Free Pilgrim’s Progress Audiobook

This month only ChristianAudio.com is offering a free download of The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

John Bunyan was a simple maker and mender of pots and kettles who received very little education. In spite of that, he penned the most successful allegory ever written. He lost his first wife and was imprisoned for twelve years for his compelling—but unlicensed—preaching. Nevertheless, his preaching about the gravity of sin, salvation by grace, the cost of discipleship, perseverance, and the glory of eternal life lives on in the signs and symbols of The Pilgrim’s Progress. Embark on a perilous journey with Christian, the lead character, from the City of Destruction to the luminous safe haven of the Celestial City. The journey will encourage you to “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you” amidst the obstacles of life.

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Experts in discernment

“The truth is under attack more today than at any other time in history and this should not be surprising in a culture that so values religious freedom and tolerance. Add to such an accepting culture unparalleled speed of communication and the ability to publish books and other writings quickly and easily, and we can rightly conclude that error is being spread with startling speed and efficiency. What the church needs today is a class of believers who are identified as the experts in discernment and as those who have special ability in this area.”

Tim Challies writing on the spiritual gift of discernment in The Spiritual Discipline of Discernment.

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“What does the Bible mean. . . to you?”

As a pastor, I have spent a lot of time learning what the Bible means. We call that interpretation. Every Christian can learn how to interpret the Bible, but many Christians want to skip interpretation and move immediately to application. I have had more than one person in my ministry tell me, “You need to be more practical in your preaching.” Many books exhort preachers to be “more relevant” in their preaching (as if the Bible were not relevant).

Well, John MacArthur has written a piece that I say, “AMEN!” to you. He reminds us that the first task of the Bible reader and listener is to ask, “What does the Bible mean?” not “What does the Bible mean to me?” Intepretation must precede application!

Please take the time to read this article and pass it on to others!

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Stand fast, men!

One of the key influence on a young man is his father as well as other role models he may have.  But Bentley Rayburn, a retired Major General in the USAF, warns us:

Men, we are in trouble.  Collectively, we are not doing a very good job of raising our next generation of young men.  Statistics tell us that the average dad spends less than five minutes a day with his kids.  The number of homes in America without a father is reaching catastrophic levels.  Our teen boys are becoming more and more irresponsible–happy to hang out, waste time on video games, TV, and mindless activities. Today’s young man is far less likely to take to  take responsibility and pour himself into preparation for life as an adult and as a future father.  We desperately need our boys to grow up to be strong men and leaders in our society and especially in our churches. (Foreword to Fathers and Sons, Stand Fast in the Way of Truth! by Douglas Bond).

So, men, let’s stand fast and rise to this challenge of raising sons and daughters who see the real dangers that await them in this culture, who will rise to the great challenges of our day, and who will be well trained to raise the next generation for the glory of Christ.

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