It’s Friday, again and already. Is it just me, or does the pace of life increase close to the end of the year? I know that if I stop to blink it will be December. This week’s sponsor is already thinking about Christmas. Here is what The Good Book Company says…

In the rush of the modern holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of what Christmas is really all about. That’s why our range of resources seeks to put the focus back where it belongs - on the birth of the Lord Jesus.

To do that The Good Book Company is giving away 5 Christmas Resource Packs. Each winner will receive something for himself or herself and something to give away that will hopefully bring the light of the Gospel into several more homes this Christmas.

A pack of 3 Advent Calendars - These unique Advent Calendar Packs help families to read two or three verses from the Bible each day, discuss some simple questions and then pray together.

Bible activity events for children and families - If you’re planning on running an event for children and families this Christmas, look no further! One Day Wonders will give you all the ideas you need to run a Christmas event with ideas for prizes, games, crafts, drama, quizzes, Bible stories and food! Ideal for engaging the kids in your church - as well as reaching out into the wider community - with the real meaning of Christmas.

10 Pack of Christmas Tracts - Christmas is a time for presents. It’s great fun giving and getting gifts. But what’s the best present of all? The holiday is also a time filled with false icons such as reindeer, jolly elves, the ever-elusive perfect family celebration. But what is the true message of Christmas? Use these great tools to share the truth of the Gospel with adults and kids alike. The winner gets a 10 pack of both of these helpful tracts. Give them away in Christmas cards, at carol services or to friends and family as stocking stuffers.

Finally, a 3 book set by Tim Chester to enjoy as you sit by the fire and catch up on some reading this holiday season. Tim Chester, author of Gospel Centred Life and Total Church has written these helpful tools on the Bible, the Family and the Trinity. This last book has not yet been released in the North America so you are getting a sneak peak!

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

You know the way it goes by now: Every Friday I work with a sponsor to give away some great stuff to the readers of this site. And today’s giveaway is a particularly exciting one. It is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, a name that’s well familiar to just about every reader of this site, I’m sure. They will be giving away one amazing grand prize and four smaller prizes.

Here is what the grand prize winner will receive:

• 5 books by R.C. Sproul:
  • John: Saint Andrew's Expositional Commentary
  • Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow
  • The Prayer of the Lord
  • The Truth of the Cross
  • Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue
• an ESV Reformation Study Bible, brown leather-like version
• a 1-year Subscription to Tabletalk Magazine
• The Attributes of God CD set
• Complimentary Registration for two to the 2011 National Conference

Four other people will win 1 book by Dr. Sproul (the book will be chosen at random from the five listed).

The most recently-published of these books is Abortion. “In this book, Dr. R.C. Sproul employs his unique perspective as a highly experienced pastor-theologian and a trained philosopher to provide well-considered and compassionate answers to the difficult questions that attend termination of pregnancy. Dr. Sproul strives for a factual, well-reasoned approach informed by careful biblical scholarship. He considers both sides of this issue in terms of biblical teaching, civil law, and natural law. This edition includes a new foreword by Dr. George Grant and has been updated to reflect developments in the issue. Appendixes provide further background on the issue of when life begins and list sources for pro-life resources.”

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

It’s another Friday which means I’ve got another edition of Free Stuff Fridays for you. I have been giving away a lot of great stuff lately (I recently calculated that between Free Stuff Fridays and other random giveaways I’m well into the 4 digits with books I give away in a year; add in Friends of the Blog and it goes way up!). This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Shepherd Press, a name you know well, I’m sure.

Today Shepherd Press is giving away 5 prize packages, each of which will contain the following 2 books:

• Christ Formed in You: The Power of the Gospel for Personal Change by Brian Hedges
• Loving the Church: God’s People Flourishing in God’s Family by John Crotts

I am particularly excited about Christ Formed in You as it’s a book that has been on my radar for quite a while now (and a book that I’m looking forward to reading when it releases in a week or two). “The central claim in Christ Formed in You is that it is God's purpose to change us by progressively making us more like Jesus, and that this happens only as we understand and apply the gospel to our lives. In this book we will explore the transforming power of the gospel from several angles.” I think we all know that the gospel is what God uses us to transform us, and yet we can have a difficult time really knowing what that means and knowing how to apply the gospel to our lives. I believe Hedges is going to provide some really useful teaching about that.

Meanwhile, “Loving the Church reminds us how glorious God’s family really is, and the countless ways that you can flourish within it. In recent years the family has experienced a revival within Christian culture, but with this increased emphasis on the importance of the family, less value has been placed on God’s family, the church. One of the most important relationships for all Christians is their involvement in God’s family. Loving the Church lays the vital foundation for applying his glorious plan to our own lives. Enter as friends and explore together what it means to love the church. Follow the story of five friends as they wrestle with important questions about the church. After each of their discussions about the church, the author leads the reader to understand the beauty and joy of being a member of the household of God.”

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

It’s another Friday which means I’ve got another edition of Free Stuff Fridays for you. And, as it happens, I’ve got another great giveaway for you. This week’s sponsor is CBD Reformed, a company you know well by now. They are offering 5 prizes, each of which will consist of the following 3 books:

• Generous Justice by Timothy Keller - Retail price $19.95
• The God Who Is There by D. A. Carson - Retail price $16.99
• Grounded In The Gospel by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett - Retail price $16.99

Generous Justice is the most recent of these books—one that has actually not yet been released. Here’s a bit of information about it: “It is commonly thought in secular society that the Bible is one of the greatest hindrances to doing justice. Isn’t it full of regressive views? Didn’t it condone slavery? Why look to the Bible for guidance on how to have a more just society? But Timothy Keller sees it another way. In Generous Justice, Keller explores a life of justice empowered by an experience of grace: a generous, gracious justice. Here is a book for believers who find the Bible a trustworthy guide as well as those who suspect that Christianity is a regressive influence in the world.”

CBDReformed is also offering a 4-day sale (October 29 - November 1) on these books. This sale is open to anyone who cares to take advantage of it.

• Novum Testamentum Graece (NA27) Wide-Margin Edition - retail $59.95 / sale $17.99
• Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt - retail $14.99 / sale $8.99
• Through The Year with Martin Luther: A Selection of Sermons Celebrating Feasts and Seasons - retail $19.95 / sale $5.99

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays sponsor is Christian Focus. “Christian Focus Publications (CFP) has been producing Christian books since the early 1970’s, originally starting as a publisher of classic Scottish authors. The addition of children’s colour Bible story books in the early 1980’s prefaced an expansion of the company with books by authors from all five continents sold all around the world. Our books have been translated into 40 different languages.”

They are offering five prize packages, each of which will contain two books—their two bestselling books at the moment.

The Way of the Righteous in the Muck of Life by Dale Ralph Davis. Davis is the author of all kinds of great Old Testament commentaries and in this book he turns his attention to the Psalms. “As the first 12 Psalms continue, we see basic principles unfold with great clarity. Much like our troubles today, the Psalmist endured wickedness all around, a world hostile to the true God-and on a very personal level-deceit and persecution from his enemies. Readers are pointed toward the glorious rule of the Messiah, to whom the whole world belongs. In light of this realization, we are prepared to face all kinds of troubles that cause despair. The righteous rely on God, and the Psalms teach us how. This book is ideal for use by small groups, as a teaching guide or for reference.” (Learn More)

Iron Sharpens Iron: Leading Bible-Oriented Small Groups that Thrive by Orlando Saer. “Small Bible-study groups are great places for Christians both to interact with God’s Word and to share their lives with others. They provide relaxed and informal settings which facilitate growth in grace and understanding. Orlando Saer provides a realistic and practical guide for anyone leading or wanting to lead such a group. This book will give you the tools you need as a leader to see your group thrive.” The 9Marks blog had this to say about the book: “It’s the best material I’ve read on small group bible study leading and would be useful both for someone leading their first bible study and for someone who’s been leading bible studies for decades.” (Learn More)

Again, there will be five winners, each of whom will receive both of these books.

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Family Christian Movies. They are offering five prizes, each of which is a copy of the documentary film Malatya (which I reviewed here).

Three Christians were brutally murdered on April 18, 2007 in the offices of a Christian publisher in Malatya, Turkey. The five Muslim men who killed them all carried identical notes in their pockets: “We did this for our country. They were attacking our religion.”

Instead of hatred, Christians responded with love. On national television two widowed mothers echoed Christ: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Muslims across the nation wondered how Christians could respond with such love.

Malatya, a feature-length documentary film, tells the story of three men willing to give up their lives to share the gospel with their friends, and the fruit that has grown up from their sacrifice.

Here is the trailer:

Also, Family Christian Movies is offering special for Challies.com readers:

This week's Free Stuff Friday has been sponsored by FamilyChristianMovies.com, the distributor for Malatya. They'd like to offer a special deal to Challies.com readers; namely a coupon for an additional 10% off of their already low prices. All you have to do is to use the coupon code CHALLIES. They've even set up a landing page featuring products that have been reviewed here at Challies.com. Please visit them here.

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

Another Friday, but a slightly different one for me. I am spending the day with the other elders at Grace Fellowship Church and together we are praying for our church and planning how we can lead it in the months and years to come. Good times!

But meanwhile, I’ve got another great giveaway for you. This week’s sponsor is CBD Reformed, a company you know well by now. They are offering 5 prizes, each of which will consist of the following 3 books:

• Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller - Retail price $19.95
• The Westminister Theological Wordbook of the Bible - Retail price $39.95
• The Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney - Retail price $9.99

I suppose you know about Mahaney’s and Keller’s books, but the other looks interesting as well. “Biblical words and phrases often appear deceptively simple, yet conceal layers of history, meaning, and cultural significance. This enlightening resource takes you to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek roots of many key terms: ‘Justice’, ‘Son of Man,’ ‘Resurrection,’ ‘Kingdom of God,’ and explains the profound theological and ethical concepts behind the words they embody.”

They are also offering a 4-day sale (September 24-27) on these books. This sale is open to anyone who cares to take advantage of it. Those Henry commentaries for $30 look like a pretty good deal!

• Knowing God by J. I. Packer - retail $18.00/sale $7.99
• Matthew Henry Commentary 6-volume set - retail $129.95/sale $29.99
• John Wyclif: Myth and Reality - retail $25.00/sale $4.49

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

It’s Friday today, which means I need to try to not react with surprise that yet another week has drawn to an end. I’m not even going to mention it!

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays sponsor is Ligonier Ministries, a sponsor you know well by now. Ligonier is offering one really, really impressive grand prize and 4 smaller prizes. The grand prize is, well, grand. It includes:

• Complimentary registration and a hotel room for 2 to the 2011 Orlando National Conference (so the winner can bring a friend or spouse).
• Reformation Study Bible (ESV), Leather-Like version
• Free 3-year subscription to Tabletalk magazine
• Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God
• Dust to Glory DVD
• My Cry Ascends Music CD

Next year’s National Conference, Light and Heat: A Passion for the Holiness of God, looks like it will be quite an event. It will feature John Piper and R.C. Sproul along with Sinclair Ferguson, Steve Lawson, Robert Godfrey and R.C. Sproul Jr. It promises to be unique, as these things go. In his invitation to the conference Sproul mentions one thing that looks like it will be particularly interesting: “John and I will also host special sessions on the history of the work of both Ligonier and Desiring God, and we will endeavor to share some of what we have learned in our ministries as pastors and theologians.” I’m looking forward to seeing how these two men draw their ministries and their lifelong passions together.

There are four other prizes for those who are not predestined to win the grand prize. Each of those 4 winners will receive one of the following items (chosen randomly):

• My Cry Ascends CD
• A 1-year subscription to Tabletalk magazine
• Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God
• A set of R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions booklets

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

I’ve got a new sponsor to introduce you to this morning—Kress Biblical Resources. Kress publishes books by quite a few different authors, many of whom are in one way or another connected to John MacArthur and The Master’s Seminary. “Kress Biblical Resources is setting a new standard in timely, clear, and doctrinally sound books and resources for pastors and Bible students. Our authors are approved workmen, not celebrities. Our books are designed to stand the test of exegesis, not chase after every new wind of doctrine.”

They are offering a total of ten prizes and each of the winners will be able to decide which prize package they would prefer. These packages come in two flavors:

Pastor & Teacher

The first prize package includes three books that are geared toward pastors and teachers. This includes:

• The Pastoral Epistles for Pastors is a unique blend of exegesis and exposition. Its 624 pages include study of the Greek, and English text, application tools, expositional outlines, and annotated bibliography on the pastoral epistles.
• In The Discipline of Mercy, pastors and counselors Eric Kress and Paul Tautges take us deep into the book of Lamentations where we are exhorted to place our hope fully in the faithful mercy and loyal love of a gracious God--no matter the extent of our suffering
• God in Everyday Life combines a few of the varied elements and styles of different types of study aids into one resource, in order to facilitate the biblical exposition and application of the book of Ruth. This is an expositional commentary, along with tools to help apply the biblical text.

General Readers

The second prize package is geared toward general readers and includes three books targeted at the rest of us (and written by Greg Harris). This includes:

• The Cup and the Glory takes the reader on a profound study through the Scriptures, uncovering biblical truths on how to respond to, and embrace suffering to the glory of God.
• The Darkness and the Glory examines the cross from Christs perspective and provides a compelling behind-the-scenes look at the profound spiritual and theological realities of Calvaryrealities that transcend the physical, as the wrath of man was surpassed by both the wrath of Satan and ultimately the wrath of God.
• In The Stone and the Glory, Greg Harris takes his readers on a profound journey through the Scriptures as they explore the glorious realities of the stone prophecies

Here is a video of John MacArthur discussing these books and their author:

Again, there will be a total of ten winners. Each winner will be given the option of choosing the General Reader package or the Pastor & Teacher package.

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays sponsor is Moody Publishers. That is a name well-known around these parts as they regularly sponsor these giveaways. This week they are offering a prize package that contains four new books. Five winners will each be sent these four titles:

Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church — Soong-Chan Rah’s book will spur individuals, churches, and parachurch ministries toward more effectively bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News for people of every racial and cultural background. Borrowing from the business concept of “cultural intelligence,” he explores how God’s people can become more multicuturally adept.

Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman - "Most people spend far more time in preparation for their vocation that they do in preparation for marriage," says Dr. Gary Chapman. So he put together this practical little book, packed with wisdom and tips that will help many develop a loving, supportive marriage. It's the type of information that Gary himself wished he had before he got married.

Experience God as Your Provider: Finding Financial Stability in Unstable Times by Brian Kluth - What does it mean to experience God as your provider? Begin to build your finances and life on the solid rock of God's Word and learn to become a generous person. An easy to read book to help you manage your life under the leadership of Christ.

Holy Ambition: Turning God-Shaped Dreams into Reality by Chip Ingram - What does it mean to walk with Jesus and live out your faith? Holy Ambition teaches readers, through the life of Nehemiah, how to live biblically with a Kingdom perspective. Radical faith-filled strategies to help you make a difference now!

Again, there are a total of five prize packages, each of which will receive all four books.

Giveaway Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.