What logos package is best for a pastor in rural iowa

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

Sincerely,

Pastor Tim Curtiss

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Ken McGuire

Welcome to the Logos Forums, and congratulations on your call. I will not dare to make any specific recommendations to you without knowing more, but will offer the following limited advice.

1) You really should get some form of a Base Package so you have the standard features and add ins.

2) Look for quality resources that you can depend on - like bible dictionaries and maybe grammars to add.

3) If there are any standard documents for your church body, get them in Logos.

SDG

Ken McGuire

DAL

Depends on your budget, but if you can afford it, I'd say go minimum Silver or Gold (more Gold if you can). Other than that it may be up to your needs and the ones you see in your congregation. Another thing, you said, "update your logos" does that mean you have a Base Package already? or just random resources? That would factor in too, if you have Silver already then do Gold or Platinum. I guess we need to know more, but then again is up to you in the end.

DAL

Milkman

Way to go Timothy! First church! What an exciting time. Keep us in touch with what you eventually decide to purchase and remember you will have a lot of friends here who have gone through what you're going to go through both good and challenging.

Many of these people will be able to help you with any question you have with the Logos product. Keep in touch.

Once again, congratulations.

George Somsel

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

Sincerely,

Pastor Tim Curtiss

That would be the Hawkeye Edition. [;)]

mike

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574492#Comment_574492

Gold, minimum.

Mark Barnes

Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

I have a buyer's guide, which you might find helpful: http://www.logosbiblesoftwaretraining.com/documents/logos-5-buyers-guide/

Personally, I'd try and start at least at Silver, but with some additional commentaries (read my comments on 'Diamond' for some commentary suggestions). Gold is a great buy too, but on a limited budget, for preaching I'd prefer Silver plus my choice of commentaries. (That said, if you can stretch your budget to Gold plus commentaries, then even better!)

Graham Owen

I would like to update my logos.

What do you currently have?

JoshInRI

Congratulations on your graduation and pastorship in the country.

I have SILVER though I am not a Pastor yet, just a blessed Mdiv candidate hopeful of becoming an assistant pastor someday.

I find commentaries are a big help and some do come with Silver. I hope to get the full Tyndale set some day. Til then, purchase books on sermon series you are doing and God bless your prep work and time.

There are many books in Logos for Pastors by Pastors I think too.

God bless your service and church and family.

Bill Shewmaker

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

Sincerely,

Pastor Tim Curtiss

Tim,

I live about 45 miles SE of you in Keosauqua. Maybe we can get together sometime and encourage and help each other in the work of the Kingdom and the use of Logos. I've been a preacher for more than 40 years and in my current location for more than 20 years. Let me know if I can be of help. I preach at an Independent Christian Church.

Bill

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574640#Comment_574640

It is not a package but two things I think might think of the more practical additions..

The Preachers Commentary is a little dated but very good.

The Preacher’s Commentary

Cornerstone Commentary is very solid.

Cornerstone Biblical Commentaries (20 vols.)

and my perennial favourite all around commentary New Interpreter's Bible.

New Interpreter's Bible

-Dan

Brother Mark

Pastor Tim,

I'll echo my fellow forum friends in congratulating you and praying for God's richest blessing on your ministry! However, I'll depart from the standard party line and suggest that, at least in my personal experience, much of what I've bought in base packages has been of little utility in my preaching, teaching, and devotional studies. Carefully look at the content of the base packages and make yourself a spreadsheet of the resources that you can't live without, the ones you really want (book lust... its an addiction), the ones you don't recognize (do the research and decide whether the content is something that seems to touch on an interest or ministry need), and the ones you are ambivalent about.

I found that initially my largest bang for the buck was buying resources during Logos's big Thanksgiving or Christmas sales. Later, during the huge revision sales L3 to L4, then L4 to L5) it made sense from a fiscal perspective to upgrade to a higher base package because resources I needed (or frankly, just wanted Soooooo Much!) were included that would have cost much more if bought as individual resource sets.

Floyd Johnson

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

Welcome to the forums Tim. Where are you from in Iowa - for several years I taught at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, up in the NW corner of the state. That was rural (to some extent) - I had students using the INTERNET before the school had access using a grant and working with a local phone company's dial-up access. Slow, but better than anything. I also completed three units of CPE in Sioux City, IA, and Cherokee, IA. God bless as you continue to serve Him in the years ahead.

Now to answer your question:

I would get the largest base package that you can afford at this time. It is the least expensive way to go.

I recently went on my first cruise as I celebrated my 40th wedding anniversary. The marketing plan of the cruise reminded me of LOGOS. Everything is included in the price - and you can have a wonderful time with just the pre-packaged cruise. But as you progress, you find that there are extra's that you want - soda is not included in the quoted price. If you want to do anything exotic in port (snorkeling, scenic drives, visiting museums, etc.) there are extra costs.

LOGOS works the same way - you can enjoy and get a great deal of use out of any base package, but you will want more. The hardest lesson I have learned while owning LOGOS is to say, "NO". I cannot get everything - though it appears that some on this list can. It is easy to spend more than you plan - whether on the cruise or while using LOGOS. Be patient as you build your library - use wisdom by buying what you need, not what you want. In time your library will grow.

Yours because His,

Floyd Johnson

Unix

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574679#Comment_574679

I would not recommend buying a base-package if You don't feel sure You will use most or even just half of it. As funds allow You may quickly want to buy things to replace the low-end resources of a base-package.

Recommended resources on a sale right now (most of them because they are pre-pub/pre-order), include:

New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols.) (with this You won't need Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary nor Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, the latter which is included in Bronze). This one is the definite winner, especially if You don't buy any base-package that includes any similar/big resource.
Social-Science Commentary (4 vols.)
And if You want a pastoral commentary: New Interpreter's Bible (12 vols.) which Dan Francis has suggested. I'm not buying the latter myself because I have over-indulged in commentaries already and the orders I have seem to cover much of the books of the Bible I'm interested in.
Also, if You are interested in a type of linear presentation, instead of buying a base-package just bid what You think it would be worth on: The Bible in Seven Acts, with Slides (7 vols.) ... it's not a low-budget resource per-se but if You don't value it highly and bid accordingly and then loose out on it You haven't lost a penny.

Hint: when You "bid" on pre-pubs/pre-orders, give it some extra thought before the order ships. It's mentally much harder to return an order than to cancel before anything happens. In real life You don't always have the time to test-drive a new resource anyway.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574513#Comment_574513

Personally, I'd try and start at least at Silver, but with some additional commentaries (read my comments on 'Diamond' for some commentary suggestions). Gold is a great buy too, but on a limited budget, for preaching I'd prefer Silver plus my choice of commentaries. (That said, if you can stretch your budget to Gold plus commentaries, then even better!)

I would endorse what Mark says (I have the Gold package)

Looking at the list of commentaries which it contains I particularly find the list below useful:

New American Commentary
Exegetical Summary Series
UBS (Old and New Testaments)

(Of these only NAC is available in Silver)

To these - if budget allows - I would add the "Preaching the Word" series.

I also find the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament helpful (available in Gold but not in Silver)

But, as others have said, its important to look at what would be of value to you and work out the most economical way of getting it

Graham

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574697#Comment_574697

What you, or I, or Unix would find usefull is all going to be different. I don't know that I would recomend some of the same ones he (Unix) did, but then I'm baptist in tradition.

I personally have the platinum base package.

The adage has been the more books you feed logos, the more powerful it becomes.

However the other strategy (and the better strategy) is: The more books of quality you feed logos the more useful it becomes.

Base packages are a great place to start. you should get some things you agree with, some that you are close to agreeing with, and somethings of contrary perspectives.

Secondarily, if you are a student (and I don't think you are) the Theological Journal Libraries (which are no longer being created) vol 1-16 have hundreds of years (combined) of theological journals, book reviews and so forth.

Tertiarily if money is an issue, as it is for this part time pastor, and full time student, then the community pricing (and pre-publication) parts of the store is your new best friend.

I would start by determining your budget... Then look at the base packages in your price range. Then look at the resources provided by the package. Figure out which ones are interesting to you, and which are not; then use the normal selling price of the resources you find interesting to determine value: IE If I were looking at a base package that had NICOT, NICNT, AYBD, EBC, and the rest was rubbish, but the base package cost only 1400$ as opposed to buying the individual items which would cost somewhere around 2000$ (if I had to guess, and no such base package exists currently... but you get the idea) - at that price point (1400$) you're also getting all the other titles that you are currently ambivalent towards. I can't tell you how many times I've found wheat amongst the tares, something where I didn't recognize the author, but upon reading the tome, found it invaluable.

That is my approach to upgrading and buying base packages... If it turns out to be cheaper just to buy those items you want from the base package, then go that route (but it won't be, at least it wasn't for me).

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574706#Comment_574706

Given what you have said I too would recommend Gold if you can handle that. I don't think you will be disappointed.

DMB

Without offending, I find this whole thread strange. (1) How does one graduate from a seminary and not have a good idea what tools will be required? (not just computer software books) and (2) What's unusual about rural Iowa?

I'd assume (I went to Bible college; not seminary) that the problems facing a rural Iowan minister are very likely along the lines of the unsolvable. People's lives. In this, I'd think Tom (Black) would be the expert, with his unique water-tower view.

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574741#Comment_574741

I'd assume (I went to Bible college; not seminary) that the problems facing a rural Iowan minister are very likely along the lines of the unsolvable. People's lives. In this, I'd think Tom (Black) would be the expert, with his unique water-tower view.

I took his question to be what will give me the most useful info in a brief time to help develop my sermons. By rural I had assumed 2 things... No large library near and any pastor in a rural setting often has little time in comparison to a larger church with multiple pastors and a more centralized congregation. I choose evangelical resources that are very applicable and that a busy person to delve into quickly. I almost did not include the NIB since it is a broader resource, and while I think he may find it very useful in my past experience most Baptists prefer more conservative texts (but the link i included gives him plenty of examples to evaluate it, for himself). I know that the base packages offer a lot of very useful stuff, but what is going to best feed his soul and offer him insights to build his sermons around???

-Dan

tom

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

Sincerely,

Pastor Tim Curtiss

Congrats!

I would say buy what you will use. I personally purchased the original language back for L3, and I have not upgraded my package. What I have done is purchased the books that I know I would use. While the cost per book is higher, I do use a higher percentage of my resources, and it cuts down on the number of rabbit trails that i might follow.

Timothy D. Curtiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574640#Comment_574640

Bill,

Thanks. I would like to get together also. I purchased a package in seminary but I do not remember which one it was. It as 300 volumes.

Graham Owen

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574787#Comment_574787

I purchased a package in seminary but I do not remember which one it was.

Help - About Logos will tell you what the package you have currently is.

Timothy D. Curtiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574816#Comment_574816

Thanks. I tried that but it did not work. I found the installation disc of my logos program. It is Logos Bible Software 3.0 F Libronix with books.

Ken McGuire

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575277#Comment_575277

I found the installation disc of my logos program. It is Logos Bible Software 3.0 F Libronix with books.

Unfortunately that isn't quite enough information. Logos has had multiple packages with the same installation media since I got into it with Libronix 2.0.

Did you ever sychronize your license with the Logos Servers back in the day? If so, there should be a record of you somewhere in their database, and logos 5 would automatically give you those books.

But I strongly recommend calling Logos Customer Service. They should be able to help you much easier than we could talk you through it.

SDG

Ken McGuire

DAL

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574787#Comment_574787

Go for broke and get Platinum. Now with the new 24 month payment plan you might be able to afford it. If not at least get Gold. [:P]

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575277#Comment_575277

Thanks. I tried that but it did not work. I found the installation disc of my logos program. It is Logos Bible Software 3.0 F Libronix with books.

I would make figuring that out your priority - you don't have to re-purchase books, so IF you have books that you already own, that are a part of the package you want to buy, the cost of the package goes down. Might mean the difference between gold and platinum or portfolio :P Depending on what you had before.

tom

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575338#Comment_575338

I would make figuring that out your priority - you don't have to re-purchase books, so IF you have books that you already own, that are a part of the package you want to buy, the cost of the package goes down. Might mean the difference between gold and platinum or portfolio :P Depending on what you had before.

[y]

JoshInRI

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574787#Comment_574787

God bless all those you meet in here and on your way to expanding God's Kingdom Mission on earth, Sir.

I hope someone is able to make a search in here on all the great tools in Logos and Vyrso that are geared for new pastors.

I long to see you do well and I will even go so far as to say - May this be your ONLY church until Jesus comes back (meaning I hope you never have to look for another post ever).

Glory to God...Jesus Lead On!

Joshua

Mark Barnes

I recently graduated from seminary and have my first church in a small city in rural Iowa. I do not have time to do the extensive research that I did in seminary. I would like to update my logos. Which package do you think is best for a busy pastor in rural Iowa?

It might be worth checking out the new Reformed Base Packages.

JoshInRI

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/574668#Comment_574668

Dan, would someone who is NOT using New Living Translation still use and like the Cornerstone series?
I have read its much like the Tyndale...that true?

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575725#Comment_575725

Here is a sample... I would say you do not need to use or even particularly enjoy the NLT to like cornerstone. The OT in general is more in-depth in the Cornerstone, I find much of Tyndale NT is more drawn from greek used than I would say of Cornerstone.

-Dan

♦ B. Psalm 44

NOTES
44:2 crushed. The NLT apparently presumes an emendation from tara‘ [7489, 8317] (“do evil”; from ra‘a‘ I) to taroa‘ [7489A, 8318] (“crush”; from ra‘a‘ II); see HALOT 3.1271 and 2:9.

44:4 my God. You command. In the MT there is not a suffix for “my,” and the form of the verb is an imperative, which is grammatically problematic (Kraus 1988:444). The NLT apparently presumes an emendation to a participle metsawweh [6680, 7422] (“commanding”; see the LXX and Syriac); the Mem of the participle could have been transferred backward to the preceding word, which would have been e’lohay [430/2967.1, 466/3276] (“my God”; see Syriac). This verb is used in the same sense in 42:8 [9] (“pours his unfailing love” is lit., “commands his unfailing love”).

victories. The word yeshu‘oth [3444, 3802] occurs in 42:5 [6], 11 [12] and 43:5, where it is translated, “Savior.”

44:5–6 push back … trample … trust … count on … to save. The verbs in these verses are imperfects, signifying repeated action in the past (Joüon and Muraoka 1991:§113e); note the perfects for past time in 44:7 [8]. Psalm 44:1–3 [2–4] is about the distant past. Psalm 44:4–8 [5–9] is about the recent past of the psalmist’s own day. Psalm 44:9 [10] brings us to the psalmist’s present.

44:8 give glory … constantly praise. “Gave glory … constantly praised” in keeping with the note on 44:5–6.

44:9 tossed us aside. The word zanakh [2186, 2396] (reject) occurs in 43:2; see also 44:23 [24], where it is translated “reject.”

44:16 mockers. The word kharap [2778, 3070] occurs in 42:10 [11].

enemies. The “enemies” are mentioned in 42:9 [10] and 43:2.

44:24 oppression. The word lakhats [3906, 4316] occurs in 42:9 [10] and 43:2; in 42:9 [10] it occurs in the context of God forgetting, as is also the case here in 44:24.

44:25 lying face down in the dirt. Lit., “Our belly clings to the ground.”

COMMENTARY

The number of lexical connections between Psalms 42–43 and Psalm 44 (see notes) indicates that Psalm 44 can be read as a corporate articulation of the individual problem expressed in Psalms 42–43. Both texts articulate profound perplexity at God’s rejecting (43:2; 44:10, 23) and forgetting (42:9; 44:24) his people, who are experiencing the oppression (42:9; 43:2; 44:24) of the enemy (42:9; 43:2; 44:16). Psalm 44 adds to the perplexity without solving it.
Psalm 44 can be divided into three stanzas: past victories through faith in God (44:1–8), present defeats in spite of faithfulness to God (44:9–22), and future salvation through the unfailing love of God (44:23–26).

Past Victories through Faith in God (44:1–8). The opening stanza is a record of covenant loyalty in the past, loyalty on the part of God and his people. The stanza is comprised of two strophes. The first strophe (44:1–3) records the covenant faithfulness of the distant past. “In days long ago” God dispossessed the Canaanites from the Promised Land and gave that land “to our ancestors.” The ancestors did not conquer the land through dependence on their own resources but through dependence on the Lord and his favor. This all took place in accordance with the theology of Deuteronomy 28:1–2, 7: Covenant loyalty results in military victory.
The second strophe (44:4–8) records the covenant faithfulness of the recent past. The psalmist affirms that the same covenant loyalty experienced by his ancestors has been experienced by the community in the recent past. God was the one who “command[ed] victories,” “[gave] us victory over our enemies,” and “disgrace[d] those who hate us.” On their part the people had acknowledged that these victories were “only by [God’s] power” and “only in [his] name.” Like their ancestors, they did not trust in their own resources but trusted in God. Thus, they were careful to give him the glory and praise. Their experience was like that of previous generations: Covenant faithfulness had resulted in military victories.

Present Defeats in Spite of Faithfulness to God (44:9–22). The middle stanza paints a radically different picture. This stanza is comprised of two strophes. The first strophe (44:9–16) provides the details of the present situation. God’s people are in desperate straits, having experienced defeat after military defeat. The emphasis in this strophe is on the fact that these defeats are the Lord’s doing. The Lord is the subject of the vast majority of the verbs: He has tossed his people aside, no longer leads their armies, made them retreat, allowed them to be plundered, treated them like sheep for slaughter, scattered them, sold them for nothing, placed no value on them, caused them to be mocked, and made them the butt of jokes.
Based on the theology implicit in 44:1–8 and explicit in Deuteronomy 28:15 and 25, we would expect the second strophe in this stanza to contain a confession of sin. So we are shocked that the second strophe contains a most vigorous protestation of innocence. “All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant” (44:17). And this loyalty was not merely external. It was a loyalty from the heart. In spite of such loyalty, God’s people had been “crushed” and “covered … with darkness and death” (44:19). The people admitted that God’s actions would be understandable had they turned from God to idols. But such had not been the case. The people were not claiming sinlessness but only basic loyalty (Mays 1994:178)—the same kind of loyalty demonstrated by their ancestors in the distant past and by themselves in the recent past. In some way they were not suffering because of their sin but for God’s sake. This profound perplexity did not lead to unbelief, however, but to prayer.

Future Salvation through the Unfailing Love of God (44:23–26). The prayer begins with three imperatives: “Wake up!” and “Get up!” and “Do not reject.” It is as if God had been sleeping and needed to be aroused from his slumber. The prayer is for their present rejection to end.
Two lamenting interrogatives follow: “Why do you look the other way?” and “Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?” God’s people had not forgotten him (shakakh [7911, 8894] in 44:20 [21]), so why had he forgotten and ignored (shakakh) them (44:24 [25])? These two interrogatives are balanced by two lamenting indicatives: “We collapse in the dust” and “our belly clings to the ground” (see note on 44:25).
The mood returns to that of the beginning of the stanza with two final imperatives (in the MT): “Rise up!” and “Help us” (44:26). While it is true that the psalm ends on a mixed note of lamentation and petition, it is significant that the last word in the MT is khesed [2617, 2876]. The last word is not “why” but “unfailing love.”
This final stanza is “prayer rooted in a faith deeper than reason,” for “there is an immense mystery in God and his ways, but one must continue to trust and to pray” (Craigie 1983:335). Psalm 44 expresses a mysterious suffering in the service of the Kingdom. This suffering points forward to Christ and then to Romans 8:17–39 (Mays 1994:179–200), where Paul quotes 44:22, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep” (Rom 8:36). Throughout the history of the church, there have been faithful Christians who have suffered and have even been put to death at the hands of persecutors. They were called to share in Christ’s suffering that they might also share in his glory (Rom 8:17). They could do so knowing, like the author of Psalm 44, that no suffering could ever separate them from God’s unfailing love.
When we experience mysterious suffering in the service of the Kingdom, let us take full advantage of the freedom God has given us in Psalm 44, freedom to honestly admit our perplexity, to lament our situation, and to pray for help, depending all the while on God’s unfailing love.

Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 161–164.

Milford Charles Murray

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575735#Comment_575735

Great Quote, Dan! I really appreciate Futato! Thanks! AND Peace!

*smile*

Jim Wait

The "Everyone Series" by N T Wright

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