The Meaning of Marriage
January 15, 2012
The Meaning of Marriage
by Tim and Kathy Keller
From the Publisher’s Blurb:
There has never been a marriage book like THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE.
Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone-Christians, skeptics, singles, long-time married couples, and those about to be engaged-the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible.
Modern culture would make you believe that everyone has a soul-mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but merely for now; that starting over after a divorce is the best solution to seemingly intractable marriage issues. All those modern-day assumptions are, in a word, wrong.
Using the Bible as his guide, coupled with insightful commentary from his wife of thirty-six years, Kathy, Timothy Keller shows that God created marriage to bring us closer to him and to bring us more joy in our lives. It is a glorious relationship that is also the most misunderstood and mysterious. With a clear-eyed understanding of the Bible, and meaningful instruction on how to have a successful marriage, The Meaning of Marriage is essential reading for anyone who wants to know God and love more deeply in this life.
Get it at Amazon!
Sacred Marriage
January 14, 2012
By Gary Thomas
Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person. It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply.
Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. But what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy . . . but holy? And what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?
Everything about your marriage–everything–is filled with prophetic potential, with the capacity for discovering and revealing Christ’s character. The respect you accord your partner; the forgiveness you humbly seek and graciously extend; the ecstasy, awe, and sheer fun of lovemaking; the history you and your spouse build with one another–in these and other facets of your marriage, Sacred Marriage uncovers the mystery of God’s overarching purpose.
This book may very well alter profoundly the contours of your marriage. It will most certainly change you. Because whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God, and to a spiritual integrity that, like salt, seasons the world around you with the savor of Christ.
Bible Reading Plans 2012
January 9, 2012
In our Sunday Night teaching on January 8th, Pastor Mark mentioned three Bible reading plans. Those plans are listed below for you to print off on your own.
- Read Through the New Testament in a Year – PDF
- Read Through the Bible in a Year – PDF
- Read Through the Bible a book at a time – PDF
(If you would like any of those plans without the dates, see Pastor Mark.)
Additionally, blogger Justin Taylor has compiled an incredible list of Bible reading plans that you can use in a variety of different formats. Check out his work at the Gospel Coalition website.
John Calvin’s Institutes
November 21, 2011
In our recent lesson from the life of John Calvin, we recommended reading the Institutes. Here are three current ways the institutes is available.
1. McNeill / Battles Translation of the Institutes – This is widely regarded as the best English translation of the Institutes. It is more pricey, so don’t get this until you have sampled a bit of the other options first.
2. Beveridge Translation of the Institutes – This is the most widely available cheap way to access the institutes. You can buy a very inexpensive one-volume translation of the Institutes or you can access this version for free online through the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Share Jesus Without Fear
November 21, 2011
Share Jesus Without Fear
by William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd
Publisher’s Blurb:
In recent years, the Share Jesus without Fear book and its growing family of ancillary products have sparked a faith-sharing movement that continues to gain momentum. It began with the jaw-dropping story of William Fay, once a money-driven businessman with Mafia ties who ran a house of prostitution until it was raided by police. Facing the threat of jail time, Fay turned to Jesus Christ for redemption and ever since has been turning others to Him as well. Now featuring a fresh new cover design, Share Jesus without Fear relays Fay’s passionate, effective instructions on how to share the love of Christ with anyone–without feeling intimidated on either side of the conversation. Bold and joyful, the outreach movement continues without fear.
Living Proof
November 17, 2011
Living Proof: Sharing the Gospel Naturally
Publisher’s Blurb:
Jim Petersen shares what he’s learned from over 25 years of working with the unchurched. He shows that, although many people don’t want to hear about our faith, they will talk about their own felt needs–needs that can only be met in Christ.
Learn how to develop relationships with the unreached, model the Christian message, and eventually present the Bible’s claims in a non-threatening manner.
Overcoming Sin and Temptation
October 3, 2011
Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen, Edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor
Review
“The editors of this volume have worked hard to make Owen’s unrivalled insight into the Christian’s inner war with sin accessible to all, and the result is truly a godsend.”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College; author, Knowing God
“To read Owen is to mine spiritual gold. Unfortunately, as in mining, reading Owen is hard work. Now, Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor have made Owen’s work accessible to modern readers while still retaining his unique writing style.”
—Jerry Bridges, author, The Pursuit of Holiness
“With brilliant editorial efforts and insightful introductions by Kapic and Taylor, John Owen’s magnificent treatises on sin and sanctification have been made available for a new generation.”
—David S. Dockery, President, Union University
“Sin is tenacious, but by God’s grace we can hate it and hunt it. John Owen provides the master guide for the sin-hunter. Kapic and Taylor bring together three of Owen’s classics, clarifying them in simple ways-but all the substance, the careful, hounding arguments are still there.”
—Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC; President, 9Marks
“John Owen understood how the gospel makes us well. Three cheers for Kapic and Taylor for introducing a new generation to Owen’s peerless works.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina
“John Owen is a spiritual surgeon with the rare skill to cut away the cancer of sin and bring gospel healing to the sinner’s soul. Apart from the Bible, I have found his writings to be the best books ever written to help me stop sinning the same old sins.”
—Philip Graham Ryken, President, Wheaton College
“No writer has taught me more about the dynamics of the heart and the deceitfulness of sin than John Owen. Read this book carefully; it will help you understand your heart and experience God’s grace.”
—C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries
The Christian Life
October 3, 2011
The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction by Sinclair Ferguson
‘Christian doctrine matters for Christian living.’ This is ‘one of the most important growth points of the Christian life’, writes Sinclair B. Ferguson. From this starting point, The Christian Life expounds such key biblical themes as grace, faith, repentance, new birth and assurance with clarity and contagious enthusiasm. ‘Chrisitan doctrines are life-shaping’, explains the author, because ‘they show us the God we worship’.
Study what it means to be a Christian and how God’s Spirit enables us to grow in Christ.
The Discipline of Grace
October 3, 2011
The Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges
We know we need grace. Without it we’d never come to Christ in the first place. But being a Christian is more than just coming to Christ. It’s about growing and becoming more like Jesus. It’s about pursing holiness. The pursuit of holiness is hard work, and that’s were we turn from grace to discipline. Grace is every bit as important for growing as a Christian as it is for becoming a Christian in the first place. Grace is at the heart of the gospel, and without a clear understanding of the gospel and grace we can easily slip into a performance based lifestyle that bears little resemblance to what the gospel has to offer us. The Discipline Of Grace offers a clear and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to the believer, and how the same grace that brings us to faith in Christ also disciplines us in Christ, and how we learn to discipline ourselves in the areas of commitment, convictions, choices, watchfulness, and adversity. The Discipline Of Grace is highly recommended reading for anyone struggling to overcome the world in Christ. — Midwest Book Review
Pilgrim’s Progress
March 20, 2011
A masterpiece of the English Puritan tradition, The Pilgrim’s Progress is rich in its imaginative power and its vivid and heartfelt language. It recounts the story of Christian, who appears to the author in a dream, and his journey to Heaven through the trials and tribulations of life. He meets many like-minded pilgrims on his way, such as Faithful and Hopeful, but before they attain their goal they encounter the Giant Despair and the River of Death itself. Translated into more than one hundred languages, The Pilgrim’s Progress continues to have an immeasurable influence on English literature.
