Pure Church

The Buzzard Blog is circling prey again. This time he's giving some good thoughts in "3 Truths That Change Your Life."

Fifteen Years of Faithfulness. It was a great treat to join the saints at CHBC this weekend to celebrate Mark Dever's 15th year at the church and to give God thanks for all He has done there in that time. God in His kindness has sent 27 pastors to at least five countries from CHBC in 15 years. That's not counting all the interns and staff persons who are faithfully serving in other ways. May the Lord greatly magnify Himself with more fruit and make all our ministries as fruitful in their own right. Here's a post and video from one member. (HT: Gospel Coalition)

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. A very funny, insightful, and educational look at the Confederate subculture of the South. Also a decent overview of some Civil War facts and fiction. I thought the war was over, but apparently it's still being fought in some quarters. The title suggests the book might be mocking, but it turns out to be a rather warm outsiders (author Tony Horowitz is Jewish) look into what's inside things like Civil War re-enactments, Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy, and other such things. Very good read, including some provocative concluding chapters examining the current state of "race" relations in Civil War and Civil Rights battleground states.

Do you?

I think my favorite book is Hebrews. Is there a book that so completely demonstrates the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things?

So, I'm thankful for anything that gives me a deeper love for the Savior by helping me to plumb the riches of the Book of Hebrews. If you haven't heard already, Justin Buzzard has published an excellent study of the Book of Hebrews. It's called Hebrews: Consider Jesus. Everyone should pick this study guide up.

Here's the information from the Good Book Company website:

Product Description

Jesus Christ - it's a name that still has unique pulling power, even in today's secular society. Jesus is used as a comforting idea in times of trouble, an inspiration for those seeking spirituality, and even as a figurehead for counter-cultural enthusiasts. But the real Jesus is so much greater than this.

Jesus Christ is at the centre of the Bible's message and God's plan for the universe - and at the centre of human history. But is He at the centre of our existence - our hopes, priorities and day-to-day lives? We need to move on from simply knowing the details of His birth, life and death to a deeper understanding of their meaning.

The letter to the Hebrews helps us leave behind out limited views of Jesus by explaining to us the supreme greatness of Christ Himself.

Consider Jesus is a Bible-study guide to help ordinary Christians get to grips with Hebrews. Here is an invitation to fix our eyes on God's Son - our perfect Brother, faithful and merciful High Priest, atoning Sacrifice and great Shepherd. Use these studies to discover the whole picture of Jesus Christ, and equip yourself to know, trust and follow Him, come what may.

Table of contents

Introduction
Why study Hebrews?
1. God's greatest revelation (Hebrews 1 v 1 - 2 v 4)
2. The greatest man (Hebrews 2 v 5-18)
3. A greater Moses (Hebrews 3 v 1 - 4 v 13)
4. A greater priest (Hebrews 4 v 14 - 5 v 10 (ch 7))
5. A greater truth (Hebrews 5 v 11 - 6 v 20)
6. A greater covenant (Hebrews 8 v 1 - 10 v 25)
7. A greater promise (Hebrews 10 v 26 - 12 v 3)
8. A greater kingdom (Hebrews 12 v 1 - 13 v 25)

Leaders' Guide

The Bay area of California is one of my favorite spots in the U.S. My wife and I vacationed there several years running a while back. I simply love the area.

But when we were there, it was hard to find a good local church to attend. I'm sure that had more to do with our ignorance than the churches in the area. But I'm thankful for one brother I've been getting to know who lives and ministers in the Bay area, Justin Buzzard. Justin blogs over at Buzzard Blog and if you haven't already, you should check him out. And if you live in the Bay area and you're looking for a church, check out Central Peninsula Church while you're at it.