Libraries are Gyms for the Mind

1. LIBRARIES are GYMS for the MIND
by Dr. Peter Hammond

3. • How can we stretch and transform our minds?

4. • Where can we find treasure troves of
information, insights and inspiration?

5. • How can we be better equipped, encouraged
and empowered to make a greater impact for
the Kingdom of God in society?

6. “The heart of
him who has
understanding
seeks
knowledge…”
Proverbs 15:14

7. The Importance of Libraries

8. Libraries preserve history and truth
and make accessible
a treasure-trove of wisdom,

9. insights,
knowledge,
biographies,
devotionals,
examples of
excellence,
commentaries,
dictionaries,
handbooks,
concordances,
atlases,
encyclopaedias
and much more.

10. An Armoury

11. The library is the armoury for any mission, college or ministry
providing spiritual weapons for spiritual warfare.

12. Libraries are a collection
of selected sources
of information,

13. made accessible
for a community - for reference, or borrowing.

14. “Reading is
the magic key
to take you
where you want to be!”

15. Sanctuaries for Serious Systematic Study

16. Libraries provide a quiet place for study.

17. A good library provides a protected environment to
preserve sources of knowledge, printed books and
journals and also audio and visual digital resources.

18. A good library provides a sanctuary for serious study, a
calm atmosphere for concentration for systematic study.

19. An inspiring environment for research for assignments,
Bible studies and sermon preparations.

20. To Equip and Empower

21. Readers make leaders.
A reading Christian is a growing Christian.
If you want to lead then you must read!

22. Libraries provide time tested tools to equip
and empower you for exceptional ministry.

23. Stretching Minds

24. Libraries are gymnasiums for the mind.
As a gym is there to stretch your muscles,
a library stretches your mind.

25. Reading is to the mind
what physical exercise is to the body.

26. A Treasure Trove of Information,
Insights and Inspiration

27. A Bible College Library is a gold mine of Biblical
knowledge, a treasure-trove of information, instruction,
insights and inspiration.

28. An Oasis for Searching Souls
and Enquiring Minds

29. Libraries are an
oasis for searching
souls and hungry,
enquiring minds.
A reservoir
of living waters.
A storehouse
of spiritual food,
providing
information that
can renew your
mind,
transform your life
and direct your
energies.

30. Antidote to Apostacy

31. In an age of apostacy we need libraries with the reliable,
old, tried and tested, battle proven faithful works of
dedicated ministers, missionaries and Reformers.

32. Information to Counteract Ignorance

33. In an age of ignorance,
we need libraries
that are equipped
with Biblical knowledge
and Christian answers
to the challenges
of our time.

34. Solution to Superficiality

36. In an age of
superficiality,
we need
libraries that
will challenge
and enable us
to
dig deeper
into the
gold mines
of
God’s
Word.

37. Opportunity to Improve Yourself

38. Libraries provide free education.
Libraries enable us to compare sources and discern.

39. Libraries provide you with unlimited opportunities
to improve yourself.

40. Essential for Those Who Love Truth

41. Libraries
are
essential
for those
who love
knowledge,
wisdom
and truth.

42. Truth does not fear investigation.
Truth conquers!

44. Systematic Sources for Study

45. Libraries must be well organised, carefully categorised,
neatly presented and diligently maintained.

46. Precious Resources
for
Many Generations

47. Books are precious and valuable.
They need to be protected from dust, dirt, damp and damage.
Therefore, we must take special care
as stewards of God’s Kingdom
to preserve these precious resources
for future generations.

51. Redeem the Time – Read!

52. Victory and success love
preparation.
Learn to love reading
and enjoy learning,
as God prepares you
to make an impact
for the Kingdom of God.

53. Foundations for Life

54. My Mother taught me to read before I went to school.
My earliest memories are of reading books.

55. The library was a great attraction to me.

56. Many times, I spent
lunch breaks at school
reading in the library.
When I was growing up
in Bulawayo,
I would walk to the
library at least once a
week and take out the
maximum number of
books allowed, four at a
time.!”

57. By age 12,
I had left
behind The
Hardy Boys,
The Secret
Seven
and other
children’s
books and was
regularly
checking out
books from the
adult section of
the Bulawayo
Library.

58. I remember the librarian peering at me over her glasses and
asking in an interrogatory tone: “You do know that these books
are meant to be read?” “Yes, ma’am!” I responded. “Have you
read all these books in the last week?” “Yes, ma’am, I have.”

59. She looked at me with a skeptical gaze and then at the
titles of the history books, or wildlife books
which I tended to check out.
“How old are you boy?”
“Twelve years old ma’am!”
“And you read these books?”
“Yes ma’am

60. Hospital Christian Fellowship

61. One of the first tasks that I was given when I joined Hospital
Christian Fellowship (HCF) was to sort out their library. I was
taken into a large room with empty shelves on against every wall.
A large pile of boxes of books was in the centre of the room and I
was told to organise the library. This was a task that I relished.

62. My previous employment, before joining HCF, was organising the
books at Oxford University Press in downtown Cape Town.

63. That involved moving mountains of books and arranging over
22,000 titles, in categories and alphabetically.

64. Literature4Africa

65. It has been a privilege to donate thousands of my own books for
our Libraries for Pastors, Textbooks for Teachers and Books for
College and School Libraries projects.

78. Our Literature4Africa (L4A) ministry donates an average of
100 tonnes of Bibles, books and Sunday school materials to
pastors, teachers, chaplains, Evangelists, schools and college
libraries throughout Africa each year.

83. You can view our Literature4Africa Shipment Offload video online.

84. You can view our Bibles4Africa video online.

87. Christian Liberty Books

88. To aid parents to home educate their children,
we launched Christian Liberty Books over 25 years ago.
CLB has over 5000 titles available.

94. To aid parents to home educate their children, we launched
Christian Liberty Books over 25 years ago. It has over 5000
titles available. You can view our Christian Liberty Books
bookshop video tour online.

96. Digital Libraries Online

97. Many of our books are also been made available for free
through our William Carey Bible Institute
Distance Learning Programme online.

98. Our free online Digital Library Programme provides basic
Discipleship Libraries for hundreds of pastors, teachers,
chaplains, evangelists, students and prisoners throughout Africa.

99. 29 of our books are also available as E-books.

106. Character Training

107. A person’s
character
is to a
large extent
developed
by the books
he reads.

108. “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes
and I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding and I shall keep Your Law;
indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies
and not to covetousness...
Psalm 119:33-40

109. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things
and revive me in Your way.
Establish Your Word to Your servant,
who is devoted to fearing You.
Turn away my reproach which I dread,
for Your judgments are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts;
revive me in Your righteousness.”
Psalm 119:33-40

110. • “The discerning heart seeks knowledge…”
Proverbs 15:14

111. www.FrontlineMissionSA.org