I love Mark Dever’s resources on the church, so I’m not sure why I don’t recall hearing about Church Essentials, which Lifeway published in 2012.
The Leader Kit includes two DVDs, which feature six thoughtful interviews with Mark Dever. Mark is incredibly gifted at speaking off-the-cuff clearly, directly, wisely, and winsomely.
DVD contents:
In some circles Calvinism unfortunately has a reputation for being sinfully contentious, especially when self-labeled Calvinists are arrogant and when non-Calvinists misunderstand what Calvinism really is.
This 94-page book should help:
John Piper. Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2013.
It’s available as a free PDF.
[Read more…] about Calvinism: Deeply Experiencing God’s Grace
I read this one slowly because it’s so rich:
Timothy Keller. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering. New York: Dutton, 2013. 12-page PDF sample.
It’s probably the best overall book on suffering because it shrewdly addresses the issue from three angles:
As with Keller’s other books, this brims with wisdom from decades of fruitful pastoral ministry. [Read more…] about Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
Doug Moo is my favorite exegete on Romans, a letter he has studied carefully for over forty years. (See my chronological list of his publications on Romans.)
So I’m delighted that Logos Bible Software recently released a new course: Doug Moo on Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
for “Logos Mobile Education.” Logos sees the educational space as one ripe for technological innovation, and they plan to add many more courses. Unlike tradition education, you get to “take the professor with you.” And the cost is lower than what most schools charge to audit a course.
Related: Watch Doug Moo Lecture on Romans in 53 Segments (for Free)
Here’s a trailer for Son of God, a movie that opens in theaters starting Friday, February 28:
This movie abridges footage from the History Channel’s The Bible: The Epic Miniseries.
Here are 3 reasons I don’t enthusiastically recommend that.
Related:
Update on 3/4/2014: My friend Matthew Hoskinson reviews the movie. (He pastors in Manhattan and saw an advance screening of the film that the producers hosted.)
This book releases on March 1:
Alex Chediak. Preparing Your Teens for College: Faith, Friends, Finances, and Much More. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2014. 64-page sample PDF. 2-minute video trailer.
Chediak’s 2011 book is for teens. This one is for their parents. Both are helpful guides.
And WTS Books has a special sale on Chediak’s book starting today. [Read more…] about Preparing Your Teens for College
Matt Perman has been working on this book for a long time, and it’s scheduled to release on March 4:
Matt Perman. What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014. 351 pp. 45-page PDF sample.
I’ve read a bit on productivity (not nearly as much as Matt), and this book is overall the most helpful one I’m aware of because it combines the best of the productivity literature (like David Allen’s Getting Things Done) with sound theology.
That’s why John Piper writes this in the foreword: [Read more…] about What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done
I’ve been listening to MP3s from the recent Cross Conference, and I was so edified by David Platt’s sermon “Mobilizing God’s Army for the Great Commission.” In the middle of his sermon, Platt quotes Romans 1–8 from memory. It’s powerful.
Watch it from about about 29:10 to 51:55 (video | audio):
https://vimeo.com/94519958
I heard it for the first time early last Thursday morning, and I was so moved by it that I listened to it again with my colleague Jason DeRouchie when we drove to the BCS campus together. And then I watched it in my office before class. So edifying.