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Author Interview with Deepak Reju

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Deepak Reju. He is the editor of our new 31-Day Devotionals for Life series and is the author of one of them — Pornography: Fighting for Purity.

31DD_series_smaller Reju, Deepak

  • Question #1—Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m a pastor for a 1000 person Baptist church, located five blocks behind the U.S. Supreme Court and Capitol buildings. It’s a cool place to live, though I miss trees and rivers from time to time.  I’ve been a part of the church since 1991, and have been on staff as a pastor since 2007.  We’re mostly a young congregation, dominated by 20 and 30-year-olds (average age is 29).

At work, I spend much of my time walking alongside church members who are struggling—depression, difficult marital situations, porn struggles, suicidal thinking, anger at God, etc.

Sundays are a rich feast for my soul—we get fed well with a meaty sermon every week. People sing loud and vibrantly, as if they were worshipping a real God. I often feel like a fat man spiritually because I’ve been so well fed for years.

I am married to Sarah, who keeps me sane and keeps our whole family afloat.  We’ve got five kids. Our boys are obsessed with cars, and our girls are obsessed with anything but cars.

On Saturdays, I play board games with my kids.  It’s a normal past time for us. You might even call me a pseudo-gamer.

And I love to eat. Some call me a foodie. I drive a decent distance (if necessary) to get a spectacular meal. My wife kindly puts up with this (and many of my other quirks).

 

  • Question #2—What inspired you to write a 31-day devotional about pornography?

I want strugglers to turn back to God’s Word. I’ve run into quite a few porn strugglers, especially in the height of their struggle, who are not in the Word. Their sin overtakes their life such that their heart is cold to the truth. Or maybe they’ve been lazy and are just out of the habit. Whatever their reason, this 31-day devotional is meant to give a little bit of Scripture each day.

Early in our marriage, my wife and I lived on the top floor of a townhouse, in a small one-bedroom apartment. Whenever it rained, leaks in the roof would drip through the ceiling and onto our floors. I remember placing buckets in different parts of the apartment and watching the water slowly drip, one drop at a time. I put large buckets out and thought, It’ll take a while to fill them.The water built up over time, and often I was surprised how quickly those buckets filled up, overflowing if I didn’t pay close enough attention.

This devotional is just like rain filling up a bucket. It’s slow and it builds over time. Just a few verses every day. Drip. Drip. Drip. Just a few drops of Scripture daily to satiate your parched soul.

 

  • Question #3—What book are you reading now?

In addition to my Bible, typically I’m reading a book in three categories (theology or counseling; parenting; fiction).

  • My Bible – right now I’m reading through the gospels.
  • Theology / counseling: J.D. Crowley and Andy Naselli’s Conscience: What It is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ.
  • Parenting: Paul Tripp’s Age of Opportunity
  • Fiction: Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere

 

  • Question #4—What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Be willing to kill your darlings.

Edit everything you write with a red pen—i.e., be willing to cut wasted words.

Rewrite, then rewrite, then rewrite again.

Commas and semicolons can be your friends.

 

  • Question #5—Favorite food?

So long as it is not alive and staring back at me, I’ll eat Italian, Chinese or Indian food as favorites. Though, admittedly, I have a growing addiction to Chick-Fil-A.

 

  • Question #6—Favorite flavor of ice cream?

I’m medically not allowed to have chocolate. After the doctor told me this in 2012, I found out there are things to enjoy aside from chocolate. I discovered Butter Pecan. WHAT-A-GREAT-DISCOVERY.

 

  • Question #7—Favorite animal?

Dogs. Smart. Friendly (depending on the breed). Loyal, even protective. Loveable. Good company, especially whenever everyone else is gone. Need I say more?

 

  • Question #8—What famous person (living or dead) would you like to meet and why?

Biblical characters – Joseph or Paul. They lived through suffering and difficulties, and proved faithful.

Presidents – Teddy Roosevelt. Such an interesting, larger-than-life personality. Or Abraham Lincoln, for his willingness to persevere and do the right thing.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

 

Recap of All 2018 New Releases So Far

Posted on by Kim

We have released 21 new titles so far this year.

Here’s a quick recap of them all.

2018_thru August

Why Worry?: Getting to the Heart of Your Anxiety by Robert D. Jones

Worry saps our sleep, drains our joy, and exhausts our energy. But there’s hope! Through his Word and Spirit, God gives his people the means to overcome worry. 

Prodigal Children: Hope and Help for Parents by Robert D. Jones

When adult children embrace ungodly lifestyles or beliefs, their parents may experience shock, confusion, anger, guilt, shame—even despair. Robert Jones provides biblical advice that comforts the distressed.

Catching Foxes: A Gospel-Guided Journey to Marriage by John Henderson

This interactive guide helps you to prepare your soul for marriage, develop a better understanding of your future spouse, and head off issues that will detract from a successful marriage.

Only One Way: Christian Witness in an Age of Inclusion edited by Richard D. Phillips & Michael L. Johnson

Sometimes even believers become uncomfortable with Christianity’s exclusive claims. Here noted pastors defend our faith in one God, one Savior, and one truth, reminding us of our reasons for confidence. 

Knowing and the Trinity: How Perspectives in Human Knowledge Imitate the Trinity by Vern S. Poythress

Everyone views life from a personal perspective. God’s Trinitarian perspectives are evident in both general and special revelation—showing that our world originates from a Trinitarian mind that is knowable.

Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi by Matthew P. Harmon & Iain M. Duguid

God is both Judge, and a refuge from judgment, faithful to those who fear him, a blessing at the center of your life—major lessons from so-called “minor prophets.” 

Streams of Mercy: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Barbara R. Duguid edited by Iain M. Duguid

Would you like to bring greater depth to your prayers? These Trinitarian-focused prayers are designed for private or church use—providing gospel comfort on topics including purity, waiting, and hope.

Help for the New Pastor: Practical Advice for Your First Year of Ministry by Charles Malcolm Wingard

The first year of ministry is make-or-break for new pastors. Get the primary duties of the minister—sermon preparation, sacraments, visitation, counseling, and hospitality—right from the start.

Pride and Humility at War: A Biblical Perspective by J. Lanier Burns

Is pride a necessary tool to achieve significance? Is humility a form of self-hatred? Our society misunderstands both, yet Burns shows how biblical humility overcomes pride, leading to greater rewards.

For the Love of Discipline: When the Gospel Meets Tantrums and Time-Outs by Sara Wallace

Did you know discipline is something you do for your kids, not to them? Sara helps moms to ditch quick fixes, embrace gospel-driven discipline, and pursue their children’s true growth.

Domestic Abuse: Help for the Sufferer by Darby Strickland

Experienced family counselor Darby Strickland helps those oppressed by abuse to speak out, find support, and determine their next steps, showing God’s heart for them and desire to rescue them.

Domestic Abuse: Recognize, Respond, Rescue by Darby Strickland

Experienced family counselor Darby Strickland explains from Scripture what truly happens in oppressive marriages and how counselors, friends, and family can defend and protect victims while correcting and discipling abusers.

Loving Your Friend through Cancer: Moving beyond “I’m Sorry” to Meaningful Support by Marissa Henley

Do you know someone with cancer? Cancer survivor Marissa Henley gives practical guidance on providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support for friends or acquaintances—while avoiding painful mistakes. 

The Life of Moses: God’s First Deliverer of Israel by James Montgomery Boice

This epic study on Moses teaches us much about faithfulness, prayer, and leadership—yet Boice shows that the narrative’s true power resides in its vivid foreshadowing of a greater Deliverer.

Journeys with Jesus: Every Path in the Bible Leads Us to Christ by Dennis E. Johnson

The Bible’s focus is on a relationship between God’s people and their Redeemer. Follow the story’s threads and see Christ and his mission emerge naturally from the tapestry of Scripture.

Free to Be Sons of God by Geoffrey M. Ziegler

An exegetical and theological analysis of freedom in which I argue that the biblical category of divine sonship is a superior conception of freedom to modern liberalism’s identification of freedom with autonomy.

Why Can’t We Be Friends?: Avoidance Is Not Purity by Aimee Byrd

Society’s sexualized views of men and women distort our calling to treat one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Deepen relationships and hone your witness by embracing this sibling identity.

The Trinity, Language, and Human Behavior: A Reformed Exposition of the Language Theory of Kenneth L. Pike by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

Hibbs explores the language theory of Kenneth Pike in the light of the Trinity, showing how various facets of language are analogically linked to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

A Development, Not a Departure: The Lacunae in the Debate of the Doctrine of the Trinity and Gender Rolesby Hongyi Yang

Examining missing elements in the debate about the doctrine of the Trinity and its relation to gender roles, Yang illuminates areas that need to be more carefully addressed by both sides.

Theological English: An Advanced ESL Text for Students of Theology by Pierce Taylor Hibbs with Megan Reiley

Prepares non-native English speakers to study theology in English at an advanced level. Lessons cover the major theological genres, and practical exercises develop reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. 

“King of Israel” and “Do Not Fear, Daughter of Zion”: The Use of Zephaniah 3 in John 12 by Christopher S. Tachick

Supported by careful exegesis and attention to literary and theological contextual details, Tachick opens up new insights into John 12 and the nature of Jesus’s kingship.

Author Interview with Elyse Fitzpatrick

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Elyse Fitzpatrick. She is the author of our upcoming book, Doubt: Trusting God’s Promises.

She is also the author of P&R titles: Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone, A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God’s Comfort in Life’s Storms, The Afternoon of Life: Finding Purpose and Joy in Midlife, and coauthor of You Never Stop Being a Parent: Thriving in Relationship with Your Adult Children.

Doubt_better black frame   Fitzpatrick_Elyse_NEW

  • Question #1—Tell us a little bit about yourself: where you’re from, family, job, personal interests, unique hobbies, what you do in your spare time, etc.

I am a Southern California girl through and through. I was born in Los Angeles in the 1950’s and apart from a brief and uncomfortably cold stint in Chicago as a 3 year old, I’ve known nothing but the sun and surf of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean my whole life. My husband, Phil, and I have been married for nearly 45 years and we have 3 married adult children and 6 grandkids nearby, whose sporting events occupy most of our free time. During the summer I love going to the beach and riding waves on my body board. It’s always a test of God’s grace to see whether I can fit into my wetsuit another year and so far, He’s been very good to me. When it isn’t beach weather I love to swim laps or take long walks everyday. The SoCal lifestyle is lived outdoors . . . and I do love it.

 

  • Question #2—Have you always enjoyed writing?

I’ve met people who love to write, who find great joy in James Michener’s “swirl and swing of words”, and who love nothing better than constructing a sentence that’s such a work of art it makes one cry. That’s not me. What I am is a person who senses that there is something that needs saying and that I’m the one to say it. That’s probably why my writing is more didactic than poetic. I wouldn’t say that I’ve always “enjoyed” writing. I believe that over the years I’ve gained some skill and there are certainly days that I love being able to communicate truth, but even though I’ve written a couple dozen books, I still wouldn’t say I “enjoy” it. It’s simply a tool for me to use to fulfill the Lord’s call on my life and I am grateful for that.

 

  • Question #3—What inspired you to write this book, about this topic? 

“Doubt: Trusting God’s Promises”  I chose to write about doubt because although Jesus’ disciple, Thomas, is most famous for it, when we’re honest we admit that we all should be. No matter how strong our faith or how long we’ve walked with the Lord, we all have times of doubt. That’s the distressing truth I wanted to drag out into the light so that it would lose its power to condemn or fill us with guilt. I also wanted to encourage my readers that faith doesn’t mean 24/7/365 complete certainty. It simply means a bedrock assurance that the God who is there loves us through Jesus Christ . . . even though there are times when we can’t figure out where He is or what He’s up to. I also hoped to demonstrate that there are good reasons to maintain faith, though sometimes it’s really weak and barely hanging on by a thread. I want to encourage women and men to believe that they are loved and welcomed by the Lord who understands our frailty because He lived it, and who is also strong enough to sustain us even when we feel like we’re freefalling into confusion, despair, and unbelief.

 

  • Question #4—Do you have a specific spot where you enjoy writing most?

Because Phil and I are empty-nesters, I have an entire room in our home that I’ve claimed for my office. And in that office, aside from beautiful bookshelves, I have a brick red leather recliner . . . and that’s where I write, nestled in with my laptop, coffee or tea, and most of all quiet. I know that there are people who like to write with music but I can’t. I’m so easily distracted that I have to have utter quiet and even then it takes me 45 minutes to an hour to settle down enough to start thinking about what I want to say. So, for me, it’s comfort and quiet and long (5-6 hours) of uninterrupted time.

 

  • Question #5—Other than the Bible, do you have a favorite book?

This is a really hard question because I do have several favorites that I re-read fairly regularly. But I suppose the one at the top of the stack has to be Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Obviously, he’s one of those writers who loves words and finds enjoyment in structuring sentences and describing events in such detail that you feel as though you’ve been there yourself. And to think that he wrote it all with a quill pen! Perhaps that’s why his work is so beautiful? The aspect of Les Mis that I really love is the conflict between the law and the gospel that’s woven so artfully throughout. The clash between Javert (the Law) and Jean ValJean (the Gospel) is an unrelenting portrayal of the tension between law/justice and grace/forgiveness that plays itself out on a daily basis in every believer’s life. It continues to ask whether I will try to strive to stand in my own righteousness and law-keeping or submit to the righteousness of Another and receive undeserved forgiveness that causes me to love my neighbor? That’s the question at the heart of every Christian’s life and the pulsating battle lived out on Hugo’s pages.

 

  • Question #6—Favorite food?

Because I live in SoCal, my favorite has to be Mexican food and in particular, fish tacos. When I’ve been busy writing all day and have no clue what to make for dinner, fish tacos or machaca burritos are my go-to. A perfect day? Sitting on the lawn at Del Mar, watching the surfers and the sunset, eating fish tacos. Yep. That’ll do it!

 

  • Question #7—Favorite animal? Why?

I love dogs. We’ve had a number of them throughout our life, but our favorite was Taz, a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix. She was intensely smart—I wouldn’t have been surprised to find her reading a magazine in the evening when there wasn’t anything on TV she liked. She was the dog of a lifetime and we miss her dearly. Sadly, I’ve developed significant allergies since her death and can’t really tolerate them anymore.

 

  • Question #8—The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia? Why?

Lord of the Rings. Aragorn. smiley Seriously though, the deceptive allurement of the Ring of Power, the way that its influence twisted its wearers, is a perfect analog to the struggle we all have with the deception of sin and temptation. The difficulty in trying to destroy it and the way that it penetrated the heart of any who wore it should serve as a warning to us.

 

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

 

 

Preface — Sermons that Shaped America: Reformed Preaching from 1630 to 2001

Posted on by Kim

Sermons That Shaped America: Reformed Preaching from 1630 to 2001 edited by William S. Barker & Samuel T. Logan Jr.

Preface

“How shall they hear without a preacher?” the apostle Paul asks in Romans 10, part of his argument for the critical importance of the “foolishness” of preaching.

Without a doubt, the church stands or falls, grows or dies according to the quality of the weekly diet that it is fed. From the prophetic orations of the Old Testament to and beyond the missionary sermons of the Sermons that Shaped America_photo smallNew, what the people of God are toldmatters. The use of words (and use of the symbolism of God’s Word) has always been and will always be a uniquely formative activity in the life of the church.

And not just in the church.

To the degree that the church affects the world in which God has placed it, to the degree that the worldview of the church shapes the society in which the church functions, to that very degree what is said in the pulpit on Sunday morning produces direct consequences, some intended and some not, in the entire community on Monday, Tuesday, and the rest of the week.

Harry Stout has probably stated it best in his study of “The New England Soul.” And while his comments apply most directly and most clearly to an earlier American culture, they unquestionably apply as well to a modern culture in which thousands listened to a sermon just days after and blocks from the site of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. These are Stout’s words:

The sermon stood alone in local New England contexts as the only regular (or at least weekly) medium of public communication. As a channel of information, it combined religious, educational, and journalistic functions, and supplied all the key terms necessary to understand existence in this world of the next. 1

How do we understand existence in a world where terrorism is as real as an airline boarding pass? Or in a world where human beings are bought and sold as slaves? Or in a world where another nation, the nation from which we came, seems bent on destroying us? Or in a world where we are given the opportunity to start a Holy Commonwealth from scratch?

And when all the cultural and ethical and technological changes of the past 380 years are amassed, how dowe understand existence in the next world? To what degree do the societal changes we are experiencing affect our understanding of the next world?Arethere any unchanging words to be spoken in or to this changing world?

Sermons preached in American pulpits from 1630 to 2001 still provide answers to these seven questions. And some of those answers singularly shaped the United States as a nation.

One of the values of this collection of sermon, therefore, is historical. Each of them played a unique and critical role in what America has become. Lengthy volumes such as Ola Winslow’s Meetinghouse Hilland Alan Heimert’s Religion and the American Mind and Bernard Bailyn’s The Ideological Origins of the American Revolutionand Colleen Carroll’s The New Orthodoxytrace the historical impact of religious ideas on American society. We have tried to briefly suggest the specific historical impact of each sermon included here and have frequently suggested other sources that can be used to pursue in more depth the themes introduced by individual sermons.

But there is even more there than matters of historical interest.

Precisely because the preachers of these sermons believed that there is an unchanging Word from God and precisely because they sought to faithfully speak that Word into the changing world they faced, what they said matters greatly to those who, today, continue to believe in the power and sufficiency and authority of that Word.

No, of course these sermons are not inspired. Some of them will even seem foolish to modern readers (as they did to some who heard them when they were first preached). But God’s Word, when faithfully preached, never returns to Him void (Isa. 55:11). Sometimes, in fact, the preaching of that Word produces thirtyfold, or sixtyfold, or hundredfold results (Matt. 13:23). When sermons produced results like that in earlier generations (as these appear to have done), they may do the same in ours.

And that is precisely our prayer!

—Samuel T. Logan

 

 

1. Harry Stout, The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England (New York: Oxford University, 1986), 3.

Table of Contents

  1. John Cotton (1584—1652): “God’s Promise to His Plantation” (2 Sam. 7:10)
  2. John Winthrop (1588—1649): “A Model of Christian Charity”
  3. Cotton Mather (1663—1728): “The Loss of a Desirable Relative, Lamented and Improved” (Ezek. 24:16)
  4. Jonathan Edwards (1703—58): “The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God” (1 John 4:1)
  5. Gilbert Tennent (1703—64): “The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry” (Mark 6:34)
  6. Jonathan Mayhew (1720—66): “Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers” (Rom. 13:1—7)
  7. Ezra Stiles (1727—95): “The United States Elevated to Glory and Honor” (Deut. 26:19)
  8. Archibald Alexander (1772—1851): “A Sermon Delivered at the Opening of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States” (1 Cor. 14:12)
  9. Asahel Nettleton (1783—1844): “Professing Christians, Awake!” (Rom. 13:11)
  10. James Waddel Alexander (1804—59): “God’s Great Love to Us” (Rom. 8:32)
  11. Benjamin Morgan Palmer (1818—1902): “The Headship of Christ over the Church” (Eph. 1:22—23)
  12. John L. Girgardeau (1825—98): “Christ’s Pastoral Presence with His Dying People” (Ps. 23:4)
  13. Geerhardus Vos (1862—1949): “Rabboni!” (John 20:16)
  14. Clarence Edward Macartney (1879—1957): “Shall Unbelief Win? An Answer to Dr. Fosdick”
  15. J. Gresham Machen (1881—1937): “Constraining Love” (2 Cor. 5:14—15)
  16. Francis A. Schaeffer (1912—84): “No Little People, No Little Places” (Ex. 4:1—2; Mark 10:42—45)
  17. James Montgomery Boice (1938—2000): “Christ the Calvinist” (John 10:27-19)
  18. Timothy Keller (1950—): “Truth, Tears, Anger, and Grace” (John 11:20—53)

The Christian’s Peace

Posted on by Kim

The following is an excerpt taken from Come to the Waters: Daily Bible Devotions for Spiritual Refreshment by James Montgomery Boice.

The Christian’s Peace

John 16:17–33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. John 16:33

The Christian’s peace is not an absence of conflict or any other kind of trial. Rather it is contentment and trust in God in spite of such circumstances. But it is not automatic. The conditions he lays down in this passage are two.

First, the peace Christ gives is for those who are “in him.” This is a conscious dependence on him and staying close to him that are the prerequisite to joy and fruitfulness in the Christian life. The gift of peace is appropriated only by those who depend on him, trust him, and remain close to him in their living of the Christian life.

Moreover, Christ’s peace requires that the words of Christ be in his followers. Jesus indicates this when he says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.” What things are these? He has spoken of his love for the disciples; that he would guarantee a personalized place in heaven for his followers; that he would himself send the Spirit and that he would come to be in them and work through them; that they would be given work to do in this world, making their lives meaningful; that their prayers would be answered and he would be interceding for them.

Finally, Jesus adds another teaching: “But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Christ overcame the world in three areas: in his life, in his death, and in his resurrection. He overcame it in life because, in spite of abundant griefs and temptations, he pursued the course God had set before him without deviation, sin, or error. He overcame the world in death because his death was the price of sin and thus broke sin’s hold upon us. He overcame the world in his resurrection because by his resurrection he began his return to the throne of heaven from which he now rules the church and from which he will one day come again to put down all authority and power.

“I have overcome the world.” These words were spoken within the shadow of Golgotha, at the very foot of the cross. They were spoken on the verge of what surely seemed a defeat. But they were true then. And if they were true then, it is even more abundantly demonstrated that they are true now. Do you believe them? Is Christ the victor? If you do and if he is, then stand with him in his victory. Possess the peace that he dispenses, and in your turn also overcome the world. Does the world deride Christ’s gospel? So much the worse for the world. Do circumstances press us down? He has overcome circumstances. Stand with him then. He is the King. He is God over all, whose name is blessed forever.

Excerpt taken from Come to the Waters: Daily Bible Devotions for Spiritual Refreshment by James Montgomery Boice, page 256, copyright P&R Publishing 2017.