This week, John Frame’s long-awaited Systematic Theology came out. Westminster Books has it for 50% off the cover price.
Abraham Piper had a blog post that highlighted realistically colorized photos from the past. The effect is amazing, making history seem more real somehow.
D. A. Carson shares “6 Reasons Not to Abandon to Expository Preaching” at the Gospel Coalition site. I’ve been surprised how often expository preaching has been challenged just in the last fifteen years. The reasons Carson gives are ones I’ve heard before, but still hold weight and are worth considering. On a related note: if you’re interested in learning how to preach expositionally through a book, Carson has some helpful advice on that too.
Heath Lambert, president of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (formerly NANC), began a series of posts on the Spiritual Nature of Mental Illness. Here’s part 1: The Gospel and Mental Illness, and part 2: Why Do we Ignore Mental Illness?
Tim Kerr offered some helpful thoughts on “Prayer and God’s Protection.” Another upshot of the article is that I now know where the oft-prayed “hedge of protection” comes from in the Bible.
Kevin DeYoung gives us “10 Errors to Avoid When Talking about Sanctification and the Gospel.” I’m amazed at how such a basic part of the Christian life can still be so mysterious for Christians. Perhaps part of that comes in that sanctification sounds like drudgery and we don’t pursue it like we should? Hopefully, this article will help.
Tim Challies (ever hear of him?) offered up another interview with Joel Beeke on his Puritan Theology. This interview series exceeded my expectations and I’d recommend going back through all of them. This was an especially helpful post, in my opinion, as they discussed “A Few Practical Lessons from the Puritans.” A fitting end it seems, for the Puritans were concerned to connect the glories of the Bible’s theology to the everyday realities of life.
In addition, Challies also posted the first of two Q&A’s with John MacArthur regarding the Strange Fire conference and book. Here, he helps clarify his position and, in my mind, makes clear that much of the hullabaloo is misguided. I think less vitriol should have come from his acknowledged continuationist brothers given that his target is the continuationist theology that produces the false theology of the prosperity gospel.
I’ve long admired the publisher Matthias Media. They publish with a clear intention to help believers make disciples, with most of their works being very practical in nature–actual tools for disciple-making or training others in disciple-making. They have a new site called GoThereFor.com which allows individual users or churches to buy subscription access to many of these resources. It looks amazing and is, in some ways, superior to the similar MinistryGrid.com. This week Tony Payne explained the rationale for GoThereFor.com by posting their Ministry Manifesto.
Finally, Albert Mohler quizzed several SBTS professors (Denny Burk, Heath Lambert, James Hamilton, Thomas Nettles, and Thomas Schreiner) about new books they have written. The result is a great discussion on a wide range of issues. You also get to hear about the upcoming books they are working on, including Mohler’s commentary on Hebrews. Watch the video below, or download the mp3 here to redeem your commute.
MAGNIFY CHRIST 