facebook pixel

BOOK HIGHLIGHT — The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lundgaard

Posted on by Kim

The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lundgaard

160 pages | P&R Direct Price: $9.99 $7.50 | Mobi: $6.99 | ePub: $6.99

About

How would you like to fight an enemy who, just as you have him on the ropes, always evades the final blow? An enemy who hides just out of reach, lulling you into a fall sense of security, until he drops from nowhere onto your back?

That’s the advantage of indwelling sin—it lurks in an unsearchable fortress where you can’t get to it. But if God has redeemed us from sin—and given us his Holy Spirit to sanctify us and give us strength against sin—why do we go on sinning?

Drawing from two masterful works by English theologian John Owen, Kris Lundgaard takes aim at the enemy within. He shares his discovery of hope, renewed love for Christ, an approach to holiness by faith in him.

Endorsements

“. . . fresh, contemporary, highly readable. Every Christian who is serious about holiness should read this book.”—Jerry Bridges

“Kris Lundgaard has done the impossible. He has given us some of the best of Puritan theology in a language all of us can understand. . . . will challenge you to radical spiritual transformation!”—Richard L. Pratt, Jr.

“. . . a solid reminder that apart from the grace of God we are far weaker than we can imagine—but greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.”—Bryan Chapell

“Kris Lundgaard has given us a delightful book. It is honest, real, and, best of all, hopeful.”—Steve Brown

The Author

Kris Lundgaard has a varied background: technical writer, computer programmer, pastor, and test-engineering manager. Since 2007, he and his wife, Paula, have served with Mission to the World in Slovakia. They have four married children and seven grandchildren.

MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT MONEY by Jim Newheiser

Posted on by Kim

1. Money is the root of all evil. It is the love of money that which is the root of every kind of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Sadly, people have violated every commandment of God because of money love. Paul identifies greed as idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Money (and sex) are like fire which can be a powerful force for good when in its proper place, and can be exceedingly destructive when misused. Money can be very good as we use it to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), help those in need (Proverbs 19:17), and support faithful Christian ministry (Philippians 4:10). Elevating money to be your god will lead to ruin.

2. Ministry is the highest calling for Christians. On a few occasions I have had wealthy friends tell me that they were considering quitting their high paying jobs in order to go into ministry. While that is a noble desire and may well be the right thing for them to do, I encourage them to consider the possibility that they may be able to do more for the kingdom of God by using their exceptional God-given ability to create wealth and thus support the ministries of others. Jesus, was supported by wealthy women whose help was integral to his work (Luke 8:3). I dedicated my recent book, Money, Debt and Finances – Critical Questions and Answers, to the men and women whose generous giving has enabled me to labor full time in the ministry of God’s Word for over thirty years. The reformers recovered the truth that the gospel redeems every form of legitimate work by which every Christian can labor to the glory of God (Ephesians 6:6-8).

3. The early church practiced communism. Many have misunderstood the experience of the early church in sharing their material possessions with those in need (Acts 2:44-45) as a form of communism. Their generosity, however, was not under compulsion as in communism (and socialism), but was voluntary. When Peter admonished Ananias for withholding proceeds from the sale of his land, he affirmed that Ananias had every right to keep the land and the money. Ananias’ great sin was lying. “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control… You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). Scripture through the eighth commandment (against stealing) affirms the right of private property (Exodus 20:15). God’s Word also affirms that there will be inequality for several reasons including the fact that some will work harder or will be more skilled and should enjoy the fruits of their labors (Proverbs 10:4 22:29). Those who have more will have the privilege of being good stewards of the wealth which God gives them (1 Timothy 6:17-19). 

4. The financial principles in the Bible were primarily suited for the pre-modern world. Some wrongfully assume that because Scripture was written thousands of years ago that it wouldn’t have much to say to a world with cryptocurrencies, complex worldwide banking systems, fiat money, sophisticated investment products, etc. God’s Word speaks wisely and comprehensively to modern financial matters. The truth of Scripture is timeless (Isaiah 40:8) and equips us for every good work, including money matters (2 Timothy 3:17). The Bible helps us to understand how to wisely acquire money, spend money, avoid debt, and prepare for the future. Those who arrogantly ignore godly wisdom usually suffer the consequences (Galatians 6:7). Most importantly, God’s Word helps us to have a proper attitude toward our finances (Matthew 6:19-24).

5. Those who trust God don’t need to worry about planning for their financial future. Some wrongly claim that Christian believers don’t need to save for the future or to purchase insurance. Actually, God’s Word encourages us to plan for our future financial responsibilities (Proverbs 21:5). It is wise to be prepared for likely future expenses — which I believe would include retirement and major purchases. It also is wise to be prepared for possible catastrophic events – which I believe justifies the purchase of insurance (Proverbs 27:12). Building savings and purchasing insurance can be a way of showing love to others so that you will not be dependent upon them in your old age or in desperate need in case of major medical expenses.

Conclusion: Jesus made what many would regard as the worst financial mistake. Proverbs teaches that it is very foolish to make yourself liable for the debts of others (Proverbs 22:26-27). Yet that is exactly what Jesus did for us as he willingly became surety for the debt of our sin. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Praise God that he not only paid off our infinite debt, but also makes us rich with His perfect righteousness.

Money, Debt, and Finances: Critical Questions and Answers: $19.99 $15.00

Click HERE to learn more about this book.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT — Gospel Treason: Betraying the Gospel with Hidden Idols by Brad Bigney

Posted on by Kim

Gospel Treason: Betraying the Gospel with Hidden Idols by Brad Bigney

224 pages | P&R Direct Price: $14.99 $11.50 | SAMPLE CHAPTER | Mobi: $9.99 | ePub: $9.99

About

Is it harder for you to change and grow as a Christian than it should be? Do you wonder what is holding you back? Have you ever considered that it might be idolatry? Using real-life stories and examples, Brad Bigney shows us how the idols we might not even recognize can still have devastating effects in our lives.

In this transparent, honest book, he helps us to identify our idols, understand how they lead us to commit treason against the gospel—and finally repent of them and root them out forever by turning to the only One who can fill our every need.

Handouts

Watch the videos

Endorsements

“Can help all of us take an honest look at the inner workings of our hearts. Let these important words guide you as you continue to mature in your relationship with Jesus.”—Stephen Viars, Senior Pastor, Faith Church, Lafayette, Indiana

“A much needed book that explains and exposes heart idolatry and clearly offers the gospel as the only cure.”—Jim Newheiser, Director, Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship

“Pastor-counselor Bigney has the right mix of confession of sin and failure, testimony of God’s working in his own life and marriage, teaching about idols of the heart, exhortation to face one’s own idols, and practical suggestions on how to change.” —Randy Patten, Executive Director, National Association of Nouthetic Counselors

“Many Christians are praying for a revival in the church. . . . Since this revival begins in the heart of each of God’s people, this book can be used . . . to help bring this to pass.” —Stuart Scott, Executive Director, National Center of Biblical Counseling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Bigney, senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Evangelical Free Church in Florence, Kentucky, is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He is also a member and certified counselor of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and a member of the Association of Biblical Counselors.  

BOOK HIGHLIGHT — When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Edward T. Welch

Posted on by Kim

When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Edward T. Welch

256 pages | P&R Direct Price: $16.99 $13.00 | SAMPLE CHAPTER

About

Overly concerned about what people think of you?

All experiences of the fear of man share at least one common feature: people are big. They have grown to idolatrous proportions in our lives. They control us. Since there is no room in our hearts to worship both God and people, whenever people are big, God is not. Therefore the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people.

Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.

Endorsements

“Need people less. Love people more. That’s the author’s challenge. . . . He’s talking about a tendency to hold other people in awe, to be controlled and mastered by them, to depend on them for what God alone can give. . . . [Welch] proposes an antidote: the fear of God . . . the believer’s response to God’s power, majesty and not least his mercy.” —Dallas Morning News

“Biblical and practical. The readers does not need a problem with peer pressure or codependency to profit from this book. Opens our eyes and directs us back to God and his Word to overcome the fear of man.” —The Baptist Bulletin

“Much needed in our own day. User friendly as a resource for Sunday School or home bible study. Here is a volume that church libraries and book tables ought to have. Its theme is contemporary. Its answer is thoroughly biblical.” —The Presbyterian Witness

“Refreshingly biblical. . . . brimming with helpful, readable, practical insight.” —John F. MacArthur Jr.

“Ed Welch is a good physician of the soul. This book is enlightening, convicting, and encouraging. I highly recommend it.” —Jerry Bridges

“Readable and refreshing. . . .  goes to the heart of an issue immobilizing the church. Exposes and repudiates the trivia of therapeutic theology with wisdom and compassion.” —Susan Hunt

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward T. Welch is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF). He is author of a number of books, including When People Are Big and God Is Small, Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, Blame It on the Brain?,and many booklets in the Resources for Changing Lives series.

Four New April Titles

Posted on by Kim

We are releasing four titles today.

Partners in the Gospel

128 pages | Hardcover | P&R Direct: $15.99 $12.00 | SAMPLE CHAPTER | Mobi: $9.99 | ePub: $9.99

About

Being the wife of a pastor or an elder is a joy—and a challenge. These devotional meditations encourage and equip wives of church leaders by pointing them to the Word of God for refreshment and counsel. Whether you are new to being a pastor’s or elder’s wife or have been in that role for decades, the truths in these pages will speak to you amid the complexities of ministry life and testify that the Lord is unfailingly good.

Endorsements

“Megan Hill knows the joys and challenges of being a pastor’s wife, and she lovingly points us to the Savior as we serve and love our husbands and our churches. Hill serves as a trusted friend as she speaks to the myriad of circumstances that a pastor’s wife encounters. This devotional is a gift to pastors’ and elders’ wives everywhere.”

—Courtney Reissig, elder’s wife; author, Teach Me to Feel: Worshiping through the Psalms in Every Season of Life

“If you’re the wife of a pastor or elder, let me encourage you: read this book. Partners in the Gospel is full of wisdom, insight, compassion, and perspective. These daily devotions by Megan Hill will remind you of the truth, offer sympathy in the struggles, and refresh your heart as you walk alongside your husband in ministry.”

—Melissa Kruger, pastor’s wife; author; director of women’s initiatives, The Gospel Coalition

“I am glad to recommend Megan Hill’s Partners in the Gospel to any woman whose husband is in ministry. Not only are its contents highly relatable, but its application is both challenging and encouraging. It will remind you of what is true, then help you to apply that truth to your everyday life.”

—Aileen Challies, elder’s wife

Freedom to Flourish

200 pages | Paperback | P&R Direct: $14.99 $11.50 | SAMPLE CHAPTER | Mobi: $9.99 | ePub: $9.99

About

Are you tired? Are you weary?

So many Christian women are exhausted because we’ve come to believe that God’s purpose for us is rooted in what we do—which means we’re constantly striving to somehow do enough. But there is hope! Elizabeth takes us back to the gracious plan God laid out for us in Genesis: he created us to bear his image, he is inviting us to live out that purpose, and through Christ he frees us to flourish as those who are unconditionally loved.

Endorsements

“A breath of fresh air for any woman who feels exhausted from the try-harder-do-more pressures of life. . . . Writing with biblical wisdom and insight, Garn warmly invites women to rest in God as they faithfully fulfill their calling.”

—Melissa Kruger, Director of Women’s Initiatives, The Gospel Coalition

“Garn calls us to remember that the joy and fulfillment we seek cannot be uncoupled from our calling as God’s image-bearers. Offering readers a better story than traditionalist gender tropes or the try-harder-do-better mantras of secularism, she invites us into true freedom—the freedom of becoming our truest selves through Christ.”

—Hannah Anderson, Author, Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God’s Image

“Elizabeth Garn provides a compassionate and winsome voice for those struggling with their calling as Christian women. . . . Best of all, she reminds readers repeatedly that their worth in God’s sight comes not from their own efforts but as a gift from him.”

—David VanDrunen, Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Westminster Seminary California

Toxic Relationships

104 pages | 31-Day Devotionals for Life series | P&R Direct: $9.99 $7.50 | SAMPLE CHAPTER | Mobi: $6.99 | ePub: $6.99

About

Does your happiness depend on someone else’s affection and presence in your life? Are your thoughts consumed by another person? If so, the relationship has become skewed—get help before it becomes a prison! Through thirty-one daily readings with reflection questions and practical action steps, Ellen Mary Dykas helps you to strengthen your relationship with Christ—embracing him as your true refuge—and to cultivate godly relationships with others from a place of confidence and peace.

Endorsements

“With a counselor’s wisdom and a friend’s sympathy, Dykas brings readers to passages of Scripture that . . . point again and again to the gracious comfort that can be found in Christ alone.”

—Megan Hill, Author, A Place to Belong

“Ellen speaks hopeful biblical truths to people who desire to be deeply known and loved yet find themselves hurt and empty in their relationships. Each devotional is filled with tender wisdom.”

—Darby A. Strickland, Author, Is It Abuse?

“For those who have been hurt, trapped, and betrayed by toxic relationships, Ellen gives way to neither despair nor dismissal but, like a gentle friend, guides us along a path of healing and restoration.”

—Jonathan D. Holmes, Founder and Executive Director, Fieldstone Counseling

Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses

48 pages | Booklet | P&R Direct: $5.99 $4.50 | SAMPLE

About

To combat abuses in the church of his day, a young German monk drafted nearly one hundred propositions for public debate. Martin Luther posted these theses on the church door in Wittenberg, an action that helped to give birth to the Reformation.

Many people have heard of the Ninety-Five Theses, but few have read it. Yet it is a crucial text—a bold and stirring challenge to one of the largest political and ecclesiastical machines this world has ever seen. This complete reproduction includes an introduction and extensive annotations to explain the context and meaning of a short, simple work that changed the course of history.