In his book, Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, RC Sproul states that being a Christian is not an acquired skill or discipline, but that it is a living, vital relationship with the God of the universe, a relationship that begins when a person becomes a new creation in Him and receives Jesus as Lord by faith. He states that, like Olympic athletes, Christians are called upon to train, to make sacrifices, and to embrace certain disciplines in order to give God “our utmost for His highest.” This book deals with five of those disciplines: Bible study, prayer, worship, service, and stewardship.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
"Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow" by R.C. Sproul
In his book, Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, RC Sproul states that being a Christian is not an acquired skill or discipline, but that it is a living, vital relationship with the God of the universe, a relationship that begins when a person becomes a new creation in Him and receives Jesus as Lord by faith. He states that, like Olympic athletes, Christians are called upon to train, to make sacrifices, and to embrace certain disciplines in order to give God “our utmost for His highest.” This book deals with five of those disciplines: Bible study, prayer, worship, service, and stewardship.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Discerning the Doctrine of Election
The doctrine of election has confused many people and it is difficult to fathom the balance between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Is our eternal destiny entirely left up to us, or is it sealed by God without regard to our own will and actions? My personal opinion on this matter is that Scripture clearly speaks to both sides of the equation.
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Monday, March 23, 2009
"Become a Better You" by Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, is perhaps the fastest rising TV preacher in our country. Many would look at Houston's Lakewood Church, with its 30,000 people attending services each Sunday in a 16,000-seat arena (once home of the Houston Rockets basketball team) as the epitome of church success. But that success was achieved at a cost to sound doctrine and spiritual integrity. I‟ve had too many people tell me they like listening to Osteen because they are encouraged by his ministry, so I decided to do check him out for myself.Read the rest of the review
Sunday, March 22, 2009
"Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper
In his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper points out that God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. He states that the wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work, not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.Read the rest of the review
You can purchase a copy here
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"The Prince's Poison Cup" by R.C. Sproul
The Prince’s Poison Cup is an amazing book by R.C. Sproul geared for children but just as good for parents. Dr. Sproul is a pastor, teacher, theologian, and philosopher who understands God’s Word so well that he is able to make it understandable to children without sacrificing any of the deep, important meaning of important concepts. This is his fourth book for kids and each one keeps getting better.
Review and Summary of "Finally Alive" by John Piper
Finally Alive is John Piper’s book on the Biblical concept of being “Born Again.” The book actually comes from a series of sermons that Dr. Piper preached at his church from November 2007 to April 2008. He took the sermon manuscripts, edited them slightly, and put them into book form to be used for several purposes – to teach those who are already born again what actually happened to them, to explain to those who are not born again why they desperately need to be, and to lay out how those who are born again are involved in helping those who are not become born again.Read Jared and Julian's revews
Read Jared's summary (9 page PDF)
Read Julian's summary (6 page PDF)
You can purchase a copy here
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Book of Mormon: A FALSE Testament of Jesus Christ
The information contained in this review is the result of spending several weeks with Mormon missionaries in my home. The conversations we had concerning their doctrine lead to much personal research on the topic. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to put my findings into an easily referenced format, and to serve as an introduction to Mormon doctrine for anyone who may be blessed with the opportunity to witness to one. The topics covered in this review are as follows:1. History
2. Can Mormons be considered Christians?
3. Do Mormons believe in salvation by grace through faith?
4. Was Joseph Smith a modern witness (prophet) of Christ?
5. Is the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus
Christ?
6. What is the Mormon claim to restoration, and did the
original church really fall away?
7. How do Mormons view the Bible?
8. Is there salvation for those already dead?
9. Mormon Proof Texts
10. Terminology Differences
11. There is only one way in life: Jesus Christ
May the One and ONLY True God bless you as you read on.
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The True Meaning of Thanksgiving
The first thing that comes to many of our minds when we think about the Thanksgiving holiday is food, along with a few days off from work and school. We have lost the true meaning behind this wonderful holiday, so I would to remind us of the origins behind it.
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The True Meaning of Christmas
People often talk about the “spirit of Christmas” and discovering its true meaning. In our culture, the true meaning of Christmas has been reinterpreted to be “good will toward men.” By that expression they mean that people should get along with one another, have good feelings toward one another, and be nice to one another. I would agree that not to appreciate the human longing for love, happiness, and goodness would be dreadful indeed. However, we must also recognize that the “true meaning” of Christmas lies elsewhere.
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The Origin of Halloween
Over the years I’ve had numerous conversations with different individuals on the topic of Halloween. Questions that came up ranged from whether or not Christians should let their children participate, and if not, do we lock ourselves in the house with the lights turned off or should we in some way try to fight back against this evil? One side of the spectrum says that it’s the most dangerous time of the year, and the other side thinks that it’s nothing more than a secular time of fun and games. Personally, I don’t find it my place to tell you whether or not you should participate in Halloween. That is a decision for you and your family to make on your own, before God. However, I do find it important for everyone to understand the origins of Halloween so you are best equipped to make an educated and rational decision about your family’s participation in this event. Each family must be persuaded in their own mind about how they approach Halloween, so the purpose of this paper is to provide you with an unbiased perspective on its origins, the early church’s response, and nothing more. Once you have prayerfully considered the information contained in this paper, and a decision is made, please be sure to communicate the reasoning behind that decision to your children. It is important for them to understand the origin of this ritual for themselves, as well as why your family chooses to participate or not. So, without much further ado…
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The Shack: Is It Worth Your While To Read?
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This book seems to be growing with rising popularity, especially in Christian circles. While we were first somewhat excited to read it, we were left feeling profoundly disturbed by its content. I’ve heard several people say that it is the best book they have ever read. In fact Eugene Peterson (author of The Message paraphrase) says that, "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good." I have to confess that Young's characterization of the Father as a large, beaming African-American woman, the Son as a Jew with a large nose, and the Holy Spirit is a mysterious Asian female makes me more than just a little uncomfortable. Whether you have read this book or not, most likely some of your friends or loved one have, so please allow me to take a few minutes to share with you a word of caution. It is books like this make our discernment as believers even more necessary than ever before.
Gary Gilley
The Shack Inspection (Links to other good reviews as well)
The Shack Inspection (Links to other good reviews as well)
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