Reformation Heritage books is currently hosting their annual Summer Sale. Click over to see all their offerings. Below are a few highlights.
A Brief Compendium of Bible Truth by Archibald Alexander ($7.70)
A Marvelous Ministry: How the All-round Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon Speaks to Us Today by Curnow et al ($3.00)
Heirs with Christ: The Puritans on Adoption by Joel Beeke ($3.80)
Church History 101 by Sinclair B. Ferguson et al ($2.80)
Brain Hygiene
“Brain hygiene”? Srini Pillay explains brain hygiene and the ways your brain manages overload in this article at Harvard Business Review. He says:
At the core of managing information overload is the ability to know which function to use, and how and when to use it. The six principles below can serve as a guide to the proper brain hygiene for managing information overload on a busy work day.
His points take a bit of explanation, so click over and read in detail Pillay’s advice for dealing with information overload.
Coherence not Balance
There is a lot of talk about finding “balance” when trying to overcome burnout. But what if “balance” isn’t quite it? Dr. Anne Bradley proposes that the real answer is to find coherence, not balance. She explains why:
Rhythm and Margin
“Rhythm” and “margin” are two other common buzzwords. J. D. Greear states that they are, in fact, the two things we need to stay healthy.
Rhythm keeps you from running down. The alternative to following a rhythm is that you will find yourself rushing from one thing to the next, getting “inexplicably” tired. But it’s not inexplicable: it’s by design. Running wide open in everything you do wears you out…
Margin dovetails in to the idea of rhythm. A rhythmic life will be one that has plenty of “give” to it. Stress doesn’t just come from challenging tasks, but from maxing out all of our capacities. Margin means we intentionally keep ourselves from constantly running “in the red.”
Busyness Destroys Relationships
Is busyness destroying you and your relationships? Rob Tims uses the story of Mary and Martha to describe three ways this can happen:
Sleep Schedules
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to get good sleep. But that doesn’t just mean enough sleep, it also means consistent sleep and on a regular schedule. To see how weird sleep schedules can affect health, click over to this article at Mashable.
No Comment
“It is a very dangerous thing for finite creatures of limited intelligence to behave as though we are infinite beings of unlimited intelligence,” writes Adam Parker in “A Just Silence.” Parker puts words to what I assume many of are feeling in this age when shocking and important things appear to be happening all the time – we don’t actually have to comment on everything. And perhaps we are attempting to live beyond our boundaries when we think we do.
Jesus did not speak out against every single social injustice with which He was confronted. On one occasion, a man came to him to dispute a matter about his brother and an inheritance that their Father had left behind. Instead of speaking to that particular social injustice, Jesus said, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you” (Luke 12:14)? He then went on to warn the man about the dangers of harboring covetousness in his heart. Was Jesus wrong for not pronouncing judgment on the social injustice of one man withholding a portion of a father’s inheritance from his brother? Was Jesus complicit in that injustice? None of us would ever dare say such a thing.
More Grace-Paced Life Resources here.
When people ask me what I teach at Puritan Reformed Seminary, they usually look deeply puzzled when I say, “Biblical Counseling, Hebrew Exegesis, Leadership, Ministry, and Preaching.”
“Biblical Counseling AND Old Testament exegesis?” is often the eye-brow raising question. It’s as if I’ve just said that I teach How to Knit AND Engineering.
There is a disadvantage in having such a wide teaching responsibility; I cannot specialize as much as I’d sometimes like to; I cannot hope to keep up with all the books that come out in these various fields.
However, that’s a sacrifice I and the Seminary have so far been prepared to make because of the advantage of cross-fertilization, and especially in the two areas of Biblical Counseling and biblical exegesis. Every time I teach my two counseling courses (Foundations of Biblical Counseling; Issues in Biblical Counseling), that’s followed in the next two semesters by my two Old Testament Exegesis courses (Pentateuch & Historical Books; Poets & Prophets).
But how do counseling and the Old Testament fit together?
Counseling Texts
First, when I choose which passages to focus on in my Old Testament exegesis classes, I gravitate towards the texts that will help my students pastor and counsel people. Take a sampling of some of the passages we exegete from the Poetic books:
I could go on, but I hope that gives a flavor of how useful the Old Testament is in counseling.
Counseling Teaching
I was recently speaking at a conference where I used Psalm 77 and Philippians 4 to teach people how to counsel themselves and others. Psalm 77 provides an especially helpful structure and pattern for helping people retrain their thinking patterns. Kind of like a pre-CBT CBT.
Counseling Foundations
The Old Testament also provides the essential foundation for understanding what we once were (Genesis 1-2), what happened to us (Genesis 3:1-13), and God’s purposes of Gospel restoration (Genesis 3:14ff).
It’s almost impossible to know what we are aiming at in counseling without knowing what God first designed us to be. And it’s equally difficult to understand what’s wrong with us without knowing the impact and consequences of the fall into sin. But the early glimmer of Gospel hope, even in the midst of so much destruction and devastation is also hugely encouraging when we are facing the worst human scenarios in our own day.
Counseling Examples
God has provided us with countless individual Old Testament biographies as examples to follow or flee (Romans 15:4). And that’s not only true on a personal level; the whole history of Israel is full of examples to learn from and apply in counseling situations (1 Cor. 10:11).
Counseling Sin
Maybe we could say that the Old Testament prophets were the first biblical counselors. They took the texts of the past, especially Deuteronomy, and applied them powerfully to the culture and church of their own day. They are wonderful examples of courageously confronting sin, of incisively getting to heart issues, but also of giving Gospel hope, particularly towards the end of their books, and especially in their compassionate comforting of the true people of God.
Counseling God’s Character
One of the questions that I’m always urging students to ask Old Testament passages is: “What does this reveal about the character of God?” What attribute, what characteristic of God is highlighted here? What does this incident, event, experience tell us about God, especially the redemptive character of God?
Counseling His Story
Ultimately, though, perhaps the greatest benefit of studying the Old Testament for counseling is getting a bigger and better sense of the redemptive plan of God as revealed and advanced throughout redemptive history. Only in the light of this BIG picture do we begin to make sense of our little snapshot of life.
As the ancient Biblical story becomes more and more woven into our fabric, it strengthens, supports, and sustains us in ways that convey sometimes inexplicable but always incalculable blessing as we face the challenges of our 21st-century lives.
How This Millennial Learned That Any Job Is Better Than No Job
“Many young people are told over and over again to ‘Follow your dreams.’ But that’s often a one-way ticket to poverty, wasted time, and entitlement.”
Faithfulness at the Photocopier: How Little Acts Develop Big Character
“The battle for character at work starts in the little thoughts you think and the little actions you take.
5 Reasons Studying the Original Languages Is Worth the Pain
“You can use Greek and Hebrew without having to memorize a single paradigm, let alone 3,000 vocab words, so why torture yourself? I’ll give you ten reasons studying the original languages is worth the pain, five this week and five next.”
11 Tips for New Ministry Bloggers
If you’re interested in getting into blogging, here’s some good start-up advice.
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Timothy and Titus?
“Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus celebrate the glorious gospel message that Jesus saves sinners, stress the need for godly living as the fruit of gospel grace, and call us to preserve and pass on the good deposit of the gospel through deliberate discipleship.”
The Shock of Eternity
“Because of what is at stake, this ought to be a doctrine which God’s people do not hide. To stutter or shuffle our feet on the truth of hell is to do humanity a great injustice. Love necessitates speaking plainly about the truths of eternity; why and how one would enter heaven or hell and what the two forevers will be like.”
Marriage Lessons from the Luthers
“Katharina and Martin Luther lived 500 years ago, but they can teach us much about how to live well in our own modern-day marriages.”
God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God by Mark Jones
This book aims to help us study and understand the attributes of God so that we delight in and love him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Each chapter explains one attribute, shows how it is most clearly manifested in Christ, and provides practical application for the Christian life.
For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.
3 2 1: The Story of God, the World and You by Glen Scrivener $4.99.
What do you think of me? Why do I care? by Ed Welch $1.59.
I was involved in leading two church building projects in the two churches I pastored in Scotland. I never thought that I’d be doing that again when I moved to the USA. Yet, here I am, pastoring a congregation in Grand Rapids that is beginning the process of deciding whether to build a new church or remodel our existing building. Hence, at our elders’ and deacons’ meeting this week, I made a presentation on the primary purposes of a church building and the considerations to bear in mind when deciding whether to remodel or build anew. I thought I’d post a summary of that report here with the hope of getting feedback from others who have gone through this process. Have I missed anything? Anything I should change, add, etc?
PRIMARY PURPOSES
Any church building (new or remodel) must provide for the following.
Worship: The most important area of a church building is the worship area or sanctuary.
Education: Classrooms are required for Sunday school classes for all ages, youth group, Bible studies, prayer groups, library.
Evangelism: Resource room, place for informal Bible studies.
Counseling: Private room for pastoral counseling.
Community: Spaces to greet, fellowship, welcome desk, provide refreshments, hospitality.
Administration: Office space for secretary, files, supplies, deacons.
MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
When deciding on how these aims should be accomplished in any remodel or new church building, the following factors should be considered:
Mission: What does the church see as its main mission? Is it to be primarily (1) an outreach church or (2) a church that teaches and builds up God’s people? If it is aiming to be both, what proportion or priority is to be given to each?
Leadership: Does the church have the leadership to facilitate the size of the project being envisaged?
Unity: Is the leadership united in the project and are the leaders united with members?
Size: How many people is the building for? Now and in the future? Is the parking lot big enough and close enough to the building?
Style: Will the church have a traditional (churchy) style or will it be more modern (seeker-friendly)? Previous answers will help to answer this question.
Comfort: To be blunt, pews or padded seats?
Technology: Will services be streamed or recorded in audio and/or video? What rooms will have TV/Internet/video? Will there be psalters/hymnals or projection of songs?
Accessibility: What provision will be made for those with special physical, mental, or hearing needs?
Location: Is the church in the right place? Could it be in a better place? How many locations should there be? If the church is thinking about expanding its facility, would it be better to plant another church instead?
Safety: Stewarding of the parking lot and inside areas to keep children safe.
Security: Is there a security plan and are there security provisions such as cameras, alarms, etc?
Witness: What does the church building say about the church? What message does the outside convey to passers-by and what impression does it give to any visitors?
Future: Is this the best use of money for the next generation. Will those still worshipping here in fifty years time look back and say, “Why did they take on so much debt?” or “Why didn’t they invest in a building for future generations?”
Cost: The bottom line. How much will a new building cost compared to various remodel options? How much will maintenance be on each option? Do we have the donor base to fund this without asking for huge loans?
Prayer: Cover every purpose and consideration with prayer, asking the builder of his church, “Lord what will you have us to do?”
Help Your Kids Hope in God | Jason Helopoulos, Desiring God
“In family worship, we simply put ourselves and our children in the way of Christ’s blessing. Try it. I promise, it isn’t hard. Over time, practicing daily family worship will change your home. It will change your life. By coming daily to Jesus, not just in our private devotions but together as families, Christ pours out blessings that will overflow into eternity.”
The Challenge of University Evangelism | Tim and Michael Keller, TGC
“…Some believe, however, that the university may be entering a new era of opposition to student ministry, and particularly to evangelism. When weighing what seems to be the beginning of a shift or trend, it’s always hard to know whether it’ll be localized and temporary or sweeping and lasting. However, particularly in elite American universities, students are becoming highly sensitive, traumatized, and outraged by opposing viewpoints.”
7 Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Teens | Jaquelle Crowe, Crossway Articles
“I hadn’t seen my friend McKenzie in months. Now we sat together in a coffee shop downtown, two teens sipping mugs of hot tea and catching up on life. A lot had happened, and conversation flowed freely. Except for one problem—my stomach was in knots. McKenzie was not a Christian, and I felt desperately like I needed share the gospel with her.”
6 Things to Do with Your Anxiety | David Powlison, TGC
As Justin says this is for everyday anxiety, bot anxiety disorders.
“Anxiety is a universal human experience, and you need to approach it with a plan…I want to give you six things as a game plan for when you start to worry and obsess.”
20 Quotes from the Best Introduction to Christianity I’ve Ever Read | Matt Smethurst, TGC
“While I would still give Mere Christianity or The Reason for God or Making Sense of God to an intellectually minded skeptic, I think [3 2 1: The Story of God the World and You] is the finest ‘street-level’ introduction to the Christian story I’ve encountered. Scrivener has a remarkable way of painting pictures with words. If you want the good news of grace to land on you in a fresh way, pick up this book. Then buy a copy for a non-Christian friend.”
How Savings Can Save Your Ministry | Art Rainer, For The Church
“Having three to six months worth of living expenses set aside is an important component of financial health. It can take you off the financial edge. It can benefit your home life. And it can benefit your ministry.”
Listen and watch Dr. Lloyd-Jones | Credo Magazine
Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel by Michael P. V. Barrett.
Living Without Worry: How to replace anxiety with peace by Timothy Lane ($2.99)
Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick ($2.99)
Christ or Chaos by Dan DeWitt ($2.99)
The Cross: God’s Way of Salvation by Martyn Lloyd-Jones ($2.99)
