Tried With Fire

My review of All That's Good by Hannah Anderson is up at Out of the Ordinary , and we're giving away a copy of the book too. Head on over to read the review here . I wanted to focus on Hannah's book and not bring in another one because I didn't want to compare books or authors, but I will mention this. I read "How to Think" by Alan Jacobs last year, one of my favorites of the year. When I completed it, I wished that there was a similar book but more in depth specifically for Christians. All That's Good  is THAT book! And one more note - even though the author is a woman, this book is for all believers.

I've posted a review of Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia at Out of the Ordinary today. We are also giving away a copy of the book. You can read the review and enter the giveaway here .

I'm reviewing Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson at Out of the Ordinary and giving away one copy. It's a beautifully written, wholesome, theologically sound book on humility and dependence upon God. Something we all need. Read the post and enter the giveaway here.

We're celebrating our one year anniversary at Out of the Ordinary ! In honor of the occasion, we will be giving away six books to one providential winner. Check out the titles and enter the giveaway !

Congratulations to Diane W., winner of  Jesus On Every Page .  Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to Thomas Nelson for sponsoring the giveaway.

Jesus On Every Page by David Murray, Thomas Nelson, August 2013, 256 pages. Reading the Old Testament can be overwhelming to many Christians. We remember the exciting Sunday school stories, but there's so much we don't understand. Consequently, it's easy to skim or skip over the bulk of the Bible to get to the New Testament. But is this how we should treat God's Word? Jesus didn't think so. On the Emmaus road “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) If this is true, which it is, shouldn't we expect to find Him on every page? Dr. David Murray begins Jesus On Every Page with his own Emmaus journey and discovery of Christ in the Old Testament. He then takes a look at what Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John say about the importance of the Scriptures, which did not include the New Testament at that time. After laying this foundation, he gives ten ways to find Jesus: Ch...

Christina Langella is guest blogging at Out of the Ordinary today with a review of Renee of France , a new biography by Simonetta Carr. Read the review and enter the giveaway for a copy of the book.

I'm posting my review of Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp at Out of the Ordinary . Read the review and enter the giveaway here .

Congratulations to Ray, providential winner of Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy by Horatius Bonar and the Matthew Smith CD. Thanks to everyone who entered!

It's time for the last giveaway of 2012! I'll be giving away one copy of Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy by Horatius Bonar, the 19th century Scottish theologian.  In  Night of Weeping ,  Bonar deals with suffering in the life of the believer. He writes from the perspective that this is the family badge of the people of God. But rather than being punitive in nature, our Heavenly Father deals with us in love and faithfulness. "He is too faithful a Father to suffer sin in his children unreproved."  1 In  Morning of Joy , Bonar writes of the consolation we find in the hope of spending eternity with the Lord: "Beyond the death-bed and beyond the grave, she (the church) sees resurrection. Beyond the broken hearts and severed bands of time, she realizes and clasps the eternal love-links; beyond the troubles of the hour, and beyond the storm that is to wreck the world, she casts her eye, and feels as if transported into the kingdom that cannot be moved, as...

Congratulations to Melissa, the providential winner of Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. Thanks to everyone who entered. God willing, there will be a giveaway next month, so stay tuned...

It's giveaway time! I'll be giving away one copy of The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung.  To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below. The providential winner will be chosen on Tuesday, October 23 (US addresses only.) Thanks for entering! Holiness is the sum of a million little things - the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances. Are you trustworthy? Are you kind? Are you patient? Are you joyful? Do you love? These qualities, worked out in all the little things of life, determine whether you are a blight or blessing to everyone around you, whether you are an ugly spiritual eyesore or growing up into a good-looking Christian... ...

Congratulations to Rebecca and Becky for winning the gospel infographic print. Thanks to everyone who entered. Lord willing, there will be more giveaways in the future.

It's September and time for another giveaway. I'll be giving away two copies of "What is the Gospel?", an infographic art print designed by my friend, Amanda Franks, an amazingly talented graphic designer and photographer. More details on the print here . These are 8 x 10" in size. To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below. Two providential winners will be chosen on September 11th US and Canadian addresses only. Thanks for entering, and many thanks to Amanda for donating one of the prints for the giveaway! (The giveaway has ended.)

To kick off our new group blog, we're giving away Joy! by Keri Folmar, a women's inductive study of Philippians published by Cruciform Press . Details here .

Congratulations to Melissa, winner of By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson!!!! Thanks to all who entered. More giveaways to come, Lord willing.

Good suggestions from Mark Dever on how to create a culture of reading and reflection in the local church: Speaking of free books, there's still time to enter the giveaway for a copy of By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson. The drawing will be tomorrow at noon.

This month's giveaway is By Grace Alone by Sinclair B. Ferguson.  From the preface: "Being amazed by God's grace is a sign of spiritual vitality. It is a litmus test of how firm and real is our grasp of the Christian gospel and how close is our walk with Jesus Christ. The growing Christian finds that the grace of God astonishes and amazes." Based on the stanzas of the hymn, "O How the Grace of God Amazes Me" by Emmanuel T. Sibomana, this book tells of the wonders of the grace of God as seen in the gospel. Here are some excerpts from each chapter: 1. My Chains Fell Off 2. Unconditional Love 3. At God's Expense 4. The Great Exchange 5. Guaranteed Security 6. Delivered From Evil 7. True Freedom To enter the giveaway, use the form below. (US addresses only please.) The providential winner will be drawn on June 20 at noon EDT. Thanks for entering! The giveaway is closed.

Christina at Heavenly Springs is hosting a giveaway for  Unpacking Forgiveness  by Chris Brauns. Check it out here and read Pastor Brauns' guest post. The drawing closes Monday, June 11, at 8 PM ET.

Kim is giving away a copy of Reformation by Carl Trueman. It's an excellent book on how the church today needs the reformers' understanding of Christ, the Word, and assurance of salvation.  It's concise but packs a big punch. Check it out!