Greg Gilbert

A great Christian theologian once began his greatest work with these truths:  “Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God,” and “Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self.” What he meant was that if we are truly to understand who God is as a merciful, loving, and compassionate heavenly Father, we first have to understand who we are as people created in His image and yet sinners before him. But in order to understand our own hearts in that way, we must look deeply into God’s Word and let it expose our finitude, our sin, and our need for a Savior.

That’s what Laurie Aker and the team at Thistlebend Ministries are aiming to do. These are dear and serious saints who are committed not in the least to building their own kingdom or “publishing empire,” but to providing resources for the use and good of the local church. As the pastor of a local church, I’m deeply familiar with the frustration of having to watch men and women under my care be swept away by books and “programs” that are selfish at best and unbiblical at worst. But I’m thrilled to say that in Thistlebend Ministries, I’ve found a set of resources and a group of partners who will be a great help in discipling the women who are members of my church—not a hindrance to that goal, and not in competition with it. If you’re looking for discipleship tools for women that are theologically sound, biblically solid, and spiritually insightful, I don’t think you’ll do better than Thistlebend resources.

Greg Gilbert
Pastor, Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, Kentucky
2017