iDolatry? - Dustin Neeley has three questions you should ask yourself before buying an iPad. I think gadgets like the iPad are very good at revealing idols of the heart, so it’s always worth asking questions like these ones. And speaking of the iPad, take a look at this article, Apple’s iPad: By the Numbers.

Simplify Your Workday - This article offers some good suggestions for simplifying (and maximizing) your workday.

Office Technology: Productivity Boost or Time Sink? - This article asks some good questions about the place of technology and gadgets in the workplace. “What the experts have figured out is how to track what office workers actually spend their time doing. The results indicate that — contrary to any assumptions about their usefulness — personal computers, smartphones, notebooks, netbooks and associated gadgets can be such massively beguiling, addictive time sinks that they materially damage the economy — draining it by one-sixteenth, according to one calculation.”

The Toll of Our Toiling - Collin Hansen writes about John Piper’s leave of absence. He says “Thousands of ministers who have learned from Piper through his books, sermons, and conference talks will now have opportunity to learn from his silence.”

Common Tax Return Mistakes - Here’s a timely article if you, like me, are a last-minute kind of filer. “Tax time is annoying and pressure-filled enough when your return is 100% accurate. Make a few mistakes, however, and April can quickly devolve into a nightmarish ordeal. What seems to you like little more than a trivial error can rapidly trigger suspicion (or even fines and audits) from your friends at the IRS. Many a taxpayer has found himself hunched over a desk — head in hands — for days or weeks on end fixing careless tax return errors. Billshrink wants nothing more than to spare our readers such agony, so we put together this list of 12 common tax return mistakes to avoid. So enjoy — but be sure to file with caution!”

Red Letter - A new (and free) album from Mars Hill Church.

More than any other question that comes in via email, I’m asked this one: “How do you read so much?” While granting that I do read a lot, I think it bears mention that there are lots of people who read as much as I do or a lot more. The difference is that I write about what I’m reading, so you’re more aware of it than you are with most of these voracious readers.

Every year or so I sit down to write out a few thoughts on reading. I’m doing so again today, offering a few thoughts on how you can read more and read better. This is adapted from a list I created a couple of years ago. Actually, what I’ll do is write today about how to read more and read more widely and then tomorrow we’ll work on reading better.

Read - Start with the obvious: you need to read. If you want to be a good painter, you’ve got to paint; if you want to be a good runner, you’ve got to run. So before anything else, you need to commit to the discipline. Unless reading is a genuine passion, you may need to be very deliberate about setting aside time to do it. You may need to force yourself into it. Set yourself some reasonable targets (“I’m going to read three books this year” or “I’m going to finish this book before the end of the month”) and work towards it. Set aside time every day or every week and make sure you pick up the book during those times. Start out by reading a book that deals with a subject of particular interest to you. You may even find it beneficial to find a book that looks interesting—a nice hardback volume with a beautiful, embossed cover, easy-to-read fonts and excellent typography. Reading is an experience and the experience begins with the look and feel of the book. So find a book that looks like one you’ll enjoy and commit to reading it. And when you’ve done that, find another one and do it again. And again.

Read Widely - I’m convinced that one reason people do not read more is that they do not vary their reading enough. Any subject, no matter how much you are interested in it, can begin to feel dry if you focus all of your attention upon it. So be sure to read widely. Read fiction and non-fiction, theology and biography, current affairs and history. You will no doubt want to focus the majority of your reading in one broad area, and that is well and good. But be sure to vary your diet. I think it’s especially important to say to Christians that you are allowed to read mainstream books. Read a bit of Malcolm Gladwell or read Freakonomics or a title plucked from the bestseller’s list. Many of these books will enrich you in unexpected ways.

Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts)

Working for Moody Publishers is great because you get exposed to many fine thinkers, orators, and writers. You get to hear what’s on their hearts and minds and then watch them turn that passion into books. And my job is to help connect that passion in the book with its intended audience. With that in mind, let me tell you about some of our new and recent releases.

The 18th century pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards has long been a favorite source of inspiration and passion for many Christians. However, most people don’t go beyond their high school study of “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” to get to know Edwards better. After all, Edwards wrote a lot of sermons, texts, and notes, (all in often confusing old English) and he was a deep thinker. Where would one person begin to sort through it all and come to understandable conclusions?

Experts Douglas Sweeney and Owen Strachan introduce, present, and reflect on the choicest treasures of Edwards’s writings, but do so in a way that everyone can understand in The Essential Edwards Collection. Introduced by John Piper, these five slim volumes (Jonathan Edwards on Beauty, on the Good Life, on True Christianity, on Heaven and Hell, and Jonathan Edwards, Lover of God) provide a great basic understanding of the essential writings and topics of Edwards’s life and ministry. So don’t be too intimidated to get to know Edwards better and with him, the glorious God he served.

Let me ask you a question. Where is the doctrinal pendulum in the church right now? Conservative legalists had their day, and then the emergent church had its day with a “deeds not creeds” mantra. It seems to me that the pendulum on doctrine and faith statements is swinging back again as people are into social justice “deeds,” but they are motivated because of doctrine they believe in as recorded in “creeds.” People today don’t seem satisfied with easy, noncommittal answers—they want to explore the depth of doctrine. Many now see that within creeds and catechisms we can have our faith strengthened, our knowledge broadened, and our love for Jesus deepened.

If you are one of those folks, I want to recommend The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung. In it, Kevin explains the Heidelberg Catechism, why he loves it and hopes more people come to love it. The result is a clear-headed, warm-hearted exploration of the faith, simple enough for young believers and deep enough for mature ones. So I invite you to see what “vintage faith” is. I believe you’ll be surprised how much you’ll enjoy this book on a 16th-century faith document. We can’t afford to forget what it teaches—We are great sinners and Christ is a greater Savior!

Sharing Christ with friends and family can be scary for many people. Now what if it’s sharing Christ with a Muslim co-worker or neighbor? Yikes!…right? It doesn’t have to be that way. Thabiti Anyabwile is a Christian pastor who converted from Islam. He has written The Gospel for Muslims- An Encouragement to Share Christ With Confidence. Written for typical Christians who want to share their faith, Thabiti emphasizes knowing the gospel and having your confidence in its claims, not in a specific evangelism technique, knowledge of Islam, or skill. It’s a handy little volume that is sure to help you effectively share Christ with any Muslim that the Lord brings you into contact with.

Finally, if you are interested in or already do missions work, please consider Reaching And Teaching by M. David Sills. Sills loves missionaries and their desire to reach people for Christ. However, his research reveals that, unfortunately, many aren’t teaching those new believers effectively enough before moving on to reach others. Where is the right balance between reaching and teaching? I’m reading it so I can be more faithful to what Christ has called and equipped me to do.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. Enjoy spring, everyone! And if you are going to the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville in April, look for me and let’s talk about these books. I’d also love to hear about what issues you’re facing in ministry and what books and resources you would like to see that could help you.

Thanks for reading!
-Keith Wiederwax, Church Life and Reference Marketing Manager-Moody Publishers

The Pastor’s Worst Enemy - Here’s a very good word from David Murray about the greatest enemy a pastor will face in his ministry.

John Piper’s Leave - John Piper just announced that he will be taking a lengthy leave of absence. “I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem.”

A Deal from Monergism Books - This week at Monergism Books, order Tim Keller’s new curriculum Gospel in Life (DVD) and Study Guide and get 10% off your entire order. Just use the coupon code gospelinlife at check out. Offer ends Tuesday March 30th at midnight.

What Is the Gospel? - Greg Gilbert, author of the newly released What is the Gospel?, provides a quick introduction to his book.