Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Thabiti Anyabwile

The Joy of Spiritual Fellowship

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Thabiti M. Anyabwile, The Life of God in the Soul of the Church: The Root and Fruit of Spiritual Fellowship (9Marks; Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2012), 239–41:

When I first arrived at First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands), I found a gentle, humble, eager-to-be-taught congregation of saints. From our arrival, greeted by a couple of dozen members of the congregation, my family and I have received nothing but warmth and love from the church.

However, a few weeks into our service here, we noticed a couple of things that struck us as odd. First, everyone we invited to our home for Sunday dinner turned us down. They were polite, and perhaps a little embarrassed. But everyone we welcomed to our home met us with the same reply. ‘Thanks for the invitation. But we already have plans.’ [Read more…] about The Joy of Spiritual Fellowship

Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons

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This book came out this month:

Thabiti M. Anyabwile. Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons. 9Marks. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 173 pp.

It’s excellent. Although its primary goal is to help pastors cultivate and select leaders in the church, it’s an edifying read not just for people currently serving as pastors or deacons but for

  • people who may in the future or
  • any Christian since the qualifications for elders (except for the ability to teach) are qualities that should characterize all Christians.

It’s simple, clear, accessible, and wise.

Here’s what Mike Bullmore says about it:

As a member of a pastoral team that is always at some point in the process of identifying, developing, and affirming elders and deacons, I welcome this helpful book by Thabiti Anyabwile. Right from the start, with the simple clarity and conviction of its opening sentences, this book is marked by sound biblical teaching. The consistent transition into the practical counsel at the end of each chapter, however, is where this book really proves its worth. Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons will be a most useful primer for all those who are committed to doing church leadership by the Bible.

[Read more…] about Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons

T4G 2008 MP3s

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All of the MP3s for the general sessions and panel discussions are now available for free downloads. Brief bios of the speakers are available here.

I’d recommend listening to these in order:

  1. Ligon Duncan: Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry
  2. Panel Discussion 1: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  3. Thabiti Anyabwile: Bearing the Image: Identity, the Work of Christ, and the Church
  4. Panel Discussion 2: Anyabwile, Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  5. John MacArthur: The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability
  6. Mark Dever: Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology
  7. Panel Discussion 3: Dever, Duncan, MacArthur, Mahaney, Mohler
  8. R.C. Sproul: The Curse Motif of the Atonement
  9. Panel Discussion 4: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler, Sproul
  10. Albert Mohler: Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution
  11. Panel Discussion 5: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  12. John Piper: How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice
  13. Panel Discussion 6: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler, Piper
  14. C.J. Mahaney: Sustaining a Pastor’s Soul

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