Christian Focus Giveaway

Christian Focus Publications is hosting a book giveaway, (click here to enter) offering three of Carl Trueman's books:

Do you have an opinion?

There is an increasing tendency in Evangelical circles to regard disagreement in our allegedly post-modern world as inherently oppressive. Too many people sit on the fence and ignore, or are unaware of, the fact that Christianity is an historical religion. As Laurence Peter once said "History repeats itself because nobody listens."

The point of having a debate is not to have a debate and then agree to differ (sitting around in a mutually affirming love-fest) - the point of debate, as the Apostle Paul clearly demonstrates time and again in the book of Acts, is to establish which position is best.

Carl Trueman's intends to provoke you with this collection of essays into thinking for yourself and to have an opinion on THINGS THAT MATTER!

Theological essays are dusty, humorless affairs aren't they? Well, they don't have to be! This is the second collection of essays by Carl Trueman. His first collection was received with enthusiasm. On the radar this time is Chick Lit, Adolf Eichman, the iPod, Roger Beckwith, the Blues, Watership Down, American Idol, Nietzsche, zen-calvinism, Augustine and ferrets(!).

If you want to inform your mind and chuckle at the same time - Carl's your man!

Dr. Trueman examines the origins of contemporary Reformed theology in the Reformation world of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. After tracing how this heritage shaped and transformed the intervening period, he then describes some of the major challenges being faced by the evangelical church at the present time and suggests ways of responding which remain faithful to the Scriptures and the theology of the Reformers drawn from it and points towards a future that embraces and disseminates these wonderful doctrines of grace.

Terms and Conditions:

• This contest is limited to residents of the 48 state continental United States and the UK.
• Contestants may submit five entries as outlined under contest details.
• We are awarding one prize that includes the three books by Carl Trueman noted above.
• The contest will run through end of day July 31, 2011.
• The winner will be announced August 1, 2011.

Fresh Picked Daily (02 June 2011)

Contests, free stuff, blogs and good deals. The "Fresh Picked" today is about free books, getting a great deal on books and of course... blogs.

CBD Giveaways: There is always a contest going on over at Christian Book Distributors and while many of the items are what I consider to be "fluffy" and/or even possibly heretical, they do occasionally have some items that motivate me to enter the contest. Currently, one can enter to win three black & grey simulated leather Holman Christian Standard Apologetics Bibles, a hardcover Biblia de Estudio de Apologética (Apologetics Study Bible in Spanish), Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger's "Simple Church", a brown simulated leather Holman Christian Standard Hand-Size Giant Print Reference Bible, and a 1611 Commemorative 400th Anniversary Edition King James Bible. Head on over and enter to win!

FREE Audio Book: I am really grateful to ChristianAudio for offering a free audio book every month. This month's pick is "A Place for Healing" by Joni Eareckson Tada. Joni (pronounced "Jah-Nee") has been quadriplegic for over forty years and a great source of insight and encouragement to many persons with disabilities. This particular book "is not an ivory-tower treatise on suffering. It’s an intimate look into the life of a mature woman of God. Whether readers are enduring physical pain, financial loss, or relational grief, Joni invites them to process their suffering with her. Together, they will navigate the distance between God’s magnificent yes and heartbreaking no—and find new hope for thriving in-between." [Publisher's Note]

Top 200 Christian Blogs: I was recently made aware of Kent Shaffer's list of the most popular Christian blogs. According to Shaffer, " these are the world’s most popular church blogs written by many of today’s most influential church leaders, journalists, theologians, and Christ followers." Some notables are Justin Taylor (#1), The Resurgence (#3), Kevin DeYoung (#5), Scot McKnight (#6), Internet Monk (#8), Pyromaniacs (#9), Albert Mohler (#10), The Gospel Coalition (#12), Ray Ortlund (#15), Thabiti Anyabwile (#16), Ligonier (#18), Parchment & Pen (#21), Tullian Tchividjian (#23), Reformation21 (#25), Desiring God (#27), Trevin Wax (#29), Tim Challies (#30), Josh Harris (#32), Evangel (#36), Ed Stetzer (#39), Zach Nielsen (#42), Reformation Theology (#42), Bob Kauflin (#43), Steve McCoy (#52), Peter Leithart (#60), 9Marks (#70), Matt Perman (#73), Darrel Bock (#75), Andy Naselli (#78), Tom Ascol (#91), Jared Wilson (#92), Timmy Brister (#96), Nathan Bingham (#115), Phil Gons (#159), Joe Thorn (#162), and Feeding on Christ (#172). My list would have been much different... but what do I know? I'm not a celebrity blogger, nor am I even on the top 5,000 list! ;b

Kindle Book Sale: Over 600 books are currently on sale for less than $3. I recommend you pick up "What Is the Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert, "On Who Is God?" by Mark Driscoll, and "Affirming the Apostles' Creed" by J.I. Packer (only $1); "Don' t Waste Your Life" by John Piper, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist" by Normal Geisler & Frank Turek, "Thriving at College" by Alex Chediak, "Seeds of Turmoil" by Bryant Wright, "To the One Who Conquers" by Sam Storms (only $2); and "Think" by John Piper, and "Church Planter" by Darrin Patrick (only $3).

That does it for this book & blog edition of "Fresh Picked Daily"... make sure to follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for updates. I am also on The City. Soli Deo Gloria!

Triple-Fresh Picked Daily (26 May 2011)

This is "triple-fresh" picked... I was unable to post the past three days, so I've combined them all into one large edition:

Foundations: The new edition of this international journal of Evangelical theology published by Affinity (formerly The British Evangelical Council) is here... with articles by Carl Trueman and G.K. Beale (of Westminster Theological Seminary), Hywel R. Jones (of Westminster Seminary California) and more!

Graça Para Vocé: I am so thankful for the work of translators in converting articles and books from English to other languages. Grace to You lists several translations at their site... and I've just been made aware of two books that have been translated into Portuguese have been made available by Editoria Fiel (Faithful Publishing House) for free download. "Charismatic Chaos" and "The Gospel According to the Apostles" by John MacArthur are available in PDF format. Be sure to share these with your Portuguese-speaking friends and family.

Who is Harold John Ockenga?: I didn't know the answer to that question until today, but thankful that I do now. He was the minister of Park Street Church (Boston, MA) from 1936-1969, the founding president of The National Association of Evangelicals, and the founding president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Owen Strachan, (who is writing his doctoral dissertation on Ockenga) was interviewed by Nathan Finn (of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) about this founding "neo-evangelical", pastor-theologians, and The Gospel Coalition. Read the interview here: [Part 1] [Part 2]

Imputed A: I am so grateful for the active obedience of Christ and the imputation of His righteousness to those who believe in Him. The heart of the gospel is that we can do nothing to earn God's favor and cannot satisfy the just wrath that is necessary payment for sins. Jesus has fulfilled the law perfectly (active obedience) and gave Himself as a propitiatory (wrath-satisfying) sacrifice by dying for us (passive obedience)... now THAT is good news. Tullian Tchividjian (of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL) shares a story that is analogous of redemptive imputation over at The Gospel Coalition. Now, all analogies break down eventually... so by pressing this one too far, one might think that we are merely "virtually" saved that we might work harder to atone for our sins... but our salvation is definite and rests on the objective person and work of Jesus Christ: "Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ... threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed."

A Great Week for Battle: We live in a culture that is constantly challenging the biblical worldview. In order to prepare ourselves for spiritual warfare and defend the truth we hold dear, we must be biblically literate and equipped with weaponry that destroys strongholds and arguments and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God. "The Battle Belongs to the Lord: The Power of Scripture for Defending Our Faith" by K. Scott Oliphint (Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary) is a great resource for such preparation and equipping... and it is only $5 this week (only 3 days left) at Westminster Bookstore! Pick up a copy for yourself (or several... to give to others) in order to better contend for the faith with gentleness and respect.

Ligonier Q&A: On May 19th, a few days before Harold Camping's (newest) rapture predictions fell short (again), R.C. Sproul hosted a panel discussion dealing with various controversial topics with guests Sinclair Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson and R.C. Sproul, Jr. These pastor-theologians discussed dispensationalism, Harold Camping, regeneration, election, predestination, the sovereignty of God, postmodernism, and inerrancy.

Red Like Blood Giveaway: Win an ESV Compact Bible, three copies of "Red Like Blood: Confrontations with Grace" by Joe Coffey & Bob Bevington. Entries close at 6pm EST on Memorial Day.

That does it for this triple-shot edition of "Fresh Picked Daily"... make sure to follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for updates. I am also on The City. Soli Deo Gloria!

Fresh Picked Daily (23 May 2011)

The Monday edition of "Fresh Picked Daily" is about pastoral education, evangelism, church membership and church history. Enjoy!

On Choosing a Seminary: Over at Reformation 21, William B. Evans of Erskine College provides some wisdom for those called to ministry considering pastoral education... "Prospective students choosing a seminary need to recognize that schools differ, that there is no such thing as 'generic seminary education.' Just as students need to be concerned about 'fit' when they choose a college or university, so also they need to pay close attention to the distinctives of the seminaries they are considering." It is the task of institutes devoted to pastoral education and training to balance theology and practice, catechesis and critical thinking, and ecumenical breadth and confessional depth.

Its a Matter of Time: At The Gospel Coalition, Petar Nenadov of Lakeside Christian Church in Akron, Ohio recently interviewed Rico Tice of All Souls Church in London, England on the subject of evangelism. Tice, who is known for his book entitled "Christianity Explored" (a Christological study of Mark's Gospel) explains the importance of evangelism and prayer in the life and preaching of the pastor, collective relational evangelism, and balancing church work (administration) with the work of the church (making disciples).

Church Membership: In the latest issue of 9Marks' E-Journal, Matt Chandler of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas examines what the Bible says about church membership. Starting with Hebrews 13:17, he poses a number of questions regarding pastoral responsibility (care & discipline) and the obedience/submission of believers under elders. Next, Chandler provides biblical evidence for the need of fellowship and service for the sake of building up the body of Christ and postulates a divine mandate for membership in a local church.

Historical Theology: I have created a resource page for the study of church history. My plan is to have pages dedicated to Systematic Theology, Biblical Theology, Exegetical Theology, Pastoral Theology and Apologetics. I hope to update the pages regularly with links, books, PDFs, articles, etc. If you have any books, articles or online resources to share... I would love to hear from you!

That does it for "Fresh Picked Daily"... make sure to follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for updates. I am also on The City. Soli Deo Gloria!

Fresh Picked Daily (20 May 2011)

The "fresh picked" for today are a few items that peaked my interest recently. Practical advice, antiquarian promotion, a birthday and breaking news in the SBC...

A Called Man: For those (like me) who believe they are called to Pastoral Ministry. Darrin Patrick, author of "Church Planter: The man, The Message, The Mission" and vice President of the Acts 29 Network shares the two ditches that church leaders can fall into as they help confirm a man’s calling.

Old School: An interesting thought... "In the age of digitized books, some might be hesitant to invest in an original copy of a judicious old divine or celebrated scholar from a previous age when you can download a digital copy from almost anywhere. However, it’s the book itself that takes you on the journey, not just the bare text. The book is the place where people congregate to find shared experience and fresh ideas." If you enjoy books (like me), if you really enjoy theological works (like me), if you appreciate the history and production of actual bounding and pages (like me), and if you have enough money to buy rare, antique books (not like me)... this site is for you. Thanks to Nicholas Batzig from Feeding on Christ for letting me know about this site.

Happy Birthday, Robert Murray M'Cheyne: He was born one hundred ninety-eight years ago (tomorrow), and lived to be only thirty years old, but M'Cheyne is fondly remembered partly due to his good friend and biographer Andrew Bonar (youngest brother of Horatius Bonar... check out "The Everlasting Righteousness" free e-book). Robert Murray M'Cheyne, though called home to be with the Lord at a relatively young age, lived his life pointing others to Christ and had a fruitful Spirit-empowered pulpit ministry. Let us look to him as an example; that we might "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12c) and "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14), for life is short and our days are numbered.

"Exciting Days Ahead!": Tom Elliff (President of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board) announced today in a tweet that Chuck Lawless has been named as the IMB's VP for Global Theological Advance. Lawless is the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Please pray for Dr. Lawless in this time of transition as well as the SBC, SBTS, IMB and any other acronyms I have forgotten.

That does it for "Fresh Picked Daily"... make sure to follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for updates. I am also on The City. Soli Deo Gloria!