Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

Wednesday
Oct072009

Are we to pray unto God only? 

God only being able to search the hearts,[1] hear the requests,[2] pardon the sins,[3] and fulfil the desires of all;[4] and only to be believed in,[5] and worshiped with religious worship;[6] prayer, which is a special part thereof,[7] is to be made by all to him alone,[8] and to none other.[9]

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Tuesday
Oct062009

Book Review: Big Truths for Young Hearts

Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce A. Ware.

Can I start this review with the story of how Big Truths for Young Hearts came to be? It’s origin is in the bedside discussions Bruce Ware had with his two daughters when they were children. 

“I began,” Ware writes, “in those early years spending ten to fifteen minutes with each of our daughters at their bedside, going through the doctrines of the Christian faith.” What he was doing was teaching them the same systematic theology he taught at seminary, but gearing it toward his children. His daughters are now adults, and they encouraged their father to write a book based on his bedtime talks with them, so he did.

The result a good gift to the church, especially to parents who wish to teach the faith to their children. As far as I know, there is nothing else like it—a systematic theology for children. There are, of course, children’s catechisms, but catechisms focus more on what is so and less on why it is so. A systematic theology gives us the reasons and tells us how everything fits together. If your kids are like mine were, they want to know the reasoning behind the doctrines, and that’s what you’ll provide when you read this book to them.

Big Truths for Young Hearts contains six sections—Bibliology through Eschatology—but with child-friendly titles instead of the technical theological terms. The section that contains Bibiology and Theology Proper, for instance, is called God’s Word and God’s Own Life as God. (You’ll find a quote from that section here.) Each section has six short chapters, two or three pages each, explaining and defending a doctrinal truth, finishing up with two questions for discussion and a memory verse or two.

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Monday
Oct052009

Seasons change fast.

This is the front of a flier from a local tire company. It came in the mail today.

Here’s this morning’s photo from my front porch.

Here’s last weekend’s photo.

The flier came too late. I was still wearing my flip flops.

(Note: Comments are—temporarily, I hope—moderated. Leave your comment and I’ll approve you right away. Unless you are a certain someone picking the same old silly fight.)