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Read an Excerpt from Prone to Wander

Posted on by Kim

Below is an excerpt from Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Wayne Duguid Houk & Barbara R. Duguid and edited by Iain M. Duguid.

These prayers open with a scriptural call of confession, confess specific sins, thank the Father for Jesus’ perfect life and death in our place, ask for help of the Spirit in pursuing holiness, and close with an assurance of pardon.

Inspired by the Puritan classic The Valley of Vision, these prayers were developed for both personal devotions and church use.

*Compassion

Call to Confession: Matthew 9:36

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Prayer of Confession

Lord,

You are our faithful shepherd who walks beside us in green pastures and through the valley of deep shadow. You have promised to pursue us with your goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. Yet we confess that we often doubt your compassion and care for us. When we are harassed and helpless, instead of turning to you and trusting you to care for our needs and lead us in straight paths, we seek help in our idols and comfort in our sins. When others around us are harassed and helpless, we are impatient and lacking in compassion, uncaring about their needs and concerns. Father, forgive us.

Jesus, thank you for the compassion that brought you from heaven to live among us as the Good Shepherd. Thank you for entering life’s trials and enduring death’s valley in our place, without fear. Thank you that you always trusted your Father’s care for you, even when he gave you the overflowing, bitter cup of suffering to drink for us. Thank you that you have prepared a bounteous feast for us in your Father’s house and that we will dwell there in heaven with you forever.

Holy Spirit, be our comforter in the midst of the trials of life. Help us to trust you to provide when we are helpless to do so. Teach us to find refuge in you when we have nowhere else to turn and when no one else seems to understand our needs. Enable us in turn to show similar compassion and care to others as well, we pray, to that we may learn to love the other members of your flock as you do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Assurance of Pardon: 1 Peter 2:22-25

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Hymns

“The Lord’s My Shepherd”

“Poor Sinner Dejected with Fear”

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”

*Excerpt taken from pages 126-127 of Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Wayne Duguid Houk & Barbara R. Duguid and edited by Iain M. Duguid, copy­right 2014, P&R Pub­lish­ing, Phillips­burg, NJ.

 

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – The Intimate Marriage by R.C. Sproul

Posted on by Kim

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up this week, I thought that this book would be a good choice for a book highlight post on our blog.

Paperback Edition:

The Intimate Marriage: A Practical Guide to Building a Great Marriage
by R.C. Sproul

168 pages | Direct Price: $9.99 $7.50 | Paperback

Hardcover Edition:

The Intimate Marriage: A Practical Guide to Building a Great Marriage
by R.C. Sproul

168 pages | Direct Price: $16.99 $13.00 | Hardcover

Summary: Available in 2 different editions – a more economical paperback edition and a gift-giving hardcover edition. An excellent resource for pre-engagement, engaged couples, and newlyweds. Discusses practical issues in marriage, with questions at the end of chapters. Do you know someone getting married in the near future? You want that person to experience a fulfilling marriage based on solid principles that will last a lifetime. Help a friend or loved one get his or her marriage off to a great start. Most couples happily in love on their wedding day probably do not realize the skill needed to keep the marriage alive for life—‘til death do us part. Dr. Sproul masterfully guides the couple through various problems seen in a typical marriage. He offers the tools and expertise needed for building on the biblical wisdom lacking in today’s divorce ridden society. This isn’t a sterile how-to book, but one that takes the lessons this Bible teacher has learned from his own marriage. Questions at the end of each chapter enable the couple to apply the truths to their own lives.

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 Truths We Confess, 3 Volume Set, Scripture Alone, The Glory of Christ, The Invisible Hand, and The King Without a Shadow. 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.

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Our mis­sion is to serve Christ and his church by pro­duc­ing clear, engag­ing, fresh, and insight­ful appli­ca­tions of Reformed theology.

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Author Interview with Neil Tolsma

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Neil Tolsma, author of This Is Love: Tracing The Love of God throughout the Biblical Story.

Tolsma_Neil

  • Ques­tion #1 — Tell us a lit­tle bit about your­self: where you’re from, fam­ily, job, per­sonal inter­ests, unique hob­bies, what do you do in your spare time, etc.

I was born February 5, 1935, and grew up in New Jersey. I am a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary class of 1965. This year will mark the 50th anniversary of my graduation and of my ordination.

My wife, Lenore, and I were married in August, 1959. We have three daughters and eight grandchildren. One of our daughters, Liz Tolsma is also a published author. She and her husband Doug Cain have three adopted children Brian (from Vietnam) is serving in the military as a marine,  Alyssa (from South Korea), and Jonalyn (from the Philippines). She writes historical fiction. Our second daughter Carolyn Tews is a labor an delivery nurse. She and her husband Greg Tews are the parents of three girls, Sarah, Becca, and Hannah.  Our youngest daughter Elaine Harlow is an artist and she and her husband Rick Harlow are the parents of Olivia and Daniel, who is adopted from Guatemala.

After serving as pastor of Bethel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 1965 until 1974, I was installed to serve Falls Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin until my retirement in 2004. In my retirement, along with my work as a writer, I substitute preach at various churches fairly regularly.

  • Ques­tion #2 — What inspired you to write this book, about this topic?

While at seminary, Professor John Murray urged us as his students to get a subject in mind, research it and maybe in time write a book on that subject. After counseling a number of people and also “as I prepared sermons, I again and again found myself dealing with the idea of love. It pervades the Scriptures.” [Quoting from the preface of my book This Is Love and you can find more about how I came to write my book there] This prodded me to write a book on love. Especially after I found how few people truly understood what godly love is all about. My book This Is Love seeks to define godly love. The book I am now working on will deal with the practice of godly love.

  • Questions #3 & #4 — Did you always enjoy writing? How do you deal with writer’s block?

My interest in writing came early. While in grade school my teacher read a story I had written to the class. I remember how she she complimented me on it and how the kids in class were excited as she read it. In college I was also complimented on my writing. I do enjoy writing but also find it a grind at times especially when hit with writer’s block. I find it best to overcome the block simply forcing my to get on with the research and write even though I may end up deleting what I write.

  • Ques­tion #5 — Which writ­ers inspire you?

Authors who have had the most influence on me in my life as a pastor: early in my ministry Edmund Clowney‘s Preaching and Biblical Theology, and Herman Ridderbos‘ The Coming of the Kingdom, and later his book on Paul’s theology. Since I am retired, writing as become my chief occupation. At the present I am teaching an adult Sunday school class using the outline of the book I am presently working on. I did this while writing my first book too and found it very helpful in organizing my thinking and the content of the book. Some good suggestions came from those attending the study.

  • Ques­tion #6 — Favorite sport to watch? Why? Favorite sport’s team?

I’m not much of a sports fan although I do like watching bike racing on TV and particularly the Tour de France. I used to run and earned a couple of medals and some ribbons for my running. Including a gold in one run for best in my age group (70s). The laugh is that I happened to be the only runner in that age group. But I had the last laugh since I ran faster than all the guys in the next younger group. I’m not running now because of a sore knee. I would like to start again but my knee isn’t cooperating.

  • Question # 7 — What is your favorite animal?

I love giraffes. I think they are the coolest animals. My grandchildren kid me about it. When she had an opportunity to feed a giraffe at the local zoo, my granddaughter, Alyssa Cain, asked me to go with her. That was fun. My youngest grandson, Daniel Harlow, even made up a book about giraffes for me, carefully cutting out pictures of giraffes to paste in the book along with facts about the animal.

  • Question #8 — What is your favorite food?

My favorite food: eggs, Leyden cheese, and peanut butter. Not at the same time of course. My wife is a great cook and she rarely makes something I do not like.

  • Question #9 — Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture?

When preaching I’ve often remarked that the text of my sermon is my favorite passage in the Bible. I am in love with the Bible plain and simple. But there are parts of Scripture that resonate with me: Psalm 27, the Gospel of John, and Philippians.

 

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – Sermons on the Book of Micah by John Calvin; Translated and Edited by Benjamin Wirt Farley

Posted on by Kim
Sermons on the Book of Micah by John Calvin
translated and edited by Benjamin Wirt Farley

456 pages | Direct Price: $19.99 $8.00 | Paperback | Published: 2003

Summary: When John Calvin preached through the book of Micah in 1550-51, he addressed a social situation not unlike Micah’s, or ours today. The prophet Micah confronted idolatry, superstition, confusion, alienation, inhumane acts, and personal and social desolation in his own day. And he continues to speak to us, through the Genevan Reformer, in these twenty-eight sermons.

Calvin’s commitment to the sovereignty of divine grace “underlies almost every sentence he preaches in the series,” writes Benjamin Farley in his introduction to this volume. Other themes receiving special attention are God’s Word, his providence and human suffering, and man’s role in sanctification.

What Other Say About this Book:

“Calvin’s vibrant and vital preaching is heard in these sermons on Micah translated by veteran Calvin scholar Benjamin Farley. Though preached centuries ago to Calvin’s Geneva congregation, the sermons come alive for our time through this superb translation.” – Donald K. McKim

“Farley is a seasoned interpreter of Calvin’s legacy, and I welcome his fresh translation of Calvin’s Sermons on the Book of Micah. Calvin’s vocation as a minister of the divine Word is nowhere better seen than in his pulpit work, and these sermons give us new insight into Calvin the preacher.” – Timothy George

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Our mis­sion is to serve Christ and his church by pro­duc­ing clear, engag­ing, fresh, and insight­ful appli­ca­tions of Reformed theology.

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NEW RELEASE – Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality, Second Edition by Iain M. Duguid

Posted on by Kim
Here is what Iain Duguid wrote about this second edition:

“This book originated as a series of sermons preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Oxford, England; they were then updated and redelivered in a very different setting during a pastoral vacancy at Aliso Creek Presbyterian Church in Laguna Niguel, California. This second edition reflects the changes and development in my preaching over the past twenty years, and specifically my ministry at Christ Presbyterian Church in Grove City, where I returned to these foundational texts: I hope that the grace of God in Jesus Christ is even more prominent now than ever, and I want to thank all these congregations of God’s people for their encouragement and support.”

Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality, Second Edition by Iain M. Duguid

208 pages | List Price: $14.99 | Series: Gospel According to the Old Testament

Summary: All too often we look at our lives and wonder, “Is this really how life should be for a Christian?” God has made glorious promises to his people in Scripture. Has he failed us when we suffer through sickness, unemployment, broken relationships, recurring sin, or other trials?

Those caught in painful, stagnant, or simply unglamorous circumstances find a sympathetic figure in Abraham, who spent years living in the gap between promise and reality. Working his way chapter by chapter through the Genesis account of Abraham’s life, Iain Duguid shows how Abraham, in both his faith and failure, points to Jesus and the gospel, providing an example and a profound encouragement for us today.

About the Author: 

Duguid_IainIain M. Duguid (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He has written numerous works of biblical exposition, including Esther & Ruth and Daniel in the Reformed Expository Commentary series, Ezekiel in the NIV Application Commentary series, and Numbers in the Preaching the Word series.

What Others Say About This Series: 

“Written at a thoughtful but popular level.” — D. A. Carson

“Like manna in the desert.” — Sinclair Ferguson

“A tremendous resource.” — Tim Keller

“An important series.” — Philip Graham Ryken

Other Books in The Gospel According to the Old Testament Series:

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Our mis­sion is to serve Christ and his church by pro­duc­ing clear, engag­ing, fresh, and insight­ful appli­ca­tions of Reformed theology.

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