Last week, Pastor Mark spent alot of time talking about the deep joy that can be experienced by Christians, even in the midst of great trial and pain. One man that communicated those truths very well was Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), a Welsh pastor and author.  Below are two of his books on the subject of the unspeakable joy spoken of in 1 Peter 1:8.

Spiritual Depressions: It’s Causes & Cure- This book is deeply significant in my life and I am sure that I will return to it many times.

This enduring collection of twenty-one sermons by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, each originally delivered at Westminster Chapel in London, carefully and compassionately analyzes an undeniable feature of modern society from which Christians have not escaped—spiritual depression.

“Christian people,” writes Lloyd-Jones, “too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give this appearance of unhappiness and of lack of freedom and absence of joy. There is no question at all but that this is the main reason why large numbers of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity.”

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Joy Unspeakable- Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the assertion of John the Baptist that Jeus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The result is a classic call to submit afresh to the Spirit for power, purity and assurance, while keeping our heads in the face of pitfalls that might distract or ensnare us.

During the first sermon (Trinity: God Is) in the Mars Hill Church series Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, Pastor Mark Driscoll took some time to address a book called The Shack. Here is a clip of what Mark said:

Tim Challies, a popular Christian blogger has also posted a couple helpful reviews of the book. You can find his shorter initial review here or download a more in-depth review here.

While this may seem to be a lot of excitement over a work of fiction, it’s important for Christians to pursue truth about God because what we believe about God drives how we live our lives. The glowing reviews of The Shack online and from people that I have talked to underscore this fact.

Yes my friends, it is true. We have our very own Friday Nights in Ferndale Facebook page (Check out the link over on the right side of the page). Feel free to check it out, become a fan, post your pithy insights, etc. Most of all, we hope that it can be a useful tool that you can use to invite your friends to join up and come to Friday Night.

In the Creation: God Makes sermon we watched last Friday, Pastor Mark Driscoll referenced the research and study of Dr. Peter Jones. I have benefited from hearing some of Dr. Jones’ teaching and wanted to share those links with you.

Walking in the Land of Blur- video/audio

Pastoring in Today’s Zeitgeist- video/audio

Mark Driscoll interview with Peter Jones- video

Resurgence page for Peter Jones

Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet- Dr. Jones’ website