Barbara Duguid holds an advanced certificate in biblical counseling from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She is a counselor and ministry assistant at Christ Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Glenside, a pastor's wife, and the mother of six children.
"If only there were some secret--a strategy, an answer, a truth, a
fix--to end all the awkward struggle in life! But nothing this side
of the return of the King can make life easy. Even the saints in
heaven cry, "How long?" There is a way to live, however, that
learns to struggle well through the wrongs inside us and around us.
Barb Duguid struggles well. She has learned well from another
lifelong struggler, John Newton. Both of them learned well from the
the Man of sorrows and grace. He knows our weaknesses first hand.
He loved us to the uttermost. He is loving us now. He will love us
forever. Take this book to heart. It will sustain you for the long
haul, long after the hyped up panaceas and utopias fail."--David
Powlison, faculty member, C.C.E.F.
People often ask me how it is that my faith has become so "gospel
centered" and I always respond, "I had a group of friends who kept
teaching me about Jesus, even though I didn't want to hear it."
Barbara Duguid is the primary friend to whom I owe greatest thanks
for her loving persistence with me. Barbara is qualified to bring
you a message of Extravagant Mercy because she has drunk deeply of
it herself. She knows that, along with John Newton, she is a great
sinner who has a great Savior and it is this message of God's mercy
to undeserving sinners that will encourage you to live in the light
of the sweetest news ever heard: "He died for a wretch like me!"
Buy this book. Buy one for a friend and live in the freedom that
only the good news of the gospel can bring. (P&R may edit at
will)--Elyse Fitzpatrick, author of Idols of the Heart
Thank-you, thank-you for writing such a great book! The way many
Christians think about sanctification is, well, not very
sanctified. In fact, it's downright narcissistic. We think way too
much about how we're doing, if we're growing, whether we're doing
it right or not. We spend too much time brooding over our failures
and reflecting on our successes. What I've discovered is that the
more I focus on my need to get better, the worse I actually get. I
become self-absorbed which is the exact opposite of how the Bible
describes what it means to be sanctified. This is why I was
shouting "yes, yes" again and again as I read Barbara's excellent
book. Mining the treasures of John Newton's letters, Barbara
writes, "God thinks that you will actually come to know and love
him better as a desperate and weak sinner in continual need of
grace than you would as a triumphant Christian warrior who wins
each and every battle against sin." Amen! Over and over again
Barbara reminds us that spiritual growth is realizing how utterly
dependent we are on Christ's cross and mercy. It's not arriving at
some point where we need Jesus less and less because we're getting
better and better. In fact, she shows that Christian growth is not
"I'm becoming stronger and stronger, more and more competent
everyday." Rather, it is "I'm becoming increasingly aware of just
how weak and incompetent I am and how strong and competent Jesus
continues to be for me." I cannot commend this book enough. We need
more and more books like this which remind us that the focus of the
Christian faith is not the life of the Christian, but
Christ.--Tullian Tchividjian, Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian
Church and author of Jesus + Nothing = Everything
'In this fine book, Barbara Duguid combines her love of church
history, her enthusiasm for John Newton, her insights honed as a
pastor's wife and, above all, her love for Christ and his church.
Here the reader will find sharp insights into the psychology of sin
and sound practical advice on how the Bible speaks to the mundane
rebellions of everyday human existence, The heart is indeed
restless above all things; Barbara Duguid ably directs us to where
we can find rest: in Christ alone.'--Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley
Professor of Church History, WTS PA. Pastor, Cornerstone
Presbyterian Church (OPC) Ambler, Pa.
"I know Barb Duguid up close, as a friend who with her family
swooped in to be God's hands and heart to our family in a time of
need. Her wise counsel was always backed up by a rich experiential
knowledge of God's amazing grace--and unrelenting compassion.
Weaving together the delightful insights of John Newton with her
own experience--and that of many people she's counseled over the
years, Barb tells the story of God's unrelenting compassion toward
sinners like us with profound wisdom. How amazing is grace? Like
Newton, she has learned well the answer to that question from the
greatest story-teller of all."--Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen
Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster
Seminary California
Consider this: "What if growing in grace is more about humility,
dependence, and exalting Christ, than it is about defeating sin?"
No, this is not heresy from that old pastor, John Newton, and
Barbara Duguid, who takes and applies many of Newton's thoughts in
this book. This is deft and loving pastoral care. If you are
earnest in your desire to follow Jesus but wondering why you still
feel like such a sinner, this is the perfect book for you.--Ed
Welch, faculty member, C.C.E.F.
John Newton was such a good pastor, because he understood so well
sin, suffering, and the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. His
soul-care wisdom is available in his letters, hymns, and sermons,
but they compose six volumes. So it helps to hear from those who
are familiar with his work, summarizing it in light of their own
faith journey. Barb Duguid has done today's church a great service
by sharing with us her fine overview of Newton's understanding of
the Christian soul. Feast, be encouraged, and be built up.--Eric
Johnson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Society for
Christian Psychology
Stay away from this book. If you buy it, don't read it. Barb Duguid
makes idolatry too nauseating, grace too promiscuous, the Trinity
too omnipotent, Christian experience too diverse, sanctification
too scary, and sovereignty too comforting. On the other hand, it
could be a holy temptation...yielding may be no sin.--Dale Ralph
Davis,
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