Category: Books
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Doctrine
Do you want a good overview of the doctrines of the Christian faith? Would you be open to a introductory course, but are afraid people in your church might think lesser of you because of what you don’t know? (Most of them don’t know either, by the way.) re:Lit publications has developed Doctine by Mark…
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The Deep Church
At the suggestion of a friend, I recently read Jim Belcher’s Deep Church. I was not disappointed. This is thoughtful and thought-provoking book. The subtitle really captures the theme of this book: A Third Way. With all the discussions about “how” to do church, and the polemic approaches of the Traditionalists and the Emerging/Emergent, some of us…
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Humble Ambition
Pioneer missionary William Carey is noted for his mantra: “Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.” These are tremendously inspiring words. They call us to think about the God in whom we believe, and whom we serve. Jesus reminded us that “With God nothing is impossible.” (Luke 1.37) When Paul thought of…
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Jesus Freaks
Studying the Church at Smyrna, while working through a series from the 7 Churches in the Book of Revelation, reminded me that persecution of Christians is not just something that took place on the pages of ancient history. Persecution of Christians is an ever-present tragic reality. We are told by historians and scholars that more…
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Impressions of The Shack
Inquiring Minds Want to Know: What do you make of The Shack? To be quite honest, I do not know what to make of the book, The Shack. My impression is that the author, William P. Young, made a noble attempt to explain some of the more difficult questions about God, and did so in…
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3 Short Books I Wish Everyone in My Church Would Read
I read a fair amount. I have been accused, and probably rightly so, of unrealistically pushing books and other reading materials on people who don’t read quite as much; who don’t have the time to read as much; who don’t get “paid” to read as much (as I, in part, am). But there are ideas…
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Pastor Dad: E-book by Mark Driscoll
Father’s Day has passed, but I just read a resource I thought I’d pass along to Dads and aspiring dads-to-be. It is another e-book by Mark Driscoll of Resurgence and Mars Hill Church, this one titled Pastor Dad: Scriptural Insights on Fatherhood. The premise behind this free 48 page book is: Every dad is a…
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Rapture Ready
OUCH! Yesterday I started reading Daniel Radosh’s Rapture Ready!: Adventures In The Parallel Universe Of Christian Pop-Culture. It is an outsiders observations of the Christian subculture. And the author really nails his intended target. Back in my younger, athletic playing, days from time to time I would take a hit right on a muscle that would somehow simultaneously make me…
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Worldliness in Prespective
I recently finished reading the short book Worldliness, edited by C.J. Mahaney. Each chapter is written by different men from the Sovereign Grace family. I found it very insightful and practical. I appreciate that the writers did not merely resort to the worn out separatist “Us vs. The World” rhetoric. Instead they wrestled intelligently, theologically,…
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When Sinners Say “I Do”
Had I had my way today my wife and I would be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the date of our engagement. My thought then was simple and – in my opinion – romantic: If I proposed on a date that I could easily remember, then we would be more likley to celebrate it in the future.…
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Grace of Repentance
Today is Ash Wednesday. That does not mean much to many in my theological circles. But for many other Christians it is a day that launches the Season leading to Easter – the Season of Lent. This day is designated Ash Wednesday because of an ancient practice of marking believers with ashes as a symbol…
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Making These Mountains Come Alive
If asked to list my favorite contemporary authors, Cameron Judd would no doubt rank high. Judd most notably made a name for himself in Westerns, a genre I am not particularly interested in. But he also has delved deeply into Historical Fiction, which from the time I read my first Michener novel has been a…
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Sharing the Father’s Welcome
Tim Keller’s new book, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith, will be released in a few weeks, on October 31. In the book Keller presents a powerful expression of the gospel, rooted in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Having heard Keller teach from this parable, I am looking forward to the…
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Respectable Sins
One of the books on my bedside table is Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges. The subtitle of the book is: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. The theme becomes self explanatory. In his preface Bridges explains the motive behind the book: “The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative…
