The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

Tim Challies writes,

The Bible teaches there is a clear relationship between spiritual discernment and spiritual maturity. For a Christian to be mature, he must also be discerning. Those who are not discerning must be immature, backsliding, or dead. Conversely, those who exhibit discernment must be alive, growing, and mature. It is clear from Scripture that all Christians are expected to pursue discernment, for the Bible cries out repeatedly for us to do so. It is the responsibility of each Christian to heed and to answer the call and so to guard the deposit God has entrusted to us.

read more about the discipline of spiritual discernment.

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

Tim Challies writes,

The Bible teaches there is a clear relationship between spiritual discernment and spiritual maturity. For a Christian to be mature, he must also be discerning. Those who are not discerning must be immature, backsliding, or dead. Conversely, those who exhibit discernment must be alive, growing, and mature. It is clear from Scripture that all Christians are expected to pursue discernment, for the Bible cries out repeatedly for us to do so. It is the responsibility of each Christian to heed and to answer the call and so to guard the deposit God has entrusted to us.

read more about the discipline of spiritual discernment.

Christianity Today Book Awards 2008

Books, like proverbs, receive their chief value from the stamp and esteem of ages through which they have passed.—Sir William Temple

Of the hundreds of books nominated for a Christianity Today book award, a small percentage receives awards. Those awarded often deserve extra attention.

Christianity Today Book Awards 2008

Apologetics/Evangelism

There Is A God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind

Antony Flew with Roy Abraham Varghese (HarperOne)"Makes the philosophical search for God both accessible and exciting. After a meal of Flew's rich stew of argument and opinion, one lifts a spoonful of most professional apologetics and mutters, 'Thin soup indeed.'"

Biblical Studies

The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition

Paul Rhodes Eddy and Gregory A. Boyd (Baker Academic)"Answers a timeless question: Can we trust the Gospels to report to us an historical portrait of Jesus? This is simply an amazing book: exhaustive in its coverage, elegant in its style. Will see heavy use for many years to come."

Christianity and Culture

Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite

D. Michael Lindsay (Oxford)"A lucid and well-documented survey. If we ever doubted that evangelicals have been playing a significant role in modern culture, we need doubt no longer. Lindsay's access to hundreds of leaders is an accomplishment in itself."

Christian Living

Caring for Mother: A Daughter's Long Goodbye

Virginia Stem Owens (Westminster John Knox)"Owens provides a moving and painfully honest personal account of her own journey with an aging parent struggling with dementia. Honesty, simplicity, and openness to the hard, deep lessons that age, dementia, and death offer those who come alongside."

The Church/ Pastoral Leadership

The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry

Ajith Fernando (Crossway)"Simple, yet deep. Speaks directly to the heart of the pastor, to this confusing intersection where the calling into Christ's service, our greatest delight, is also the source of suffering. Fernando escorts the reader on a journey into the essence of ministry that will change the minister forever."

Fiction

Quaker Summer

Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)"Samson shines with themes of grace, purpose, and the emptiness of what we call success. Her stories prompt Christians to rethink stereotypes and call them to riskier living. Neither contrived nor saccharine; manages to convict without preaching."

History/Biography

A Secular Age

Charles Taylor (Belknap)"Massive and erudite, yet moving. Offers a powerful historical analysis of secularization, secularity, and secularism in the modern West. The best book ever written on the West's transition 'from a society where belief in God is unchallenged and, indeed, unproblematic to one in which it is understood to be one option among others, and frequently not the easiest to embrace.'"

Missions/Global Affairs

Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity

Lamin O. Sanneh (Oxford)"Global sweep and academic depth. A masterful piece demonstrating the development of global Christianity. Sanneh shows missions as the complex story of missionaries and the national movements that missionaries set in motion, in all its warts and glory."

Spirituality

The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way

Eugene H. Peterson (Eerdmans)"Rugged and fearless, challenging and informed. Draws readers into a bold and knowledgeable conversation on the ways we go about following Jesus—and the ways we do not. A refreshing and accomplished reflection. A truly landmark work."

Theology/Ethics

Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music

Jeremy S. Begbie (Baker Academic)"A profoundly creative, wonderfully engaging reflection on the encounter of theology and music. Impressive for its thoughtfulness, theological depth, and balance. Offers a robust theology of creativity and worship. Begbie's book is as good a way as any to discover afresh how faith comes through hearing."

*sigh* too many books, too little time

Christianity Today Book Awards 2008

Books, like proverbs, receive their chief value from the stamp and esteem of ages through which they have passed.—Sir William Temple

Of the hundreds of books nominated for a Christianity Today book award, a small percentage receives awards. Those awarded often deserve extra attention.

Christianity Today Book Awards 2008

Apologetics/Evangelism

There Is A God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind

Antony Flew with Roy Abraham Varghese (HarperOne)"Makes the philosophical search for God both accessible and exciting. After a meal of Flew's rich stew of argument and opinion, one lifts a spoonful of most professional apologetics and mutters, 'Thin soup indeed.'"

Biblical Studies

The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition

Paul Rhodes Eddy and Gregory A. Boyd (Baker Academic)"Answers a timeless question: Can we trust the Gospels to report to us an historical portrait of Jesus? This is simply an amazing book: exhaustive in its coverage, elegant in its style. Will see heavy use for many years to come."

Christianity and Culture

Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite

D. Michael Lindsay (Oxford)"A lucid and well-documented survey. If we ever doubted that evangelicals have been playing a significant role in modern culture, we need doubt no longer. Lindsay's access to hundreds of leaders is an accomplishment in itself."

Christian Living

Caring for Mother: A Daughter's Long Goodbye

Virginia Stem Owens (Westminster John Knox)"Owens provides a moving and painfully honest personal account of her own journey with an aging parent struggling with dementia. Honesty, simplicity, and openness to the hard, deep lessons that age, dementia, and death offer those who come alongside."

The Church/ Pastoral Leadership

The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry

Ajith Fernando (Crossway)"Simple, yet deep. Speaks directly to the heart of the pastor, to this confusing intersection where the calling into Christ's service, our greatest delight, is also the source of suffering. Fernando escorts the reader on a journey into the essence of ministry that will change the minister forever."

Fiction

Quaker Summer

Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)"Samson shines with themes of grace, purpose, and the emptiness of what we call success. Her stories prompt Christians to rethink stereotypes and call them to riskier living. Neither contrived nor saccharine; manages to convict without preaching."

History/Biography

A Secular Age

Charles Taylor (Belknap)"Massive and erudite, yet moving. Offers a powerful historical analysis of secularization, secularity, and secularism in the modern West. The best book ever written on the West's transition 'from a society where belief in God is unchallenged and, indeed, unproblematic to one in which it is understood to be one option among others, and frequently not the easiest to embrace.'"

Missions/Global Affairs

Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity

Lamin O. Sanneh (Oxford)"Global sweep and academic depth. A masterful piece demonstrating the development of global Christianity. Sanneh shows missions as the complex story of missionaries and the national movements that missionaries set in motion, in all its warts and glory."

Spirituality

The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way

Eugene H. Peterson (Eerdmans)"Rugged and fearless, challenging and informed. Draws readers into a bold and knowledgeable conversation on the ways we go about following Jesus—and the ways we do not. A refreshing and accomplished reflection. A truly landmark work."

Theology/Ethics

Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music

Jeremy S. Begbie (Baker Academic)"A profoundly creative, wonderfully engaging reflection on the encounter of theology and music. Impressive for its thoughtfulness, theological depth, and balance. Offers a robust theology of creativity and worship. Begbie's book is as good a way as any to discover afresh how faith comes through hearing."

*sigh* too many books, too little time

A Coffee Joke

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.'
The husband said, ' You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........'HEBREWS'

LOL

A Coffee Joke

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.'
The husband said, ' You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........'HEBREWS'

LOL

Free Online Books from John Piper

Free John Piper online books here

Enjoy!

Free Online Books from John Piper

Free John Piper online books here

Enjoy!

Six Reasons Why Pastors Should Blog

Abraham Piper of Desiring God.org gives 6 reasons why pastors should blog:

Pastors should blog…

1. …to write.

2. …to teach.

3. …to recommend.

4. …to interact.

5. …to develop an eye for what is meaningful.

6. …to be known.

Read more about the 6 reasons

HT: Dave, Agora

Six Reasons Why Pastors Should Blog

Abraham Piper of Desiring God.org gives 6 reasons why pastors should blog:

Pastors should blog…

1. …to write.

2. …to teach.

3. …to recommend.

4. …to interact.

5. …to develop an eye for what is meaningful.

6. …to be known.

Read more about the 6 reasons

HT: Dave, Agora

Discovering Christ

Read sermon text here



.

Discovering Christ

Read sermon text here



.

Life Stewardship: Time Management

Spiritual Formation Institute Seminar 2008/1

Life Stewardship – A Biblical and Practical Approach to Time Management

Speaker: Rev Dr Tan Soo Inn

Date: 2.00pm- 9.30pm, Saturday 3 May 2008

Place: Berea, Holy Light Church, Johor Bahru

Synopsis:

One of the most prevalent realities of modern life is the time crunch --- most of us are overwhelmed by the fact that we have so much to do and not enough time to do it all.

But God calls us to be good stewards of our time; He calls us to manage our time well and direct our energy into right priorities. God also calls us to be faithful in all the key roles He has placed in our lives, and to remember to take time to rest. Achieving all these things is not possible if we forget that God is our Father, and that nurturing a deep and intimate relationship with Him is the bedrock on which all other priorities should be built upon, no matter how pressing the expectations of the world might be.

This seminar will explain how we can manage our time responsibly by emphasising the need for us to balance the various roles in our lives, and will highlight the importance of learning to make resting a priority in our lives.

Instead of focusing on "what am I supposed to do" the seminar asks the more fundamental question of "who am I" and suggests that it is in returning to our primary identity as "child of God" that we find a way to live a life that is full but fulfilled.

Topics to be covered:

1. The time crunch as a spiritual problem

2. Step one – Returning to the Fatherhood of God

3. Step two – Recognizing and Embracing your Key Roles

4. Step three – Respecting the Place of Rest

5. An Approach in Practice


About the Speaker:

Soo Inn is a director of Graceworks, a ministry committed to promoting spiritual friendship in church and society. He runs this ministry in partnership with his wife, Bernice. He also serves as honourary associate pastor of Evangel Christian Church, Singapore.

Bernice and Soo Inn have four sons. Soo Inn has a BDS from the University of Singapore, a ThM from Regent College and a DMin from Fuller.

His primary passions include connecting the Word of God to the struggles of daily life, and the promotion of the discipline of spiritual friendship.

He has been a supporter of Arsenal Foot Ball Club since 1971 and his favourite movie is Star wars 4.

Register

Coming Spiritual Formation Institute Seminar/Conference/Retreat 2008

Bible Conference (together with rbc ministries) SFI 2008/2 Saturday 12 July 2008
The Salvation of God (speaker: Rev. Paul Baxendale)

SFI 2008/3 Christian Spirituality Saturday 27 Sept 2008
Hearing the Voice of God (speaker: Dr Voon Choon Khing)

SFI Retreat (limited to 10 persons) 25-27 October 2008
Be Still and Know (spiritual director: Dr Alex Tang)
.

Life Stewardship: Time Management

Spiritual Formation Institute Seminar 2008/1

Life Stewardship – A Biblical and Practical Approach to Time Management

Speaker: Rev Dr Tan Soo Inn

Date: 2.00pm- 9.30pm, Saturday 3 May 2008

Place: Berea, Holy Light Church, Johor Bahru

Synopsis:

One of the most prevalent realities of modern life is the time crunch --- most of us are overwhelmed by the fact that we have so much to do and not enough time to do it all.

But God calls us to be good stewards of our time; He calls us to manage our time well and direct our energy into right priorities. God also calls us to be faithful in all the key roles He has placed in our lives, and to remember to take time to rest. Achieving all these things is not possible if we forget that God is our Father, and that nurturing a deep and intimate relationship with Him is the bedrock on which all other priorities should be built upon, no matter how pressing the expectations of the world might be.

This seminar will explain how we can manage our time responsibly by emphasising the need for us to balance the various roles in our lives, and will highlight the importance of learning to make resting a priority in our lives.

Instead of focusing on "what am I supposed to do" the seminar asks the more fundamental question of "who am I" and suggests that it is in returning to our primary identity as "child of God" that we find a way to live a life that is full but fulfilled.

Topics to be covered:

1. The time crunch as a spiritual problem

2. Step one – Returning to the Fatherhood of God

3. Step two – Recognizing and Embracing your Key Roles

4. Step three – Respecting the Place of Rest

5. An Approach in Practice


About the Speaker:

Soo Inn is a director of Graceworks, a ministry committed to promoting spiritual friendship in church and society. He runs this ministry in partnership with his wife, Bernice. He also serves as honourary associate pastor of Evangel Christian Church, Singapore.

Bernice and Soo Inn have four sons. Soo Inn has a BDS from the University of Singapore, a ThM from Regent College and a DMin from Fuller.

His primary passions include connecting the Word of God to the struggles of daily life, and the promotion of the discipline of spiritual friendship.

He has been a supporter of Arsenal Foot Ball Club since 1971 and his favourite movie is Star wars 4.

Register

Coming Spiritual Formation Institute Seminar/Conference/Retreat 2008

Bible Conference (together with rbc ministries) SFI 2008/2 Saturday 12 July 2008
The Salvation of God (speaker: Rev. Paul Baxendale)

SFI 2008/3 Christian Spirituality Saturday 27 Sept 2008
Hearing the Voice of God (speaker: Dr Voon Choon Khing)

SFI Retreat (limited to 10 persons) 25-27 October 2008
Be Still and Know (spiritual director: Dr Alex Tang)
.

Rootless without Tradition

Sherman 's post on To Each His Own. struck a resonance in me because I have always felt that Protestantism in general and Evangelicalism is particular has been truncated by the throwing away of two thousand years of church history. This is especially true of the period of the early church, often defined as the church until the 5th century.

Recently I have been reading D.H. Williams (2005) Evangelicals and Traditions (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic). Williams is professor of religion in patristics and historical theology at Baylor University.

In this book, Williams argues convincingly that the apostolic and patristic traditions have contributed significantly to the development of the catholic (small c) church. The word catholic church means the whole church and encompass all of God's people. The biblical image for catholic is the body of Christ, the people of God, and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Williams who is himself from the free church tradition, nevertheless felt that the distancing and downgrading by the Reformers of church traditions has actually made the Reformation rootless. He cited John Wesley as the first to realise this and reincorporate some of the traditions into the Methodism movement.

Here are some of Williams' suggested links for Patristic Studies

Augustine of Hippo

Christian Classic Ethereal Library (CCEL)

Early Church Fathers (CCEL)

The Ecole Initiative

ICLnet Guide to Early Church Documents

Rich Tatum's Glossary of Church History

enjoy!