“The reception of that gift is faith: faith means not doing something but receiving something; it means not the earning of a reward but the acceptance of a gift. A man can never be said to obtain a thing for himself if be obtains it by faith; indeed to say that he obtains it by... Continue Reading

I became interested in pursuing the topic when I began to realize that the two current positions, while helpful in their own ways, were nevertheless leaving me with the sense that something was still missing. I was also concerned with what I saw were some unintended consequences of each position, from women sometimes feeling undervalued... Continue Reading

Sentimentality sells. I fear that women’s ministry is just another commodity. We are being targeted for our empathy. And this is all a distraction from the problem that there are still many questions about how the church can better invest in women and engage with their intellectual contributions to the covenant community. The Christian bookstore... Continue Reading

This is not a Christian book, strictly speaking.  But it has a Judeo-Christian bent to it, speaking of morals, love, character, service, duty, honestly, and so forth.  I enjoyed this book because it was practical, realistic, and full of common grace wisdom for raising boys.  This book will go along well with Christian parenting books.... Continue Reading

I lent my copy of Unholy Charade to a friend recently. When she returned it she said, “This should be required reading for every pastor and women’s ministry leader.” And I agree with her 100%. In theory, we may hate the very idea of abuse, but unless we recognize what it is, we could just... Continue Reading

“When we promote books by and about one cultural group from one time period to the near exclusion of others, we are limiting our view of God’s image bearers: what about the Christians in our churches who look different from us?”   I am a booklist professional. I read, save, research, create, and share booklists.... Continue Reading

It appears to me necessary for our comfort, when we know what [evil] is in our hearts, and necessary likewise to give the Redeemer the glory due His name, that we be sensible that our sanctification is not the cause, but the effect of our acceptance with God.  …The precise reason why we are saved,... Continue Reading

A further element of “aptness in teaching” lay in a message which was tailored to speak to various kinds of individuals. The minister had to avoid “strengthening the wicked” and also avoid “making the righteous sad.” As such the message preached had to aim on the one had at humbling proud impenitent sinners but also... Continue Reading

The primary concern of the conservative leaders throughout the years, Lucas maintains, was what they saw as a progressive assault on both the traditional view of Scripture and the integrity of the Westminster Standards. Yet he’s quick to point out that tied to these core concerns were a host of other issues—the progressives’ emphasis on... Continue Reading

Flavel’s book helps suffering Christians. At root, the author argued that ignorance of the provisions of the covenant of grace was the primary cause of sinful fear (31). The corollary to this is unbelief in God’s promises (35). As a result, “carnal fear is the very root of apostasy” (56). From this point on, Flavel... Continue Reading