Leeman, Jonathan: Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People with forward by Matt Chandler

I would say this is the best book I have read all year, but it is only the second book I have read in 2012 so I will say it is in the top 3 best books I read in 2011 and would be high in my ranking of importance for all books I have read.  When Thabiti Anyabwile says in his endorsement “Put this book into the hands of any Christian you wish to give a revolutionizing appreciation of God’s Word in the local church” he hit the nail right on the head.  This book will revolutionize your thinking about God’s word, by that I would include all of God’s word spoken in history that brought creation into existence, written in the bible, and Jesus Christ who is the word.  This book will also give you a greater appreciation for God’s word reverberated through the pastors’ preaching and Christians sharing the word with others.  This book comes in at just under 200 pages, but pack a real punch that will give depth to any motivated reader’s theology.

Leeman divides the book into three main parts first “the word”, second “the sermon”, and thirdly “the reverberation”. In the first he convincingly forms a theology of the word of God that is not mainly concerned with the questions of scriptures inerrancy, infallibility, or  historical reliability, although these are assumed.  This book deals more with what may fall under the sufficiency of scripture. What is an absolute necessity for a church’s growth, Leeman argues it is the word of God.  The second part talks about the method of presenting this word, he argues that God gives us his word in the bible and that we hear God’s word through the faithful preaching of it.  He helpfully discusses how pastor should preach the word and how members can know they are hearing God speak through this deliver of the word.  In the third and last part of the book Leeman looks at how the local church sings the word, prays the word, and disciples with the word.  In the last chapter he looks again at evangelism and how the word scatters the church so that it can gather the church.

This book has a much needed theology of the word for the church today. The content is so great and to make it better it is presented in an easy to consume way, this is a book that doesn’t require a huge amount of former knowledge on this subject.  I will recommend this book to younger and older Christians alike.  This book will also be helpful to pastors who need this foundation to build there preaching methods upon.  As a member of a Southern Baptist Association church it is exciting to see such a helpful book coming from the pen of another Southern Baptist, but don’t let that comment confuse you, this is a book for the church and any who know English I’m convinced would benefit from it.

Publisher: Moody Publishing

Year:2011

Pages:197

Boards: Paperback

Binding: Glue

Scripture Index: No

Subject Index: No

Persons Index: No

Recommended Reading List: Yes given at the end of each chapter corresponding

Buy at WTS Books: $9.95

This book was given to me free of cost as part of a review program by Moody Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review only to give my honest opinion concerning the book.

This is a book that should be read before you experience great suffering in your life if you have the opportunity. This is a read that will prepare you to suffer when inevitably you face some trials that all of us do. Randy Alcorn has provided a helpful book that will speak to a wide audience. In one sense it speaks to all because almost everyone will experience some leveling of suffering and this book deals with that issue, but those who will be most interested are Christians and those who are doubting there is a God because of evil and suffering in the world. A great help in the book is that Alcorn does the service of both answering the skeptic and growing the Christian comforting or preparing him for suffering.

The book has some very difficult concepts in it but is written in a way that any motivated reader can understand. The book has many stories of the authors own life and many others who have suffered, these stories mixed in with biblical teaching really allow one to keep a steady pace in reading this nearly 500 page book. At many times the stories may bring you to tears. Although I haven’t ready any Randy Alcon novels you can tell he is a talented writer in that style as well. While the stories make for a good read the real help of the book is in my opinion the strong emphasis on understanding suffering and evil through the gospel of Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of God. Although you may not agree with every nuance of Alcorn’s view of sovereignty of God and free will, his approach is balanced and helpful for understanding the issue of suffering. Knowing that God is in control even over our suffering is key to coming to grips with it.

One difficulty with the book may be its length for some. Although this is hard to change considering the subject being covered. Also I’m sure as I did some will have some minor differences of views with some of his thought especially in regard to God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. Overall this is a very helpful resource that many would benefit from, but don’t wait until you suffer to read this prepare yourself for what will happen in your life whatever it may be.

Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah
Year: 2010
Pages: 512
Boards: Hardback
Binding: Smyth Sewn
Dust Cover: Yes
Scripture Index: Yes
Topical Index: Yes
Bibliography: No

(This book was given to me by WaterBrook Multnohma Publishing for review, I was not required to give a positive review)

Year: 2011

Publisher: Moody

Pages: 192

Recommended Reading: Yes

Scripture Index: No

Subject Index: No

As I am currently serving on a pastoral search committee this could not have been a more timely book to read. This book was very helpful with a great balance of biblical insight and practical advice on implementing it. The book examines what a biblical pastor will look like and how a search committee can seek the man who fits the role.  A large emphasis of the book is on seeking a pastor that is a strong preacher and preaches the word of God. It is especially helpful in helping those who read it understand what a biblical sermon will look like. It gives some objective standards by which to judge a sermon preventing subjective evaluations by the search committee.  The author argues for the superiority of exposisitory preaching. By this he means making the point of the text the point of your sermon, but shows also how this should be done correctly and not boringly.

In this book you also find very practical advice all along the way showing you mistakes to avoid and how to proceed in a helpful manner.  The reader will also be pleased with the suggested interview questions and tips to help interview candidates. Also included is a very helpful frequently asked questions section that helps clarify some of what the author has written earlier and expands on it.  This is a great place to start for anyone on a pastoral search committee. You may not agree with every suggestion the author makes but overall the book is extremely practical and helpful.  I would recommend it to any church in transition between pastors.

WtsBooks: $7.94

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

For some of us we may have the luxury to live like this, but for those with a wife and children food and clothes probably takes priority over buying more books, therefore we must find ways to read more for less money.  Here are some tips I have on how one can do this.

1. Ask for Books on Christmas and your birthday as well as any other time you may receive a gift. Several online book sellers will allow you to make wish list as well. (Wtsbooks, Amazon, CVBBS)

2. Go to your public library for books that you don’t want to own and will probably not read again or reference. This will allow you to save your money for books that you will want to have for your children and grandchildren to read. You can also check out audio books which will allow you to read (listen) while in the car.

3. Check to see if your public library or local college library ever gives away books or has book sales. The Lexington KY public library once a year has a huge book sale with thousands of books $1 for hardbacks and $0.25 for paperbacks.  I walked through Eastern Kentucky University’s library several times when they had carts of books for free, even if you don’t want those books you can pick up and sell to half price books if you have one in the area.

4. Used book stores often have some real jewels hidden within, while this can be time consuming searching through a lot of junk books, what book lover doesn’t enjoy spending time searching through them. Half Price books has some pretty good deals but the first thing I do is go straight to the back where there are books often around $1.  These books are ones that they have a lot of or have been on shelf for a long time, you may see them out in the store for a higher price just because it has been on the shelf a shorter amount of time. I recently found 6 of Richard Belcher’s theological novels for a dollar a piece.

5. Some online book sellers will offer slightly damaged products at reduced rates and by slightly damaged it often only means a bent corner of a book or something that will probably happen as you read and use it anyways, the copies are readable. Check out wtsbooks “imperfect books“

6.If you are a college student you are eligible for 1 year of Amazon Prime which gets you free 2 day shipping on all products that qualify, this can make books more affordable if you get the good online price and have free shipping. I believe there is a similar program for moms.

7. Ligionier Ministries offers a number of books and other resources every friday from their website for $5. These are often new books published in the past couple of years and are always good books. On Fridays you will see the link under the store tab for $5 fridays.

8. Enter contest to win free books, nearly every Friday Tim Challies has a giveaway for a noteworthy book or three. Watch other blogs and look for contest they may be having.

9. Blogger review programs allow you to read and keep copies of books for free so long as you write a couple of reviews on the book, check out these programs here, here, here, and here

10. The last way I will mention, because in my personal opinion I prefer reading a hard copy of a book. But you can read quite a bit of good material online for free and if you have an e-reading device you can expand even broader.  Desiring God ministries offers several books for free download, that ought to keep you busy for awhile. Check other sites as well, CCEL, Amazon Kindle, Monergism, and others you may find.

Tolle lege: Take up and read!

Leave comments with other ways to read more for less.

MacArthur, John: Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity In Christ

This book is about a reality of life for all humans that we are slaves. All of us are slaves to sin or to Christ. This book does the service primarily of looking at what it means to be a slave with Christ as our master, something not a lot of current Christian books have done.

This is a pretty quick read and accessible to the common man in the pew, but at the same time not shallow.  There are great depths to be mined looking at the theme of being Christ’s slaves and the grace of God in making us His slaves and sons.  MacArthur argues that where most of our current English translations of the bible use the word servant, it ought rather to be rendered slave.  I think this is a helpful distinction that helps show more clearly the relationship that we have to Christ.  It really helps us keep in mind the basic distinction of creator creation. Much of the book looks at different aspects of what slavery in new testament times looked like and how it parallels to the spiritual slavery we have with Christ as our master.  The area of the book that I found most beneficial was looking at where we have come from as slaves of Christ. It is not that we were freemen but we were slaves to our sin. Sin had was our master and our father and Christ was our enemy, but by God’s grace we become slaves of Christ and now sin is our enemy and no longer rules over us harshly.  These are only a few of the aspects of slavery looked at in the book all of which where helpful.  The book also gives several biographical sections of great Christian men which I enjoyed.

Some of the minor issues I would have with the book are as follows. While I understand that you can’t take into account every singe facet of a particular doctrine in a book this size I would of like to seen an exposition of Romans 6 and comparing our union with Christ as slaves to him as the foundation for our sanctification contrasted with our slavery to sin leading to our demise. I know that I could look at footnotes in the book, but I always appreciate when an author includes some recommended further reading on the subject of the book as an appendix or footnotes. The only other down of this book was that for being a hardback book the paper of the pages felt like a cheaper grade, more like a mass produced paperback thin paper. When I buy a hardback I like to see a good quality paper that will last.  That being said this is a book I would recommend.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Year: 2010

Boards: Hardback

Binding: sewn

Dust cover: yes

Scripture index: no

Subject index: no

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Berry, Wendell: Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community (Eight Essays) (173pgs)(G)

Blackburn, Earl M. : Covenant Theology: A Reformed Baptist Overview (G)(17pgs)  This is a great short introduction into what covenant theology is, making proper distinctions between the continuity and discontinuity of the covenant of grace from the old covenant administrations to the final new covenant administration.  Shows that God works with humanity through covenants.  He spends a significant amount of time discussing the newness of the new covenant and how it is superior.  The booklet also includes a small appendix by Kenneth Puls showing helpfully how the new covenant is not like that which came before.

Bridges, Jerry: The Pursuit of Holiness

This was an excellent book that I read alongside studying for a small group going through R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God video series.  This book is a great compliment to it showing how we as believers are to live holy lives.  The book is full of great material but one chapter that to me was worth the price of the book was chapter 5, “A Change of Kingdoms” drawing from Romans 6:6-7.  He explains in clear ways what our union with Christ means and how it is crucial for pursuing holiness.  I would highly recommend this book.

Publisher: Navpress

Pages: 159

Boards: Paperback

Binding: glue

Dallimore Arnold: Spurgeon: A New Biography (G)(247pgs)  A great bio of spurgeon.  Easy to read and always exciting.  Spurgeon was used mightily by God and is an encouragement to many Christians today. Is my favorite bio to date.

Ferguson, Sinclair B.: Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth (G)(157pgs) Enjoyed reading through this commentary on Ruth preparing for a small group bible study.  Ferguson brings a lot of helpful information out of the book.  The only part I’m not sure I agree with is that he seems pretty sure that Naomi was wrong in her plans for Ruth in Ch. 3.  All I can say is I wouldn’t give that same advice to my daughter.

Ferguson, Sinclair B.: A Heart For God

This was a great book looking at God and many of His attributes.  The book was not a systematic study of His attributes like reading a systematic theology.  Every chapter more or less took a section of a book of the Bible or a whole book of the Bible and exposited its teachings on who God is.  For someone who may be turned off from using theological terms and reading systematic theology this book would suit them well. I am not against the use of theological terms to describe God, but Ferguson uses biblical language throughout which can be helpful for understanding as well.  He argues convincingly that knowing God is one of the most important task for Christians. And then spends the rest of the book helping us to learn about God and then concludes with exhortation to remember the Lord we have just learned about for the rest of our lives.  This book would be a helpful introduction for someone starting a study of the attributes of God as well as a great devotional read for a long time Christian.

Publisher: Banner of Truth

Pages: 128

Boards: Paperback

Binding: Glue

Year: 2008 (first published 1987)

Fuller, Andrew: The Backslider: His Nature, Symptoms, and Recovery with biographical sketch by Michael Haykin and introduction by John A. James

I found this book on the subject of backsliding to be very helpful.  Having seen some folks become backsliders it was an honest account of them but it is helpful also in encouraging watchfulness so that I myself do not backslide.  The author writes with a balanced and I would argue biblical point of view. He holds to the sovereignty of God as taught in Calvinism namely the perseverance of the saints, but does not neglect the teachings on backsliding showing how it may show that one was never a Christians but also that a true Christians will come to repentance. Fuller says, “Backsliding, it is true, always supposes a profession of the true religion; but it does not necessarily suppose the existence of the thing professed.”

The book has a helpful biographical sketch and then is four chapters. The author looks at what a backslider is in general first. Secondly he looks at the symptoms of backsliding which is basically not repenting of sin and how we may think that we have but what unrepented sin looks like.  He then shows the dangers effects and consequences of unrepented or what he calls “sin lying upon the conscience unlamented”.  Finally in the last chapter He discusses the means to recovery from this state. The helpful lines in this book are too many to quote here.

I read this book under the recommendation of Dr. James Renihan and Michael Gaydosh’s compiled list of a year with Baptist classics.  I’m am enjoying finding the great theology in Baptist history.

Publisher: Solid Ground Christian Books

Boards: Paperback

Binding: Glue

Year: 2005 (original publication of work 1801)

Pages: 122

Scripture index: no

Subject index: no

Ham, Ken and Britt Beemer: Already Gone: why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it (ok) (166pgs)  Some good insight in this book, but seems to oversimplify some problems.  It seems their answer to the problem was to have answers for critics of Genesis and not much beyond that.  I believe we need to have answers but the Bible is not mainly a science book.  Where it teaches science we can trust it fully but it is about God, creation, man, sin, Christ as redeemer, and his return to glorify.  I think that is what we need to be teaching from genesis to revelation and along side that as our main teaching we ought to address the skeptics and their doubts of the Genesis account.  I believe we need to ask questions about how old our children are before attending the main church service instead of being kept apart from everyone in their own classes.  How long should our children be kept from viewing baptisms, and if baptized partaking of the Lord’s Supper.  I think we need to be promoting family worship where many of these questions can be dealt with in the home, something the book did seem to press for.  Genesis seems to be an area where many have begun to question the authority of scripture, but lets not think it is the only one, we must beware of other areas as well.

Jeffery, Peter: The Lords Supper

This was an excellent introduction to understanding the Lord’s supper (aka communion, Lord’s table, eucharist) on a little deeper level. This book is great because it looks at the Lord’s supper but it does it at a level that goes into understanding the gospel more clearly because the Supper is a presentation of the gospel for us. Each chapter essentially looks a little bit deeper into what is being taught in the Supper.

In the first chapter he gives a brief introduction into what the Supper is generally and discusses its names and argues against the Roman catholic view of sacrament but uses the terms ordinance and sacrament interchangeably in a protestant view throughout the book.  Jeffery quotes Dr. Ernest Kevan saying “ The Lord’s Supper is a special means of grace, but not a means of special grace.” I found that distinction helpful.

The second chapter looks at what is meant by 1 Cor. 11:25 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”  This chapter is a small introduction to covenant theology essentially.

The third chapter through fifth chapters look at the phrases “This is my Body” “Do this in remembrance of me”, and “until he comes”.  These chapters are really helpful because you get a little into the discussion of what happens at the supper and the differing views. Jeffery seems to fall into the strictly symbolic view but doesn’t ever teach against Calvin’s “real presence” view when he does teach against The Roman Catholic and Lutheran views.  He gives helpful word of caution not to make the supper more than it is. You also learn what it means to remember the Lord’s death. In the chapter on “until he comes” we get a small overview of eschatology and see how the Supper looks back to what Christ did for us, what he is doing presently, and what he will do in the future when he comes.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters look at what it means to not come in an unworthy manner, what the fellowship or communion aspects of the meal are, and finally who should come to the table.  These chapters were once again very helpful. He argues well that the supper is for sinners and we do not have to be perfect to come to the table but we must be united with Christ. This flows into the communion aspect and how the regular taking of the Lord’s supper promotes unity within the body. If we are to work sins against our brothers and theirs against us out before we come to the table.  The last chapter looks briefly at ways to fence the table and offers a few options arguing that we must all agree to not allow the unbeliever to the meal.

The only critique I offer is that the cover is not so great it has a painting of what looks like lily pads on a pond.

Publisher: Evangelical Press

Boards: Paperback

Binding: glue

Year: 1997

Pages: 96

Malone Fred A. : The Baptism of Disciples Alone: A Covenantal Argument for Credobaptism Verses Paedobaptism Revised and Expanded (G)(185pgs + appendixes)  This was a great book in learning what the bible teaches about baptism.  It was a bit technical in places but for the most part not to bad of a read.  It was helpful in understanding what the differences where between paedobaptist covenant theologians and credobaptist covenant theologians.  It was actually a decent introduction into covenant theology.  It was helpful in understanding the regulative principle of worship also.  He starts by allowing John Murray to speak for himself about baptism so as to prevent forming a straw man.  Malone then helps us understand a biblical hermeneutic and how the paedobaptist is inconsistent with his hermeneutic.  Malone explains the paedobaptist don’t have specific verses they point out necessarily to support infant baptism but rather have a “string of pearls” and teaching and inferences they make when strung together allow them to form the doctrine of infant baptism. Malone takes each pearl of the necklace and refutes it leaving the paedobaptist in my opinion with nothing to hold on to and only to turn to biblical baptism of disciples alone.  I was impressed by the book and am currently working through the appendixes.  I would recommend this to all who are serious about understanding what the bible teaches about baptism, but especially to those who agree with many paedobaptist on their soteriology and may be considering their ecclesiology as well.  Malone was a Baptist, to a Presbyterian, and back to a Baptist so reading his story at the beginning of the book will be of interest to many as well.

McCartney, Dan and Charles Clayton: Let the Reader Understand: A Guide to Interpreting and Applying the Bible (2^nd edition) (G)(312pgs)

Paperback P&R Publishing (Biblical Studies/Exegesis & Hermeneutics)

This book was a very helpful study of hermeneutics.  It was not a really easy read but not unnecessarily difficult.  The authors do a good job of writing in a way that most anyone could understand without out specializing in this field.  There are smaller easier books on this topic, but I think it was worth putting the time into this one.  The authors show the helpfulness of the grammatical historical method but show that it is not sufficient by itself.  This is a very important and highly practical book, if we base our lives on what the Bible teaches we ought to be sure we are interpreting and applying it correctly.

Nettles, Thomas J. : Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The Study of Catechism in Baptist Life (G) (222pgs)  I enjoyed this book it has the history and the text of 6 different Baptist catechism.  If children were taught these again I believe it would make a big difference in the health of our churches.  Great read!

Nettles, Thomas J. : By His Grace And For His Glory: A Historical, Theological and Practical Study Of the Doctrines of Grace in Baptist Life (Revised and Expanded 20^th Anniversary Edition (G) (469pgs)  The thesis of the book as stated on pg. ix is “The writer’s thesis is that Calvinism, popularly called the doctrines of grace, prevailed in the most influential and enduring arenas of Baptist denominational life until the end of the second decade of the twentieth century.”  This is accomplished and done so very convincingly.  The book show the history of Calvinism in Baptist life, showing that Baptist especially particular Baptist then later in America southern Baptist were deeply rooted in Calvinism.  The book shows the value of this theology and also the scriptural support of it.  I would recommend this book to any who are interested in understanding where historically Baptist have stood on these issues.  The only thing I would of like to have seen included in the book is a bio of the authors journey in the reformed faith.

Petty, James C.: Step by Step: Divine Guidance For Ordinary Christians (G)

Year:1999

Publisher: P&R

Binding: glue

Boards: Paperback

Pages: 261

Pink, A.W. : The Sovereignty of God (G)

This is a great book.  Pink explains not exhaustively but concisely and very helpfully what the Bible teaches about the sovereignty of God.  If you are confused or find the doctrines known as Calvinism offensive this is a book that could be very helpful.  The author does not water down the Bible’s teachings but also does not go beyond  the teachings.  For those who embrace the sovereignty of God this book will show you again the importance of this doctrine and how it is practical in the Christians life.  The book is a fairly simple read apart from a small technical part discussing the will of man, but even this section could be understood I just needed to focus more.  You can not go wrong with this one. I only wish this book was a hardback.

Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust

Pages: 160

Boards: Paperback

Binding: glue

Year: 2004

Piper, John: A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (G) (160pgs) This is an excellent commentary on the book of Ruth.

Piper, John: Ruth: Under the wings of God (G) a great four part poem on the book of Ruth.  I especially enjoyed reading while listening to Piper read it audio.

Reisinger, Ernest C : What Should We Think of The Carnal Christian? (G)(24pgs)  This is a good and concise booklet that shines light on the false teaching of the “Carnal Christian” doctrine which makes three categories for man. The categories are 1. Unregenerate or lost, 2. is the carnal Christian who is regenerate but is following the flesh and as not made Christ Lord of their life only accepted him as savior, 3. is the Spiritual Christian who has Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Reisinger shows clearly the dangers of this teaching and shows that the Bible only teaches 2 categories of man “regenerate and unregenerate, converted and unconverted, those in Christ and those outside of Christ…”  A good read especially if this is something you have been confronted with.

Strauch, Alexander: Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Church (booklet abridged from larger book 36pgs)(G)

Stellman, Jason J.: Dual Citizens: Worship and Life between the Already and the Not yet with forward by Michael Horton

A helpful read in better understanding the reformed doctrine of two kingdoms.

Publisher: Reformation Trust

Year: 2009

Pages: 178

Boards: Hardback

Binding: Sewn

Dust Cover: Yes

Scripture Index: Yes

Subject Index: Yes

Thomas Derek: Let’s Study Galatians (185pgs) (G) Enjoyed this book. It was helpful for leading a bible study through Galatians and helpful for coming up with questions.  Agreed with most of the book apart from a small section on baptism.

United States Capitol Historical Society: Understanding Congress: A Citizens Guide.

This was a very helpful booklet on who, what, how, and why of congress the house and senate.  Was very helpful in breaking down the basics allowing me to understand what takes place.  Especially relevant to the visit of Washington D.C. that I was on when I purchased and read the booklet.

Binding: Staples

Boards: Paperback

Pages: 24

Year: 2007

Wilson, Douglas: Reforming Marriage (G)(144pgs)

New study for our small groups at Boones Creek Baptist Church in Lexington, KY

At the beginning of my junior year of college I got together one afternoon with a man named Jason Morris. Jason was a campus director of Campus Crusade for Christ at Eastern Kentucky University, the college I attended. He shared a booklet with me entitled Knowing God Personally. The book contained four imperative truths of the Christian faith. The first truth was that God loved me and created me to know Him personally. The second truth was that my sin separated me from the love of God and nothing that I did could repair that separation. It didn’t matter how good of a person I was, my relationship with God was broken because of sin. The third truth stated that Jesus Christ died on the cross in order to take away my sin so that I could truly know God. He took the punishment that my sins deserved and put it on himself. Finally, the fourth truth said that it wasn’t enough for me to just understand these truths, I had to honestly believe them and live a life confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Jason read Ephesians 2:8-9 to me which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” He then asked me what the words “grace” “saved” and “faith” meant. I thought I knew the definitions, but I couldn’t articulate them clearly. In all honesty, when we finished I felt as though I hadn’t heard anything new.

About a week later I was sitting in a biology lab thinking about what Jason had said to me. I was thinking about the cross of Christ and what it meant and suddenly everything clicked. I felt like I fully understood the concept of Jesus being my replacement on the cross. It was like finding a puzzle piece that had been missing for years. I understood that since Jesus paid for my sins I was no longer separated from God. It wasn’t my makeshift morality that made me righteous; it was Jesus. I left that class eager to return to my dorm room and read my Bible and pray.

Since becoming a Christian I have seen God’s grace at work in me as He makes me more like Himself. I am now on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and meet with students and share the gospel of Christ with them, just as Jason did with me. I attribute much of my growth to Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, my church home, and discipleship and Bible study with Campus Crusade for Christ.

I now strive to live a life in which I can say:

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to gospel of the grace of God.”

-Acts 20:24

Adopted by the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention in annual session on June 16, 2010 in Orlando, FL

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches the spiritual discipline of family worship for the glory of God, the strengthening of the church, and the spiritual nourishment of the family (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Psalm 78:1-8; Ephesians 4-6); and

WHEREAS, Scripture pictures the Christian home as a place in which parents are instructed to teach and disciple their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Ephesians 6:1-4); and

WHEREAS, Family worship has been a cherished Southern Baptist principle reflected in church covenants which have called believers “to maintain family and secret devotions” and “to religiously educate” their children; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, family worship has been emphasized in The Baptist Faith and Message, which states that “Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth”; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have launched major initiatives which have brought to the forefront the need for families to pray, read from the Bible, memorize scripture, and give praise to the Lord within their homes; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention included family worship as a key catalyst for a Great Commission resurgence calling on Southern Baptists “to build gospel-saturated homes that see children as a gift from God and as our first and primary mission field”; and

WHEREAS, Family worship is integral to laying a foundation for multi-generational faithfulness to the gospel (Psalm 145:4) and a necessary complement for the strengthening of the local church to fulfill its commission (Matthew 28:18-20); and

WHEREAS, Family worship serves as an important preparation for the corporate worship of the local church on the Lord’s Day (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25); and
WHEREAS, In recent generations, the act of family worship has been neglected, evidenced by the breakdown of the family in our time; and
WHEREAS, The embracing of the spiritual discipline of family worship in the Christian home has the capacity to nurture stronger families, a stronger church, and a stronger nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 15-16, 2010, encourage churches

and families to rekindle the spiritual discipline of family worship; and

be it further

RESOLVED, That we define family worship as the regular meeting together of a family for a time of prayer and Bible reading, which may include other activities such as scripture memorization, singing spiritual songs and hymns, and discussing biblical truth and Christian mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage families to cultivate not only structured times of worship together, but also ongoing intentional and informal conversations about the things of the Lord; and be it further

RESOLVED, That as we call families and churches to embrace family worship, we urge fathers particularly to fulfill their divinely mandated responsibility to lead their families toward spiritual maturity (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Colossians 3:19-21); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all parents to consider times of family worship to be an opportunity to introduce their children to the gospel, to train their children to seek the salvation of their friends and neighbors, and to pray for the nations; and be

it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage churches and families to make use of the many resources produced to aid in family worship; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and their pastors to promote family worship and encourage the families of their congregations to place the highest priority on embracing this foundational spiritual discipline for the well-being of families, the spread of the gospel, the making of disciples, and the glory of God.

For practical resources about how to practice family worship, see

www.BiblicalSpirituality.org

HT: Donald Whitney

Week 1: C: Clean closets (2 Cor. 4:1-6)

Week 2: H: Hope Diamonds in clay pots (2 Cor. 4:7-12)

Week 3: A: Assurance in what Christ has accomplished (2 Cor. 4:13-15)

[13] Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, [14] knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. [15] For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

(2 Corinthians 4:13-15 ESV)

V. 13

-True assurance is based on true belief

- You can have a false belief and believe it truly

- You can have a true belief and believe it falsely

-Even the Devil believes in God but he is destined for judgment ( James 2:19)

-There is a type of belief where you believe something is true but that is not enough (John 2:23-25)

- God requires that you believe to the point that you would die for it

-Examine your heart, are you willing to die for this?

-“same spirit of faith” – one which you would die for

- You are willing to give your life because you are a citizen of heaven

- We are not given our best life now but we are given the king of heaven Jesus, but we aren’t living in heaven yet

- not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven

- WE have the same faith, this faith is corporate not just an individual experience

- we have the same spirit of faith yet we can have all kinds of conversations at church and never bring up Jesus.

- Your assurance must not be in a decision you made that was not reflective of your heart

- If your heart beats more for your husband or wife than it does for Jesus it is not in the right place

V.14

- We are identified by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

- We are wired to worship, we will worship idols or Christ

- Jesus died for all sins

V. 15

-When we speak God’s grace is extended “We believe so we speak”

- A word of encouragement could do more than you imagine for someone

- as grace extends thanksgiving to the glory of God will increase