Pastor Shaun Marksbury

“Discipleship: Die to Live” ( John 1 2:20–26) Series:               “John: Life in Christ’s Name”           Text:                 John 12:20–26 By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                January 28, 2024 Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church             Occasion:             AM Service   I.   ...

My Goodreads review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5236379384   5 Stars This great little book isn't too small to explore in necessary detail this seemingly mysterious subject. As the title promises, Faulkner explains various phenomena commonly attributed to extraterrestrial life, and he examines the supposed existence of outer space, intelligent life forms from a biblical and scientific perspective. He also delves into some of the more arcane theories, such as ancient astronauts, panspermia, flying saucers in Scripture, and those of the UFO cults of recent decades. I recommend this book for any Christian wanting to think biblically and accurately about this subject, so you're not left wondering if the kingdom of God might one day include a United Federation of Planets.

From Forgiven to Forgiving: Learning to Forgive One Another God's Way by Jay E. Adams My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an excellent resource on understanding forgiveness. Adams provides not only a full explanation of what it means to forgive and seek forgiveness from several angle, he also gives us many helpful correctives. He also emphasizes that the concept of forgiveness must begin with God and the gospel, a point which raises this book from mere moralism to a devotional aspect of our lives. It's challenging at times, and again, a great resource. I not only recommend it, I plan to use it as the basis for a brief topical series. View all my reviews

Leadership for Women in the Church by Susan Hunt My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is written from an overall biblical perspective on the question of women and ministry. While the title might cause one to assume encouraging women reach for leadership roles within the church, the authors take the perspective that women can lead and serve from where they are. Such a perspective is important for all Christians to hear, and it is certainly encouraging for women seeking to use their gifts and talents to the glory of God. Readers looking for a discussion on gender roles within the church or arguments for and against the ordination of women to ministry will have to look elsewhere. Again, this book is more about encouraging women to serve within various layperson capacities within the local assembly. Indeed, there is a bit of self-confidence building thrusts within the book that I'm not particularly a fan of, but some might find helpful. Hunt and Hutche...

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s ironic that so many today use the term “Uncle Tom” as a pejorative. The protagonist of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin — a singular, upright, and spiritual man — is a hero who demonstrates the fortitude of character we all wish we had (black or white). In fact, the current stereotype of the submissive “Uncle Tom” doesn’t come from this book but from traveling minstrel shows attempting to discredit her message. That message is ultimately one of universal kinship of man and Christian charity. Stowe sought to put an end to slavery, and given the early and ongoing success of her work, she certainly played her role. Drawing off true accounts to draft her fictional narrative, she inserts a true pathos to her work. While it is not by any means the height of literary achievement, nor is it a perfect presentation, its cultural impact is welcome and well-earned. One of the major characteristics of the book ...

The Lamb and the Fuhrer: Jesus Talks with Hitler by Ravi Zacharias My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the first of the imagined dialogue books I've read by Zacharias. I'm not a huge fan of imagining words into the mouth of our Lord, though Zacharias obviously doesn't do so with malicious intent and fills in numerous biblical allusions. This benefits of reading this conversation arises from pondering the concept of what God expects from politics and nations, and I was surprised to see a few historical sources cited in the text. More than that, though, the conversation proves evangelistic for the reader, as it is Hitler's story we follow most closely. View all my reviews

Good Christians disagree on this, so don't make it a test of orthodoxy.  The point is that we have the evidence to examine and debate, meaning that the text is trustworthy (a lack of debatable evidence would imply collusion and tampering).  Still, the evidence seems to point to Mark's Gospel ending on v. 8.  Here are a few resources I used in preparation for this topic.  They may help you to better understand the issue.  The first is a section from the MacArthur Study Bible: The external evidence strongly suggests these verses were not originally part of Mark’s gospel. While the majority of Gr. manuscripts contain these verses, the earliest and most reliable do not. A shorter ending also existed, but it is not included in the text. Further, some that include the passage note that it was missing from older Gr. manuscripts, while others have scribal marks indicating the passage was considered spurious. The fourth-century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome note...

Latest update 11/20/17. While wonderful Bible software packages exist, not everyone can afford the sometimes steep price.  Thankfully, the Internet teems with free Bible study tools.  Caution: not all resources are created alike, and our linking these tools should not be understood as an endorsement of all the material appearing on these websites. I've been working on this list for nearly a decade, so let me know if you come across broken links or if you find one you believe should be added. (This list is also on our church website .) ______________________________ Biblical and Theological Studies Whether you are studying to grow or looking for material to help facilitate your small group studies, here are a few sites with prepared material that you can search with ease. Bible.org  Dr. Bill Barrick's Teaching Site  Monergism.com  Sermon Audio Staying in the Word Home Bible Study Ministry  The John MacArthur Sermon Archive Concordances...