As long as there have been notebooks and index cards, Christians have been using them as a means of organizing their prayer requests. Without some form of organization, most of us pray only for what is urgent, leaving out those things that do not so easily come to mind. With mobile phones and other digital devices has come a wave of apps that seek to take the place of notebooks. Here are three iPhone apps that are meant to assist in prayer.

PrayerMate

PrayerMate is an app I have been using for some time now. Its goal is to organize your prayer life in a straightforward and distration-free way. “Every day, PrayerMate will select a person or topic that you’ve entered from each of your main categories (perhaps ‘My family’ or ‘My small group at church’) and show them to you as a series of index cards.” You simply swipe between those cards as you pray. Its features include an index card interface that lets you swipe between the day’s topics; a way to set up your own categories and subjects to suit the way you pray; coordination with your address book contacts; photos that can be attached to prayer points, and a daily reminder to pray. A simple and straightforward app, it costs $2.99 and has native iPhone and iPad versions.

Prayer Prompter

Prayer Prompter is “like a two drawer file cabinet. The top drawer is where you store Scripture passages and devotional material, organized by topic in folders. The bottom drawer is where you store prayer requests for yourself and others, while they are still fresh in your mind, and where you can find them when you are ready to pray.” It usually costs $2.99 but for a short time the developer has made it available for free. It is currently available only for the iPhone, though an iPad version is expected in the near future.

You can read an introduction and receive a guided tour here.

Prayer Notebook

Prayer Notebook is the most basic and perhaps the most “Apple-ish” of the apps in its design and functionality. It comes in both a free, Lite edition and a full-featured edition that costs $1.99. “Designed to be your personal prayer assistant, you can use Prayer Notebook to: Focus on intentional prayer in fullscreen mode; group prayers into categories; SMS or email contacts when you have prayed for them; Tweet what you are praying for; schedule prayers daily, weekly, or for a specific day; set an alert for prayers to remind you to pray; mark prayer requests as answered.” The basic features allow it to be used however you would like to use it, without forcing a particular kind of organization. While the app will run on iPad, it is native only to the iPhone.

I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I've received in the past few weeks.

Center Church by Timothy Keller - “Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It’s not enough to simply know what to believe (theology) or, on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology)–they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ. Center Church, a collection of twelve essays by Timothy Keller, outlines a theological vision for ministry that is organized around three core commitments: * Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone and strategy of all that we do. * City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic and underserved places for gospel ministry. * Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit.” (Learn more and shop at Westminster Books or Amazon)

Hagaii, Zechariah, and Malachi by Andrew Hill - “Despite the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian exile, selfishness, apathy and despair crippled their community spirit. In response to this distress, God raised up three prophetic voices in Jerusalem. Haggai rallied the people to rebuild the Second Temple. Zechariah was given visions of the return of the glory of the Lord to Zion. Malachi preached repentance, covenant justice and restoration of proper temple worship. Andrew Hill’s excellent commentary on these oracles shows how they remain timely for the Christian church's worship and mission in the world.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

A Little Book for New Theologians by Kelly Kapic - “Whenever we read, think, hear or say anything about God, we are doing theology. Yet theology isn’t just a matter of what we think. It affects who we are. In the tradition of Helmut Thielicke’s A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, Kelly Kapic offers a concise introduction to the study of theology for newcomers to the field. He highlights the value and importance of theological study and explains its unique nature as a serious discipline. Not only concerned with content and method, Kapic explores the skills, attitudes and spiritual practices needed by those who take up the discipline. This brief, clear and lively primer draws out the relevance of theology for Christian life, worship, mission, witness and more. ‘Theology is about life,’ writes Kapic. ‘It is not a conversation our souls can afford to avoid.’” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

I've been at this blogging thing for quite a long time now--it's coming up on ten years. I've been at the daily blogging thing for almost as long. This means that I've got an extensive backlist of articles from years gone by. I thought it might be fun to pull out some of the articles I wrote in previous months of September, stretching all the way back to 2004.

2011

Spiritual Abuse and More on Spiritual Abuse - This has become quite a big topic in the church today.

Honor, Respect & Taxes - It’s one thing to pay taxes; it’s another to respect the ones who levy them.

2010

What I Hate About Blogging - I must have been having a bad day.

On Being a Dad - I love being a dad (most of the time).

2009

The Truth About Canadian Health Care - Don’t let them tell you otherwise. We aren’t doing too badly up here.

On Visiting Saddleback Church - About the time I visited Saddleback and met Rick Warren.

2008

Calvinism and Evangelism - What we are to do and what we are not to do in evangelism.

Who Shapes Your World? - It’s always a little disappointing to see who TIME chooses as the people who are shaping our world.

2007

Spoilt for Choice - This was one of the seeds that eventually grew into The Next Story.

Bludgeoning with Providence - There is a way Christian leaders try to convince you they know God’s will for your life.

2006

It Is Good to Thirst - Yes it is.

Planned Neglect - There isn’t room for everything, so you need to plan to neglect something.

2005

The Enemy Next Door - This was an important one to me back when I wrote it.

The Infinite Value of Scripture - This is an old favorite. I think the metaphor made it into one of my books.

2004

Worshipping the Seeker - There are quite a lot of articles like this one in the early days of my site; in those days I was at a seeker-sensitive church and just starting to understand what that meant.

Today marks the release of Gravity, the newest project from Lecrae, the most prominent of the Christian rappers. I received an advance copy of the album and, being entirely underqualified to judge or review it, sat down with my friend Sope (a.k.a. Spoken whom you may remember as my co-conspirator in The Middle-Aged White Guy’s Guide to Christian Rap) as he gave it a listen. He gave me a song-by-song breakdown and summarized the album like this:

True to his reputation, Lecrae delivers yet another solid project that is both rich in truth and yet culturally relevant. In recent years, Lecrae has garnered the attention of prominent ears in mainstream music and with that in mind, the most impressive thing about this project is his ability to remain militant in his profession of faith. Having observed many professed Christians wither away in their profession after gaining mass appeal, we were all concerned as Lecrae’s platform continued to reach new heights. Lecrae himself realizes the precarious balance he has to maintain in being a light in such a sin-infested genre, yet without succumbing to the too-typical Christian clichs (churchy, judgmental, etc). Listening to this project, it is clear that Lecrae is beginning to embrace the unique position God has given him, and that he is learning to better execute the responsibilities. His songs are bold and biblical, yet gritty and gutter. His message in unapologetically presented in a fashion relevant to the culture. His confidence as a believer does not appear to be shaken in the slightest.

In sum, when Lecrae set out to make Gravity, he intended to bring some weight to bear on the matters of life. His aim was to jolt the unbelieving world out of their drunken haze and the believers out of their aloof comfort. He has accomplished that with this project. The unbelieving world will find it challenging, as will the believing community.

Sope’s top tracks are “Free From It All,” “Falling Down,” “Fakin’” and “Mayday.” And for what it’s worth, I’m right there with him. This is a bold and powerful album that asks better questions and provides better answers than what you’ll find anywhere in the hip-hop mainstream.

Light for the Lost Boy - Andrew Peterson is to the world of acoustic music what Lecrae is to Christian rap. Peterson’s latest album released just one week ago. “Ever since Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, it’s happened to everybody—eventually we all cross the threshold from innocence to heartbreak. Pulsing with the hurt of the human condition, Andrew’s music also captures the beauty, hope, and love of God’s redemption in ‘Come Back Soon,’ ‘The Cornerstone,’ ‘The Ballad of Jody Baxter,’ ‘The Voice of Jesus,’ ‘Carry the Fire,’ and more.” Here is how Christianity Today describes the album:

Peterson delivers with maturity that mostly avoids the clich and sentimentality of adult contemporary radio, though “Rest Easy” and “The Voice of Jesus” tilt slightly to that direction. But he mostly avoids the shortcuts of a three-minute pop song. Instead Peterson draws us deeper into the yearning where life and love are savored against their unavoidable losses--and where glowing hope always remains.

Grace Alone - Grace Alone comes from The Modern Post and the Mars Hill Music label. “The Modern Post, one of the bands at Mars Hill Church Orange County, are known for their upbeat, synth-laden and bass-heavy sound that leads the congregation to praise the creator with freedom and joy. Their name connects to the idea of how the Gospel is news to be declared, with content that is relevant and current regardless of what era one is living in.”

The band's sound was not one that was originally planned for. In Dustin's words, "it happened". Having the perspective that much worship music can be overly sentimental, they choose to push against that by creating music that is celebratory and upbeat. As a result, The Modern Post's sound is one that bespeaks robust joy, and leads people to exult in the good news that Jesus is relevant for all generations.

September is here (Where did summer go?)! To ring in the new month I’ve got great new desktop wallpaper for you to download. This month’s wallpaper was created by Zack Smith of Uplyft Creative.

A few notes: Your desktop or laptop may take any of the sizes, depending on your monitor size and a host of other considerations. If you’re not sure of the size, just find one that looks like it would be pretty much the same size as your screen. Generally you set one of these are your wallpaper by clicking on the link to the image, then right-clicking on the image (once it’s open) and selecting “Set as Background,” “Set as Desktop Background,” or something similar. If you aren’t sure, post a comment and we’ll try to help you figure it out.

With Calendar: 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Without Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

I have been on yet another biography kick in the past few months. Just in the last couple of weeks I’ve digested two fantastic biographies of characters who are at once very different and yet in at least one way not entirely dissimilar—Queen Elizabeth II and Abraham Lincoln. As I read these two books I came to see that each pointed me to the same question. I had not set out asking this question, rather, it naturally arose from the story of a life. It is this: Has this person placed his faith in Jesus Christ?

Abraham Lincoln has long fascinated me and I have read several of the most notable accounts of his life. What has always perplexed me is the question of whether or not Lincoln was a Christian—a true Christian who truly believed in Christ as Savior. While it is obvious that Lincoln believed in a higher power and that he knew and treasured the Bible, the nature of his religious beliefs has long been in dispute. Ronald C. White’s A. Lincoln: A Biography is a brilliant account of Lincoln’s life and brings a measure of clarity to my thinking.

I am increasingly convinced that Lincoln truly did come to understand the gospel at some point in life, though seemingly not until near the end. White shows that Lincoln’s understanding of God, gospel and providence were shaped at least in part by Phineas Densmore Gurley, the pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Gurley’s chief mentor was the great theologian Charles Hodge. Thus there was much of Hodge—much of Presbyterian Calvinism—in Lincoln. As he wrestled with understanding the presence of God in the Civil War, as he sought to understand the purpose of this conflict, he drew from this theological stream and found great comfort in the God who is sovereign.

There is much we can learn from the life of Lincoln, many lessons that can be applied. He is endlessly fascinating. But when I look at Lincoln, I am more and more comfortable in seeing a man who at some point grew from understanding God as an impersonal force to a man who encountered a living, active God whose hand was visible even, or perhaps especially, in the nation’s darkest hour.

Rather on a whim I also picked up a copy of Sally Bedell Smith’s new biography of Queen Elizabeth II: Elizabeth the Queen. While I have no great love for the monarchy as an institution, I’ve long respected the Queen. She is in a near-impossible position, reigning as a monarch in a country and a world that has moved away from monarchial forms of government. Yet she understands that it is her role to serve her country and her commonwealth and she has done so very well over the years.

The word “adoption” (Greek huiothesias) occurs only a few times in the New Testament, and each time it refers to God choosing a people for himself. Though there are not a lot of references to this word, there is a good deal we learn from them about the doctrine of adoption.

1) God adopts those whom he loves and has predestined to be his children

“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:4-6)

2) It is through Jesus Christ that God’s children are adopted

“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:4-6)

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

3) God adopts his children so that he might display the glory of his grace

I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I've received in the past few weeks.

The Thunder: A Novel on John Knox by Douglas Bond - “Told from the perspective of a young student resolved to protect Knox no matter the cost, Douglas Bond’s thrilling biographical novel provides a look at the harrowing life story of a giant of the faith. Discover the fascinating story of a man transformed by the grace and power of the gospel into one of the most influential figures in Scottish history.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

The Life of God in the Soul of the Church by Thabiti Anyabwile - “Extending the concept of Divine life presented in Henry Scougal's classic The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Anyabwile contends that union with Christ is not individualistic, but is discerned in the soul of the local church. This vision of spiritual fellowship is not centered on external activities and programs, but on our shared life in Christ.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

Kingdom through Covenant by Peter Gentry & Stephen Wellum - “The disciplines of biblical and systematic theology join forces to investigate anew the biblical covenants and the implications of such a study for conclusions in systematic theology. By incorporating the latest available research from the ancient Near East and examining implications of their work for Christology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and hermeneutics--Biblical scholar Peter Gentry and systematic theologian Stephen Wellum present a thoughtful and viable alternative to both covenant theology and dispensationalism.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Gospel Treason by Brad Bigney - “Using real-life stories and examples, Brad Bigney shows us how the idols we might not even recognize can still have devastating effects in our lives. In this transparent, honest book, he helps us to identify our idols, understand how they lead us to commit treason against the gospel—and finally repent of them and root them out forever by turning to the only One who can fill our every need.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

This is the eighth installment in a series on theological terms. See previous posts on the terms theology, Trinity, creation, man, Fall, common grace, sin, and righteousness.

Unlike some terms such as Trinity and theology, the Bible itself provides a clear and concise definition of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In other words, faith is a staking of our hearts and minds on a reality that is beyond us, both in time and comprehension. It is ahead of us (“hoped for”) and above us (“not seen”).

To guard us against failing to unpack the full meaning in this verse ourselves, the author of Hebrews makes his definition clear by filling the remaining 39 verses of chapter 11 with example after example of what this faith looks like when lived out. He does this to ensure that we understand that “assurance of things hoped for” and “conviction of things not seen” are not merely words. True faith cannot exist as only thoughts or feelings. Instead, it affects all of life, giving birth to works of obedience and endurance.

And it is important to remember that “things hoped for” and “things not seen” do not refer (at least in Christian faith) to things that are imagined or invisible. These phrases refer to those realities that we know of through the Word of God. Christian faith is inseparable from and unfounded apart from God’s Word. Thus Paul writes in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” John Calvin is likewise careful to emphasize,

There is a permanent relationship between faith and the Word. He could not separate one from the other any more than we could separate the rays from the sun from which they come. … The same Word is the basis whereby faith is supported and sustained; if it turns away from the Word, it falls. Therefore, take away the Word and no faith will then remain. (Institutes, 3.2.6)

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Oh great. Two men—two more men—have gone and written a book on modesty. Here we go again.” But this one is different I promise.

A couple of years ago R.W.[Bob] Glenn and I were speaking at a conference and no sooner had we met than we came to see that we had a lot in common. One issue that interested and frustrated both of us was modesty. Both of us had seen a lot of bad material on the subject but very little that we felt really got to the heart of the issue. We talked that day about eventually putting together a short book that might elevate the discussion of modesty.

Well, it has finally happened with the release of Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel. This is a short book of less than 100 pages and it does not contain a single checklist or diagram. What it does contain is lots of biblical teaching that grounds the discussion of the topic in the right place.

My particular concern was that a book on modesty should go beyond mere dress code—that there needs to be more to our discussion of modesty than a woman’s neckline and hemline; further, the discussion needs to include both men and women. Bob’s concern was that any discussion of the subject be rooted and grounded not in law but in gospel. Jerry Bridges caught this emphasis and penned this little blurb: "The authors of Modest break new ground in their treatment of this difficult subject. It is a healthy antidote to the prevailing views, which tend toward either legalism or antinomianism, by grounding the whole subject in the gospel. I heartily recommend this book."

Paul Tripp says:

It is so refreshing to have a book on modesty that is a useful resource and not a legalistic, culture-bound list that leaves you a bit paranoid and guilty. No, this book is different. Its counsel on modesty is not rooted in rules, but in the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That grace alone is able to get at the heart of the problem of modesty, which is the heart. In a culture where immodesty is the accepted norm, Glenn and Challies have given us help that every Christian desperately needs.

And Mary Kassian says this:

How short is too short? How tight is too tight? Glenn and Challies don't say. But they do provide a thoughtful framework to help us come to a grace-based, gospel-grounded understanding of modesty that extends beyond mere clothing. They uphold a vision for modesty that's both beautiful and desirable -- and not only for gals, but for guys too! This book is a great tool to help you wrestle with the practical question of what and what not to wear.

In the end, we believe we’ve written a book that takes the discussion of modesty in a new direction and a far more profitable one. Not only that, but this is a book on modesty that a man can read and benefit from just as much as a woman. Unlike so many books on the subject, that is one to read and reflect on in your own life, not one to skim and then subtly (or not-so-subtly) hand to that woman at church.

If you want to get a feel for the book, you may be interested in reading a sample. You’ll also find some early reviews here and here.

If you’d like to buy it, you can find it at Amazon ($9.99 for paperback, $5.99 for Kindle) or at Cruciform Press ($8.45 or less for printed copies, $5.45 for ebook).