Really Good Resources On... Humility (#3)

While it may not be the easiest thing to read, Jonathan Edwards' writing on pride and humility is well worth the effort. Edwards help in discerning spiritual pride comes in the midst his work on The Great Awakening. These 18 pages will help you to discern your heart at a whole new level and also help you to apply the gospel as a means to grow in humility. Let me encourage you that the work of wading through Edwards writing is always rewarded!

Here's a link to the section on Undiscerned Spiritual Pride.

Really Good Resources On... Humility (#2)

Not convinced of your need to grow in humility? These three messages on pride by Brent Detwiler will do the trick. I've listened to these messages countless times and have always been freshly convicted of my pride and spurred on in my pursuit of humility. These messages are undoubtedly in my top 10 of all time.

50 Fruits of Pride (1)
50 Fruits of Pride (2)
50 Fruits of Pride (3)
Outline

Really Good Resources On... Humility.

Perhaps the single most convicting writing on pride that we've read is a chapter from Thomas Watson's The Godly Man's Picture. This is a short (10 page) but hard-hitting section that will not leave unmortified pride untouched.

Here is a taste:

Question: How may a Christian know that he is humble and consequently godly? [He expounds on each of the following answers.]

Answer 1: A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself.
Answer 2: A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself.
Answer 3: A humble soul has a low esteem of his duties.
Answer 4: A humble man is always preferring bills of indictment against himself.
Answer 5: A humble man will justify God in an afflicted condition.
Answer 6: A humble soul is a Christ magnifier.
Answer 7: A humble soul is willing to take a reproof for sin.
Answer 8: A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased.
Answer 9: A humble saint likes that condition which God sees best for him.
Answer 10: A humble Christian will stoop to the meanest person and the lowest office; he will visit the poorest member of Christ.

Really Good Resources on...

Ok, we promised some content would be coming shortly so here's what we're looking at... Over the next several weeks we will be taking a topic each week and doing posts on the three or four most influential books, sermons, articles, etc. that have impacted us. We thought it might serve if we highlight some really good resources that could help you to grow in a particular area. So, here we go...

Productivity and Waiting on the Lord

I thought these comments by Francis Schaffer were helpful and challenging as we continue to grow in prayer as a church:

"Let us not think that waiting on the Lord will mean getting less done. The truth is that by doing the Lord's work in the Lord's way we will accomplish more, not less. You need not fear that if you wait for God's Spirit you will not get as much done as if you charge ahead in the flesh. After all, who can do the most, you or the God of Heaven and earth?"


Then he goes on to challenge what we think it will look like for the Spirit to come and work in our lives:

"Nor should we think that our role will be passive. The moving of the Holy Spirit should not be contrasted with either proper self-fulfillment or tiredness. To the contrary, both the Scriptures and the history of the church teach that if the Holy Spirit is working, the whole man will be involved and there will be much cost to the Christian. The more the Holy Spirit works, the more Christians will be used in battle, and the more they are used, the more there will be personal cost and tiredness. It is quite the opposite of what we might first think. People often cry out for the work of the Holy Spirit and yet forget that when the Holy Spirit works, there is always tremendous cost to the people of God--weariness and tears and battles. (Francis Schaffer, No Little People, 73).

Ouch! That last sentence stung!


(HT: Justin Taylor)

Busy Seasons

So there has been a drought of blog postings lately... But hopefully a thunderstorm is coming. We are working on putting together some (hopefully) helpful series regarding a number of topics. Keep checking back.

Piper Responds to Obama on Abortion

John Piper models how we should respond to our President's stance on abortion:

Between Two Worlds: Piper Responds to Obama on Abortion

Posted using ShareThis

HT: Justin Taylor

Something to Weep Over this Week When You Pray:

Abortion. Here is a clinic that advertises abortions up to 21.6 weeks.

Here are some helpful points to talk about when you are seeking to persuade someone about how abortion is...wrong.

Be bold in your persuasion. Be fresh out of the prayer closet, nice and broken. Be humble.

My Top 10 Books of 2008

At a recent gathering with my family, everyone was asked to answer the question, "What was the best book you read this past year?" As I thought about the question, I began to remember several books that had significantly impacted me this year. Since I'm a sucker for lists, I decided to put together a top 10 list. I attempted to rank the books according to the long-term impact I think they will wield on my thinking. So, here's my list:



1. The Gospel Primerby Milton Vincent







2. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller







3. Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Howard & Geraldine Taylor







4. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley







5. When the Spirit Comes With Power by John White







6. God at Work by Gene Veith







7. The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo







8. In My Place Condemned He Stood by Mark Dever and J.I. Packer







9. The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds by E.M. Bounds







10. The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Jesus Is My Helper, My Example, My Inspiration--but not My SAVIOR!

"If, like the elder brother (speaking of the Parable of the Two Lost Sons), you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example, even your inspiration, but he is not your Savior. You are serving as your own Savior." Tim Keller, "The Prodigal God."

This is easily one of the best 5 books I have ever read. Buy this and read it immediately.

I don't know that any book I've ever read has so clearly articulated, and re-articulated the Gospel. This book will forever change your understanding of the Gospel, of the Savior, it will redefine sin for you, it will redefine Christianity for you, it will redefine how you think of other people and yourself, it will redefine ministry.

"The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller
(you read the name right! He even renames the famous parable in the Bible...AND he calls God "prodigal"). Whoa.

PS-For anyone looking for some (not all though!) of the questions the emergent church is asking but different answers, conclusions and direction than the emergent church--this book, and this guy is for you.