"Alcohol Today" Review on Sola Gratia! and SBC Today blogs

Here is an excerpt from the great review by Scott Gordon about Alcohol Today:

Dr. Peter Lumpkins has hit a home run. Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence is a book which is long overdue for our churches and our culture. This debate seems to have fallen on hard times. Anyone who would dare assert that a biblical world view should include total abstinence is quickly lampooned and often mercilessly ridiculed.

To read the rest of Scott's review, visit his blog Sola Gratia!, here, or the SBC Today blog here.

Hear Peter Lumpkins on FamilyNet's Mornings with Lorri & Larry

On Monday, June 15, you can be one of the first to hear Peter Lumpkins discuss his new, controversial book, Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence. He will be a guest on Mornings with Lorri and Larry on FamilyNet Radio, which can be heard on SIRIUS radio channel 161. He will be on the show from about 6:20am to 6:50am Eastern. If you can't catch him live, you can always download the podcast from iTunes for about two weeks from the original air date. We'll also post the interview here!

What Others are Saying About "Alcohol Today"

We appreciate Peter Lumpkins’ contribution to this crucial issue. We applaud all genuine efforts to convince followers of Jesus that the use of alcoholic beverages in any form is inconsistent with the lifestyle of an obedient Christian in the 21st century.
-Richard Land, president, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention

A postmodern era of indulgence brands advocacy of abstinence from beverage alcohol as legalism worthy of the Pharisees, even as it gurgles its way to an ever-increasing embrace of the world. But Peter Lumpkins in Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence demonstrates why abstinence not only is wisdom but also a matter of obedience to Christ and holiness before God.
- Paige Patterson, President
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX

Peter Lumpkins has dealt skillfully and biblically with one of the real hot issues in our land today. Voices are calling for the moderate use of alcohol and recreational drinks as a way to reach our culture. Peter has carefully examined the Scriptural texts and gives a clear case for how committed believers are to approach this subject. I applaud his effort in these pages and believe he has convincingly presented the case for abstinence as the Scriptural pattern for this issue.
- Jimmy Draper, president emeritus, LifeWay Christian Resources

Peter Lumpkins has done an amazing piece of work. He has explored the various views on the question of drinking “recreational alcohol” (booze) by disciples of Jesus. With the precision of a surgeon he dissects the views and then stitches them together for an overall answer to the question. This is the first book of this nature that I have read in years—the best argument in print against the outlandish and inaccurate views of “not use but abuse.” Every preacher should make this a must reading.
-John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer, Florida Baptist Convention

Peter Lumpkins’ book calls us back to biblical convictions. Peter “rightly divides the word of truth” and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ providing a firm foundation for 21st-century believers in a Laodicean age.
- Roger Freeman, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Clarksville, TN
Past president, Tennessee Baptist Convention

In a wedding of biblical/historical scholarship and reasonable obedience to Christ, Peter Lumpkins turns watered-down “moderation” and poisonedwell hedonism into the pure wine of truth. What a timely occasion for someone taking the intellectual gloves off and striking a blow for total abstinence from alcohol! Every believer, particularly in the younger generation, should drink deeply from this reservoir—and pass it on.
- Hayes Wicker, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Naples, FL
Former president, Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference and the Florida Baptist Convention

Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence is a masterwork. It provides a devastating argument against any use of beverage alcohol. It reveals the fact that the Bible and common sense condemn the use of a recreational, destructive, and mind-altering drug. Replete with scholarly evidence, Peter Lumpkins’ book will change minds and save lives.
- David R. Brumbelow, pastor, Northside Baptist Church, Highland, TX
Author, The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow

Peter Lumpkins has done the Body of Christ a significant favor in his excellent and scholarly study on social drinking among present-day church members. Thank God for his courageous stance! I pray many will read this book and heed its wise counsel.
- Evangelist Junior Hill, Hartselle, AL

The alcohol issue is a volatile debate among many believers. It also is a critical discussion because of the high impact of alcohol’s negative effect on so many. Peter Lumpkins provides a clear and compelling case for total abstinence built on Scripture and sound spiritual ethics. It deserves a reading by every thoughtful follower of Jesus. Alcohol Today is a vital resource for Christians committed to excellence in life and dedicated to the highest standards of faith and practice.
- Jack Graham, Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas, TX

Peter Lumpkins provides an exhaustive, in-depth investigation into the use of alcohol as a beverage. He reaches the conclusion that this usage is unwise, unhelpful, and unscriptural. I applaud him for his work and commend this read to all interested in thoroughly considering this issue.
- Jim Richards, Executive Director, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
Past first vice-president, Southern Baptist Convention

How do you blend faith with living day-to-day?

Our faith in God saves us; the Bible testifies to that. But what difference does that faith make in our lives? If works don't insure our salvation, what's the purpose of right Christian behavior? If we have transformed lives in Christ, what specific works represent an outgrowth of our belief?

Anne Fortenberry tackles all these questions in her new, nine-week interactive Bible study, Faith that Works. In a warmhearted, personal approach, Anne reveals fresh insights into the Book of James that will strengthen participants' faith, enrich their walk with the Lord, and challenge them to apply well-known scriptural principles.

Participants in a Faith that Works small group will learn how to cope with trails and temptations, how to develop characteristics such as obedience, tongue control, wisdom, and trust in God, how to endure suffering, and how to restore wandering believers, among other topics.

A separate leader guide (ISBN 1-978-934749-50-0) provides helps for those facilitating a Faith that Works group in weekly sessions.

Anne Fortenberry has served as a Southern Baptist missionary, a university lecturer and division chair, and a health-care consultant. She holds a doctor of nursing science degree from the Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Nursing, a master of science from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a bachelor of science from Mississippi College. She and her husband, Archie, are parents of three grown children.

Should Christians Bring on the Booze?

In the newly-released book, Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, Peter Lumpkins answers the question, "Is the moderate use of alcohol for recreational purposes a way Christians can reach today’s culture?" Some believers in this postmodern era of indulgence say an attack on the prevalence of social drinking amounts to legalism worthy of the Pharisees.

Dealing with one of the most debated issues in Christendom today, Peter Lumpkins explores the various views on drinking beverage alcohol. He dissects them with a surgeon's precision and then stitches them together to form a devastating argument against any recreational use of this mind-altering drug.

Lumpkins blends an exhaustive scholarly study with courageous conviction and reasonable obedience as he strikes a blow for total abstinence from alcohol. His definitive book is the first of its kind in many decades and is sure to stir debate from a wide variety of sectors.

Peter Lumpkins has dealt skillfully and biblically with one of the real hot issues in our land today. He has carefully examined the scriptural texts and gives a clear case for how committed believers are to approach this subject. He has convincingly presented the case for abstinence as the scriptural pattern for this issue.
--Dr. James T. Draper, Jr., president emeritus, LifeWay Christian Resources

Peter Lumpkins is a Southern Baptist minister living in West Georgia. For more than 20 years, Peter served as a pastor in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. Presently he serves as editor of a developing small-group Bible study series. Peter has degrees in religion and philosophy (B.A.), theology (M.Div.) and expository preaching (D.Min.). He also completed graduate work in bioethics. He writes a popular blog, SBC Tomorrow, which can be found at www.peterlumpkins.com.

Stay tuned for more reviews and a promo video of this controversial book.

How Do Working Parents Juggle Church Activities?

In homes throughout the United States, both husbands and wives hold outside jobs. This includes Christians as well as non-Christian families. How do these families manage to balance their work, home, and church responsibilities? How do they continue to include the church in their hectic schedules? How do church leaders minister to the stresses involved in two-paycheck families? How can they best utilize these church members who constantly are short on time?

Journalists Louis and Kay Moore interviewed numerous other Christian, two-paycheck couples to see how these were coping with such conflicts. In this book, When You Both Go to Work: How Two-Paycheck Families Can Stay Active in the Church the Moores share what they have learned from these couples and from their own experiences about setting priorities, budgeting time, learning when to say no (and when to say yes), and dealing lovingly with criticism.

When You Both Go to Work answers questions such as:

* What does the Bible say about women working outside the home?

* Does being a two-paycheck family go against God's plan for men and women?

* How can I decided which church activities to attend and which to give up when my time is limited?

* How do I deal with disagreements with fellow Christians about this important issue?

* How can I as a church leader make my programs more responsive to the needs of two-paycheck families?

* How can I plan wisely so that heavy demands on my time don't endanger my spiritual life?

Become One in Marriage Through Oneness in Christ

As we focus another day on the health of our families during Family Wellness Month, we want to continue with a second book on marriage.

God's goal for marriage is oneness:

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh" (Eph. 5:31).

God's standard for relationship with Him is the mystery of oneness as well:
"I in them and You in me . . ." (John 17:23).
"The mystery, Christ in you . . ." (Col. 1:27).

Sadly, many Christians never even come close to either of these desires that God has for us.
Without oneness with God, oneness in marriage remains an illusive quest. Learning to be spiritually empowered in the pursuit of both of these goals is the key.

The Miracle of Oneness: Becoming One in Marriage Through Oneness with God, by Ed Malone, seeks to be your guide as you allow God to fulfill His great desire for you and your marriage.

Author Ed Malone is pastor of Christ's Community Church in Cookeville, Tennessee, with 35 years experience as pastor and counselor. He and his wife, Gale, have been married for 40 years and enjoy life together on their farm. They have two children and eight grandchildren. Ed holds an M.Div. degree from Southern Seminary.