Jon’s Blog

Good books on Jonathan Edwards

by Jonathan on August 23, 2010

Reading about Jonathan Edwards has been a tremendous blessing to my spiritual and ministerial development. I wanted to recommend two books that I have read about Edwards, who is probably the most influential theologian that North America has produced. The first book is A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (Library of Religious Biography Series), which I read this year on my Kindle and really enjoyed. As the title suggests, this book is short and sweet. The author tells the story of Jonathan Edward’s life and compares it to the life of Benjamin Franklin, which gives some interesting insights as you notice the contrast between these two men.

The second book I would like to recommend is Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography. I read this book in 2008, while I was suffering from insomnia during a hard time in the ministry there in Chia. This book is masterful! In my opinion this is one of the best biographies that has been written. I was encouraged during that time to see how Edwards was treated, in spite of his godliness. If he suffered at the hands of a congregation, we shouldn’t be surprised if we have to suffer at times too.

If you want a shorter book to understand the basics of the life of Jonathan Edwards I would recommend the first one, and if you want a more in depth look at his life I would recommend the second.

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Gospel-centered parenting

by Jonathan on January 23, 2010

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I’m preparing a sermon for tomorrow on gospel-centered parenting. I just ran across an article that really challenged my thinking. The author talks about how the gospel should change the way we react when our kids disobey. Are we centered on the law, or on the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Check it out at Preaching the Gospel to Our Kids: Pointing to Christ’s Substitution as Their Substitution

Photo courtesy of Ben McLeod

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Proverbs for Kids from the Book

January 13, 2010
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Proverbs for Kids from the Book I don’t normally review children’s books because I don’t have a lot of exposure to them, but this book is an exception.  What do you read with your kids for their devotional time?  We have tried a number of different books, but this one has provided the most profitable [...]

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The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

January 5, 2010
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The Gospel and Personal Evangelism I have begun to take notes about the books that I read. This is not a “review” per se, but rather my notes from the book. I hope that you find them profitable. Core concepts: The gospel should captivate our hearts and motivate us to share the good news with [...]

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