Tag: tool

“My First Book of Questions and Answers” by Carine MacKenzie

~ Bob Hayton ~ 7 Comments

For hundreds of years, the training of Christian young people involved the learning of a catechism. A catechism was a set of instructions on Christian doctrine. Essentially, it was a list of questions and answers used to instill the fundamentals of the faith in the hearts of children. Many of the Reformed confessions, such as the Westminster Confession, included catechisms. Martin Luther considered his short catechism to be one of his two most important books. Even the great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote a catechism for young children.

Being an American and a Baptist, the very notion of a catechism seems incredibly foreign to me. But as I’ve studied church history and learned of the important role catechisms have played since the Reformation, I’ve actually been on the lookout for a simple catechism to employ with my own children. Since I’ve never used a catechism before, I was looking for something easy to use and also quite simple — as my daughters who I’d be teaching, are between the ages of 4 and 7.

Carine MacKenzie’s My First Book of Questions and Answers is what I found and so far, my children are eating it up. MacKenzie’s book is based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It consists of 114 questions broken up into 26 topics. The questions are direct and the answers are short and to the point. A Scripture reference is supplied for each answer.

The following topics are covered by the questions and answers. Who God is. Creation and sin. What the consequences of sin is. Salvation. Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. The Ten Commandments — what they are and what they mean for us. Keeping God’s Laws. The Way to be Saved. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Prayer and Bible Reading. Death, Hell and Heaven.

The book is pocket sized with large font and catchy graphics. It’s a bright, cheery book that young readers will like to read. My 7 year old has been reading some of the questions and answers we haven’t yet covered.

I’ve found the catechism format works well as a tool for parents wanting to teach their children. You can easily use the questions to probe how well they understand the answers given in the book. You will be able to have a pulse on what questions your children have when it comes to the gospel. And on another level, my kids think the questions and answers are a lot of fun. It’s a game to them, and they are excited about some small incentives my wife and I have planned for them as they learn these questions.

I should add a word about the theology behind this book. The baptism and Lord’s Supper section is generic enough to be accepted by Presbyterians and Baptists alike. There is a Reformed bent to the questions throughout, which I appreciate. However, any of the questions and answers could easily be edited by a conscientious parent.

My First Book of Questions and Answers is an ideal “first book” for parents seeking to use a catechism (like myself). You will find it to be a great little tool for instilling biblical teaching into the hearts and minds of your young children. Even though this book is quite small, if used by prayerful parents, it promises to have an eternal impact. May God bless the use of this book in the lives of many Christian parents and their children!

This book is part of a line up that Carine MacKenzie has of 7 “My First” books. The other titles are My First Book of Bible Prayers, My First Book of Christian Values, My First Book of Memory Verses, My First Book of Bible Promises, My First Book about Jesus, and My First Book about the Church. I encourage you to check them all out.

Pick up a copy of this book at Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com or direct from Christian Focus Publications.

Westminster Bookstore also has a deal on the entire set of 7 “My First” books.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Christian Focus Publications for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Christian Counseling Booklets from CCEF

~ Bob Hayton ~ 5 Comments

The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation is an excellent resource for a Scriptural-based approach to life’s problems. Their motto is “Restoring Christ to counseling, and counseling to the Church.” I have found their materials to be gospel-centered and grace-oriented. They are an incredible help to the church.

CCEF through its publishing arm, New Growth Press, makes available a wide range of booklets that address a host of common problems. I am going to highlight a few of these booklets in this post.

The booklets are sensitive to the life-situation they address, yet also apply the Bible and particularly the Gospel to the problem. I highly recommend them.

Single and Lonely: Finding the Intimacy You Desire by Jayne Clark.

This booklet explores how loneliness, which plagues single young people as much as it does the elderly, sick and widowed, is connected to the gospel. Protecting yourself, and aiming for one or two close friendships usually backfires. Recognizing our acceptance and love found in Christ, we should instead pursue wholeness and healing in a community of Christ-lovers. Practical steps for recognizing and dealing with the problem of loneliness in oneself and others are also included.

You can preview the booklet here, and purchase it directly from CCEF or from Westminster Bookstore.

Sex Before Marriage: How Far is Too Far? by Timothy Lane.

A counseling booklet with that title would scare me. But that’s the kind of question on many people’s mind. The booklet begins by rooting advice in a biblical view of sex. It’s wonderful and its a big deal, not something flippant or light. It goes on not so much as to prescribe boundaries but to expose heart issues and motivations. It admits chastity will look different in different cultures and times, but it gives an overarching principle: “Don’t act like you are married when you are not!” It draws a line and recommends no romantic or involved physical touching, let alone other questionable acts. It shifts the focus to marriage and will lead the conscientious reader right in this difficult arena.

You can preview the booklet here, and purchase it directly from CCEF or from Westminster Bookstore.

Find more of these helpful booklets here, or check out their mini book subscription program.

“Ryken’s Bible Handbook: A Guide to Reading and Studying the Bible” by Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken & James Wilhoit

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

Resources for studying the Bible are a dime a dozen, today. Every popular pastor or gifted teacher has his own study Bible or commentary set. Teacher’s handbooks, small group study guides, commentaries of all kinds, and big thick dictionaries abound. Many of these resource tools aren’t all that helpful, and some are outdated. Others are too bulky to be accessible, or too compact to be worth one’s time.

Enter, Ryken’s Bible Handbook (Tyndale). This handy, manageable volume stands apart in both its convenience and its worth. A wide variety of helpful material is arranged and presented in an attractive and accessible format.

Following the Bible handbook pattern, the information is arranged book by book through all 66 books of the Bible. The stress is on how best to read and understand the content of each particular book. Articles on Bible narratives, wisdom literature, prophecy, parables and more are placed at important positions throughout the handbook. And the book also cross-references these helpful articles often enough to ensure they remain useful (and not forgotten).

A fact sheet with information about the author, audience and special features of each book sets the stage. This is followed by an outline and a discussion of literary forms, key characters, doctrines and themes, and tips for reading or teaching the book. Next the flow of the book is traced so one can catch a sense of the whole. Interspersed throughout are helpful charts and a collection of quotes from Bible teachers and pastors. A discussion of the challenges to reading the book, and a guide to applying it are also included.

The handbook excels at keeping things simple yet providing real help. It manages to remain neutral on most theological controversies, aiming to equip one to read the Biblical book rather than actually teaching a theological position drawn from specific passages.

I found the article on parables to be particularly well done. That section makes the point that parables hint at something “alongside”. “It is untrue that you can find only one theme or ‘point’ in a parable. Most parables employ multiple themes or ideas.” (pg. 447) This emphasis for me is especially important as I’ve seen other books on reading the Bible stress the opposite, which seems to contradict Christ’s own interpretation of parables and leans to heavily on rationalistic scholarship.

Even if you disagree in a few places with the book, that won’t take away from it’s overall usefulness. Sunday school teachers, Bible students of all ages, pastors and parents will find this book very helpful. I heartily recommend it.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com or direct from Tyndale House.

This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

“Using Old Testament Hebrew in Preaching” by Paul Wegner

~ Bob Hayton

UsingOTHebrewAuthor: Paul D. Wegner
Publisher: Kregel
Format: softcover
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 166
ISBN: 9780825439360
Stars: 5 of 5

One of the most bewildering aspects of biblical studies is the study of ancient languages like biblical Hebrew and Greek. In some circles using Hebrew or Greek is frowned on. In many it is a necessary evil. The aspiring pastor must prove he can pass a few semesters of the languages. After this, he will likely use Greek sparingly and Hebrew not at all. In our day and age, however, there is a proliferation of bible study tools available to bring the wealth of language learning to the fingertips of even interested lay students. There is no excuse for a pastor to not grapple with the original text to some degree.

Paul Wegner has provided a tool to help out busy pastors and once-upon-a-time Hebrew students. His new book Using Old Testament Hebrew in Preaching: A Guide for Students and Pastors explains just how to put even a beginning level of Hebrew to use in preaching and studying the Bible.

The book is laid out very simply, and is designed to be a tool in itself. It starts with an explanation of why Hebrew study matters, and why pastors should take pains to try and use it. Wegner goes on to discuss the tools that are available to help use Hebrew. He compares software programs, Hebrew grammars and other study aids. The book proceeds to discuss how to study a passage using exegesis, literary analysis, theological analysis, and application. Wegner then goes on to explain how to put it all together and prepare an OT sermon. He illustrates just how to do this. The book closes with a discussion on various ways of keeping Hebrew language study fresh, and includes several appendices as aids in their own right.

The book is written in a simple and straightforward style, which makes it accessible to students of all levels of proficiency in Hebrew. Even those with no knowledge of Hebrew would benefit from this book as they plan on pursuing some kind of training in the language.

I learned several helpful things to benefit my own study of Hebrew. Structural analysis of Bible passages is apparently easier with Hebrew than Greek. (This gives some hope!) I also learned to be wary of older Hebrew study tools which prize etymology too much, specifically Brown, Driver and Brigg’s lexicon. Modern study has shown the history of words does not always impact their meaning at a given time. On that note, the study of Hebrew nouns is going to be most beneficial and rewarding. This is different than Greek, where verbs are key. The book also includes an excellent list of recommended scholarly and lay commentaries for each OT book.

I can’t recommend this little book enough. If you have studied Biblical Hebrew or if you think you will (or you should), you would be blessed in having this book.

Paul D. Wegner is professor of Old Testament at Phoenix Seminary and is the author of three books, Bible Introduction: The Journey from Texts to Translations; A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible; and An Examination of Kingship and Messianic Expectation in Isaiah 1-35. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Institute for Biblical Research, Society of Biblical Literature, and Tyndale Fellowship.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Kregel.