After a couple of weeks off, we're back! 

Meditation is a tricky word because it means different things for different people. It could have one meaning for an atheist, another for an exercise enthusiast, and another for a Christian. But for Christians and Bible readers, what exactly is meditation? Today we'll talk about meditation according to the Bible, and how it is fundamentally different from the popularized use of the word today. 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 63-66

What exactly is systematic theology? Is it wrong to create a system of theology? We'll answer those questions today by looking again to Peter van Mastricht. He makes the biblical case for why we should view theology as a "system" and what benefit it should have in our lives. This is our introduction to chapter 1, entitled "The Nature of Theology". 

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New Christians and Bible readers trying a new reading plan often wrestle with the question: what book of the Bible should I start with? The go-to answer for most people is the gospel of John, while the Bible's answer seems to be Genesis. We'll tackle this question by talking about the benefit of all 66 books of the Bible, the importance of each genre from Genesis to Revelation, and my top 6 Bible books that will help you get a great jumpstart!

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 29-31.

Today we finish up our study of Peter van Mastricht's introduction "The Best Method of Preaching". Mastricht uses the last few pages to talk about some helpful ways to study long passages of scripture. After that, he gives some closing thoughts about how preachers should deliver their message- everything from voice tone to the role of making jokes! I hope you follow along as we talk about Mastricht's primary audience (preachers) and how these principles apply to any student of God's Word! 

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It's February, the time of year when Bible reading plans tend to go out the window, stress amplifies, and our weeks start to get very busy. Worst of all, our guilt or our shortcomings so far this year make the prospect of Bible reading seem altogether overwhelming. It shouldn't be this way, but ignoring the problem or downplaying it won't help us get anywhere. Instead, we need to face these problems head-on. But first, we have to identify where the overwhelm is coming from. Here are four sources, and how to deal with them in constructive ways!

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 12-28

Today in our study, Peter van Mastricht takes us through some helpful ways to use any text of scripture as a teaching method. He offers six uses of the Bible for the head and the heart. We'll look at the Bible doctrine as the "truth" of scripture and bible practice as the "goodness" of that truth put into action. This episode is a great example of how the Bible is important for preaching in a corporate setting, and study in an individual setting.

You can grab your copy of Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1 here: (affiliate link)
https://www.christianbook.com/theoretical-practical-theology-volume-1-prolegomena/petrus-van-mastricht/9781601785596/pd/785596?event=AFF&p=1220145

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The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill is a podcast production of Christianity Today, documenting the church of famed and controversial pastor Mark Driscoll. This podcast was a highly anticipated production during the Summer and Fall of 2021 and has received both high praise and critique from listeners. So what do I think of this podcast? What did it get right and what did it get wrong? Should you spend your time listening to it? And most importantly, what can this podcast teach us about Bible reading?

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 7-11.

Did the Sermon Preach the Text? Peter van Mastricht wants to encourage pastors to make sure that their sermons stay focused on the sermon text. The way to do this is by maintaining a careful balance in the way the sermon is presented. But this also means that those listening to sermons should appreciate the difficult balance of rightly dividing the Word while preaching the whole counsel of God. This episode will encourage listeners to encourage their pastors, as they deal carefully with the sermon text.   

How many sermons are guilty of drifting further and further away from the text as they go on? A sermon can be biblical without relating to the sermon text whatsoever. We can call these 'biblical tangents', something many pastors are guilty of. We'll cover all this and more, from Mastricht's The Best Method of Preaching.

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If you're ready to dive deep with me, consider joining my all-new membership site Better Readers Academy.