Growing Deeper Into the Soil of God's Word to Bear Fruit For His Kingdom
J. Todd Billings, The End of the Christian Life: How Embracing Our Mortality Frees Us to Truly Live. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2020. “He won’t live to see his daughter graduate high school.” This was my first, aching thought when I heard the prognosis of J. Todd Billings’ cancer diagnosis as his student in seminary.... Continue Reading →
John Bolt, Bavinck on the Christian Life: Following Jesus in Faithful Service. Crossway, 2015. Herman Bavinck has greater influence than name recognition. At the turn of the twentieth century, he worked tirelessly with Dutch prime minister and theologian Abraham Kuyper to shape the movement of Neo-Calvinism. His writings have influenced more recognizable theologians such as... Continue Reading →
DeYoung, Kevin. What does the Bible really teach about Homosexuality? Crossway, 2015. Any book dealing with sexuality and scripture is bound to be controversial. A book that claims to detail ‘what the Bible really teaches’ is sure to have its share of supporters and detractors. Despite the heated nature of the church’s conversation around human... Continue Reading →
Peter J. Leithart, Traces of the Trinity: Signs of God in Creation and Human Experience. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2015. 165 pages. The doctrine of the Trinity has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years. Scores of books have been written, some reiterating classic Christian teaching and seeking to trace the implications of the... Continue Reading →
Wesley Hill, Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2015. 137 pages. We had a saying about family when I was growing up: “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives.” While this saying is meant to indicate the value and permanence of family, it... Continue Reading →
Wesley Hill, Washed And Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2010. 160 pages. This book deserves to be read. Wesley Hill’s voice is needed both in the church and in the wider culture. In his beautifully written and deeply honest book, Washed and Waiting, Hill reflects on his journey as both... Continue Reading →
Michael Horton, Ordinary: Sustainable faith in a radical, restless world. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2014. 221 pages. Christ did not found a movement. He is building a Church. In Ordinary, Michael Horton argues that the ‘next big thing’ is not a radical endeavor, but the slow work of Christ in his church. While the situations faced... Continue Reading →
Tony Merida, Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down, B&H Publishing Group: Nashville, 2015. 137 pages. Who wants to be ordinary? For much of the last few decades, the church has encouraged those devoted to Jesus to be radical and extraordinary, to be transformed, and to embrace the shocking message of Jesus. Tony Merida’s... Continue Reading →
Brad H. Young, The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 1998. 332 pages. A full one-third of Jesus’ teachings are in the form of parables–the Good Samaritan… the Prodigal Son…the Persistent Widow. These teachings are some of the most beloved and also some of the most confusing in the whole Bible.... Continue Reading →
Though labeled as a memoir, Christian Wiman’s My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer is not chronological jaunt through his life. Instead, as the subtitle indicates, it is a series of loosely connected meditations. He explores themes such as life, joy, faith, love, and Christ’s presence as well as death, suffering, disbelief, meaninglessness, and... Continue Reading →
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