Daily readings for Advent — free eBook from John Piper

“Advent is just around the corner. It starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas — this year, that’s December 2 — and is a season of preparation for Christmas Day.

The team here at Desiring God did a deep dive into our thirty-plus-year reservoir of sermons and articles, and selected brief devotional readings for each day of Advent. Our hope is that God would use these readings to deepen and sweeten your adoration of Jesus this Advent.”

– free eBook, Good News of Great Joy, from Desiring God. Worth checking out.

Anti-Santy Ranty — Christmas resource

Check out this 3 minute video from Christian book distributors 10ofthose.com in the UK. You can probably think of ways of using it evangelistically this Christmas.
(h/t Gary Ware.)

Dick Lucas: Judgment, Salvation, the Living and the Dead

As we remember Chappo, we must not forget what drove him – and what should drive every Christian.

At The Proclamation Trust, Adrian Reynolds links to this video of Dick Lucas, recorded on November 11 in Dundee. Six minutes of your time well spent.

Chappo talks about his conversion

John Chapman speaks about how he came to Christ – in this 3 minute video recorded a couple of years ago for St Mark’s Pennant Hills. Thanks to Craig Schafer for making it available.

Trusting God — free kindle version

The Kindle edition of Trusting God by Jerry Bridges is currently available (for an unknown period of time) as a free download from Amazon. h/t Gary Ware.

Encountering God Together

Dr David Peterson has a new book to which we can look forward…

“In January 2013, IVP UK will publish my new book Encountering God Together. …  This paperback was written to help everyone involved in planning and leading church services think more biblically and creatively about this important ministry.” – Details here.

Time for a grown-up debate on what sort of children will be allowed into the world

“Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia John Anderson last night strongly criticized the level of public debate in Australia and Western society.

Speaking at the launch of Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Ethics and the beginning of human life, Mr Anderson lamented the lack of understanding of what a civilized debate requires, and observed that valuable contributors to society’s understanding of complex matters are often put off by the way debates unfold in the public sphere and by the demonisation to which contributors are frequently subjected. …”

– Ian Carmichael at Matthias Media, has news of an important book by Dr Megan Best.

There’s also audio from the book launch. The book is available from Matthias Media.

A Mormon President?

In January, Michael Horton spoke with Adam Christing, writer and director of a documentary about a relatively unknown aspect of the life of Joseph Smith, namely his candidacy for President of the United States.

Whatever the outcome of the US elections this week, this programme gives some useful insights into what Mormons believe. Hear it via this link.

Free audiobook – What is the Mission of the Church?

This month’s free audiobook from Christian Audio in the US is What is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert. Get it here.

Australian Church Record, Nov 2012

The latest issue of The Australian Church Record is now available from their website.

This edition reflects on Sydney Synod, the Diocesan Mission, and the election of a new Archbishop.

Trust and obey?

“The survey reveals 64 percent of churchgoers agree with the statement: ‘A Christian must learn to deny himself/herself in order to serve Christ.’

Nineteen percent disagree with the statement.”

– Ed Stetzer has new research from the US.

Jesus Is …Beyond Fiction

“I cannot believe how often educated people pull out the claim that Jesus probably never existed. Except that it’s not PC to say so, it really deserves the title of Old Wives Tale!

Down in my neck of the woods, Gospel for the Gong has been running a ‘Jesus Is ________.’ month of mission. …”

– Sandy Grant shares some resources – as well as news of a terrific evangelistic initiative – at The Briefing.

‘God’s Library’ — new eBook from Greg Clarke

Bible Society Australia CEO Greg Clarke has published a free eBook to coincide with the Society’s 25 Words campaign. It’s designed to encourage both Christians and non-Christians to look into the Bible.

From the Preface:

“All other books are also-rans… the Bible is publishing’s success story. This introductory book is written especially for those who feel that they really should know something about the world’s most influential text, but may have been afraid to ask, put off by the Church, found the black leather cover and cigarette paper pages ominous, or just never got around to it.”

It’s available free online until 9th November here in a Flash-based screen reader.

If you have a mobile device, you’ll probably need the PDF version (7.8MB direct link).

The New City Catechism

“Last week Tim Keller asked ‘Why Catechesis Now?’ This morning TGC introduced the New City Catechism, adapted by Tim Keller and Sam Shammas from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York…”

– Andy Naselli has the links and some related resources.

Why Catechesis now?

“The church in Western culture today is experiencing a crisis of holiness. To be holy is to be ‘set apart,’ different, living life according to God’s Word and story, not according to the stories that the world tells us are the meaning of life.

The more the culture around us becomes post- and anti-Christian the more we discover church members in our midst, sitting under sound preaching, yet nonetheless holding half-pagan views of God, truth, and human nature, and in their daily lives using sex, money, and power in very worldly ways. …”

– Tim Keller lays out the need for a new Catechism to be launched next week by The Gospel Coalition.

Related: Grounded in the Gospel – J I Packer on The White Horse Inn.

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