New Monopoly Game Is Garbage

Look at this ridiculous new Monopoly game. I hate it. An article on Yahoo Finance states,

Hasbro has unveiled the design of the new 75th anniversary edition of their classic board game, Monopoly, set to hit stores in fall of 2010. "Monopoly: Revolution Edition" is slick and round instead of dull and square, with debit cards and an ATM instead of paper money and a banker, clear plastic representations of the classic tokens (bye-bye, little boot!), and clips of popular songs (like Rihanna’s "Umbrella," Daniel Powter’s "Bad Day," and Beyonce's "Crazy in Love") that play after certain actions.

Why do they always have to go and miss with things that are fine the way they are? I am sure Hasbro thinks this will sell more games, but I certainly won't buy one. You can read the full piece by clicking the link below.

'Monopoly' Gets a Makeover, but Will Die-Hard Fans Buy It? - Yahoo Finance

Is Discipline Enough? Part 3

Today (after a few days off) I want to finish my thoughts on what originally began as a response to a post on another blog. You can read that response - part one of this series - here. Then, in part two, I explained the good news of the gospel and covered the doctrines of justification and propitiation. You can read part two here. Today I hope to continue my thoughts from the earlier posts and also will try my best to answer some questions.

To pick up where I left off, I explained that it was because mankind fell in Adam that we are all sinful people who cannot please God. It is due to the fall and our resulting sin nature that is the cause of all of humanities shortcomings. I then explained that there is hope because, if we are in Christ, we are justified and the power of sin is broken over our lives. Romans 6:5-14 reads:

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

The idea is this: when a person places their faith in Christ, not only is the person justified (judged righteous), but the person is also set free from the slavery of sin. Whereas before a person could only sin (no choice, it was their nature, all they knew how to do), now the Christian is free to choose not to sin. How is this possible? Because Christ has broken the power over sin in the Christian’s life as the passage above so beautifully states! Here is another passage that we can benefit from:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sin in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph 2:1-3)

Notice the Apostle Paul writes to the church of Ephesus “You WERE dead in trespass and sin” and “WERE children of wrath”. “Were” is past tense, so something changed. What was it? Was it being more disciplined? Was it taking a class on whatever weak area one possesses? Is it reading a book on how to be a better person? I submit to you that it is none of those options. Let’s continue on with the passage in Ephesians to find out what truly changes people.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:4-10)

The only thing that can change wicked, sinful men and women is Christ! At this point I am going to anticipate what some of my readers are probably thinking and some have actually already asked in the comments of the previous posts. The question is this: if Christians are new creatures in Christ and are set free from the power of sin and are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to Christ, then why do genuine saints of God still struggle with sin? This is a most legitimate question and I pray that I can help shed some light on what appears to be a quandary.

First, Christians are no longer slaves to sin, or they don’t have to sin, but they can and do still sin. Why is this? The simple answer is because we still love our sin too much. Paul struggled with this very problem: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Romans 7:18) Paul says that it’s in his flesh that nothing good dwells and while the Christian remains on earth, he or she remains in their flesh. As long as God’s children are on this earth, we will always struggle with sin. However, remember Christians don’t have to sin. They can choose not to.

Perhaps the following will help us to better understand the issue of sin and the ability to please God. Before the fall, Adam had two options. He could choose to please God or he could choose to rebel and sin. After the fall, sinful man’s options are narrowed as he can only choose sin. After regeneration, mankind can now choose to please God or to sin. Finally, a time will come when Christians will leave earth, either by death or when Christ returns. The Christian will then be glorified. After glorification, mankind’s choices are back down to one option again – he can only please God. In Christ’s new kingdom there will be no sin so there will be no struggles, no temptations, no evil period!
Now if you are reading this, then that means you have not been glorified yet. So if you are a Christian then you still struggle with sin and still fall short of God’s perfect standard at times. However, God does not leave us beat up, struggling, defeated Christians. After the new birth and after a Christian is justified, next begins the process of sanctification. Sanctification can best be described as a process whereby God imparts righteousness to the sinner. I’m not sure if you remember from the last post, with justification God imputes righteousness to the sinner. Imputes, Imparts. Poe-tay-toe, Poe-tah-toe. What’s the difference you might ask? A huge one. Consider this from Pastor John MacArthur:

Justification is distinct from sanctification because in justification God does not make the sinner righteous; He declares that person righteous (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). Notice how justification and sanctification are distinct from one another: Justification imputes Christ's righteousness to the sinner's account (Romans 4:11b); sanctification imparts righteousness to the sinner personally and practically (Romans 6:1-7; 8:11-14). Justification takes place outside sinners and changes their standing (Romans 5:1-2, sanctification is internal and changes the believer's state (Romans 6:19). Justification is an event, sanctification a process. Those two must be distinguished but can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify, and He does not sanctify whom He does not justify. Both are essential elements of salvation.

To reiterate Pastor MacArthur, justification and sanctification are not the same, yet they are both essential to salvation and you won’t find them separated. Now that you hopefully understand the difference, I want to focus more on the doctrine of sanctification because here is where discipline and the struggle, and overcoming sin come into play. Remember sanctification is a process. It begins after a person is born-again and justified and it doesn’t end until a person is glorified and sees Jesus face to face. All the while in between we are being sanctified by the Lord and being made more holy, or separated from sin. I have already mentioned several things that happen when a person is born again and becomes a Christian, but one I have not yet touched upon is that a person receives the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit comes to live inside the Christian. Why is this important? Well, it is important because one of the things the Holy Spirit does is He empowers us to live lives set apart for God. J.I. Packer puts it this way:

Relational sanctification, the state of being permanently set apart for God, flows from the cross, where God through Christ purchased and claimed us for himself (Acts 20:28; 26:18; Heb. 10:10). Moral renovation, whereby we are increasingly changed from what we once were, flows from the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:11, 19-20; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 13:20-21). God calls his children to sanctity and graciously gives what he commands (1 Thess. 4:4; 5:23).

It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that empowers Believers to become holy, but it doesn’t just happen. No, in the process of sanctification it is both God and man working. Again I go back to J.I. Packer:

God implants desires that were not there before: desire for God, for holiness, and for the hallowing and glorifying of God's name in this world; desire to pray, worship, love, serve, honor, and please God; desire to show love and bring benefit to others. In sanctification, the Holy Spirit "works in you to will and to act" according to God's purpose; what he does is prompt you to "work out your salvation" (i.e., express it in action) by fulfilling these new desires (Phil. 2:12-13). Christians become increasingly Christlike as the moral profile of Jesus (the "fruit of the Spirit") is progressively formed in them (2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19; 5:22-25).

How else can the Christian do his part? John 17:17 teaches that the truth of God’s Word sanctifies us also. Therefore it is imperative for the Christian to depend upon God’s Word for God’s will. Orthodox, or right, doctrine, coupled with the Holy Spirit working within a man, changes the heart. In conclusion, I leave you with a final quote from J.I. Packer (he just puts it so much better than I ever could think of doing):

Believers find within themselves contrary urgings. The Spirit sustains their regenerate desires and purposes; their fallen, Adamic instincts (the "flesh") which, though dethroned, are not yet destroyed, constantly distract them from doing God's will and allure them along paths that lead to death (Gal. 5:16-17; James 1:14-15). To clarify the relationship between the law and sin, Paul analyzes in a personal and dramatic way the sense of impotence for complete law-keeping, and the enslavement to behavior one dislikes, that the Spirit-flesh tension produces (Rom. 7:14-25). This conflict and frustration will be with Christians as long as they are in the body. Yet by watching and praying against temptation, and cultivating opposite virtues, they may through the Spirit’s help "mortify" (i.e., drain the life out of, weaken as a means of killing) particular bad habits, and in that sense more and more die unto sin (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5). They will experience many particular deliverances and victories in their unending battle with sin, while never being exposed to temptations that are impossible to resist (1 Cor. 10:13).

Justification by Faith by John MacArthur (Grace to You)
Sanctification-The Christian Grows in Grace by J.I. Packer (Concise Theology)

*For more on sanctification, I recommend the above Packer article or any of the articles from here.

SuzyQ's Catechism

This is just too cute not to share. I especially love the part at :51 when he asks her "Is there more than one true God?" and she taps his chest for emphasis. I immensely look forward to the day God blesses my wife and I with children.

Is Discipline Enough? - Part. 2

Yesterday I began sharing on the subject of discipline in a person’s life. My original post was a response to a piece that stated most of humanity’s problems could be taken care of if people would just be more disciplined. I encourage you to read my first post here before going forward with this one, as the first post lays the groundwork for today’s discussion. Remember, you can’t enjoy the good news properly, without first knowing the reality of the bad news.

So to pick up where I left off yesterday, I presented the truth that the scriptures teach ALL humanity is fallen and sinful. Not only are we sinners, but we love to sin. It comes naturally to us. Jesus said that we are “slaves to sin” (John 8:34). Our hearts are predisposed to be set against God from birth. (Jeremiah 17:9). So the question then put forth is, what are we to do?

Well we know that discipline is certainly not the answer for the one who is slave to sin. By very definition a slave is under control outside of himself, so sinners who are slave to their sin, can't just choose to stop sinning and choose discipline. Although it seems hopeless, there is good news. Listen to what the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1Tim 1:15). Save sinners from what? From the wrath of God that we are all deserving of. How does Christ do that? It is through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross that we are saved from God’s wrath. We are saved from God’s wrath because Christ Jesus was the propitiation for our sin (1 John 2:1,2). Propitiation is a bible word that means when Jesus died on the cross, He satisfied God’s wrath. How did He do this? By being perfectly obedient to God and living a sinless life, yet still being sentenced to death. If we trust Christ by faith (which we can only do if God graciously turns our hearts to Him), and if we, by faith, receive Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us, then God’s wrath will be turned away from us also.

Perhaps I can tackle this from another angle. In Romans 6:23, the verse begins by stating, “The wages of sin is death…” Wages are what someone is owed for doing something on their end. Think of wages in the context of a job. In the case of the sinner, the wages (what he deserves for his part) is death. The job of the sinner was to sin and live a life contrary to God’s perfect law. The sinner does his job perfectly and in turn, he deserves to receive his wage of death. This is not only earthly death of the body, but also eternal death, or separation from God in hell. While this is what the sinner rightly deserves, verse 23 continues on to say, “... but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. So eternal life, (a contrast with eternal death) can be had in Christ Jesus. I told you there was good news!

Along with propitiation, there is another bible word that Christ accomplished for His saints when He died on the cross. That word is justification and it is an essential doctrine to the Christian faith. Justification means that one is justified before God. This is possible because God moves sinners to trust Christ by faith and receive the justification Jesus accomplished. When a person is justified they are credited with Christ’s righteousness, in place of their own. Remember in the last post when I talked about how we became sinful people? It was when Adam sinned. When Adam sinned, Adam’s sin was imputed to everyone. In a similar manner, if we are in Christ by faith, then His righteousness is imputed to us (Rom 5:12). In a nutshell, this means when God judges us, He doesn’t judge us on our righteousness (that’s a good thing, as we would fail miserably) but instead He judges us on Christ’s righteousness, which is perfect. Christ’s righteousness has been “credited” to us and we are now declared righteous before a holy God. At this point, it imperative to point out that man can only be declared righteous if he is justified by Christ. This means that nothing else can make us righteous including anything we can do on our own. Sadly many teach the false doctrine that we can be justified or made righteous through works and this is simply not correct (Ephesians 2:8,9).

In conclusion, albeit simple explanations and brief summaries, the above doctrines are basically the gospel. Through justification and propitiation God’s people are made right with Him. Of course, the bible most certainly does not teach universalism, the belief that all persons will be saved, so the atoning work of Christ is not for every human, but rather for God’s elect whom He graciously gives the gift of faith to. There are still two key doctrines of the Christian faith that I have yet to touch on, but I am planning to cover them in the next post. Those two doctrines are the doctrines of regeneration and sanctification. I am also guessing that at this point, you are curious as to what this has to do with the argument of discipline and the struggle of how/where it fits in to the Christian life. I believe the doctrines of regeneration and sanctification touch on this subject so I am hoping you will find your way back to this blog again in the near future.


*If you would like to read more on the doctrine of justification, please see this page which offers up several quality articles or better yet read through the book of Romans and the book of Galatians.

*Update: Part 3 can be found here.

Is Discipline Enough?

My post today is in response to a recent post found on the blog Chronicles of Chad Mitchell's Soul. Because it is not very long, I will just repost what was written, but you can find the original post here. Pastor Mitchell writes,

“In recent days I am learning the root of many of humanity's issues is lack of discipline. Many people that have crossed my path throughout my journey have struggled financially as a result of not having discipline to not overspend. Many people like myself have struggled with their weight due to lack of discipline with their eating habits. Many people that struggle with gossiping is due to lack of discipline with their tongue. Many children act up or don't obey due to lack of discipline. There are so many problems in life that are a direct result of lack of discipline. My prayer for myself and others that encompass my life is that we continue to strive to seek discipline regardless of the sacrifice that it requires."

I have to respectfully disagree with Pastor Mitchell that the root of many of humanity’s (negative) issues stems from lack of discipline. Discipline may deal with the surface issue, but it will never deal with the heart. The correct root of ALL of humanity’s problems, shortcomings, failures, and troubles can be traced back to our first parents. Genesis 3:1-6 reads,

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

The above passage describes the events commonly known as the “fall of man” or simply, “the fall”. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the specific fruit, and, in doing so, sinned against God. Adam was what is referred to as our “federal head” meaning he represented all of mankind in the garden. Romans 5:12 tells us that through one man, Adam, sin entered the world. Basically, when Adam chose to disobey God, it was as if we all were choosing to disobey God. So that tells us that in Adam, we are all sinners. People are not generally good. In fact the bible says the exact opposite: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good,not even one." (Rom 3:10-12).

Now that I have laid that foundation, I will refer back to Pastor Mitchell’s post. Pastor Mitchell asserts that if people were just more disciplined, then most of humanity’s problems could be averted. First, as I have already stated, sin is the real problem. I could probably agree with Pastor Mitchell that if people would just be more disciplined in their areas of weakness or struggle, then they could overcome those vices and it would no longer be an area of struggle… HOWEVER… the problem with this type of thinking is that because we are sinful, fallen creatures, we will never be disciplined enough to deal with our problems! The person who spends too much money does it because greed sits on the throne of their heart. The overeater eats too much because they live for their own pleasure. Even the children, even babies, who act up, do it because it is their nature! (Psalm 51:5) Being undisciplined, which I feel is far too lightly a word to describe our sinful acts, comes natural to people. In fact, it is all sinful man knows how to do! But don’t just take my word for it. Here is the Apostle Paul’s description of sinful mankind: “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph 2:3).

At this point I have two realizations that I have concluded and I want to confess and explain them. First, I realize that so far I have given a pretty pessimistic view of mankind. I would like to make two points here. 1) it’s not my view, it’s God’s view 2) man’s condition is actually a lot worse than you think. I am sure at this point many are thinking, “well if we are this badly off, then it sounds hopeless!” I agree that it sounds hopeless, but trust me it’s not. I am hoping that you come back to the blog the next few days so that I can lay out our only hope. Second, I realize that some may say I am being unfair to Pastor Mitchell. Some may argue he is talking about Christians who struggle with sins and I am talking about non-Christians who sin. Is there a difference? Again, I encourage you to check back here in the coming days and I will do my best to address these issues also.

*Update: Part 2 can be found here. Part 3 can be found here.

Huckleberry Firefly Sweet Tea from Outback Steakhouse

My sweet wife took me to dinner at Outback last night as she has received some gift cards for Christmas from her work. Aside from the steak and the rest of our meal being ridiculously good, I was pleasantly surprised by a drink I ordered - Huckleberry Firefly Sweet Tea

Here's what it says from their menu about the drink: Quench your thirst with this combination of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Country Style Lemonade with an added splash of huckleberry flavor.

If you've never had the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, it's pretty tasty, but a bit strong straight up. The lemonade and huckleberry (whatever that is) made a delicious flavor combo! Next time you go to Outback, drink one for me!

Check It Out - Jan 15, 2010

I have two great blog posts to share today. First, in light of the recent tragedy in Haiti, Dr. Al Mohler has written an excellent piece entitled, "Does God Hate Haiti?" Here is a preview.

The arrogance of human presumption is a real and present danger. We can trace the effects of a drunk driver to a car accident, but we cannot trace the effects of voodoo to an earthquake -- at least not so directly. Will God judge Haiti for its spiritual darkness? Of course. Is the judgment of God something we can claim to understand in this sense -- in the present? No, we are not given that knowledge. Jesus himself warned his disciples against this kind of presumption.

Why did no earthquake shake Nazi Germany? Why did no tsunami swallow up the killing fields of Cambodia? Why did Hurricane Katrina destroy far more evangelical churches than casinos? Why do so many murderous dictators live to old age while many missionaries die young?

Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God's perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts -- there would be no hope.

I hope that small taste wet your appetite enough that you will read the entire article here - "Does God Hate Haiti?" AlbertMohler.com

Second, I came across this interesting article over at the Heidelblog. Although it is now several years old, I still found the article completely applicable today. Read the article and then let me know if you see yourself in it all. If so, which person are you? Are you the jerk? Are you the person turned off by the jerk? Are you just wondering what I am talking about? Well the article is entitled, "Why (Some) Reformed People Are Such Jerks" and again, I encourage you to click that link and read it in it's entirety, but here is a snippet:

It’s as if one grew up in England and suddenly discovers that food can be pleasant, that just a few miles to the southeast there is a people of strange tongues and marvellous food beyond one’s wildest dreams! Gaining this knowledge can produce genuine frustration. Having tasted French food, our Englishman is beside himself. It’s all he can talk about. It’s all he wants to read about. It’s all he cooks. The first time his Mum brings out the usual Thursday night dinner, he rages at her, but she doesn’t know any better. She’s never been to France and wouldn’t know pain au chocolate if it hit her on the head.

This same thing often happens to folk when they first adopt the Reformed doctrine of predestination or discover the Reformation doctrine of Christian liberty. They over react to their Arminian or fundamentalist past or they’re so intoxicated with what they’ve learned that they believe that everyone one else must come to share their new found passions and freedom as quickly and intensely as they. Usually folks get over it, but there is a period where maybe our young convert to predestination and Christian liberty is still in his Arminian and/or fundamentalist congregation. The stage is set for a culture clash. His friends in the Arminian/fundamentalist congregation don’t have any idea about the things he’s learning. They define Christianity as a personal experience of the risen Christ and/or as a set of rules about smoking and drinking. He’s coming to define Christianity quite differently. Add to this culture clash a dash of arrogance and impatience and presto! The first encounter our evangelicals have with a “Reformed” guy is not very happy and the Reformed movement and churches get a black eye.

Why is the "The Bachelor" So White?

Here is an interesting story that asks the question, "Why is The Bachelor So White?" (refering to the tv show). Some excerpts from the article:

"...just as the 19 lead bachelors and bachelorettes have all been white, the candidate pool as a whole has also been startlingly homogeneous. This year's group of women, for instance, is devoid of African-American contestants, as was last season's, which has led some in the media, including The LA Times, to question ABC's casting policy...By those standards, then, it's clear that 'The Bachelor' is coming up short. The question is, why?...Does the network feel that some viewers are still not ready to support a high profile interracial romance? Are sponsors less interested in buying advertisements for a season that they may feel will appeal to fewer viewers? Or are the bachelors themselves to blame? After all, the few minority contestants who have appeared on the show have frequently been among the first rejected, which may suggest that the men and women who star on 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' are forcing the producers to cast hopefuls who are potentially more suitable to their tastes..."

You can read the entire article here -
Why Is 'The Bachelor' So White? - AOL Television

Study Plan for 2010

I have finalized my study plan for the upcoming year (I think. I still reserve the right to make any changes, since it is my study plan.)

First, everyday I will do my daily bible readings from here.
On Sundays, I will use the day to read & study on whatever we are reading/studying in church. Also, I plan on using Sundays to read up in commentaries and other sources for background on my upcoming weekly bible readings.
I have selected several topics that I feel I am presently inadequate in to study throughout the year. Some of these topics are the Westminster Confession of Faith, eschatology, Church History, Calvin's Institutes, and cessationism to name a few. I am sure throughout the year I will come across many more topics that I feel I need to devote some study to. My plan is to devote Monday through Thursday reading and listening to messages on whatever topic I am currently pursuing. I think for now I will set myself up to read a minimum of one hour a day, not counting bible reading, but this number may change depending on how things go. Also on Monday I am going to listen to the weekly broadcast of the White Horse Inn. This year's theme on the Whitehorse Inn is Recovering the Scriptures which should be excellent!
Friday and Saturday will be my free days of sorts. On these days I will read from different books that are not related to my topic of study and i might even read something that is not theological in nature. I will also use these days to listen to sermons and/or other various messages that I come across that seem good.
So here is an overview of what my weekly schedule should look like.

Sunday - church readings, background on bible passages for upcoming week.
Monday - weekly topic, White Horse Inn
Tuesday - weekly topic
Wednesday - weekly topic
Thursday - weekly topic
Friday - free reading
Saturday -free reading

More specifically, here is the present schedule with the present info filled in:
Sunday - church; backgrounds on Ezra, Acts, Genesis, and Matthew
Monday - Covenant theology and infant baptism; Whitehorse Inn
Tuesday - Covenant theology and infant baptism
Wednesday - Covenant theology and infant baptism
Thursday - Covenant theology and infant baptism
Friday - Holiness by J.C. Ryle
Saturday - Finally Alive by John Piper

Check it Out - Jan 2, 2010

I am using this post to bookmark a link for myself. It's an audibook of The Mortification of Sin by John Owen. The book is recorded onto MP3's which can be downloaded for listening. This would be perfect for traveling. Right now I have to burn all my MP3's onto CD if I want to listen to them in my car, but I might splurge sometime soon and buy a connection to play my MP3 player through my car stereo. Better yet, I can ask for it for my birthday in March.

Another link I wanted to share today is to the blog Reformed Book Club. This is a book club that I have informally joined. The club reads seven books a week, one each day. For example on Monday you read book A, on Tuesday book B, etc, etc. Because I have some other studies going on, I am only participating in the Friday and Saturday readings, which will be Holiness by J.C. Ryle on Friday and Finally Alive by John Piper on Saturdays. The readings start next week if anyone wants to participate. Oh, and the best part about the club is the founder tries his best to select books that are offered free online so you technically don't even have to own the books to participate!
Maybe you don't want to follow the clubs format, but you could still enjoy some excellent books for free. Here is the format for the beginning of the year and links to the free books.