Amazing Grace Movie Clips

The people at Bristol Bay Productions have made high resolution clips of the movie “Amazing Grace” available for free at Faith Visuals. You can find them here.

Biblical Eldership

The new 9 Marks March/April newsletter/web update is now out and available here. This month looks excellent with some great articles and studies on biblical eldership. Here’s a plug from the editor, Jonathan Leeman:

“This fall I read Timothy Laniak’s book Shepherds After My Own Heart, which provides an excellent biblical theology of the shepherding metaphor throughout Scripture (my review of the book below). While reading, I kept thinking that he needed to turn it into a study guide for elders. I even thought about emailing Professor Laniak—whom I don’t know—with my stellar suggestion.

Paul Alexander made this email unnecessary. Gladly stealing the fruit of Laniak’s careful study, Pastor Alexander translated Laniak’s book into four separate lessons for the elders of his own church, which we reproduce here for you. Alexander’s lessons were not written with a web audience in mind. They are long and full of Scripture. Pastor, let me recommend printing them out, and reading them meditatively. Then send them to your fellow elders. They describe the heart of what God has called all of you to be.

As long as we’re talking about training elders, take a look at what First Presbyterian in Jackson does, as well as what THE Bill Mounce has to offer.

Matt Schmucker and the other elders at Capitol Hill Baptist offer several reflections on living and surviving as an elder amidst the many difficulties of the work. Finally, Thabiti Anyabwile’s article on following leaders, I believe, is worth cutting and pasting into one of your church newsletters. It will serve you, the congregation, and the glory of God. You’ll see what I mean.”

Looks like their some gold here, so read on brothers, meditate on what it means to be an elder in God’s church and love and serve your congregation!

Preaching the Cross

Crossway Books will release a new book next month “Preaching the Cross” — with contributors Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul. Here’s a description:

“Proclaiming the gospel is without a doubt the most important task of pastoral ministry, yet often other seemingly urgent activities can obscure it. From time to time all pastors and preachers need a fresh reminder of the primacy of the gospel.

Preaching the Cross does just this. It is a call to preaching the gospel as the center of pastoral ministry. This volume showcases an unprecedented combination of pastors representing a variety of evangelical traditions. Though they may differ on some secondary points of church practice, they all enthusiastically celebrate the centrality of the cross of Christ.”

Here’s info on the contributors, if you even need it!–

Mark Dever is Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and Executive Director for 9Marks Ministries. Dr. Dever has contributed to several books on church health and church leadership, and is a visiting professor at both Beeson Divinity School and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

J. Ligon Duncan is Senior Minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, Chairman of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is president, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky and host of the Albert Mohler radio program and blog.

C. J. Mahaney leads Sovereign Grace Ministries, a growing family of local churches in several countries. He serves on the boards of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church in California and president of The Master’s College and Seminary, as well as a best-selling author. He can be heard on the “Grace to You” radio program, which broadcasts daily around the world on nearly 2,000 stations in English and Spanish.

ECPA Gold Medallion winner John Piper is senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and the head of Desiring God. He has written numerous books on topics that include personal holiness, missions and historical figures.

R. C. Sproul is the founder and principal teacher of Ligonier Ministries, which provides Christian laity with materials on theology, history, Bible study, apologetics, and ethics. He is also a noted author and visiting professor at several seminaries and Minister of Preaching and Teaching at Saint Andrews Chapel.

Release date: April 20th.

A New 12 Step Program!

Looking to transform your life? Let me suggest the new 12 step program: “12 Puritans A Year”

Today’s Christian culture is saturated with sugar-coated, watered-down books, music, magazines, churches, etc. Most top-selling books within the Christian market are full of fluff and strive to create warm-fuzzies rather that truth that changes lives for the glory of God. So, I’ve started a new reading system where I plan to read one Puritan writer a month, for a total of 12 books a year. Most of these books cost under $10!! I am currently finishing Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor” and plan on reading “Crook in the Lot” by Thomas Boston next.

For more info on the Puritans try Tony Reinke’s blog, The Shepherd’s Scrapbook. Or read “Meet the Puritans” by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson.