For the Fame of God's Name

Sam Storms and Justin Taylor recently edited a book entitled For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper. At first glance, this book looks interesting, but the cover does not really convey the content of this book. The table of contents, however, lifts this book to the top of my wish list:

Contents:

• Contributors - 11
  
  
• A Note to John Piper - 13
  Sam Storms and Justin Taylor
  
  
• Part 1: John Piper
  1. A Personal Tribute to the Praise of God’s Infinite Glory and Abounding Grace - 17
  David Michael
  2. Three Doors Down from a Power Plant - 24
  David Livingston
  3. Who Is John Piper? - 36
  David Mathis
  
  
• Part 2: Christian Hedonism
  4. Christian Hedonism: Piper and Edwards on the Pursuit of Joy in God - 49
  Sam Storms
  5. When All Hope Has Died: Meditations on Profound Christian Suffering - 70
  Mark R. Talbot
  
  
• Part 3: The Sovereignty of God
  6. The Sovereignty of God in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards - 105
  Donald J. Westblade
  7. Prayer and the Sovereignty of God - 126
  Bruce A. Ware
  
  
• Part 4: T he Gospel, the Cross, and the Resurrection of Christ
  8. What Is the Gospel?—Revisited - 147
  D. A. Carson
  9. Christus Victor et Propitiator: The Death of Christ, Substitute and Conqueror - 171
  Sinclair B. Ferguson
  10. The Role of Resurrection in the Already-and-Not-Yet Phases of Justification - 190
  G. K. Beale
  
  
• Part 5: The Supremacy of God in All Things
  11. A Biblical Theology of the Glory of God - 215
  Thomas R. Schreiner
  12. The Kingdom of God as the Mission of God - 235
  Scott J. Hafemann
  13. The Mystery of Marriage - 253
  James M. Hamilton Jr.
  14. Pleasing God by Our Obedience: A Neglected New Testament Teaching - 272
  Wayne Grudem
  15. The Glory and Supremacy of Jesus Christ in Ethnic Distinctions and over Ethnic Identities - 293
  Thabiti Anyabwile
  16. Dethroning Money to Treasure Christ above All - 308
  Randy Alcorn
  17. “Abortion Is about God”: Piper’s Passionate, Prophetic Pro-Life Preaching - 328
  Justin Taylor
  18. A God-Centered Worldview: Recovering the Christian Mind by Rediscovering the Master Narrative of the Bible - 351
  R. Albert Mohler Jr.
  
  
• Part 6: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
  19. Proclaiming the Gospel and the Glory of God: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards for Preaching - 369
  Stephen J. Nichols
  20. The Pastor and the Trinity - 386
  C. J. Mahaney
  21. The Pastor as Worshiper - 405
  Ray Ortlund
  22. The Pastor as Counselor - 419
  David Powlison
  23. The Pastor as Shepherd - 443
  Mark Dever
  24. The Pastor as Leader - 463
  John MacArthur
  25. The Pastor and His Study - 477
  William D. Mounce
  
  
• Part 7: Ministries
  26. The Vision and Ministry of Desiring God - 499
  Jon Bloom
  27. The Vision and History of the Bethlehem Institute - 508
  Tom Steller
  
  
• Subject Index 516
  
  
• Person Index 525
  
  
• Scripture Index 529

What do you think? Worth the $23?

~ Todd

Amazing Amazing Grace

Josh Wilson has some great music, and I think you will like this version of Amazing Grace. I am an acoustic guitar fan, and this is pretty awesome. Here's the song:

If you want to see a video of how he created this with one guitar and a bunch of foot pedals, check his video on YouTube.

~ Todd

Examples of Christian Persecution in the United States

How are Christians persecuted in the United States? Persecution usually involves pain and death, at least in our minds, and we don't usually see that in this country. We don't usually think about persecution at all in the U. S., but Randy Alcorn, a well-known author and scholar, tells about his experience and the life-long consequences of a bold faith. Mark Driscoll interviews Alcorn over at the Resurgence.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. - Jesus in John 15:20

May we pray for boldness, not comfort.

~ Todd

Free Greek and Hebrew Paradigm Charts

For all you former Greek and Hebrew students... If you are like me, you have forgotten much more regarding the languages than you still know. If you desire to brush up, or just need some help with paradigms, check out Logos Bible Software's free Greek and Hebrew Paradigm charts. You can download the .pdfs from the logos blog here.

~ Todd

Make War!

You may have seen this already (it has been viewed about 100,000 times), but it is worth watching again. Check out John Piper declaring that Christians should "Make War!"



This quote is interesting and applicable to our war on sin and self:

"The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat; how much more no calculation at all!" -- Sun Tzu, from The Art of War

Let's learn to plot and calculate against our sinful desires. Let's Make War!

~ Todd

Reality vs. Feeling

C. J. Mahaney asks David Powlison to comment on a quote from his book, Seeing with New Eyes. The five-minute interaction is worthy of your click...

~ Todd