BOOK HIGHLIGHT – Truths We Confess, Three-Volume Set by R.C. Sproul

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Kim

Truths We Confess, Three-Volume Set: A Layman’s guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith by R.C. Sproul

In his three-volume exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith, R. C. Sproul writes both with insight into current issues and clarity for lay readers. The resulting commentary will long serve the church as an invaluable aid for digesting and teaching the eternal truths of Scripture.

Volume 1, The Triune God | 288 pages | $22.00

Summary — Explains the Confession’s stance on Holy Scripture, God and the Trinity, his decrees, creation, providence, the fall into sin, God’s covenant, and Christ the Mediator. Volume one of three.

Volume 2, Salvation and the Christian Life | 368 pages | $25.99

Summary — Explains the doctrines of free will, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, faith, repentance, good works, perseverance, assurance, God’s law, Christian liberty, the Sabbath, and oaths. Volume two of three.

Volume 3, The State, the Family, the Church, and Last Things | 288 pages | $22.00

Summary — Treats the civil magistrate, marriage, divorce, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, church government, the final judgment, and the afterlife. Volume three of three.

About the Author

R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) is founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He has written more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. He is also general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, which has been published with the New King James Version and the English Standard Version. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and teaches on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind.

Excerpt taken from The Shepherd Leader by Timothy Witmer

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Kim

Here is an excerpt taken from The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church by Timothy Z. Witmer.

The Lord’s self-revelation as “shepherd” of his people is not merely a metaphor with which his people could clearly relate, but it is one that describes the comprehensive care that he provides for his people. Again, this is clearly seen in Psalm 23, where the Lord’s care for his people leads to the superlative expression of gratitude and praise from his people, “I shall not want.” Nothing is lacking in the care provided for the flock. Not only does he feed them, but he also leads them and protects them.

The reassurance of his faithfulness is given to them even when they are straying. Isaiah writes, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isa. 40:11 NIV). When the work of shepherding is difficult, the commitment of the shepherd is truly revealed. Yet shepherding is a labor of love to the one who truly is a shepherd.

The shepherding metaphor is not only comprehensive with respect to the nature of the care received but also with respect to the extent. This is one important distinction between the metaphor of father and that of shepherd. Children grow up and become less dependent on their earthly fathers, though the relationship continues. Sheep, on the other hand, are always completely dependent on their shepherd. They never outgrow their need for the shepherd to care for them, feed them, lead them, and protect them. The shepherd cares for the newborn lambs and is still there when the sheep grow old and weak. Therefore, the imagery of shepherd-sheep captures the comprehensive sovereignty of the shepherd over the sheep and the need of the sheep to yield completely to his care. The good news is that the Lord uses his sovereign power for the well-being of his flock.

Author Highlight – Dennis E. Johnson

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Kim

Dennis E. Johnson (ThM, Westminster Theological Seminary; PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, and contributor to numerous books and theological journals. He is the author of five P&R titles.

1. The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption

272 pages | List Price: $16.99 | Paperback

Summary — Johnson shows how the themes of Acts, centering on redemption in Jesus Christ, connect with both Old Testament prophecy and our experience today.

2. Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation

400 pages | List Price: $24.99 | Hardcover

Summary — The book of Revelation is an unveiling, a vivid disclosure of invisible realities. Yet its bizarre imagery often leaves us puzzled. Dennis E. Johnson deftly guides us through questions about how to interpret Revelation, what it meant to its original audience, and how it equips us today. He explains that Revelation fortifies the church against the Enemy’s wiles by disclosing the profound paradoxes of Christ’s victory and glory. The central themes of Revelation converge with Christ’s triumph over the Enemy.

3. Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures

512 pages | List Price: $24.99 | Paperback

Summary — Challenging modern preachers to expound the Bible like Peter and Paul, Him We Proclaim makes the hermeneutical and historical case for a return to apostolic preaching—preaching that is Christ-centered, redemptive-historical, missiologically communicated, and grounded in grace. But moving beyond theory, Him We Proclaim provides examples of how this method applies to all Old and New Testament genres—history; law; psalm; prophecy; doctrine and exhortation.

4. Philippians

384 pages | List Price: $29.99 | Hardcover | Reformed Expository Commentary series | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary — The truth revealed behind the phrase “for me to live is Christ” transforms our responses to present imperfections and future hope. Johnson’s commentary—grounded in pastoral application—is ideal for sermon preparation and devotional reading.

5. Walking with Jesus through His Word: Discovering Christ in All the Scriptures

312 pages | List Price: $16.99 | Paperback | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary — Dennis Johnson takes readers of the Bible on a journey of discovery through the Old and New Testaments, pointing out a network of trails—recurring themes that link events, individuals, institutions, and offices—connecting biblical texts and times to Jesus the Christ, the fulfiller of God’s promises, the redeemer of God’s people, and the founder of our covenant with him.

About the Reformed Expository Commentary Series

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Kim

Learn more about the Reformed Expository Commentary series by reading this introduction to the series, written by Richard D. Phillips & Philip Graham Ryken, the two REC series editors.

SERIES INTRODUCTION

In every generation there is a fresh need for the faithful exposition of God’s Word in the church. At the same time, the church must constantly do the work of theology: reflecting on the teaching of Scripture, confessing its doctrines of the Christian faith, and applying them to contemporary culture. We believe that these two tasks—the expositional and the theological—are interdependent. Our doctrine must derive from the biblical text, and our understanding of any particular passage of Scripture must arise from the doctrine taught in Scripture as a whole.

We further believe that these interdependent tasks of biblical exposition and theological reflection are best undertaken in the church, and most specifically in the pulpits of the church. This is all the more true since the study of Scripture properly results in doxology and praxis—that is, in praise to God and practical application in the lives of believers. In pursuit of these ends, we are pleased to present the Reformed Expository Commentary as a fresh exposition of Scripture for our generation in the church. We hope and pray that pastors, teachers, Bible study leaders, and many others will find this series to be a faithful, inspiring, and useful resource for the study of God’s infallible, inerrant Word.

The Reformed Expository Commentary has four fundamental commitments. First, these commentaries aim to be biblical, presenting a comprehensive exposition characterized by careful attention to the details of the text. They are not exegetical commentaries—commenting word by word or even verse by verse—but integrated expositions of whole passages of Scripture. Each commentary will thus present a sequential, systematic treatment of an entire book of the Bible, passage by passage. Second, these commentaries are unashamedly doctrinal. We are committed to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Each volume will teach, promote, and defend the doctrines of the Reformed faith as they are found in the Bible. Third, these commentaries are redemptive-historical in their orientation. We believe in the unity of the Bible and its central message of salvation in Christ. We are thus committed to a Christ-centered view of the Old Testament, in which its characters, events, regulations, and institutions are properly understood as pointing us to Christ and his gospel, as well as giving us examples to follow in living by faith. Fourth, these commentaries are practical, applying the text of Scripture to contemporary challenges of life—both public and private—with appropriate illustrations.

The contributors to the Reformed Expository Commentary are all pastor-scholars. As pastor, each author will first present his expositions in the pulpit ministry of his church. This means that these commentaries are rooted in the teaching of Scripture to real people in the church. While aiming to be scholarly, these expositions are not academic. Our intent is to be faithful, clear, and helpful to Christians who possess various levels of biblical and theological training—as should be true in any effective pulpit ministry. Inevitably this means that some issues of academic interest will not be covered. Nevertheless, we aim to achieve a responsible level of scholarship, seeking to promote and model this for pastors and other teachers in the church. Significant exegetical and theological difficulties, along with such historical and cultural background as is relevant to the text, will be treated with care.

We strive for a high standard of enduring excellence. This begins with the selection of the authors, all of whom have proven to be outstanding communicators of God’s Word. But this pursuit of excellence is also reflected in a disciplined editorial process. Each volume is edited by both a series editor and a testament editor. The testament editors, Iain Duguid for the Old Testament and Daniel Doriani for the New Testament, are accomplished pastors and respected scholars who have taught at the seminary level. Their job is to ensure that each volume is sufficiently conversant with up-to-date scholarship and is faithful and accurate in its exposition of the text. As series editors, we oversee each volume to ensure its overall quality—including excellence of writing, soundness of teaching, and usefulness in application. Working together as an editorial team, along with the publisher, we are devoted to ensuring that these are the best commentaries our gifted authors can provide, so that the church will be served with trustworthy and exemplary expositions of God’s Word.

It is our goal and prayer that the Reformed Expository Commentary will serve the church by renewing confidence in the clarity and power of Scripture and by upholding the great doctrinal heritage of the Reformed faith. We hope that pastors who read these commentaries will be encouraged in their own expository preaching ministry, which we believe to be the best and most biblical pattern for teaching God’s Word in the church. We hope that lay teachers will find these commentaries among the most useful resources they rely upon for understanding and presenting the text of the Bible. And we hope that the devotional quality of these studies of Scripture will instruct and inspire each Christian who reads them in joyful, obedient discipleship to Jesus Christ.

May the Lord bless all who read the Reformed Expository Commentary. We commit these volumes to the Lord Jesus Christ, praying that the Holy Spirit will use them for the instruction and edification of the church, with thanksgiving to God the Father for his unceasing faithfulness in building his church through the ministry of his Word.

—Richard D. Phillips & Philip Graham Ryken, Series Editors

Here is the list of books that are included in the Reformed Expository Commentary series so far:

1 & 2 Thessalonians by Richard D. Phillips

1 Kings by Philip Graham Ryken

1 Peter by Daniel M. Doriani

1 Samuel by Richard D. Phillips

1 Timothy by Philip Graham Ryken

1–3 John by Douglas Sean O’Donnell

Acts by Derek W.H. Thomas

Daniel by Iain M. Duguid

Ecclesiastes by Douglas Sean O’Donnell

Ephesians by Bryan Chapell

Esther & Ruth by Iain M. Duguid

Ezra & Nehemiah by Derek W.H. Thomas (to be released 10/31/2016)

Galatians by Philip Graham Ryken

Hebrews by Richard D. Phillips

The Incarnation in the Gospels by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, & Daniel M. Doriani

James by Daniel M. Doriani

John (2 Volume Set) by Richard D. Phillips

Jonah & Micah by Richard D. Phillips

Luke (2 Volume Set) by Philip Graham Ryken

Matthew (2 Volume Set) by Daniel M. Doriani

Philippians by Dennis E. Johnson

Song of Songs by Iain M. Duguid

Zechariah by Richard D. Phillips

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – The Faithful Parent by Martha Peace & Stuart W. Scott

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Kim

The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family by Stuart W. Scott & Martha Peace

256 pages | List Price: $14.99 | Paperback

Summary

Parents and children need help—a lot of help. They need help from the One who is perfect, who understands our need, and who can really help us—God himself. And because of that, the most important relationship in your family is not with your child, it is not with your spouse—it is your relationship with him. That’s the relationship The Faithful Parent emphasizes.

Martha Peace, best-selling author of The Excellent Wife, and Stuart Scott, author of its counterpart, The Exemplary Husband, join forces to challenge you to become a faithful parent—one who perseveres and leaves the results to God.

Endorsements

“The Faithful Parent provides the comprehensive help that parents need. This will be a timeless resource.”

—Tedd Tripp

“Covers the waterfront of biblical parenting . . . shows how to handle those times when things don’t go as planned.”

—Wayne A. Mack

“Read this excellent book with an anticipated joy. You won’t be disappointed!”

—Lance Quinn

“Stuart Scott and Martha Peace are trustworthy guides parents will learn to trust.”

—R. Albert Mohler Jr.

About the Authors

Stuart W. Scott (MDiv, Grace Theological Seminary; DMin, Covenant Theological Seminary) is a board member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and associate professor of biblical counseling at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Martha Peace is a biblical counselor and conference speaker, as well as a bestselling author. She lives with her husband, Sanford, in Peachtree City, Georgia. Martha is also the author of Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face, Tying the Knot Tighter: Because Marriage Lasts a Lifetime, and Modesty: More Than a Change of Clothes.