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Bible Study Resources in the Bookstore
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Here is a quick look at seven, handpicked Bible Study resources currently available in the church bookstore:
One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian, by David Helm
One-to-One Bible Reading is a way to help non-Christian colleagues, friends at church, or family members understand more of God’s Word in a way that is simple and personal. The book presents who this kind of relational Bible reading is for, describes how it works and provides training to put it to use.
Pastor David Helm will be at Covenant Life on Saturday, March 3, to teach the book’s contents in a Saturday morning seminar. Come early for coffee and donuts in the lobby.
40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible, by Robert L. Plummer
The author provides a window into biblical hermeneutics (i.e., how to interpret and understand the Bible) for the uninitiated. The format of the book allows readers to pick and choose the issues that are most pertinent to their interests and needs.
Dig Deeper: Tools for Understanding God’s Word, by Nigel Beynon & Andrew Sach
Dig Deeper offers 16 “tools” readers can use to get to the bottom of any Bible passage and discover its intended meaning. The book’s brevity and easy-to-read format make it ideal for Christians who want to get the most out of their Bibles.
Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible, by Daniel M. Doriani
Daniel Doriani provides wonderful guidance for people who fear that they can’t find their way through the Bible. His “how to” guidelines and examples for interpreting Scripture are so clear that even those new to Scripture will say, “Hey, I can do that, too.”
God Has Spoken: Revelation and the Bible, by J.I Packer
Dr. Packer points the way to understanding and applying Scripture by pursuing a lifestyle of Bible-reading and “subjecting the mind of faith to God’s promises.” “At no time since the Reformation,” he observes, “have Protestant Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative and confused as to what they should believe and do.”
God-Centered Biblical Interpretation, by Vern S. Poythress
Poythress offers a look at linguistic principles for understanding Scripture and exposes the idols that lead us away from sound interpretation. In the process he seeks to introduce readers to a Trinitarian approach to interpreting the Bible.
Knowing Scripture, by R.C. Sproul
R.C. Sproul has written for those of us who have a hard time understanding the Bible, providing encouragement to dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. He presents a commonsense approach to studying Scripture and gives eleven practical guidelines for Bible interpretation and application.
December 29 2011 at 10:10 am
Bible Reading Plans
0 CommentsBlogger Justin Taylor has written a post listing a variety of ways to read the Bible in a year. He has done his usual brilliant job, taking time to highlight why having a plan is important and why some plans are weak. He includes 10 Reading Plans for ESV Editions available in an array of formats and how to access them. Take a look, and consider what would work best for you.
Justin is vice president of book publishing and an associate publisher at Crossway. He blogs at “Between Two Worlds,” hosted by the Gospel Coalition.
December 15 2011 at 3:17 pm
Terry Virgo Messages
2 CommentsJoshua mentioned on Sunday that we would make available video of the Terry Virgo messages from this past weekend. Below are all three: two from Saturday evening and one from Sunday.
We are providing them here using a video sharing service called Vimeo. Soon, we’ll be offering video of recent sermons directly in the Resource Library. But for now, feel the freedom to bookmark the Covenant Life Vimeo channel that has sermons going back to December of 2010.
Special thanks to Dave Wilcox and the Production teams who work hard to make live and recorded sermon video (and audio) happen, and Communications volunteer Caleb Barker who has handled much of the processing/encoding of sermon video.
Visit the Resource Library for audio of Terry’s messages.
July 25 2011 at 4:09 pm
Russell Moore Will Speak to Men in October
6 Comments“Tempted and Tried” Trailer - Russell Moore from Crossway on Vimeo.
A “heads up” for men: On the evening of October 22, we’ll have the opportunity to learn once again from our friend Russell Moore. You may recall Dr. Moore’s visit last September and his Sunday message, “Christ in an Orphan-Making Culture.” This time his theme will relate to his recent book, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. The meeting start time is 7 p.m. Stay afterwards for macho snacks and an all-out epic game of dodge ball!
Bio
Russell D. Moore is the Senior Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. The grandson of a Mississippi Baptist preacher, Dr. Moore is also a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church of Louisville, where he ministers weekly. Dr. Moore writes and speaks frequently on topics ranging from the Kingdom of God to the mission of adoption to a theology of country music. He is a senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity and also blogs regularly at Moore to the Point. Dr. Moore’s previous books include Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches and The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective. He and his wife Maria have four sons.
July 12 2011 at 12:12 pm
The Father’s Discipline
0 CommentsJoshua preached on Sunday morning from Hebrews 12:1-11, titling his message “The Father’s Discipline.” Audio and an outline are available in the Resource Library.
As Covenant Life Church is walking through what is surely one of its most difficult challenges, Joshua sought to help us interpret from God’s Word what is taking place. He taught that God disciplines us because he loves us, that his discipline hurts, and that we must be trained by it. He encouraged us all to welcome and invite the good discipline of the Lord in our lives as his sons and daughters.
In his conclusion, Joshua shared a poignant illustration from Charles Spurgeon:
A child had a little garden in which she planted many flowers, but they never grew. She put them in, as she thought tenderly and carefully, but they would not live. She sowed seeds and they sprang up; but very soon they withered away. So she ran to her father’s gardener, and when he came to look at it, he said, “I will make it a nice garden for you, that you may grow whatever you want.” He fetched a pick, and when the little child saw the terrible pick, she was afraid for her little garden. The gardener struck his tool into the ground and began to make the earth heave and shake for his pickaxe had caught the edge of a huge stone which underplayed almost all the little plot of ground. All the little flowers were turned out of their places and the garden spoiled for a season so that the little maid wept much. He told her he would make it a fair garden yet, and so he did, for having removed that stone which had prevented all the plants from striking root he soon filled the ground with flowers which lived and flourished.
Just so, the Lord has come, and has turned up all the soil of your present comfort to get rid of some big stone that was at the bottom of all your spiritual prosperity, and would not let your soul flourish. Do not weep with the child, but be comforted by the blessed results and thank your Father’s tender hand!
July 3 2011 at 2:45 pm
Humble, Orthodox Responses to Controversy on Hell
0 CommentsToday in church Joshua mentioned the controversy surrounding Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins, and the conversation on hell that has unfolded online and in other books. Below are links to a number of resources where bloggers and authors have responded to Rob Bell’s ideas. (Rob Bell is the Founding Pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, Grandville, Mich.)
The first resource is a video of a panel discussion in response to Love Wins recorded at The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference. The panel consists of Kevin DeYoung (moderator), Don Carson, Tim Keller, Crawford Loritts and Stephen Um.
Additional resources:
• Audio of the panel discussion referenced above
• Justin Taylor gives a synopsis of Kevin DeYoung’s review of Love Wins
• Kevin DeYoung’s review of Love Wins
• Francis Chan’s Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up
(at Amazon)
• Post by author Mark Galli about his book, God Wins (includes a link to download the book’s first chapter)
• Randy Alcorn writes about Francis Chan’s Erasing Hell.
• Randy Alcorn writes about Mark Galli’s God Wins.