What an amazing book. And the entirety is about only one chapter: Romans 8! Wright takes a passage that I’ve read dozens of times and breathes new meaWhat an amazing book. And the entirety is about only one chapter: Romans 8! Wright takes a passage that I’ve read dozens of times and breathes new meaning into it with his careful language study and by exploring the historical and cultural context. I have always loved this chapter, but now that I understand it better, I realize that it is even more meaningful, important, and more beautiful than I’d ever imagined. ...more
Mathews opens the book with the many scriptures cherrypicked by 19th century pastors to argue that slavery was God’s plan … and then dismantles their Mathews opens the book with the many scriptures cherrypicked by 19th century pastors to argue that slavery was God’s plan … and then dismantles their argument by explaining the contextual, historical, and cultural settings of the verses they quoted.
She then continues on by citing the scriptures cherrypicked by some current pastors and leaders who argue that women’s subordination to men is part of God’s plan, then dismantles their argument by explaining the contextual, historical, and cultural settings of the verses they quoted. It’s a remarkable comparison.
Mathews’ scholarship is meticulous and thorough. Her style is conversational yet clear, and she takes a very even-handed approach, representing all different views on the issue. I appreciate how she analyzed the passages that are often used to limit women’s service. These often come up and I’m glad to have a better understanding and defense. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about God’s intent for women and men....more
I am sure that I've read the book of Ruth a half dozen times or more in my lifetime. But now I discover that I missed so much! Without the cultural coI am sure that I've read the book of Ruth a half dozen times or more in my lifetime. But now I discover that I missed so much! Without the cultural context, I was missing some of the best, most important concepts. Carolyn Custis James brings that cultural context, fleshing out the story with meaning and relevance and power that I never knew it had. With meticulous research and an engaging writing style, James reveals truths that were always there waiting for us, like gemstones that just needed to be unearthed. It was a beautiful book, and one I'll be thinking about for a long time....more
One of the things that I like about N.T. Wright is that he takes concepts that are taken for granted in the church culture and he pulls them out into One of the things that I like about N.T. Wright is that he takes concepts that are taken for granted in the church culture and he pulls them out into the light to see if the cultural belief actually matches up with what the Bible is saying. He delves into the original languages, culture, and history, rather than taking the English translations at face value. In this book, each chapter is a different topic based on one of his sermons. Every single one is well-researched, with excellent scholarship. They are all relevant topics for our day and very thought-provoking. They are also very dense. I took forever to get through this book because I wanted to give each chapter the attention it deserved. It was sometimes a slog, but well worth reading. ...more
This book was exactly what I needed. It feeds my soul. Maggie Rowe shares about topics that relate to all of us; as I read each chapter, I kept findinThis book was exactly what I needed. It feeds my soul. Maggie Rowe shares about topics that relate to all of us; as I read each chapter, I kept finding myself thinking, “you, too?” She voices the things that so many of us feel and think, things that sometimes tie us up in knots, and then she brings clarity and wisdom. She communicates in a way that is intensely honest, beautiful, and authentic, weaving masterful storytelling with application to everyday life. I finished each chapter feeling challenged and encouraged and more grateful for who God is and what He has done for us. Thank you, Maggie. This book is a gift....more
I love being on top of things. Reading the right entry on the right day is always such a temptation for me. But I realized that when I tried to cram iI love being on top of things. Reading the right entry on the right day is always such a temptation for me. But I realized that when I tried to cram it in on an especially busy day or tried to catch up by reading a couple of entries on one day, I completely lost the point of the readings. So this year I took my time. I really savored each day and I was able to appreciate each reading (and the Advent season!) more deeply. I finished this book a little while after Christmas, and it was so worth it. I appreciated the wisdom that Ann had to share and I was able to take the time to contemplate and apply what she had to say. I will add that sometimes the language was a little flowery or elaborate to the point of obscurity, but overall I appreciated this Advent devotional and I'm sure I'll do it again some year. And I'll do it at the slower pace again, too!...more
I took so long to read this book, but it was worth it. I felt like I needed to really chew through each chapter: to think about what Alcorn was sayingI took so long to read this book, but it was worth it. I felt like I needed to really chew through each chapter: to think about what Alcorn was saying, process, and compare to Scripture. Many of these concepts I knew already but his unique take on Heaven woke me up and refreshed my excitement and anticipation of Heaven. A few things were surprises; I loved the chapter about animals. I won't say that I agreed with everything he said in the book, but when I had questions about his statements I checked against Scripture and all of the bedrock concepts synched perfectly. And when he extrapolated or voiced his opinion, he couched it as being just that - his way of seeing things. And it was a charming, biblically-based perspective. Alcorn was so engaging in his writing that I kept finding myself daydreaming about Heaven and thinking about it in a way I hadn't before. Considering that it's my real home, that's a good thing! ...more
Yes, yes, yes. When I started reading, I thought this book should be standard issue for every new Christian. As I read further I thought that this booYes, yes, yes. When I started reading, I thought this book should be standard issue for every new Christian. As I read further I thought that this book should be standard issue for every old Christian, knowing how badly I need to remember God’s grace to me and how easy it is to become callused to it. Then I realized that this book should be standard issue for everyone, Christian or not, because we all need grace. We’re hungry for it. This book made me cry more than once; sometimes because of all the sorrow in the world and how messed up we are and how awful we can be to each other, and sometimes because of how beautiful grace can be, especially unexpected, undeserved grace. Reading this book was a cathartic experience for me and a much needed reminder to give the benefit of the doubt, to be kind to those who are unkind to me, to be respectful to those I disagree with … to offer grace, because so much grace has been shown to me. It's so amazing....more
There is such wisdom in these pages! The authors present this important topic in an engaging, practical manner. I found myself flying through the bookThere is such wisdom in these pages! The authors present this important topic in an engaging, practical manner. I found myself flying through the book and highlighting like crazy; I’m excited to implement what I have learned. Organic Mentoring is geared towards the modern (older) woman, although as a post-modern I still found the text to be relevant, insightful, and applicable. No matter what season in life we happen to be in, we all have something to offer and something to learn....more
When my mother gave this book to me, she said, “It’s not what you’re thinking.” Indeed, it was not. It was much much better than anything I had anticiWhen my mother gave this book to me, she said, “It’s not what you’re thinking.” Indeed, it was not. It was much much better than anything I had anticipated. I had expected a re-hashing of familiar old stories and perhaps a new perspective on a few. Instead, Carolyn Custis James brings an entirely new concept to light – the woman as “ezer,” intended by God to be actively used by Him, the natural skills He has given her and influence on the men in her life completely validated by Him. While by no means a proponent of man-trashing or “women’s lib” womanhood, James uses the Bible to confront the non-biblical ways in which the church culture has misconstrued the Bible to largely relegate women to only certain ministries and judge their success only by the “husband and children” expectation. She tenderly addresses those women who have been marginalized by the church, having had their areas of giftedness disregarded because they don’t fit the mold. James points to passages that illuminate how God values women and their varied contributions to ministry and she encourages all of us to look to God alone for our identity and self-image. What a breath of fresh air!...more
Thought-provoking and worth the read for any professing Christian. It was eye-opening to read the results of the Barna study, and while I think that tThought-provoking and worth the read for any professing Christian. It was eye-opening to read the results of the Barna study, and while I think that the presentation of the results was a bit slanted, the trend of the data is unmistakable. The question is, are we really being like Jesus in our behaviors and how does that impact the way we were viewed by unbelievers? More importantly, how can we best show them a clear picture of Jesus?...more
A beautiful little book with a treasure for every day! If you don't already spend time with God each day, this book is a great way to get started. TheA beautiful little book with a treasure for every day! If you don't already spend time with God each day, this book is a great way to get started. The single-page daily readings are unintimidating but pithy and practical and contain excellent insight and Biblical truth. I like to use this in addition to my regular study and time with God. Even going through it every year, it doesn't lose its ability to bless, convict, and teach....more
A solid read. Good information, intellectual yet practical. It did, however, take some serious chewing to absorb. There were times when I had to read A solid read. Good information, intellectual yet practical. It did, however, take some serious chewing to absorb. There were times when I had to read a paragraph more than once to really grab hold of what Bridges was saying. I highly recommend it, though, and I think that it has the potential to be life-changing regarding one's relationship to and perception of God. I recommend reading this book in a quiet place where you can really think about what you're reading....more
Beautiful and life-changing! If you have not read this book, it is a must-read. If I could have two books on a desert island, this would be one of theBeautiful and life-changing! If you have not read this book, it is a must-read. If I could have two books on a desert island, this would be one of the two!...more
This little book is a goldmine of spiritual truths and practical applications of how to live a life united with God. If I could have three books on a This little book is a goldmine of spiritual truths and practical applications of how to live a life united with God. If I could have three books on a desert island, this would be one of them!...more
That may be one of the loveliest things I’ve ever read. And I’m not talking religious pie-in-the-sky happy-clappy because if you know me then you knowThat may be one of the loveliest things I’ve ever read. And I’m not talking religious pie-in-the-sky happy-clappy because if you know me then you know that I can’t stand that stuff. This book was sarcastic and irreverent and funny and poignant and it hits my heart with truth so strong that it makes me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. Finally, a commentary of Biblical characters written with humor and a clear eye. Buechner refuses to paint these men and women as anything else but men and women, human beings who are just like the rest of us. Scripture has never pulled any punches, and yet Christian culture has often elevated Biblical figures to something more than human, an inaccurate affectation that makes them feel unrelatable and out of reach. Buechner peels back the Christianese mystique and presents these people as they were … faulty and well-meaning and weak and imperfect and in need of God … just like the rest of us. And ultimately, as Buechner plows through the Bible, the picture that emerges, the thread that runs through the whole book is the goodness and the completeness and the love of God. It makes me love Him more than ever. ...more
I think that if you read the first two chapters of this book, you’ve pretty much got the picture. Premise: There’s a lack of depth/growth/love in the I think that if you read the first two chapters of this book, you’ve pretty much got the picture. Premise: There’s a lack of depth/growth/love in the Christian community. Why? Because people aren’t being discipled to truly know Christ and learn to be like Him. Breen asserts that we’re focusing so much on the knowledge/information facet (sermons, Bible studies, etc.) that we’re missing out on the relationship part. Jesus discipled his followers by being in relationship with them, sharing his life with them, and Breen suggests that if we follow Jesus’ pattern, emulating Him in our relationships, the rest will follow. I like it. I think there might be something to Breen’s premise. He spends the rest of the book fleshing it out, the specifics of which may or may not apply to your specific situation. I particularly liked the three pronged approach – focus upward (towards God), focus inward (towards the church), and focus outward (outreach), keeping everything in balance. ...more
This book is for those who wonder if there’s a God, for people who believe there’s a God but wonder how He feels about you, for the religious who haveThis book is for those who wonder if there’s a God, for people who believe there’s a God but wonder how He feels about you, for the religious who have been working hard to stay in God’s good graces, for those who can’t imagine that God would bother caring about each individual, for those who wonder if God is waiting, lightning bolt in hand, for the next time we mess up, for those who have an empty hole inside and are aching to feel that someone loves them deeply, just as they are. This book is for you. And me. Simple but not simplistic, written in a conversational style, Jacobsen explores everything that God says about us and shows, proof by proof, that God loves us deeply, unconditionally, passionately, constantly, intimately, no strings attached, and that our lives can be changed forever when we really believe it. ...more
This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read in a long time. Maybe in my top 5 ever. In her unique, lyrical prose, Voscamp attacks some of the hThis is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read in a long time. Maybe in my top 5 ever. In her unique, lyrical prose, Voscamp attacks some of the hardest questions in life: the reality of pain, the wearing of daily life, God’s place in all of this, and our response. Her fresh perspective made me feel like, with each page, I was slowly waking up from sleep. She charts her journey of gratitude over nearly two years, and with humility and vulnerable honesty Voscamp exhorts herself (and us, by extension) to live clearly, deliberately, and gratefully.
Sometimes reading this book felt like hard work. There were important concepts that I really needed to take time to chew over and apply. Other times I was put off by her tendency towards emotionalism. But I truly believe that every bit of it was genuine, just a part of her that I can accept and maybe even embrace and learn from. And there was definitely a lot to learn and embrace. I have the feeling that, once this book comes out in paperback, I will be buying and distributing them liberally. It’s that good. ...more
This book should be sold packaged with “Love Wins” as an extension to an important and valid conversation. I found “Christ Alone” to be warm, engagingThis book should be sold packaged with “Love Wins” as an extension to an important and valid conversation. I found “Christ Alone” to be warm, engaging, immensely practical, and Biblically solid. I resonated with a lot that Wittmer had to say, and even when I disagreed, I understood where he was coming from. The research for this project was meticulous and delivered in an open-handed, loving way. The love of God is so big; we can only comprehend a bit of it, but that’s what Wittmer delivers … a taste of the beauty and expansiveness of God. ...more
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