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For small group facilitators or those searching for group study resources, John Piper has released three new DVDs and accompanying study guides:

What’s the Difference? is a guided group study on God’s fulfilling design for biblical manhood and womanhood.

TULIP clarifies the all-important differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, calling believers to hold fast to biblical truth regarding God’s saving work in his people’s lives.

In Why We Believe the Bible, participants will study biblical texts and discuss probing questions to help them see why the Bible alone is worthy of our confidence.

Last chance to post a photo of your well-used and/or much-loved Bible to Crossway’s Facebook Wall (Note: It does NOT have to be an ESV). We will pick three winners on Monday June 15. Winners can pick out a new Crossway Bible of their choice to either replace their old one or to give to a friend!

We’re getting some fun photos on Crossway’s Facebook Page, but we know more than 30 fans have Bibles…show us what you’ve got!

History’s greatest thinkers are still impacting current public-policy decisions, laws, world events, theology, art, education, and even daily conversations. Sproul proves that ideas are not just passing fads; they endure for generations and demand our serious attention. The greater our familiarity with the streams of thought that have saturated Western culture through the ages, the greater our ability to influence this culture for Christ.

R.C. Sproul’s The Consequences of Ideas is now available in paperback.

Post a photo of your well-used and/or much-loved Bible to Crossway’s Facebook Wall (Note: It does NOT have to be an ESV). We will pick three winners on June 15. Winners can pick out a new Crossway Bible of their choice to either replace their old one or to give to a friend!

Kenneth Matthews will be airing on Moody Radio’s Prime Time America every day this week at 4:46pm CT discussing Leviticus: Holy God, Holy People, the most recent title in Crossway’s Preaching the Word series.

Preaching the Word is a commentary series committed to biblical authority, clear exposition of Scripture, readability, and practical application. We encourage pastors and teachers as well as those committed to personal Bible study to tune in and learn more! Listen here.

“Now, listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd, as he calls his sheep by name from the pages of his Word, through heralds whom he has seized by invincible mercy and sent in joy, bearing his message of good news” (pg 15).

Heralds of the King is a gift from preachers to those who benefit from seeing Christ revealed on every page of scripture. With different gifts and backgrounds, each of the eleven contributors have this in common—they have been significantly influenced by Edmund P. Clowney’s example of Christ-centered preaching.

Dennis Johnson, Tim Keller, Skip Ryan, and others come together in this volume to demonstrate the diversity of the Scripture’s witness to Christ in hopes that readers might gain practical advice for proclaiming the good news of Christ’s redemptive work in their own ministry, whether as a pastor shepherding the flock or a witness among family, friends, and co-workers.

Read the Preface and Chapter 1.

Nöel Piper will be interviewing live today (June 4th) with Kevin Boling at 1pm EST to discuss her new release Do You Want a Friend? Christin Ditchfield will be following at 1:30pm EST discussing  A Family Guide to the Bible. Be sure to tune in for live streaming at sermonaudio.com. These are both titles of interest for families seeking Christ-centered children books and resources.

What others are saying:

http://molesky.wordpress.com
http://tarabarthel.com
http://purechurch.blogspot.com
http://theologica.blogspot.com
http://www.colpop.net
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com
http://www.desiringgod.org
http://philipanderson.wordpress.com

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Guide-Bible-Christin-Ditchfield
http://www.readingtoknow.com
http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com
http://puttinggodfirstplace.blogspot.com

ENDORSEMENTS FOR A FAMILY GUIDE TO THE BIBLE

“Christin Ditchfield has done it again! She has produced yet another resource that is filled with solid content and fresh insights, plus practical application for daily living. For those who are serious about going deeper in their understanding of the Bible and who want to anchor their families on the rock of God’s truth, I enthusiastically recommend A Family Guide to the Bible.”
Alex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical Seminary and Veritas Graduate School

“This is an incredible resource to help families get more familiar with the life-transforming message of the Bible. A Family Guide to the Bible will be a wonderful help to having people get to know the Bible and fall in love with the beauty of the Word of God.”
Jim Burns, President, HomeWord, author of Confident Parenting

The Family Guide to the Bible is a helpful tool for parents who are serious about giving their children a comprehensive survey of scripture and a love for their God. Whether being used for family reading or for individual study this resource will help parents and children alike in their study of God’s word.
Steve Murphy, Publisher, Homeschooling Today Magazine

We live in a world that is in opposition to the gospel. Though there is a great temptation to succumb to the ease of conformity, to remain in the comfortable isolation of like-minded relationships, or to passively silence and personalize our faith, we have a much more significant calling.

Learning Evangelism from Jesus challenges readers to abandon their comfort zones for the sake of the gospel. In his prayer for us, Jesus desired that we might be in the world as he was in the world. Jerram Barrs examines the diverse conversations Jesus had with people in his day and draws principles to graciously and powerfully engage the world as we communicate the gospel today.

ENDORSEMENTS:

“This is not a book about evangelistic technique but about doing evangelism biblically. There is a difference! Jerram Barrs shows us that Jesus had no wooden formula that he followed but rather was about engaging people in the depths of their being. As a result, this is an unusually wise guide to doing evangelism. The great truths of the gospel shine forth undiminished while at the same time the recesses of the human heart are explored with real insight.”
David F. Wells, Distinguished Research Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“In his practical, biblical, and winsome style, Jerram Barrs challenges us to humbly share good news with our friends who are far from God.”
Darrin Patrick, Founding Pastor, The Journey Church, St. Louis, Missouri

The following is a guest post by Gail Schoonmaker, illustrator of The Big Picture Story Bible and Noel Piper’s Do You Want a Friend?

The creation of the artwork for Do You Want a Friend? began when I received Noel’s manuscript along with her notes for specific pages and for the artwork in general.

I was delighted to read her desire to see families of various ethnicities, as this reflects not only God’s kingdom, but the environment in which my husband and I have chosen to live and raise our own children. In fact, our kids are the only ones in their classes with white skin, and they see nothing unusual in these illustrations!

I was equally pleased to see Noel’s desire to include drawings of people with various disabilities. My own son Andy is severely autistic, and my beloved nephew has Down Syndrome. God has used the the joys and challenges of parenting Andy to, among many things, enlarge my heart for his covenant children who society would marginalize. It has been a privilege to be part of a picture book that celebrates the reflection of God’s image in so many ways.

That said, the biggest delight is the focus of the book: Jesus as our best friend in every way and ultimately as our Saviour.

I spent some time jotting down ideas for illustrations, creating a cast of recurring characters, and sketching possibilities. Ideas were easy and comfortable, as I was fortunate enough to experience God’s grace in a home where my parents constantly acknowledged, thanked, praised, consulted, and asked forgiveness of the Lord. His friendship has been demonstrated to me in every way, so I didn’t have to wonder what Noel’s words might mean.

When I had a rough sketch completed for every page (such as the one above), Noel took a look and provided feedback. When these ideas were incorporated and the resulting drawings were approved, I began to paint. I work on four watercolor paintings at a time, which allows each newly painted section to dry before I return to it.

The entire process took several enjoyable months.

(This article was first posted at Noel Piper’s blog.)

Justin Taylor has linked to each of the chapters in Jerram Baars’s Through His Eyes: God’s Perspective on Women in the Bible.

Browse what God has to say about Eve, Sarah, Esther, Mary, Martha, and more.