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For the rest of 2018, I will be sharing books I recommend because they are some of my favorites.  New Book Friday will resume in January. Enjoy!

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter. Although you are a Christian, are you living like you still have to pay for your own sin? (Jack Miller) His atoning work complete. Complete. Our firstborn brother in heaven, sitting down with nothing more to do with our sin. Finished. The unadulterated, happy security it gives each and every believer in Christ, weak or strong...  @mike_reeves The grace to come and the grace to abide are both from him alone. That word come was the chord of love to draw you close; the word abide is the band with which he holds you fast and binds you to himself. Andrew Murray via @rebekahlyons Sanctification is specifically the work of this indwelling and directing Holy Spirit... it is not achieved by a process, nor by our striving or working to that end. It i...

Here are some of my favorite quotes from books I have read over the last few weeks: Words can draw us together or they can divide. What we say and how we say it makes a difference...Discussions based on respect for reach person demonstrates the relationship is valued more than the issue being discussed...We accept and love people; we agree or disagree on principles. (The Messy Life of Parenting by Lori Wildenberg) We were born of Adam. There is no hope for us in trying harder or getting some divine leniency. Our only hope is to be taken out of Adam's old humanity, to be born again into a new humanity, to be a new creation. How, then, on that dark day of the fall, must Adam and Eve have thrilled to hear of the Seed, the offspring, the child who would bruise the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15)! Nothing else would suffice. (Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves) The virgin birth is an almighty No! to all our silly attempts at earning salvation. It means that before Jesus is ev...

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter. The essence of the Christian message is not "Behave!" but "Behold!" @jaredcwilson Change is possible when you go to where the waters of grace flow. Jesus says there will be in you a spring of water welling up to eternal life – not only enough to satisfy you, but an overflow to others. (Jack Miller) John Calvin on spiritual warfare—“Indeed, conscious of our weakness and ignorance, let us especially call upon God’s help, relying upon him alone in whatever we attempt, since it is he alone who can supply us with counsel and strength, courage and armor.” God wants the person before he wants the person to straighten up. How many times do we fail to reach someone because we’re trying to get them to do what we want before we get close to them...

I am a little behind on my reading, but here are some quotes from books I have read recently: "Without coming out and saying it, we consider the gospel powerless to help with such sophisticated struggles...The gospel lifts the burden of self-help off of the victims we have unwittingly placed it on...The grace of god will help him repent of the root and not just the symptom...The cross is the remedy." Byron Yawn in What Every Man Wishes His Father Had Told Him "People share their struggles and, with every good intention, others give good advice or try to step in to be the solution themselves. People do need answers. They are in need of help. But we fail to truly help them if we don't give them Jesus. He is the best answer and the most powerful help they can receive." Jeff Vanderstelt in Gospel Fluency "In other words, what was Christ doing "B.C."? He was experiencing what it means--tasting what it would mean--to be Savior, King, Prophet, Pri...

I finished reading Why the Reformation Still Matters by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester a few weeks ago.  There is a previous blog post with quotes from first 5 chapters of the book.  Today's post includes quotes from Chapters 6-11. For them (the Reformers) there was an important difference between union and communion. Communion with Christ--meaning the actual enjoyment of Christ--is something that fluctuates in believers...Union is the foundation of communion...union with Christ is a fixed and therefore stable thing, the solid foundation on which we can know lasting joy. (117) our sin cannot be removed from our hearts simply by our trying harder or scrubbing ourselves clean: the Spirit must transform us through the gospel. That is how the new life of the Spirit begins, and this is how it grows...The gospel, then, cannot be treated simply as a message for unbelievers, as the doorway into the Christian life; in order for Christians to grow they must be kept in the sunshine...

I am about halfway through the book, Why the Reformation Still Matters   by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester.  I am reading it in preparation for preaching this summer.  Here are some quotes from the first 5 chapters: Nothing matters more than justification by Christ alone through faith alone...This is why Luther described justification as "the summary of Christian doctrine" and "the article by which the church stands or falls." So Christ is central to the Bible. And Christ is central to the interpretation of the Bible. All true interpretations of the Bible lead us to Jesus. Corrupted all the way down, we cannot fix ourselves. Our hearts must be renewed, and that can happen only through the gospel being preached and the glory of God being unveiled. For them, grace was not a "thing" at all; it is the personal kindness of God by which he does not merely enable us but actually rescues and freely gives us himself...In other words, the grace and righte...

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter. When your heart is abiding in Jesus, you want to worship him. @pauldunk And once you get alone with God, you begin to discover that being with God – that knowing him and his love for you – is the best and most beautiful thing in the world. (Jack Miller) It's possible to be drawn to the Bible, theological study and discourse, and even to teaching, preaching, serving, and church -- yet be disconnected relationally from Jesus. If we are seeking "his kingdom" but not seeking HIM, then we are missing the point entirely. @scottsauls Without the words, “for you,” the good news, the Gospel, does not exist, only more rules. Without these words Christianity becomes meaningless. Jesus died for you. It is finished for you. The words “for you” are the m...

Currently, I am reading several books on the Reformation in preparation for a sermon series I am doing this summer.  Here are the books I am currently reading:

Christmas has come and gone.  So, every year after Christmas I share new books that I received as gifts.  I love to read and appreciate the gift of books.  So, here is today's New Book Friday: