessible yet astonishingly profound book rearranges the furniture. If you’re looking for hope instead of hype, please read this book.”
—Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
“In a powerful, concise, and popular style, Tchividjian announces, explicates, defends, and contrasts the gratuitous gospel of Christ’s person and work with the oft-misheld conviction of us sinners that, if we are somehow to be justified, it will have to be a matter of ‘making up for’ our offenses and of inward improvement. Chapter-by-chapter he argues that God’s saving plan is one of grace and not one of improvement. Filled with illustrations from his life as a pastor, this is no unapproachable, academic tome. But neither, thank God, is it today’s ‘Evangelical silly!’ Tchividjian wrestles openly with demons and their central lie in order that we truly ‘get’ what the Bible is really about. From every point on the compass, he contrasts ‘moral renovation’ with a free, one-sided rescue drenched in the blood of Jesus. Good news for everyone—but especially for Christians who are worn out by trying the other way, believing the lie, somehow knowing renovation isn’t working but knowing nowhere else to turn. Tchividjian is out to convince his reader that justification before God really is pure gift, is free, is by grace and through faith in Christ. . . sola!”
—Rod Rosenbladt, professor of theology, Concordia University
