Well the books of the Bible at least. Pete Myers offers some helpful tips: Memorizing the Books of the Bible

Ray Ortlund on being Truly Reformed

HTs: Justin Taylor and Dave Bish

Had a good time the last couple of Sunday evenings thinking about Christ in the Psalms. Indeed, it is a good, helpful and encouraging thing to understand the big picture of the whole Bible - what, or rather, Who, it is all about. Some have described the pinnacles of the story line as: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Glorification - but of course there are many more. But Who does the whole Bible point to? Obviously and explicitly the New Testament is focused on the Lord Jesus. For instance Mark’s gospel opens with these words:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1, ESV)

Likewise the apostle Paul writes about “…gospel of our Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 1:8, ESV) in his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica. But, what about the Old Testament, what is that all about? Here are some words of the Lord Jesus on the subject of the Old Testament scriptures:

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me (John 5:39, ESV)

He also explained how the Old Testament (the Law of Moses, Prophets and Psalms) was all about Him to some of his disciples:

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

… he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

(Luke 24:27, 44, ESV), emphasis added.

The whole Bible points to the Lord Jesus. If you fancy digging deeper into the big picture of the Bible, aka Biblical Theology, here are a few helpful resources I’ve enjoyed in recent times.

9 Marks Ministries discussion on Biblical Theology (with Mark Dever, Mike Gilbart-Smith, Michael Lawrence, and Jonathan Leeman). Download the free MP3 here.

Ligon Duncan on Covenant Theology - two MP3s from a conference in 2002, (HT: Martin Downes). Covenant Theology sees God’s covenants as an important thread that can be traced through the Bible. You can read an extract from the first talk: What is Covenant Theology?

For introductory reading on the big story of the Bible, Vaughan Robert’s, God’s Big Picture, (IVP, 2003) is excellent. For more on Biblical Theology, Beginning With Moses has lots of resources.

A while ago I posted some preaching and teaching resources. There have been some helpful consideration in recent times on the difference between Bible-teaching and Christ-preaching.

Michael Jensen recently left us with something to think about: Bible Teaching? - where he highlights how we often talk about bible teaching rather than Christ preaching in our Churches.

Thanks to Dave Bish for highlighting those thoughts: Teach The Bible, or Preach The Christ?, and also to Adrian Reynolds for some more helpful commentary on the issue here: Preaching or Teaching

This reminded me of one of Abraham Piper’s pithy 22-word observations: If sermons are mainly about transferring knowledge, most of them are failures.

Good and important thinking. Did a quick search of the ESV, and even from that brief and incomplete survey, it seems that proclamation and preaching go hand in hand with teaching about Jesus as the Christ in the New Testament:

• ESV Search “Teach” and “Christ”
• ESV Search “Preach” and “Christ”

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:42, (ESV)

Update: 20/07/08: here is yet more: Scrivener on Two Ways to Preach

Justin Taylor shares Jim Packer’s five favourite books.

Another for the master list!

Here’s a striking, challenging and encouraging contrast in one of King David’s prayers . The men of the world are satisfied with worldly things. David is satisfied with God.

v14 … men of the world whose portion is in this life …

v15 … I [David] shall be satisfied with your likeness [i.e. the Lord].

Psalm 17:14-15, (ESV)

This reminded me of something Jeremiah Burroughs wrote which I quoted more fully here: The Mystery of Contentment:

A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage, but all the world, and ten thousand times more, will not content a Christian for his portion … a [Christian's] heart … can be filled by nothing in the world; it must only be God himself.

Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, taken from “The Mystery of Contentment” (1648)

You may remember this story from a while ago: The Uniqueness of Christ and the Church of England

David Phillips of The Church Society has offered some further news in the Summer 2008 edition of Crossway: No Other Name - The Uniquness of Christ for Salvation (pdf). HT: ACL

Here are some more helpful resources on books and reading:

• Stephen Altrogge on 7 Tips For Better Book Reading, (The Blazing Center)
• Tim Challies on How to Begin a Commentary Collection, (Challies.com)
• David Ould on 5 Books to Read before You’re 20, (and after 20 too!)
• Essential Reading Curriculum: Church Youth & Parents, (Doctrine Matters)
• Don Carson on How To Read 500 Books a Year, (Denny Burk)

If you liked them, you might like this little series here: Reading Christian Books.

A Passion For Life ‘Vision for Mission’ Booklet is now available to download free from their website (pdf).

If you like this sort of thing…

http://www.clayton.tv/

Eminating from Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle, UK

Here are the three purposes of Clayton TV taken from their website:

Godly Living: Bible based TV resources to train and encourage Christians.

Church Growth: Evangelistic material to persuade non-believers of the gospel.

Changing Britain: Programmes on ethics and social issues that will influence popular opinion and government policy.

HT: James Carey