Mastering Contemporary Preaching
Bill Hybels, Stewart Briscoe & Haddon Robinson.
IVP, 1989.Rediscovering Expository Preaching: Balancing the Science and Art of Biblical Exposition
John MacArthur Jr.& The Master’s Seminary Faculty
Word Publishing, 1992.
Category Archives: Full-Text-Longing
Interchange: ‘Can Christians fall away?’
In Briefings #299 and #300 we published a two-part series on the doctrine of assurance (‘Safe in the shadow of the LORD’). The first article in the series, ‘Can Christians fall away?’ written by Andrew Heard, attracted more feedback than we could publish in the print version of The Briefing. Much of the feedback was helpful to the discussion so we’ve included all of it below, in no particular order other than the date on which it was received.
Head to head in 1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11 is one of those passages that many of us set aside for a rainy day, when we will finally be able to sit down and try nutting it out. In this article, Claire Smith takes us carefully and systematically through the tricky world of 1 Corinthians 11. It’s the perfect companion for that rainy day.
Cringe time: the things that embarrass Christians
Here is a fine little excerpt from a big selling book in the USA—it’s a quote all about how waitresses in the fast food restaurant business see some of their customers:
More on the meaning of ‘church’
In my essay in Briefing #302 (‘The gathering: thinking afresh about church’), there were a number of issues that I didn’t have the space to address adequately. To stimulate further thought on these issues, here are some further cogitations about the meaning of ‘church’, and other related questions.
Reflections from a rookie rector: Mistakes to avoid as a first-time pastor
Recently a friend of mine was about to commence ministry as a rector at an Anglican parish. His great idea was to ask some friends who were already rectors for advice before he made the big move: What would you not do again? What would you definitely do again? What are some easy mistakes you made or almost made? Any words from the wise?
Assurance
Based on ’Assurance’ in Holiness by J. C. Ryle, first edition 1877.
Adaptation © Matthias Media. All rights reserved. Except as may be permitted by the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher.
Sending a clear message
Well the church has made it onto the front page of the news again … and for all the wrong reasons.
Angels in the classroom
The Case for Angels
Peter S. Williams
Paternoster, 2002, 211pp.
Francis Schaeffer apparently began a university philosophy lecture with the startling admission that he believed in angels. “There really is no point you listening to my philosophical arguments if you don’t grasp the profound importance of this fact”, he said (or words to that effect!). (more…)
God: The Man Chaser
There is a best-selling Christian book by American author Tommy Tenney called The God Chasers. If you have seen any Christian bookstore catalogues I’m sure you’ve seen the book or the companion merchandise. It’s been something of a phenomenon. After visiting the US, I was given a copy so I started reading it. Tenney’s pitch seems to be this: there are normal vanilla-flavoured household variety Christians who drift passively along in the slow lane of Christian experience and then there are the God Chasers. They get the scent of God and run him down, passionately pursuing the Lord like hounds on the hunt, like athletes chasing a gold medal. And to the God Chasers comes special blessing because they will not be satisfied with the left-hand side of the peak-hour escalator—they bound heavenward two steps at a time, consumed with overtaking the otherwise out-of-reach Lord.
Absolute truth: An interview with Dr R. Albert Mohler, Jnr
From Australian Presbyterian, copyright February 2003. Used by permission.
Dr R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.
The theology of the Promised Land
The Land of Promise: Biblical, Theological and Contemporary Perspectives
Philip Johnston & Peter Walker (eds)
IVP, 2001, 240 pp.
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is constantly in our headlines. To whom should the land belong? What does the Bible say? The promised land is a difficult issue. There is much said about it in the Old Testament, but very little in the New Testament. Why is that?
Changing the way you look
When you look at people, what do you think about? As you walk along the street; when you talk to your work mates; when you meet new people—how do you look at them? What do you think about them?
Let the word do it
Church attendance is one of the duties of those who profess to obey Christ, and is a God-ordained means for growth in the christian life. Accordingly, a clergyman often finds himself urging reluctant members to attend more regularly.
Repentance
It is always interesting to hear the first sermon a minister preaches in his parish, as this is often a key to what he regards as his most important message. And so it is of special interest to note what Jesus preached in his opening sermons.