Around The Web-April 15, 2016

Three Temptations Leaders Must Fight Daily by Eric Geiger

The Bible Joins Fifty Shades Among Top 10 Most Challenged Books

Heath Lambert's new book A Theology of Biblical Counseling is on sale along with other books.

Dave Jenkins talks with David Mathis about his book, Habits of Grace

What Is Faith? The Answer from Hebrews 11 by Richard Phillips

Three Things Pastors Can't Do Too Much by Jared C Wilson

Phil Robertson Prays before NASCAR Event, Calls on Americans to 'Put a Jesus Man in the White House'

Tim Chester announces his new book, Why The Reformation Still Matters

Tim Keller, Michael Horton, and Alan Hirsch speak about the worst gospel misunderstandings.

Book Review: Core Christianity by Michael Horton

The first thing that the church should do when a person comes to faith in Christ is to disciple that person. We read the Bible with them and teach them what the Bible says about God, salvation, the church, etc. We also begin to teach them the doctrines of the church, which is based on Scripture, that has been taught for hundreds of years.

When it comes to doctrine and theology, some Christians, not just new believers, seem to think that is only reserved for the Seminary professor or their pastor. In our Christian bookstores, the theology section is not as large as the Christian living section. In some cases, the theology section of a Christian bookstore keeps shrinking. Many Christians avoid books about doctrine and theology because of the size.

Michael Horton has written a book that deals with fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith and how it applies to our daily lives. The book is called, Core Christianity. Most people know Horton as a seminary professor, so one might assume this book might go over people's heads. That is not the case with this book. Horton writes in a simple way so that anyone who picks up the book can read it with clarity. Yes, this is a book on Christian doctrine, but this one serves as an introduction to Christian theology.


Horton writes how Jesus is God in the flesh, how God is three in one, and the Bible is God speaking to us. He also writes about the beginning of the world and how sin came into it. He also talks about the promise of a Messiah which is fulfilled in Christ.

This book is perfect for a new believer. It is also perfect for someone who has questions about the Christian faith. As I mentioned earlier, Horton writes this book in a very simplistic way that anyone can read it.

Thanks BookLook Blogger for letting me review this book.

Around The Web-March 18, 2016

“I Don’t Feel At Home In the Republican Party Anymore” by Trevin Wax

The Theology of Donald Trump by Michael Horton

Does The Bible Have Errors by R.C. Sproul

Confessions: Thick or Thin? by Jonathan Leeman

Confessions: Old or New? by Bobby Jamieson

Joe Thorn on the These Go to 11 Podcast discussing did Satan wanted Jesus to die and Easter services

Dave Jenkins and Jason Garwood on the meaning of Good Friday

John Piper discusses his new book, A Peculiar Glory, which is on sale along with other books



Time for a little humor and theological truth from Donall and Conall as they talk with Richard Dawkins

Around The Web-May 9, 2014

“I Feel Super Great About Having an Abortion” — The Culture of Death Goes Viral by Albert Mohler

The Jesus Wife Fragment is a Hoax by Michael Horton

HGTV Cancels Show that Features Hosts with Biblical Worldview

Tim Challies reviews Ray Ortlund's latest book, The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ. Also, check out Jeff Medders' favorite quotes from the book.

Satanic group reveals crowdfunded monument for Oklahoma State Capitol

R-Rated Texts for an R-Rated World R-Rated Texts for an R-Rated World by Josh Vincent

Kevin Durant's acceptance speech that everyone is talking about.



This has to be the worst failure in the history of Family Feud. Please note: the audio quality is not that good so you might need to turn up the volume.

The Kingdom is Already Here, But Not Yet

Christ's kingdom is present now, but not yet consummated. It is a "semirealized" kingdom. Even now, the blessings that Christ has won for us being distributed by him through his Spirit in the ministry of preaching and sacrament. We are already chosen, redeemed, called, justified, renewed; we are bring sanctified, and we will one day be glorified. For now, though, we live in the tension between the kingdom's inauguration and its consummation. A related distinction is drawn in the New Testament between this age and the age to come. Even now the age to come is breaking upon this passing age, but not yet in the visible and completed form that will be universally evident at Christ's appearing.

Michael Horton, Pilgrim Theology

On What Grounds Did God Make The World?

The world is not necessary for God's being or happiness. He could live without us-does live without us in the ultimate sense, but chooses not to live without us. It is not because God is related to (dependent on) the world that the world is related to him, but because he has related the world to himself, especially in a covenantal relationship, by the act of his own free speech. This means that love is the ground of God's creation of a world that is different from himself yet valuable as the work of his hands.

Michael Horton, Pilgrim Theology

Law/Gospel

God's Word has two parts-the law and the gospel-and there is a danger in either confusing or separating them. The law commands and the gospel gives. The law says, "Do," and the gospel says, "Done." Equally God's Word, both are good, but God does different things through them.

In the widest sense, the law is everything in Scripture that commands, and the gospel is everything in Scripture that makes promises based solely on God's grace to us in Christ. But in a narrower sense, the gospel is 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day pin accordance with the Scriptures." The content of the gospel is the announcement that Christ was crucified and raised for our salvation in fulfillment of the Scriptures. At the same time, the gospel includes God's gracious fulfillment in Christ of all of the promises related to the new creation. That's why Paul can answer his question: "Shall we then sin that grace may abound?" with more gospel: union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, so that we're no longer under sin's dominion. The gospe; isn't just enough to justify the ungodly; it's enough to regenerate and sanctify the ungodly. However, only because (in the narrower sense) the good news announces our justification are we for the first time free to embrace God as our Father rather than our Judge. We have been saved from condemnation and tyranny of sin. Both are essential to the "glad tidings" that we proclaim.

We can also speak of the law and gospel in the redemptive-historical sense, as the covenantal principle of inheritance. The history of salvation moves from promise to fulfillment, from shadow to reality. In this sense, the law is not opposed to the gospel.

Yet when it comes to how we receive the gift-how redemption is applied to us by the Spirit-we are saved apart from the law. Law and gospel are completely opposed in this sense, since they are two different bases of principles of inheritance. We are saved by Christ or by our own obedience, but we cannot be saved by both. Interestingly, Paul includes both senses in Romans 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law [justification in order of salvation], although the Law and the Prophets [i.e., the Old Testament writings] bear witness to it."

Finally, Lutheran and Reformed traditions distinguish (without separating) three uses of the law: the first (pedagogical), to expose our guilt and corruption, driving us to Christ; the second, a civil use to restrain public vice; and the third, to guide Christian obedience. Believers are not "under the law" in the first sense. They are justified. However, they are still obligated to the law, both as it is stipulated and enforced by the state (second use) and as it frames Christian discipleship (third use). We never ground our status before God in our obedience to imperatives, but in Christ's righteousness; yet we are also bound to Christ, who continues to lead and direct us by his holy will.

Michael Horton, Pilgrim Theology