(1) Ligonier has some EXCELLENT deals on right now in this week’s $5 Friday sale. I particularly recommend the extensive teaching series by Dr. John Gerstner on the Westminster Confession of Faith. Though I would personally adhere to the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, a great percentage of the two Confessions use the same exact wording. Dr. Gerstner’s insights are outstanding. The normal $44 price for the download is just $5 today only.
A second series well worth the investment is the Ligonier Ministries’ 2007 National Conference, “Contending for the Truth” CD series (normally $65) which answers the false claims of postmodernism, naturalism, and our culture’s other atheistic theories. A great series on apologetics which includes sessions by R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Al Mohler, John Piper and Ravi Zacharias. Check out the $5 Ligonier sale here.
(2) Kevin DeYoung shares “What Sermon Prep Really Looks Like” though I do hope it is not always the case:
Monday – I’m so glad it’s my day off. Yesterday’s sermon was terrible. Maybe this week will be better.
Tuesday AM – I better get some emails done and get the blog lined up. If I can check a few things off my To Do List I’ll really be able to concentrate on my sermon.
Tuesday PM – I wasn’t expecting the lunch to go so long and for them to stop by. I’ll guess I’ll get to my sermon tomorrow.
Wednesday AM – Man, more emails. I need to make a few phone calls too. The agendas also need some work. Sermon prep soon.
Wednesday PM – I forgot–staff meetings all afternoon. I got to buckle down and start on this sermon tomorrow.
Thursday AM – Okay, here we go. Let’s get the paper and pencil out and open my Greek Bible. Darn, made the mistake of checking my email and leaving my door open. Got to take care of a couple more things.
Thursday PM – Finally started on my sermon. Working on translation. Making notes. So thankful to be a pastor. What a privilege to study God’s word. I’m getting a little sleepytrhough.
Friday AM – Excited to work on this sermon and think about preaching. So much to learn. So much to study. Never saw that before.
Friday PM – What a mess. I don’t see three points anywhere. Better pray. What is this sermon about? Where I am going? Need an outline before I go home. Brain don’t fail me now.
Saturday AM – It’s quiet here. Need to stop fiddling around with emails. Need some better illustrations. What is my application? These three points could be worded better.
Saturday PM – Praying for help. A few good thoughts I think. That section will preach. The introduction is so-so. Conclusion needs work. Have to push through and finish this. If I push print I can go home.
Saturday extra-PM – I’m sure this is too long. Needs pruning. I’m excited to preach this, but boy it doesn’t feel like much. No time left except for prayer. Should be in bed already.
Sunday before preaching- I can’t believe I get to preach. Stay humble. Pray for unction.
Sunday during preaching – What a joy to teach God’s word. And a challenge. Am I getting through? Am I getting in the way? Need to trust God. I must decrease, he must increase. I think I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand in the distance.
Sunday after preaching – That was too long…again. Trying to smile and talk to people while wondering if that made any difference. A lot of polite hello’s. A couple critiques. Several people seemed genuinely helped. I’m getting hungry and may need to use the bathroom.
Sunday evening – Crazy day. Get the kids to bed. Talk to my wife. Call my mom. Thankful for a good day. Glad it’s over. Not sure what God did, but I’ll trust him for something. I love my church.
Monday – I’m so glad it’s my day off. Yesterday’s sermon was terrible. Maybe this week will be better.
“Likewise it is false that the will, left to itself (apart from grace), can choose to come to Christ (John 6:65), for it is not free, but in bondage … for “the devil has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4) … and has “taken them captive to do his will.”(2 Tim 2:26) … and intrinsically “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.(1 Cor 2:14) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Rom 8:7) So there is “no one understands; no one seeks for God…. no not one. (Rom 3:11) “So then salvation “depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Rom 9:16)”
Who would have thought that of the only two likely candidates to be President of the USA, one would be associated with a religion steeped in polygamy (indeed whose “god” is a polygamist with many celestial wives), and the other would be an advocate of same sex marriage? Once again, this will not merely BRING God’s judgment, the fact that these are the candidates before us IS God’s judgment. (See Romans 1)