“This list reflects the kind of reading choices I make for a season like summer, when I can devote some time to reading that is not dedicated to some larger writing or research project. There is also an unapologetic tilt toward a reading list for men in this list. These are books that are likely... Continue Reading

“It is significant that when God makes his entrance onto the stage that is the wreckage of Job’s life in the book that bears his name, he comes in the whirlwind. Even after his first speech has induced Job to take a vow of silence, God comes again in the whirlwind. That is a sign... Continue Reading

Although the vast majority of Christians don’t realize it, we are being slowly yet steadily poisoned by virtually undetectable toxins. No, this isn’t about chemicals or biological agents; it’s ideas, worldviews, philosophies, and ideologies that we are unknowingly absorbing into our systems every day of life, and that are eating away at the vitals of... Continue Reading

In his accessible primer on the end times, Christian Endgame: Careful Thinking About the End Times, my colleague at Christ Reformed Church, Kenneth Samples, ably practices the quote “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” In his 3rd and 4th chapters, he describes areas of eschatological agreement among Christian historical traditions, what he... Continue Reading

Some are hasty to claim that preachers who care so much about grace will go light on holiness and sanctification. But a faithful preacher of grace knows that his flock will never be able to fulfill the imperative commands of the Bible without enabling grace. Precisely because he’s so committed to the sanctification of his... Continue Reading

The whole backbone to the “why” of small groups happens to be the Trinity and our being made in the image of the Trinity. The authors tease out how we are hard-wired for communal life, that God’s creative action intentionally made us social beings as seen in Genesis 1 and 2. As the Father, Son... Continue Reading

Leading others is significantly easier when followers enjoy being around the leader, and interpersonally gifted people are at a significant advantage in power… The higher the level of the job, the less important technical skills and cognitive abilities were and the more important competence in emotional intelligence became.   I’ve just finished one of the... Continue Reading

Anglicanism in the sixteenth century was consciously not a via media between Rome and Geneva, but between Geneva and Wittenberg. As Alister McGrath has observed, ‘the “middle way” which resulted was neither Calvinist nor Lutheran- but it was certainly Protestant.’ While Calvinists were the dominant theological force throughout the century, they never succeeded in making the worship... Continue Reading

But “For the Least of These” makes it clear that we should stop talking about work as a stick, and instead view it as a carrot. We need to stop bashing people over the head if they’re not working their way to wealth; life is complicated and unfair, and many people worldwide lack the resources... Continue Reading

Where Miller’s diagnosis was insightful, many conservative Christians criticized his book on a number of counts, and especially for its postmodern ethos which led to a lack of grounding in the authority of Scripture. Miller often eschews firm answers to matters of life and doctrine and this concerned those who hold up Scripture as a... Continue Reading