Sometimes you need to be blunt
This 4 minute video on BlipTV doesn’t pull any punches. Sobering viewing with a strong exhortation. Is your Christianity genuine? Do you care for the lost? (h/t Tim Challies.)
Building Healthy Churches
The audio files from the just-concluded Toronto Pastors Fellowship conference are now available. The theme?’Building Healthy Churches’.
Mark Dever and Matt Schmucker were the main speakers. (h/t Tim Challies.)
More than you could read in a month of Sundays
Don Carson is well-known and loved as a clear and insightful teacher of God’s word. He is also an amazingly prolific author.
Andy Naselli, his full-time research assistant, has just made available a comprehensive list of Don Carson’s publications – and also links to free PDF files of several books, including Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor.
Read about this wonderful resource here. (h/t Justin Taylor.)
Little Evils, Little Sins
“The Pacific Campaign of the Second World War has always fascinated me. In many ways, it seemed like a nonsensical series of battles between the United States and Japan…
There are many lessons we can learn from the Pacific Campaign. Some apply to warfare, but others apply far beyond. One of the most important is this: little things lead to big things. This is as true in warfare as it is in the hearts of men and women.”
– Tim Challies writes helpfully on declaring war on sin.
Perplexed about Apocalyptic?
The Simeon Trust’s workshop on preaching last month addressed the question of preaching on Apocalyptic literature. Participants included David Helm and Don Carson. Links to the audio and related resources have been posted by Justin Taylor.
Tearing the Communion
Our friends at the Anglican Essentials Canada blog have reminded us what all the fuss is about – Back in February, the American Anglican Council prepared a comprehensive document entitled The Episcopal Church: Tearing the fabric of the Communion to shreds. It’s available as an 820kb PDF file – direct link.
At the same time, an equivalent document on the Canadian situation was produced – The Anglican Church of Canada: Tearing The Fabric to Shreds – 188kb PDF file – direct link.
Calvin and the Holy Spirit
Coming up on July 25 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney – click the image for the flyer.
Christ’s Victory over Evil — coming soon!
“Forgive me for shamelessly plugging a book to which I have contributed, but Peter Bolt has edited the papers delivered at the 2008 Moore College School of Theology on the theme of Christ’s victory over the powers and the book is now available.
Contributions from Tony Payne, Peter Bolt, Bill Salier, Matthew Jensen, Con Campbell, Greg Anderson, Jonathan Lilley and Don West make this a very worthwhile volume indeed. An official launch of the book is scheduled for Thursday 28 May at Moore College.…”
– ACL President Mark Thompson writes on his blog about Christ’s Victory over Evil.
(Oh yes, you can order the book now – from Moore Books.)
On Satan’s accusations
“So friend, when Satan attacks you as a great sinner – admit the truth of his charges. But then assert that you have a great Saviour – that Christ is that Saviour – and that He is your hope.”
– Mark Dever in a sermon on Revelation 12–14.
Resources for discipling children
The Praise Factory is a website run by Connie Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist. It’s aim is to provide quality resources for parents and churches – to help teach systematic theology to kids from 2 years old through to 5th class.
She writes (with reference to Psalm 100) –
It is my hope and prayer that this curriculum might help children to be manufacturers of noisy joy (v.1) unto the Lord, to sing (v. 2), to know (v.3), & to worship Him with thanksgiving and praise (v.4), that the witness of His great faithfulness might continue through all generations (v.5).
With some sections still under construction, it appears to be well worth checking out! The price? Free – although you can make a donation to 9Marks. (h/t Tim Challies.)
Australia’s first parish clergyman
Peter Bolt’s second book in the Studies in Australian Colonial History series is now available for pre-order.
“William Cowper arrived in NSW in August 1809 to become the minister at St Phillip’s Sydney. Across 49 years of ministry he must have baptised, married or buried, most of the population! Cowper was instrumental in setting up many of the social institutions that helped to establish a more wholesome society as NSW moved from penal colony to nationhood. His children were also pioneers, each in their own way, in building our nation. It is a gauge of the significance of his influence in the colony that when he died, Sydney closed down and 25,000 people lined the streets for his funeral. His impact had been strongly felt in NSW.”
– William Cowper (1778-1858): The Indispensable Parson. The Life and Influence of Australia’s First Parish Clergyman.
Details on how to pre-order the book here (PDF file).
Why Johnny Can’t Preach
In a recent edition of The White Horse Inn broadcast, Michael Horton spoke with T. David Gordon, author of Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped The Messengers.
The programme may be heard at OnePlace – and the book is available at Reformers’ Bookshop.
Monday morning encouragement
At Desiring God, Bill Walsh writes briefly on ‘The Main Thing to Rejoice About in Ministry’ –
‘Praise God for the times of effective ministry that he allows us to experience. If you’re like me you get excited when you see the fruitfulness of any ministry that God calls you to do. It is a thrill to see him at work, putting to use the gifts and callings that he has granted to us for the cause of the Kingdom.
But in Luke 10 Christ challenges us to test our own hearts, by examining what we rejoice in most.’
– Food for thought at the Desiring God blog.
Why should Christians be interested in Ethics in Medicine?
Dr Andrew Cole spoke at the recent CASE conference on ‘Medical Ethics: Christian Perspectives on Life and Death’. His topic was Why should Christians be interested in Ethics in Medicine?
The audio of his talk is now online (45 min /5.2MB mp3 direct link) – with details of the other audio coming soon. As always: simple, clear and Biblical. (Photo: ISPRM.)
No, Mr. President
Taken from an address by John Piper in January, this hard-hitting video on the President’s support on abortion is worth watching.
It runs for three and a half minutes – at YouTube. (h/t Justin Taylor.) Original message here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…