This is the eighth  post in a series of discussions centered upon a devotional classic, The Bruised Reed, by puritan author, Richard Sibbes. I am participating in an online book club of sorts called “Reading Classics Together,” hosted by Christian blogger and author, Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII.

This week’s reading from chapters 14 & 15 was very encouraging.  Chapter 14 discusses ways to ensure victorious Christian living.  Chapter 15 speaks to the issue of Christ’s imminent return and reign upon the earth and the practical ramifications of living in the light of that expectation.

If a Tree Falls In the Woods…

One particularly helpful image from chapter 14 is employed underneath the heading, “Reasons for Seeming Lack of Progress.”  There Sibbes suggests two primary reasons why a Christian may not be experiencing growth in their spiritual life:

1. Because spiritual growth often requires much work with little immediate reward
2. Because there is sin in the camp (see Joshua 7:1ff)

The beneficial illustration Sibbes uses is that of a tree being chopped down.  This image is compared to the process of spiritual growth. Sibbes writes that,

“The tree falls upon the last stroke, yet ll the strokes help the work forward.”

If you’ve ever chopped down a tree you know exactly what Sibbes means.  The first few swings of the axe yield what appear to be great results.  The bark is broken through easily.  The girth of the tree appears to shrink more and more with every chop.

But just before reaching halfway the tree begins to seem more resistant to the idea of being cut down. It appears that the chops are loosing their effect. Maybe its because the axe is getting dull.  Maybe its because by now you’re getting somewhat winded from the constant swinging and your strength has began to weaken.  Each swing is starting to be more difficult than the one before.  There’s a period there of several cumbersome chops where it seems as though nothing is happening.

This is precisely what Sibbes is getting at with his illustration.  Some people are in a place where there spiritual lives feel like the axe-swinger who is tired and seems trapped swinging away in the middle of the tree.  Sibbes’ point is that every swing counts! So keep on swinging. The tree will soon fall and you’ll see that there was never a swing in vain.

Three Related & Helpful ‘Nothings’

In chapter 15 there is a string of paragraphs where Sibbes emphasizes the word “nothing”.  In a section referred to by the heading, “We Must Not Look To Ourselves,” Sibbes capitalizes on the word “nothing” in at least three different ways:

Nothing #1

“Nothing is stronger than humility, which goes out of itself, or weaker than pride, which rests on its own foundation.”

Nothing #2

“Christ says, ‘Without ye me’, the apostles, who were in a state of grace, ‘can do nothing‘ (John 15:5).  He does not say you can do a little, but nothing.”

Nothing #3

“Satan knows that nothing can prevail against Christ, or those that rely upon his power.  Therefore his study is how to keep us in ourselves…”

The point of these “nothings” is to get us to trust in Christ, not ourselves.  Is that ever a reminder that we need to hear!

What About You?

What images or anecdotes reached out and comforted or challenged you from this week’s reading?   Mine were the tree-chopping and the “nothings”.  You’ll notice that my post isn’t really a summary, as much as it is a list of personal highlights.  What were your favorite phrases or images from Sibbes this week?

Make Sure to Check Out My Friends!

Over the course of this series of posts I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few new online kindred spirits. They too are reading and blogging their way through this book.  Make sure to click through to their sites and check out what they have to say about this week’s reading.  They are Audrey, Becky, Kevin, Lisa, and Paul.

New Orleans

I’m in a seminary workshop this week in New Orleans.  I’m currently 2/3 through the M.Div. track as a student at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  Last week I participated in a class on Servant Leadership.  This week I’ve been taking a class on Worship Leadership.

Over the last two weeks my wife and I have had the opportunity to enjoy some wonderful New Orleans cuisine.  Here are a few of the places we’ve eaten:

• Jacques-Imo’s
• Superior Grill
• Drago’s Seafood
• Acme Oyster House

My favorite so far was Jacques-Imo’s.  I had the stuffed catfish with alligator cheesecake!

New Blog

As a part of a group project for my workshop this week I have been studying the charismatic style of worship.  Our group decided put together a blog to give access to our findings to the rest of our class. Below is a screenshot of the new blog.  Click the image to visit the blog.

(charismaticworship.wordpress.com)

No New Post on The Bruised Reed

I’m still reading along with Tim Challies’ online book club, “Reading Classics Together.” We’re currently reading Richard Sibbes’, The Bruised Reed.  I am keeping up with the reading, but I will not be posting a review this week.

—From C. H. Spurgeon’s, Lectures to My Students

Related Post(s):

• Spurgeon’s Defense of Systematic Theology
• Spurgeon on the Value of Training Ministers
• Charles Spurgeon’s Approach to Controversy

This is the fifth post in a series of discussions centered upon a devotional classic, The Bruised Reed, by puritan author, Richard Sibbes. I am participating in an online book club of sorts called “Reading Classics Together,” hosted by Christian blogger and author, Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV.

This week’s reading from chapter’s 8 and 9 is summarized by 3  D’s:

1. Duties (performance of the spiritual disciplines)
2. Discouragement (when we feel poor spiritually)
3. Deception (believing what is not true)

Sibbes deals with duties and discouragement in chapter 8 and deception in chapter 9.

Chapter 8

The question of whether one should perform Christian duties (i.e Bible study, prayer, evangelism, etc.) when they feel discouraged is addressed in this chapter.

Sibbes says a big “Yes, absolutely” to this question and does so with four responses.  I’ve paraphrased them to avoid excessive quotation.  He says to the discouraged Christian struggling with their duties:

1. Do what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.
2. Often we find God there in the duty and are encouraged.
3. Doing the duty even when we don’t feel like it reveals truest devotion.
4. Discouragement may well be lifted after we have performed our duties.

Regarding these points let me add this: I have never in all my life regretted performing a Christian duty.  Whether it was spending time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, sharing the gospel, its no matter.  The result has always been the same.  God blesses these things.  They put us into contact with his grace.  And we’d all be the better for practicing them more.

On a related note this week in the blogosphere, pastor and author, Kevin DeYoung,wrote a wonderfully helpful post titled, “Are Christians Meant to Feel Guilty All the Time?” He asks and provides four powerful answers to why Christians are so often discouraged in their walk with the Lord:

1. We don’t fully embrace the good news of the gospel.
2. Christians tend to motivate each other by guilt rather than grace.
3. Most of our low-level guilt falls under the category of “not doing enough.”
4. When we are truly guilty of sin it is imperative we repent and receive God’s mercy.

I include this nod to DeYoung’s entry because it deals perfectly with what Sibbes covers in chapter 8.

Sibbes also briefly speaks of discouragement that is caused by suffering and trial.  I could not help but to think of James 1:2-4.  Please see these three little thoughts on Christians and trials that I wrote several months ago.  Its one of my favorites posts I’ve ever written.

Chapter 8 was so rich with wisdom and grace that I chose not to include it all in one post.  You’ll just have to read some of the blogs I link to down below and hope that they cover the rest.

Chapter 9

I honestly did not gain much from this chapter.  Perhaps my mind was struggling to stay on track as I read.  What I did glean came from the opening paragraph.  Sibbes points out that Satan doesn’t mind letting us have Christ so long as we have a distorted and inaccurate view of him.

In this way Satan is revealed as the deceiver he is.  He longs to trick us into perceiving the Lord as anything other than what he truly is—a loving, gracious, sovereign King.

Taking Stock

We’ve come just over halfway in reading through Sibbes’ book, The Bruised Reed.  I’d just like to say how beneficial and gracious of a read it has been for me thus far.  The thought that there is no person more gentle and merciful with sinners than Jesus has truly impacted my life and ministry.  It has shown up in various ways in my preaching.  It has fleshed itself out in visits that I make.  It has been referred to as I counsel.  Thank God for writers and works such as this.

Have any of you been helped in ways like this?  I would love to hear of how God has used this book in your life and ministry as you’ve read through it. Encourage us all and drop a comment below.

Check Out My Friends

Over the course of this series of posts I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few new online kindred spirits. They too are reading and blogging their way through this book.  Make sure to click through to their sites and check out what they have to say about this week’s reading.  They are Audrey, Becky, Kevin, and Lisa.

Anyone Else?

If there’s anyone else who has somehow clicked their way here to deekdubberly.com, please make sure to drop a little note in the comments field below letting the rest of us know that you’re out there, most especially if you’re taking part with us in Tim Challies’ “Reading Classics Together.” Thanks.

(This is the fourth post in a series of reflections that consider Richard Sibbes’ work, The Bruised Reed. I am participating in an online book club called “Reading Classics Together” hosted by Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this collection: Part I | Part II | Part III.)

This week’s reading came from chapters six and seven.  Both chapters focus upon the image of a smoking flax, a picture Sibbes employs to describe that believer who is discouraged in their faith. Their faith represents the fire which is small.  Their smoking represents the present despair of their souls. His constant reminder is very simple—where there is smoke there is fire.

Sibbes begins by listing a few qualifications for one who struggles with discouragement in their relationship with God.  At the heart of what he says is the advice to step outside of yourself and try to observe your current estate objectively.  He writes:

“We must have two eyes, one to see imperfections in ourselves…the other to see what is good …. We must not judge ourselves always according to present feeling.”

This is most excellent counsel especially for those who are very quick to judge themselves.  Sibbes analogizes this practice to one who has been “hired by Satan, the ‘accuser of the brethren’ (Rev. 12:10), to plead for him in accusing themselves.”  Sibbes hits close to home when he words things like that.  Graphic picture.  Duly noted.

He points out that such despair is owing to a lapse, however temporary, in one’s theology.  To despair incessantly of our own shortcomings is to forget grace.  Sibbes remedies this in a most beautiful fashion:

“God knows we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives.”

Sibbes expends the remainder of chapter six spelling out the ‘marks of the smoking flax’—that is, what to look for in order to determine whether one has truly been set on fire by God (i.e. converted).

10 Marks of the Smoking Flax:

1. Light—spiritual understanding
2. Heat—spiritual desire
3. Direction—spiritual guidance
4. Purity—spiritual discernment
5. Delight—spiritual pleasure
6. Activity—spiritual works
7. Sensitivity—spiritual pliability
8. Infectious—spiritual contagiousness
9. Heavenly—spiritual aim
10. Growth—spiritual appetite

In chapter seven Sibbes reverts to restating his purpose in writing—”[that] much comfort may be brought to the souls of the weakest.”  He then spells out a case for human depravity, reminding his readers that even when Satan isn’t tempting us our own natural selves will chime in with awful thoughts and temptations.

He closes chapter seven by reminding us that,

“It should encourage us to duty that Christ will not quench the smoking flax, but blow on it till it flames…. Let us not be cruel to ourselves when Christ is thus gracious”

Sibbes is such an encouragement to read.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to read, write, and interact with his work as well as with others who are reading along.

A special note of thanks to my new friends—Audrey, Lisa, Kevin, and Becky—who are reading this book along with me and who have taken the time to stop by the blog and say a few words.  Make sure to click through to their sites and read what they have to say about this week’s reading.

If there’s anyone else reading Sibbes’ work as a part of Tim Challies Reading Classics Together and you’ve somehow found you way here to my site, drop me a comment below and let the rest of us know you’re out there.  Thanks.

Richard Sibbes

As a part of the online book club of sorts hosted by Tim Challies—Reading Classics Together—I’m currently reading Richard Sibbes’, The Bruised Reed.

I read the first chapter yesterday and came across these two little gems.  Sibbes speaks of the value of “bruising” in God’s plan for our lives—”bruising” referring to one’s awareness and confession of personal sin and the need for humility before God.

Sibbes employs this bruising in reference to the before and after of one’s conversion experience:

“The bruising is required before conversion that so the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature…”

“After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks.”

A good word from Sibbes.

To promote the new book, To Every Tribe with Jesus, the ministry of Desiring God International Outreach has been hosting giveaways on Twitter.  Their twitter handle is @NationsBeGlad.  The way it works is they send out some sort of question to all their Twitter followers and the first person to respond with the correct answer via Twitter reply wins a free copy of the book.

Well I won recently!  They linked to a picture of a young man named Cameron Townsend who eventually founded Wycliffe Bible Translators, an organization who seeks to translate the Scriptures into a readable language for every people group in the world.

So once I figured who it was in the picture I replied with the correct answer and won!

Confirming that I had the right answer.

I won more than just the book, though.  They sent me a ‘prize package’ and within a couple of days I received:

Desiring God International Outreach prize package

• A new copy of David Sitton’s, To Every Tribe with Jesus
• A brochure about their ministry, Desiring God International Outreach
• An mp3 CD called Bringing Hope, which contains 12 sermons from John Piper that relate to the subject of international outreach
• And a coupon for a free download of the audiobook version of John Piper’s book on missions, Let the Nations be Glad

Many thanks to Desiring God International Outreach for the prize package.  Make sure to check them out online, consider getting a copy of To Every Tribe with Jesus, and follow them on Twitter.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year in honor of a man that many know very little about.  Here’s a brief bio-sketch on the man behind the holiday.

Born into a Christian Home

→Patrick was born in Britain to a nominally Christian home.  He was reared going to church, though his relationship with the Lord was not something of pressing concern to him as a youth.

Sold into Slavery

→Irish slave-trader/pirates invaded Patrick’s homeland when he was around the age of sixteen.  Being a healthy young man, the raiders figured Patrick would make for a good, hardworking slave.  He was trafficked away from his friends and family and hauled off to Ireland.  Once there he would be sold as a slave to a powerful war chief.

Met the Lord in Suffering

→Patrick served his Irish master as a pig herder.  It was only then, when all of his earthly comforts had been taken away—his home, his family, his friends, his freedom, his dignity—that Patrick began to call out on the God of his youth.  In his suffering he found solace in the solitude of prayer.  It is said that Patrick’s prayer life grew and matured until he was praying nearly 100 times a day and 100 times each night.

Escaped from Slavery

→One day, six years after having been a slave, Patrick heard the voice of the Lord telling him to escape bondage and return to his homeland.  So he fled.  He walked 200 miles to the coast and convinced a trader ship to allow him safe passage back to Britain.

Called to Serve

→Once home Patrick joyfully reunited with his family.  He was now a devout Christian man.  One night he had a dream in which an Irishman came to him bearing letters from many Irish people.  They were all pleading with Patrick to return to Ireland and share the gospel with them.  Patrick sensed that this was God’s call on his life to take the gospel to the poor souls of Ireland.  At the time Ireland was an incredibly pagan country, its main religion being various manifestations of Druidism.

Trained for Ministry

→Following this call upon his life, Patrick prepared for and was eventually ordained into the ministry.  In time he would become a bishop and was sent on mission to Ireland.

Sent with the Gospel

→Patrick’s Christian message was not easily received among the pagans of Ireland.  It is said that he had many confrontations with Druid priests and was in constant fear of danger for his life.  He wrote, “Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven”  (p. 230, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know).  One thing Patrick is not well-known for but should be is his strong stand against slavery.  He is one of the first Christians in recorded history to take a clear and bold stand against this dreadful, inhumane practice.

Triumphant, Humble Servant

→Patrick died in 493 AD.  By that time it is believed that he had been used by God to start over 300 churches and baptize more than 120,000 people. His victorious, yet humble life can be seen in these numbers and in the fact that to his dying day he did not feel he deserved the title of “bishop.”  He preferred to be known simply as a sinner in the gracious hands of God.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK?

1. Love those who mistreat you
   →Patrick had every reason in the world to hate the Irish.  They had kidnapped him and forced him into slavery.  Yet he still loved them enough to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ.  There is no one who has wronged us enough to justify our not sharing the gospel with them by our words and our actions.
2. Listen to the voice of the Lord
   →He was not only sensitive to God’s leadership in his life, but he was also obedient to it.  He left Ireland when God told him to.  He went back went God told him to do that.  That’s a pretty good track record.  We’d do well to follow his example of sensitivity, trust, and obedience.
3. Let go of earthly comforts for the sake of the gospel
   → Even though he had been reunited with his family afters years of agonizing separation in slavery, he was still willing to lay all those things aside when God called him to go back to Ireland.  What might God be asking you to give up for the sake of his kingdom?

Information for this post was gleaned primarily from the book, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know, by Mark Galli.  Other sources consulted were:

• What Can Evangelicals Learn from Saint Patrick, by Russell Moore
• Happy St. Patrick’s Day, by Rev. Paul T. McCain
• St. Patrick, referenced by Francis Beckwith
• Saint Patrick, by Mark Batterson

Ann Hasseltine Judson (1789-1826)

Its always fascinating to me to hear different individuals articulate what it is to be a Christian—what its like, what it makes them think of, how their countenance changes when they speak of it, what pictures they envision, what convictions their heart stirs with, etc.

Here’s a description that stole my attention immediately when I read it for the first time.  I came across it a few weeks back while reading Adoniram Judson’s biography, To the Golden Shore.  Judson didn’t say it, though.  His wife did.

In describing the fellowship of salvation, she explains it as sharing in,

“Joys as exalted as heaven, durable as eternity!”  —Ann Hasseltine Judson, p. 166

What a beautiful expression.  No need to add anything to it.  I’ll just leave you with it and hope that it soaks into your soul like it did mine.

Have you come across any similarly striking expressions or descriptions regarding the Christian faith?  Your comments are welcomed.

On the same day they were married, young Adoniram and Ann (”Nancy”) Judson, future missionaries to the peoples of Burma (modern-day Myanmar), attended a commissioning service for themselves and a handful of other young men and women.

The service took place at the church where Nancy had grown up.  Her minister, Parson Allen, composed a special hymn for the occasion.  It was delivered at the end of the service.  It is said that, “People wept unashamedly as the sang.”

Here’s the first verse:

Go, ye heralds of salvation; Go, and preach in heathen lands;
Publish loud to every nation, What the Lord of life commands,
Go, ye sisters, their companions, Soothe their cares, and wipe their tears,
Angels shall in bright battalions Guard your steps and guard your fears.

—From Courtney Anderson’s, To the Golden Shore (pp. 108-109)

I was deeply moved when I read this account and pictured family and friends sending off the young missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission, most likely to never see them again.

Related Post:

—A Word of Conviction from Adoniram Judson

Bartolome Esteban Murillo's, The Return of the Prodigal Son

I stated “Five Truths About Forgiveness” last week.

This thought needs to be taken a step farther, though.  The issue of forgiveness can and should be brought to a more practical level.

The question must be asked, “What does forgiveness look like?

To answer that question I propose the following:

Seven Things Forgiveness Is and Does:

1. Resists revenge (Rom. 12:19)
2. Doesn’t return evil for evil (I Thess. 5:15)
3. Wish the person well (Luke 6:28)
4. Grieve at their tragedies (Prov. 24:17)
5. Pray for their welfare (Matt. 5:44)
6. Seek reconciliation from them so far as it depends on you (Rom. 12:18)
7. Come to their aid in distress (Ex. 23:4)

Anti-plagiarism safety net:

You need to know that I borrowed the ideas in this post from two others.  The content is not my own.

• John Piper’s sermon, “As We Forgive Our Debtors” is where I took most of this from.
• Chris Brauns offered helpful comments on this post.  Chris has written a book on forgiveness which you should most definitely check out—Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers to Complex Questions and Deep Wounds.

Make sure to do your part:

I’m sure there’s more application for this subject.  If I’ve missed anything, or you feel you can better articulate how to practically apply biblical forgiveness, by all means help us all out and leave a comment.

Dr. Richard Mayhue contributed an excellent little chapter called “The Pastor’s Home”  in the book, Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, edited by John MacArthur.

He writes that,

“Without the strength of my home, I would never have made it through twenty years of ministry.  My marriage and my family provide me a home where I can:

1. retreat—get away from the pressures
2. relax—enjoy a different environment
3. recharge—gain a new supply of energy
4. relate—enjoy my wife and children
5. rehabilitate—heal the wounds
6. reach out—to neighbors, friends, and flock
7. research—uninterrupted study/writing
8. raise a family—children and grandchildren
9. ripen—grow in God’s grace
10. rejoice—praise the Lord
11. reflect—quiet moments to contemplate
12. reinvest—in my grandchildren
13. regain perspective—in prayer and Scripture”

Mayhue closes this section by saying that,

“When I leave the fair haven nof my home for ministry, I depart in strength, not weakness.”

What a wonderful description and goal for all of us who minister.  Can you think of any other things that a godly, peaceful home can supply and accomplish in a pastor’s life?

If you’re not familiar with the term, “church-hopping” refers to folks who bounce around from church-to-church looking for the latest and greatest that any given community has to offer.

At its worst, it represents the idea of God and the church serving the individual instead of the individual serving God and His Church.

• Jon Acuff wrote about it at his wildly popular ‘Stuff Christians Like” blog.
• Naked Pastor drew it perfectly in the picture displayed to the right.
• On a more serious note, both Josh Harris and the Kevin DeYoung—Ted Kluck tag team duo have tackled this subject as well.  For the former see the book, Stop Dating the Church.  And the latter, Why We Love the Church.

J. Oswald Sanders’ book on leadership is a classic in my line of work. Its titled, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.  I was given a copy a few weeks ago as an ordination gift.

At about 60 pages in I’m finding it to be a very beneficial and humbling read.

Here are a few nuggets of wisdom he offers (or cites) on the subject of…well, of wisdom.  So its wisdom concerning wisdom.

“If knowledge is the accumulation of facts and intelligence the development of reason, wisdom is heavenly discernment.  It is insight into the heart of things.  Wisdom involves knowing God and the subtleties of the human heart.  More than knowledge, it is the right application of knowledge in moral and spiritual matters, in handling dilemmas, in negotiating complex relationships.”

“‘Wisdom is nine-tenths a matter of being wise in time,’ said Theodore Roosevelt.  Most of us are ‘too often wise after the event.’”

“Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much,
Wisdom is humble, that he knows no more.”

“D. E. Hoste knew the importance of wisdom for leaders:

‘When a person in authority demands obedience of another, irrespective of the latter’s reason and conscience, this is tyranny.  On the other hand, when, by the exercise of tact and sympathy, prayer, spiritual power and sound wisdom, one is able to influence and enlighten another, so that a life course is changed, that is spiritual leadership.’”

Get your own copy of this great work through the link below.



(For email, RSS, or Facebook readers you may need to click through to the original post on my site in order to view all the links.)

In his book, Why Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon asks the question,

“How has the movement from language-based media to image-based and electronic media altered our sensibilities, and how, in turn, has this change in sensibility shaped today’s preachers?” (p. 16)

His answer is rather direct and gives no reason for celebration.  He confesses that,

“Less than 30 percent of those who are ordained to the Christian ministry can preach an even mediocre sermon.” (p. 11)

Gordon offers help by way of reference.  He points his readers to Robert Lewis Dabney’s book on homiletics, Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric.  There Dabney constructs “The Seven Cardinal Requisites of Preaching.”

For the purpose of brevity I’ll only list the seven requisites with Gordon’s test questions.  The questions are to be asked for the sake of determining whether a given sermon contains that requisite.  Very helpful stuff.

1. Textual Fidelity
   Test: Does the significant point of the sermon arise out of the significant point of the text?
2. Unity
   Test: If ten people are asked after the sermon what the sermon was about, will at least eight of them give the same (or a similar) answer?
3. Evangelical Tone
   Test: Does the sermon press the hearer to consider the hopelessness of his condition apart from Christ, and the utter competence of Christ to rescue the penitent sinner?
4. Instructiveness
   Test: Does the sermon significantly engage the mind, or  is the sermon full of commonplace cliches, slogans, and general truths?
5. Movement
   Test: Do the earlier parts of the sermon  contribute to the latter parts’ full effect?
6. Point
   Test: Is the effect of the sermon, on those who believe it, similar?
7. Order
   Test: Could the hearers compare notes and reproduce the outline of the sermon?

All of us preachers would do well to strive to contain each of these elements in our every sermon.  Gordon’s book was excellent.  I recommend every preacher get their own copy.  You can do so for only $10 or less through the link below.

A prayer to remember this morning as we go to the house of the Lord:

We are going to the house of prayer

pour upon us the spirit of grace and supplication;

We are going to the house of praise,

awaken in us every grateful and cheerful emotion;

We are going to the house of instruction,

give testimony to the Word preached,

and glorify it in the hearts of all who hear;

may it enlighten the ignorant,

awaken the careless, reclaim the wandering,

establish the weak, comfort the feeble-minded,

make ready a people for their Lord.

—Taken from the, “First Day Morning: Worship” in The Valley of Vision

I was ordained by my church  last weekend.  I was given a gift to spend on books/supplies/whatever would help me in my ministry of preaching.  Needless to say for anyone who knows me, I spent every dime of it on books!

I do hope to post about what a wonderful, sobering, and worshipful experience it was being ordained, but for now I’ll share how I spent the ordination gift money.  I considered using it to buy a set of NT commentaries, but I’ve already got several complete sets that are great (Calvin, Expositor’s, MacArthur, Henry, Barnes, et al).  Instead I went through and worked on my Amazon Wish List.  With the monies given I was able to buy twenty different titles and still manage to have a few bucks leftover.  Yes!

Here are the books that are in the mail and on their way to my house right now. If you’re tantalized by any of these works, feel free to click through the links and buy your own copy. None of them were too expensive, and they all came highly recommend to me through various friends, acquaintances, or other related books.

(If you’re viewing this post through an email or Facebook note, you may need to visit my site in order for it to be displayed correctly.)

Approaching the halfway mark through Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck’s, Why We Love the Church.  Really liking this one.  Almost as a side note DeYoung addresses the subject of pastors handling criticism of their preaching.

He writes,

“Every preacher has to learn to handle criticism.  In addition to a lot of encouraging comments, I’ve been told my sermons are too long, too boring, too light, too heavy, too Reformed, not Reformed enough, too focused on application, and too light on application.” (p. 74-75)

Sound familiar?  I’ve definitely gotten the “Your-sermons-are-too-long” one before.  What’s your version?

DeYoung goes on to explain,

“I haven’t fully figured out how to handle criticism, but first I try to listen and understand  what my critics are saying.  Then I consider the source—their attitude, their track record, their motives.  Finally, I ask the Lord for wisdom to know if I should pay attention or forget about the conversation.” (p. 75)

That’s a good word.  Let’s take it to heart.

While I was looking for a picture to display in this post I came across these little gems from a religious cartoon blog, Indiscriminate Ink.  Funny stuff.  He’s got more.  Check ‘em out.

I recently picked up a copy of Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck’s recently published work, Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion (July, 2009).  I’ve only read the first few chapters, but so far I’ve enjoyed and agreed with pretty much everything.  You can learn more about the book from its website.  Also, you may want to check out Tim Challies’ review of it over at Discerning Reader.

On pages 32-36 DeYoung elucidates the necessity of the gospel to the life of the Church by way of positing several questions that churches need to ask themselves concerning how they handle the gospel.

Here are those questions:

1. Are we getting in the way of the gospel?
2. Are we believing the gospel?
3. Are we relying on the power of the gospel?
4. Are we getting the gospel out?
5. Are we getting the gospel right?
6. Are we adorning the gospel with good works?
7. Are we praying for the work of the gospel?
8. Are we training up our children in the gospel?
9. Are we trusting God’s sovereignty in the gospel?

These are questions we all need to be asking of ourselves as well as of our churches.  (Just in case there’s any uncertainty as to what the gospel is, I ‘d suggest checking out this “Gospel Definitions” resource from Trevin Wax’s, Kingdom People blog.)

The first half of the book has proven very beneficial.  I’d recommend it to anyone, but most especially to younger people or anyone who ministers to younger people (”younger” = teens to mid-thirties).

The books only $10.  You can get your own copy through the link below.