We’ve been listening through the New Testament together for almost a month now. At the beginning of June we posted a list and links to audio for that month. We hope that’s been helpful, along with the daily links on Facebook. Below is a list and links for listening for the month of July.

But first, a note about the books of Mark and Luke.

Christianity Explained

Two Sundays ago, when Clint Moore preached from the book of Mark, you’ll remember a resource that he highlighted called Christianity Explained, a great resource for introducing someone to the story and significance of Jesus’ life and death in six studies. It’s $15.00 online and that’s what we’ve been charging, but going forward we’re selling it at the Resource Center for $8.00. We want you to have it, use it, and share it. If you bought a copy in the last few weeks, we’re happy to refund you the difference. We hope this tool serves you as you spread the gospel of Christ.

The Gospel of Luke

Also, a note about the Gospel of Luke. As the summer unfolds, Sunday sermons will roughly follow where we are at in our listening. Due to our 90 day timeline, we won’t be able to hit every book. The Gospel of Luke is one of those. However, since Ryan preached through the book of Luke from 2008-2010, we’ve chewed on this book before as a church. If you’d like to supplement your listening through Luke with a few sermons, take advantage of Ryan’s first and last messages from that series:

• What is “the Gospel According to Luke? Can We Trust It?
• Summarizing Luke: The Man, The Message, The Mission

Audio for July

July 1 Catch-up Day
July 2 Luke 23-24
July 3 John 1-3
July 4 John 4-5
July 5 John 6-7
July 6 John 8-9
July 7 John 10-11
July 8 John 12-13
July 9 John 14-16
July 10 John 17-18
July 11 John 19-20
July 12 John 21 – Acts 2
July 13 Acts 3-5
July 14 Acts 6-8
July 15 Acts 9-10
July 16 Acts 11-13
July 17 Acts 14-16
July 18 Acts 17-19
July 19 Acts 20-21
July 20 Acts 22-24
July 21 Acts 25-26
July 22 Acts 27-28
July 23 Romans 1-3
July 24 Romans 4-7
July 25 Romans 8-10
July 26 Romans 11-14
July 27 Romans 15 – 1 Corinthians 1
July 28 1 Corinthians 2-6
July 29 1 Corinthians 7-9
July 30 1 Corinthians 10-12
July 31 1 Corinthians 13-15

For an overview of the plan, visit the landing page or download the brochure.

While we’re listening through the New Testament together, our first concern is to hear what God has written, to let God speak on His own terms. God’s Word is powerful on its own, its power does not rest on human wisdom, and its authority does not rest on its conformity to some outside standard. We’re assuming that in our reading and listening together.

But because it is God’s very Word, we aren’t surprised when the New Testament is found, by some kind of test, to be an ancient document, and a document written, indeed, by those who must have actually been there. Hearing these kinds of arguments can reinforce our confidence in the Word, and help us converse with those who come to us with questions about the Bible.

With that in mind, I found the following two lectures, recently recommended by Joe Carter and Justin Taylor, to be worth highlighting at this point in our listening. Joe Carter’s introduction should peak your interest.

Dr. Peter Williams, a Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Abeerdeen, has conducted what I’d call an “algorithm-enhanced close reading” of the canonical gospels and compared them to the apocryphal testimonies about Jesus.

Normally, my attention span for videos on the web is limited to about 2 minutes. But when I started watching this video last last night I got sucked in by Dr. Williams engaging style and watched the entire lecture. As Evangel blogger Tom Gilson says, it’s a “talk on apologetics like you’ve never heard before.”

At The Gospel Coalition Blog, David Schrock has written a helpful reflection on the recent devastation in Joplin, Missouri, by tornado. Schrock’s article, “The Words of Christ and Midwest Storms,” begins this way:

When the winds raged and the waves threatened, the disciples awoke Jesus with fear in their hearts. Jesus arose, stood on the storm-tossed boat and spoke three simple words, “Peace!  Be still!” The winds ceased and the storm ended faster than it came (Mark 4:39).

In that moment, the terrified fishermen were more frightened by the man in their presence with the power to subdue nature than they were of drowning under the heavy waves. God’s Son in human form had just displayed his divine power, and that with a word.  On that lakeside journey, Jesus stopped the storm with a sentence. On May 22, in Joplin, Missouri, he didn’t.

For the disciples, Jesus stopped the storm and it led to a question of his identity: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (4:41). For the survivors in Joplin, the question is different. For them and for anyone staggering from a recent world-halting tragedy, the question is closer to that of the Psalmist, “How long oh Lord? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Ps 13:1). Because Jesus word did not stop the storm before it hit last week, there is now the need for Jesus word to come speak “Peace. Be Still.”

With such a need in mind, let me suggest four words from God’s Word that I pray may bring a biblical perspective to those bruised and broken by the storm, and to those ministering to them.

The rest of Schrock’s reflections fall under these headings:

• An Unspoken, Tear-Filled Word
• A Word of Resurrection Life
• A Word of Sadness and Sober Judgment
• A Word of Repentance to the Rest

This is an important word for all of us as we look in on this and other such tragedies. Read the whole thing here.

If you’d like to give toward the care of these people through God’s people in that city, The Journey from St. Louis and Mystery Church in Joplin are partnering to raise funds and strategically serve that community for the gospel. You can give online. If you give through DSC, use a missions envelope and designate “Tornado.” Any checks received by DSC will be directed there.

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus made it abundantly clear that we won’t know the day or hour of his return until he returns: Concerning “the day or the hour,” Jesus says, “no one knows” (Matthew 24:36, 25:13)

So how is it that Harold Camping and his followers could so certainly and earnestly expect the return of Christ on exactly May 21? How could they say, “The Bible guarantees it”? Can the Bible really be understood, or is it just a bag of unclarity and contradiction?

Ahead of May 21, W. Robert Godfrey published a five part series explaining how Camping reads the Bible and how Camping came to read the Bible that way: “The End of the World According to Harold Camping“ Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

In Part 1, Godfrey shows the connection between Camping’s educational background and his method for reading the Bible:

Camping was a bright and studious man who had been educated as an engineer. In the 1950s he owned a very successful construction company which built churches as well as other significant buildings. This educational background is critical to understanding Camping. His education was not in the liberal arts or theology. He had not been prepared to read literature or ancient texts. He knew no Greek or Hebrew. He was not formally introduced to the study of theology. His reading of the Bible, as it evolved over the decades, reflected his training in engineering. He reads the Bible like a mathematical or scientific textbook.

In addition, Timothy Dalrymple has written a helpful response to those who propagated and believed this false teaching, “A Letter To Harold Camping and Those Who Expected Judgment Day.”

In light of all this, it’s good for us to remember that there is nonetheless a day and an hour when Jesus will return. Until then, according to Matthew 24-25 we are to be wakeful, ready, faithful, wise, and watchful for his coming.

We’re excited to share about the launch of a new website for, Redemption Church, DSC’s first church plant. This site is very well done. Lord willing, Redemption Church will launch on January 22, 2012, which is only eight months away.

Help get the word out about Redemption Church’s new site by participating in their recently announced book giveaway:

In celebration of our new website and our up and coming church plant we want to give you the chance to win some great books, and for locals a pair of David Crowder tickets.

Over the next few months you will have the chance to win any or all of these books. All you have to do is like our FaceBook page, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed, or share about this giveaway on your blog. Once you have done that fill out the form below and we will pick a our first winner in one week.

This week’s giveaway is a Tru Tone ESV Study Bible.

Here’s a list of all the books we are giving away:

Christ Formed in You by Brian Hedges
Church Planter by Darrin Patrick
Collected Writings on Scripture by D.A. Carson
Desiring God by John Piper
ESV Bible Commemorative Edition
For the City by Darrin Patrick & Matt Carter
God is the Gospel by John Piper
Holman Christian Standard Bible
In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever
Note to Self by Joe Thorn
One to One Bible Reading by David Helm
Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology by Mark Dever et. al.
Red like Blood by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington
Redemption by Mike Wilkerson
Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman
Taking Hold of God by Joel Beeke and Brian Najapfour
Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

If you have questions about DSC’s church planting strategy, visit our new Church Planting FAQ page.