Reformers Bookcast

In this episode Tom spoke to Adrian Martinez from Biblical Counselling Australia about what Biblical Counselling is, why it is important and his favourite counselling books.

What place does the household have in God's plan to bring all things into submission to Christ? How did the Apostle Paul understand the household and families? What do the words piety, cosmos and household have to do with each other? CR Wiley discusses these questions and more in his book The Household and the War for the Cosmos. In this episode we chatted about this as well as his newest book about Tom Bombadil – a little-known character from The Lord of the Rings who teaches us a lot about what godly dominion looks like.

Francis Schaeffer was one of the great Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Who better to talk about Schaeffer then Dr William Edgar, author of Schaeffer on the Christian Life, who knew Schaeffer personally and was converted under his ministry? In this episode we spoke to Dr Edgar about Schaeffer, culture, apologetics and jazz.

Conrad Mbewe pastors at Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia, and was recently out in Australia for a number of speaking engagements. While in Sydney, Tom met with Dr Mbewe to chat about the Gospel work in Zambia, missionary-pastors, counselling, and books of significance to his ministry and life.

The internet and smart phones have radically changed our lives. These technologies come with many benefits - the ability to communicate across vast distances and access to incalculable information. But we should think carefully about how best to use these technologies to the glory of God. In this episode, Tom chatted with James Jeffery about several books on this topic and why we need to think carefully about the internet and social media.

The Puritan Richard Baxter saw family worship as a duty for all Christian households. He worked hard to encourage and equip his church to worship God in their homes. In this episode of the Reformers Bookcast we discussed Baxter's view of family worship with Jonathan Williams, author of "A Practical Theology of Family Worship: Richard Baxter's Timeless Encouragement for Today's Home".

EQUIP Women is a large Bible teaching ministry for women in Australia. Each year the EQUIP committee puts together a book list of their recommended titles. In this episode of the Reformers Bookcast, Tom chatted with Isobel and Jocelyn from EQUIP about a few highlights from their 2022 book list. You can find out more about EQUIP at equip.org.au or view the EQUIP booklist at reformers.com.au/equip

Christianity has impacted our culture in many ways. Over the centuries, Christianity has taught our society the importance of values such as compassion, progress and freedom. In this episode Tom spoke to Glen Schivener, the author of The Air We Breathe, about how we all came to believe in these Christian values.

It's been a best seller since it was first published in 1678. It's a captivating allegorical tale about the Christian life. It's soaked in scriptural truth and reflects the hard realities of life. It has been cherished by great Christians of the past with Spurgeon reportedly reading it over 100 times in his life. It's John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress. In this episode Tom and Cassie talk about this classic book.

Friendship has been underemphasised by Christians in our day. So argues Michael Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the past, friendship was a topic of utmost importance to Christians and to unbelievers as well. In this episode we talk to Michael about his new book on friendship, “Iron Sharpens Iron: Friendship and the Grace of God”, which takes a look at some friendships between pastors in the 18th century.

Every word we speak matters, but surely some words have special importance—like those we say to people who are struggling spiritually. In this episode, we talk to Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser, coauthors of When Words Matter Most, about how to speak God's truth with grace to those we love.

Do you serve God's people with joy? Or is it a drudgery and a pain? When you go on holidays, do your devotions drop off? Or does the change of scene help you draw nearer to God? In this episode we caught up with John Hindley, author of “Serving Without Sinking” and the new book “Refreshed: Devotions For Your Time Away”, to discuss how to serve with love, why rest is important and how to use the creation around us to meditate on the goodness and grace of God.

Whether we're waiting a traffic light or waiting for suffering to end, Christians are called to be patient through difficulty. In this episode we're joined by Megan Hill, author of 'Patience: Waiting with Hope,' which is part of the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series. We discuss the beauty of patience, how it points us to Jesus, and what we can do to cultivate it.

Liturgy may not be the most exciting word to consider when it comes to a daily time of worship, but, as Jonathan Gibson (author of Be Thou My Vision and Reformation Worship) points out in this episode, we all have a liturgy and by picking up the best of the prayers, confessions, creeds and catechisms we can enrich our daily worship. Jonny also spoke to us about his new kid's book series starting with The Acrostic of God and the heart-breaking circumstances that prompted the writing of his beautiful and moving children's book The Moon is Always Round. Jonny's books can all be viewed here.

Douglas Wilson is the author of dozens of books on a wide range of topics. But the foundations of Doug's teaching are the topics of marriage, parenting, education and a gospel that impacts all of life. In this episode Tom spoke to Doug about these foundational subjects and why they are so important.

We typically think of evangelism as the "gospel" conversation that you have with someone about sin, judgement, Jesus, the cross and forgiveness. This is certainly a crucial conversation. But what if there were other ways we could weave the great topics of God and eternity into our conversations? C.S. Lewis loved to bring up topics that really matter in his conversation and in his books. In "Mere Evangelism", author and evangelist Randy Newman explores 10 insights from C.S. Lewis to help you share your faith. Randy joined us in this episode to discuss his book.

Season 4 of the Reformers Bookcast is about to launch, and we have a great line-up of guests joining us on the Bookcast. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, tune in, and hear about some great books and the people behind them!

Back in mid-2019, Dr. Joel Beeke visited Reformers Bookshop, and presented two talks at Stanmore Baptist Church on "Calvin's Life: Practical Lessons" and "The Puritan Life: Joyful or Joyless". Just before this Reformers-organised public talk, Dr. Beeke and Tom spoke about Joel Beeke's childhood and the story behind his love of books and the puritans. This is one of our favourite interviews, and you will share Dr. Beeke's contagious passion for the Lord.

Dr. Peter Jones from TruthXChange, while in Australia for multiple speaking engagements in 2018, spoke with Tom prior to the Reformers event "The Arrival of the Post-Secular Age" at Stanmore Baptist Church on the topic of new-age spirituality and secularism.

Following the Restoring True Humanity event in Sydney back in 2018, Ed Welch and Peter Sondergeld visited Reformers. Here in this episode, we revisit an interview talking about biblical counselling, specifically for kids through the New Growth Press series of books "Good News for Little Hearts".

In 2019, the principal of Christ College in Sydney, Ian Smith, released a book with Crossway titled "Not Home Yet". Tom and Ian chatted about the book, and the topic of where our home is in this life and the next.

In 2019, Tom travelled down to the Presbyterian Theological College in Victoria to talk with students and staff about study and books. In this interview, PTC principal Peter Hastie shares some of his favourite Systematic Theology books.

Back in 2018, Mark Jones was in Sydney and talked with Tom and Mark Powell about Mark Jones' books, the work he has done on puritan writings and how their writings have impacted him.

Season 3 of the Reformers Bookcast has finished! Here is our re-cap (video available at reformers.com.au/bookcast, YouTube, and Facebook). Catch up on any episodes you missed at reformers.com.au/bookcast and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Christmas. Presents, trees, pudding, Santa. We might think of these things when we think of Christmas. Christmas exists and will keep happening every year. So why not use it as a time to focus your thoughts on the birth of Jesus Christ? For our last episode of the year, Tom was joined by Sinclair Ferguson, author of The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent, to discuss all things Christmas! From all the team at Reformers Bookshop: Have a wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas.

Jesus died to pay for our sins. We should all be familiar with this aspect of the work of Christ. But what if there is more depth, greater riches and beauty to the work of Christ? Jonty Rhodes presents just a taste of these deeper riches in his book Man of Sorrows, King of Glory. In this episode we explore the kingly and prophetic work of Christ with Jonty.

How should we as Christians think about our bodies? Are they inherently good or bad? What do they tell us about who we are? Sam Allberry, author of 'What God Has to Say About Our Bodies', joins us to discuss why it matters that our bodies are created, broken, and redeemed. We touch on identity, chronic illness, union with Christ, and the wonderful hope of eternity with God in our glorified bodies.

This week we were joined by Melvin Tinker (author of That Hideous Strength: A Deeper Look at How the West was Lost). Tom spoke to Melvin about technology, Cultural Marxism and how Christians should respond to this ideology.

In this episode of the Reformers Bookcast Tom spoke to Dan Doriani about Work. Dan is the author of numerous books including two recent books on Work (Work That Makes a Difference and Work: Its Purpose, Dignity, and Transformation). Conversation ranged from the purpose of work, what to do when you don't have a job and whether or not there will be work in the new heavens and new earth.

Should we want our pastor to be strong, confident, bold and articulate? Or does the Bible present a different picture of pastors? Reuben Bredenhof, a pastor from Western Australia and author of 'Weak Pastor, Strong Christ' joined us on the Reformers Bookcast to discuss these questions. Reuben's book looks at Paul's pastoral theology as revealed in the book of 2 Corinthians.

The Bible is not primarily about us. Biblical theology helps us see Scripture rightly, as a story centered on God that changes everything about our stories. In this episode, we talk to Nancy Guthrie about why biblical theology matters—and we take a deep dive into how we can see the gospel through the story of trees.

Owen Strachan is the author of the best-selling new book Christianity and Wokeness. Owen joined us on this episode of the Reformers Bookcast to talk about wokeness and how it is a danger to the church. Our conversation roamed into a discussion about anthropology (based on Owen's book Reenchanting Humanity) and how the gospel and the church are counter-cultural.

The character and attributes of God are a great comfort the Christian and are the heart of Theology proper. Adam Ramsey's new book Truth on Fire: Gazing at God Until Your Heart Sings looks at studying God in such a way that engages the mind and moves all the way to the heart and hands. Adam joined us to discuss his book, why we should study the attributes of God and his favourite attributes of God.

It might seem strange to write a Christian book about periods. Aren't they something we should keep quiet about? But the gospel changes how we think about everything—including periods. This week we talk to Rachel Jones, author of 'A Brief Theology of Periods', about shame, pain, and our emotions. All these topics matter in and beyond our periods, and point us to the redemption we have in Jesus Christ.

For episode 2 of season 3 Tom chatted with Tom Nettles (author of The Child is the Father of the Man). We spoke about Historical Theology and Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

In this episode of the Reformers Bookcast we spoke with Mark Dever about The Church. We discussed why the church is important, the 9Marks ministry Mark runs and how Capitol Hill Baptist Church handled lockdowns in Washington DC. Mark is the senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, the president of 9Marks ministries and the author of numerous books including several about the Church (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, The Church: The Gospel Made Visible, What is a Healthy Church? and Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus).

Season 3 of the Reformers Bookcast is fast approaching, and we have a great line-up of guests to take us through the rest of the year. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts! The first episode of the new season drops Monday 6 September 2021 at 6am!

Season 2 of the Reformers Bookcast has finished! Here is our re-cap (video available at reformers.com.au/bookcast, YouTube, and Facebook). Catch up on any episodes you missed at reformers.com.au/bookcast and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Biblical counsellors and authors Alasdair Groves and Ed Welch joined us in the bookshop to discuss biblical counselling and the book Untangling Emotions by Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith.

In 2018, Chad van Dixhoorn visited Christ College Sydney and joined Tom from Reformers Bookshop and John McClean from Christ College for an interview. Chad is an expert on the Westminster Assembly and the author of the helpful commentary on the Westminster Confession, Confessing the Faith.

Reformers Bookshop visited the Presbyterian Theological College in Victoria and spoke to Rev Ben Nelson (New Testament and Greek) about the college and some of his favourite books.

Kelly Kapic and John McClean joined us for an interview at Christ College Sydney during the 2018 Refocus conference. We talked about Kelly's book Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering among other topics.

In 2018 we interviewed Chris Cipollone, an Australian pastor, speaker and teacher about his book "Down Not Out: Depression, Anxiety, and the Difference Jesus Makes".

Reformers Bookshop's Tom Eglinton interviewed with Tim Challies during his EPIC project in 2018. They were joined by Akos Balogh (The Gospel Coalition Australia) and Mark Powell (AP Magazine).

EQUIP Women is a large Bible teaching ministry for women in Australia. Each year the EQUIP committee puts together a book list of their recommended titles. In this special edition of the Reformers Bookcast, Tom chatted with Isobel and Jocelyn from EQUIP about a few highlights from their 2021 book list. You can find out more about EQUIP at equip.org.au or view the EQUIP booklist at reformers.com.au/equip

We know that the person and work of Christ is important but we haven't given the heart of Christ the focus that He deserves. What is the heart of Christ toward sinners and sufferers? Is He angry with His sinful people? Does He recoil at our weakness and shamefulness? Dane Ortlund (author of the best-selling book Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers) joins us to discuss these questions. The Bible shows us that Christ's heart is gentle and lowly toward repentant sinners. This is a truth that the Puritan's knew well and that we need to recover today

The COVID pandemic has, among other things, raised questions about what the relationship is between the civil government and the church. The good news is that many Christians throughout the ages have thought long and hard about this problem and we can draw on their work to help us. Glenn Sunshine (author of Slaying Leviathan: Limited Government and Resistance in the Christian Tradition) joins us on the Bookcast this week to chat about all things civil government and church.

Every week Christians meet together to worship God at church. But what are we actually doing? What happens when we worship? This week we talk to Jonathan Cruse (author of What Happens When We Worship?) about the covenantal conversation that takes place between God and His people when we gather to worship Him.

Michael J Kruger is the President of Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte as well as the author of numerous books. In this podcast episode, we discuss the issue of canon (from Dr Kruger's book Canon Revisited), when Christianity is headed (from The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity) and the book of Hebrews (Hebrews for You).

Kids have big questions that need answering. “What Happens When we Die?” “Why Does God let Bad Things Happen?” “How Do We Know Christianity is Really True?” are three examples. Chris Morphew is very familiar with these sorts of questions and how to answer them after spending years as a school chaplain. In this episode, Chris introduces us to his new series of books for children aged 9-13 years old “Big Questions”.

Church History is our family history. Simonetta Carr's books “Christian Biographies for Young Readers” are a great tool to help us teach our children this family history. In this episode Tom spoke to Simonetta about this series as well as her latest book “Questions Women Asked”.