Reviews …

Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, by Graeme Goldworthy — reviewed by Michael Dewalt:

“I chose to do this review as a personal project in hopes that writing this paper in a personal way will display to you the deep impact that Goldsworthy’s book had on my life, being a part of bringing my head and heart to a further understanding of Reformed theology, which when seen and understood was exactly what I needed.”

At the Triablogue, Paul Manata reviews Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity:

“This is a book you get and read and apply to yourself first. This is a book for all of us, and all of us need to read it and take its warnings seriously.”

Healing for a Broken World, by Steve Monsma, is discussed by Trevin Wax at Kingdom People:

“I knew I had to buy this book when I saw that both Chuck Colson and Ron Sider were recommending it. Healing for a Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy (Crossway, 2008) by Steve Monsma helps evangelicals consider how our Christian faith influences our view of politics and public policy.”

And Kyle Campos reviews an album — John Mark McMillan’s The Medicine — at the Worship.com blog:

“I don’t think there can be any question this is John Mark’s finest work.”

Scottish Baptist church celebrates 200 years

Last week, the Unashamed Workman (Colin Adams) put up a series of posts celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. The church was established in 1808 under the leadership of Christopher Anderson (1782-1852). Here’s a list of Colin’s posts:

• 200 Years of Faithful Preaching
• On Christopher Anderson, the church’s first pastor
• On Joseph Kemp (pastor of CBC during a revival that occurred in 1907)
• On Graham Scroggie
• Audio: Alistair Begg (a former assistant pastor at CBC) preaches for the 200th
• Some Choice Begg Quotes
• Weekend Pictures
• On Sidlow Baxter
• On Gerald Griffiths
• On Alan Redpath
• On Derek Prime

What’s so bad about the prosperity gospel?

Crunchy Con Rod Dreher takes a second look at the preaching of some who insist, “God does not want you to be poor!”

Hubris, or just self-confidence?

The following is an excerpt from a real email received by Dave Black, Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina …

“Dear Colleagues:

Greetings. I write this letter to several of you at the Seminary because I am coming to Raleigh to speak at an event on Saturday Nov. 8 related to the _____, in my capacity as ________.

I … would like to minister at the Seminary by giving a presentation to your Chapel or other venue, or to speak at a big Baptist Church in the area. Since I am coming to Raleigh for the other event, I offer my services to you. Most of my expenses are already paid, so all I would need is an honorarium.

The reason I am bold to write you is because I am a licensed Baptist pastor (with the _______________ Church), I am a dynamic speaker using PowerPoint, I am the Director of the world-renowned _______ Institute, and am official editor of the _________. My presentation on _______ is powerful, faithful to Scripture, and a strong apologetic for the Christian faith. …”

(HT: Rod Decker)

To PPT or not to PPT?

Two recent essays weigh the benefits of Powerpoint:

“Data Dump: PowerPointing the Way to the End of Teaching“, by Ivan Kenneally at Culture11:

“As a teacher at a technical institute (and a very good institute at that) it’s impossible for me to ignore that PowerPoint has become the preferred pedagogic crutch for college professors and a basic expectation of their students. But the added technology doesn’t seem to produce any added value for our increasingly fickle consumers of higher education”

… and Brian Lowery at the Preaching Today blog asks, “PowerPoint: Yea or Nay?“:

“The love affair with PowerPoint continued in such a manner that it spilt over from the academic and business worlds into the world of preaching. It wasn’t long before preachers were just as love struck as my professors. And I wondered: Is this a good thing?”

New sermon podcast

… by pastor Steve Weaver.

7 reasons why speakers flop

An article by Mark Sanborn, from a corporate leadership site called Maximum Impact:

“The beginning of excellence is the elimination of foolishness. You can ramp up your speaking performance by analyzing your last presentation with these seven questions:

1. Did I stick to my allotted time?
2. Did I develop and present purposefully? …”

(HT: Worship.com blog)

Paul, the enigma

Reformation scholar Timothy George ponders the life and influence of the Apostle Paul at First Things:

“Paul and his ideas have been controversial throughout the history of the Church. Paul’s teaching has stirred many reforms and renewals led by great theologians such as Augustine, Luther, Pascal, Wesley, and Barth; but Paul has also been derided and denounced. Nietzsche called Paul a dysangelist, a preacher of bad news, and this opinion has been echoed by many others. Jesus, some say, preached a simple message of love and brotherhood which was perverted by Paul with his legalism and intellectualism—justification, predestination, and all that.”

And Colin Adams reflects on the marks of Paul’s preaching.

Meet William Guthrie (1620-1665)

The chapter on Guthrie from Beeke’s and Pederson’s Meet the Puritans has been posted (courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books) at Timmy Brister’s Provocations and Pantings:

“Under Guthrie’s twenty-year ministry in Fenwick, the town received a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. The new church was filled. Hundreds of people became regular attenders, were reborn, and grew in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus.  Matthew Crawford, who was the minister at Eastwood, said that Guthrie ‘converted and confirmed many thousand souls, and was esteemed the greatest practical preacher in Scotland.’”

Re: preaching …

Roger Faircloth asks, “How many times [per week] should a preacher preach?”

Internet Monk wonders, “Should preachers be comedians?”

And Colin Adams ponders the line between eloquence and manipulation.

(Illustration HT: Vitamin Z)

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