Dispatches from the Front

Publisher: Frontline Missions International

Endorsements

“Beware of watching these Dispatches if you don’t like being moved and inspired and shaken out of the ruts of your life. My wife and I were riveted in watching the frontline reports of God’s work recorded in the Dispatches from the Front. This is the sort of information that builds faith in the present providence of God over his mission, and stirs up action for the sake of lost and hurting people near and far. I would love to see thousands of people mobilized as senders and goers for the sake of the glory of Christ and the relief of suffering on the frontiers, especially eternal suffering. ”
– John Piper, author of Desiring God; Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

“Dispatches from the Front is a thoughtful, moving, understated, and ultimately convicting series of videos depicting the work of the gospel in some of the most challenging corners of the world. Far from glorying in celebrity missions, the stories in these videos depict the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, sometimes in the teeth of virulent opposition. Here are brothers and sisters in Christ who in God’s grace display faithfulness and transcendent joy, unflagging zeal to share the gospel, and an unfettered allegiance to King Jesus. To watch the kingdom advance in the teeth of these challenges is to learn humility and rekindle contrition, faith, and intercessory prayer.”
– D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“I want, and I want my kids to have, a heart for world missions. These videos stir that passion. . . . I would highly recommend this series. ”
– Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, MD

“Dispatches from the Front is a fascinating look at how the gospel is penetrating some of the world’s neediest places. These are regions where all the worst agonies of human life are multiplied and magnified relentlessly by war, extreme poverty, sex trafficking, drug dealing, false religion, and disease. . . . But your spirit will be encouraged by the triumphant power of Christ. ”
– Phil Johnson, Executive Director, Grace to You

“Who knows what might happen if churches and small groups and families were to watch these videos together, open to God’s leading for going and sending? It is a risk to watch them. But the motivation is Gospel grace, not guilt. I cannot recommend too highly these DVDs. ”
– Justin Taylor, Between Two Worlds

Rainy Season Giveaway

Gospel: Recovering the Power That Made Christianity Revolutionary by JD Greear.

Foreword by Tim Keller:

My fellow pastor, J.D. Greear, through his book, has helped us in this quest for gospel-saturated living. He takes the principles of gospel centrality and shows us how to orient our lives around it. I appreciate how in refreshing and real ways he makes the gospel accessible to others so that they can experience its transforming power. I especially like the book’s practical section on gospel prayer as a way to assist us in rehearsing these truths deep into our hearts and minds. Whether you are exploring Christianity for the first time or are longing to ‘look into these things’ again and again, let me invite you to spend time with this helpful book.

Published by Broadman and Holman Publishers, October 2011.

Retail: $14.99

Post a comment to join the Giveaway.

For Philippine residents only.

Draw Date: July 6, 2012.

COMMENTS CLOSED

Congratulations to Christine for joining the giveaway.

Beale’s NT Theology

Some thoughts on Marriage, G. K. Beale writing on the blessings in the pre-fall state (A New Testament Biblical Theology, Baker 2011, 41) :

The marriage relationship of Adam and Eve and all of their progeny appears to have been established as a kind of shadow to point to the consummated end-time relationship of God and his bridal people. That is, human marriage originally was designed even before the fall to be transcended by God’s relationship with his people (this seems to suggest that human marriage will no longer have the purpose of procreation, nor, presumably, will it include a sexual relationship, which appears to be the implication of Matt. 22:30).

Loving the Way Jesus Loves

by Philip Graham Ryken

Endorsements

“There are many expositions of 1 Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter, but not many where at every point the preacher shows how God’s love in Christ Jesus is the very best exposition and truest embodiment of love. Unpacking the love chapter through this prism, Phil Ryken lends great clarity to Paul’s meditation on love and shows how such love drives us back to renewed adoration of Christ. Reflecting on how Christ, by his life and death, makes 1 Corinthians 13 leap from the page drives home the frequent lovelessness of our own lives, strips bare all notions of love that are little more than sentimental twaddle, and provides a concrete robustness to love that is part and parcel of trusting and following Christ.”

– D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Jesus said, ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ But what does it mean to love others? By looking at the love of Jesus in the light of 1 Corinthians 13, Phil Ryken gives us the Biblical answer. Loving the Way Jesus Loves is surely one of the most heart searching books I have ever read. This book is must reading for all who want to grow in Christian love.”

– Jerry Bridges, author, The Pursuit of Holiness

“As usual, Phil Ryken hides his deep scholarship behind readable prose. But the footnotes reveal that he draws on some of the most penetrating scholarly treatments of St Paul’s text. He combines all that with pastoral experience and insight. The result is a masterful, accessible exposition of this great chapter.”

– Timothy J. Keller, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City; bestselling author, The Reason for God

“Phil Ryken is not only a scholar; he is a magnificent expositor of God’s Word. We already benefit from his massive commentaries on so many books of the Bible, and now he turns his attention, both as scholar and as pastor, to the message of 1 Corinthians 13. This is a gift to the entire church.”

– R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Loving the Way Jesus Loves is not just another book on how to love. Rather, it explains how loveless sinners are transformed into loving worshippers because of the transforming power of God’s love in Jesus Christ. This is a biblical, practical, and helpful book.”

– Mark Driscoll, Founding Pastor, Mars Hill Church, Seattle; President, the Resurgence; President, Acts 29 Church Planting Network

“God’s unconditional love blows up all our conditional categories. It’s untamable and promiscuous. It comes our way minus our merit. It’s vertical one-wayness, though, compels horizontal expression. Love from God inevitably shows itself in love for others. And this is what Phil Ryken demonstrates so well. Writing as a pastor-scholar, Ryken makes a passionate plea for the church to rediscover what Francis Schaeffer called ‘the final apologetic’—namely, love. It’s what matters most.”

– Tullian Tchividjian, Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; author, Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Transforming Power of the Gospel

by Jerry Bridges

Endorsements

“Jerry Bridges loves the gospel and wants us to love it too, knowing that as the grace of God captures our hearts, it transforms our lives. As impossible and contradictory as it may seem, grace leads to godliness. I have learned so much of this gospel motivation from Jerry Bridges through the years, and I praise God for this new book that expresses the power of the gospel with such tender and compelling love for Christ.”

– Dr. Bryan Chappell, president, Covenant Seminary; author of Holiness by Grace

“Jerry Bridges encourages God’s people because he writes as one who is constantly discovering and delighting in the deep riches of the gospel. In this book, we hear of not just God’s holiness but also His majestic mercy and the transforming power of His grace. Here, in accessible form, is an overview of the Christian life framed in terms of the completed work of Christ, the empowering presence of the Spirit, and the real call of the believer to respond not in fear but in freedom.”

– Dr. Kelly K. Kapic, professor of theological studies, Covenant College; author of Communion with God: The Divine and the Human in the Theology of John Owen

Salvation Accomplished by the Son

The Work of Christ by Robert A. Peterson

Endorsements

“Peterson conducts a full-orbed tour of Christology, particularly highlighting the often neglected role of Christ’s resurrection in our salvation. Peterson writes with a pastor’s heart, as is evident in the biblical fidelity and remarkable clarity that marks this work.”

-Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Robert Peterson has produced a comprehensive study of Christ’s saving work that puts the cross at the center, but also shows how it is part of a wider plan. He shows how the atonement must be seen in the context of Christ’s whole life and ministry without compromising the essential truth of his penal substitutionary sacrifice for us. This is a refreshing and insightful study, which is much needed at the present time and deserves to be widely read.”

-Gerald Bray, Research Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“Dr. Peterson told me in correspondence, ‘my work is not [systematic theology] as much as laying biblical foundations for systematics.’ Well, people can define terms as they like. But I think Salvation Accomplished by the Son is systematic theology at its very best. It deals with doctrines of systematic theology by bringing them into closest proximity with the biblical texts that justify them. That is the kind of systematics of which we need much more. To explore any question about Jesus’s incarnation, atonement, or resurrection, this is the book to which, after Scripture itself, I would turn first.”

-John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

Give Them Grace

Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Fitzpatrick, Elyse M. and Thompson, Jessica

Endorsements

“So many Christian parents fall into the trap of asking the law to do in the hearts of their children what only grace can accomplish. Armed with threats, manipulation, and guilt, they attempt to create change that only the cross of Jesus Christ makes possible. It is so encouraging to read a parenting book that points parents to the grace of the cross and shows them how to be instruments of that grace in the lives of their children.”

– Paul Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries

“Elyse Fitzpatrick continues her never-ending quest to churn out grace-filled, Christ-centered, gospel-saturated books. And now she’s done it again with her daughter, Jessica, coauthoring this excellent parenting book! If you are a parent, get online and order your copy of Give Them Grace today!”

– Deepak Reju, Pastor of Biblical Counseling and Families, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

“The authors—mother and daughter—remind us that parenting is not only hard but also impossible. Yes, we need to nurture, teach, discipline, train, pray, and model, but we must not depend on our parenting skills to change the hearts of our children. Instead, they counsel parents to ‘rely on the faithfulness of Jesus, our great high priest, to change their hearts.’ Grace for both parents and children flows through the pages of this book; I only wish I had read it at the beginning of my parenting instead of the end.”

– Rose Marie Miller, missionary; speaker; author, From Fear to Freedom

“This is not just a book on parenting; this is deep training in the gospel. Elyse Fitzpatrick shows parents how to model themselves after the heavenly Father, who changed his children not by wrath and the law but by grace. A lot of books talk about gospel-centeredness in theory; this book shows you how to apply it to one of life’s most important relationships.”

– J. D. Greear, Senior Pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina

“In our human attempts to raise good and godly kids, we often forget that God extended his best grace to us. We are not full of grace on our own; we desperately need his grace. Elyse Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Jessica, provide a great tool to guide parents down the road of gracious parenting. I commend it to you.”

– James MacDonald, Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicagoland Area; radio teacher, Walk in the Word

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

by Tullian Tchividjian (twitter.com/PastorTullian)

Endorsements

“In an evangelical culture where so many of us are unaware that the gospel isn’t just what we believe to save us but also what sustains us and carries us into maturity, this book hammers home the gospel’s power for the believer. Whether you have been in church your whole life or recently converted, this book will fuel your affections for our great God and King.”

– Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Highland Village, Texas; author, The Explicit Gospel

“There’s loads of talk about the gospel these days. Some people think that talking about the gospel is ‘trendy’ and that after a while we’ll all calm down and get over it. Oh, I hope not. I hope that the gospel and the desire to move further into the gospel will grow and grow until it transforms our sin-wearied, unbelieving, moralistic, forgetful hearts and sets us aflame for Jesus. Jesus + Nothing = Everything will remind you of the ancient yet ever-fresh truth that everything we need is found in the perfections of Christ—not in ourselves, not in our reputation, our relationships or wealth or accomplishments—in Christ alone. If you’ve never rested in the finished work of Christ this book is for you. If you’ve rested in it for decades like I have, this book is for you, too. Why? Because we forget; And, although we love Jesus, we’re blind to the ways in which his work connects to our daily lives and we wonder why joy and zeal are foreign concepts to us. Buy this book. Read it. It will help you push deeper into the gospel and push the gospel message more deeply into every corner of your life. Tullian Tchividjian understands like few others how the gospel shines like a beacon of hope in times of despair. Listen to him, he’ll help you love the Savior more.”

– Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, counselor; speaker; author, Because He Loves Me and Comforts from the Cross

“Tullian Tchividjian writes like he preaches, as a man consumed with Jesus and the life-giving power of God’s grace. The message of the gospel changes everything and everyone who embraces it. This book reminds us that Jesus is not only all we need—He is all we want!”

– Jack Graham, pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church; former President, Southern Baptist Convention

The Preacher and Preaching

Reviving the Art edited by Samuel T. Logan is available again in paperback just recently released.

Table of Contents

J. I. Packer—Why Preach?

THE MAN

Joel Nederhood — The Minister’s Call

Erroll Hulse — The Preacher and Piety

James Montgomery Boice — The Preacher and Scholarship

R. C. Sproul — The Whole Man

THE MESSAGE

Samuel T. Logan Jr. — The Phenomenology of Preaching

Edmund P. Clowney — Preaching Christ From All the Scriptures

Sinclair B. Ferguson — Exegesis

Hendrik Krabbendam — Hermeneutics and Preaching

Donald Macleod — Preaching and Systematic Theology

Glen C. Knecht — Sermon Structure and Flow

Lester De Koster — The Preacher as Rhetorician

John F. Bettler — Application

Jay E. Adams — Sense Appeal and Storytelling

THE MANNER

Geoffrey Thomas — Powerful Preaching

J. Peter Vosteen — Pastoral Preaching

David A. Dombek — Reading the Word of God Aloud

Gwyn Walters — The Body in the Pulpit Text

The Promised One

Seeing Jesus in Genesis by Nancy Guthrie

I just got this title from Westminster Bookstore and is excited about studying Genesis again. Guthrie has made Genesis easier to go through by dividing it into just ten weekly guides. In that period of time, the student can see the whole story of God’s creation and purposes for man, and as promised, seeing Jesus all the way to his coming. It is Christ-centered and gospel-centered and highly recommended.

An overview of the chapters:

Week 1: The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24); comment: this would seem a surprise!

Week 2: Creation

Week 3: The Fall

Week 4: Noah and the Flood

Week 5: The Tower of Babel

Week 6: Abrham

Week 7: Abraham and Isaac

Week 8: Jacob

Week 9: Joseph

Week 10: The Sons of Jacob