Many of you know that the Brookside Institute is all about building and reinforcing foundations of the Christian faith. A big way this happens is through classes we offer that ground and grow people in the faith - classes where people and Dig Deep, Learn Good, and Launch Well.
But let's be honest: We need a lot more than just classes to do this. One of the additional ways we can build and reinforce foundations of the Christian faith is by instructing our families and interacting with them about Christian truth, values, and behavior. Parents are not a cul-de-sac of equipping, where truth enters but can't proceed. In the biblical picture of families, parents are a conduit of a biblical worldview, "owning" Christian truths and value themselves, and then passing these same truths and values along to their children. (Check it out in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.) All this is why I'm so excited about Kevin DeYoung's new book, The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden.
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Let's start this post with a quick word association game: What comes to your mind when you hear the word "pastor"? An evangelist? A counselor? A speaker? An organizational leader or entrepreneur? A moral example?
All of these roles have their place in pastoral ministry and local church leadership. Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson want to make sure one other component of pastoral ministry isn't ignored or forgotten amidst these other roles, though - the role of "pastor theologian." To make their case, they've written a brief, accessible book advocating for the essential and valuable contribution a "pastor theologian" makes to healthy local church life. Pastor Kevin DeYoung's Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What that Means for You and Me is available for FREE E-BOOK DOWNLOAD for a few more days (through July 14, 2015).
Before I direct you to the link where you can access this e-book, let my quickly explain why this offer is definitely one to take advantage of (and then to follow through on by reading the book!). Here's the reason: As we seek to know and study and obey the Bible, we can't neglect the mindset with which we approach God's Word. DeYoung's book helps us with that in accessible, accurate, and profound ways. For a review I did of Taking God at His Word shortly after it was published, click here. OK - 'nuf said. Here's a link to the offer from Crossway Publishers where you can read a bit more and access the books: Recently I've begun reading Scot McKnight's recent Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church. In his third chapter, "Tell Me the Kingdom Story," McKnight draws our attention to an important (and much discussed) topic, the storyline of Scripture.
This chapter grabbed me for a couple of (overlapping) reasons. First, this topic aligns with a major component of the Brookside Institute Bible Basics class, where we spend three sessions diving into the structure and storyline of the Bible. Second, grasping the storyline of Scripture can transform the way we approach and read Scripture - this topic really is that big of a deal. Therefore, I figured it's worth interacting with Scot a bit here about this topic - both to help me think about it more clearly and to leverage some things Scot says I don't want us to miss. Biblical Studies: Interpreting and Understanding God's WordI read somewhere that Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and prominent evangelical leader, has said "Don't just read books. Build a library." For what it's worth, I agree. The value of building a library is that books can then become long-term "friends" we can carry on a conversation with — not just once, but over the course of time as we turn to them again and again. Books can become reference tools we rely on (and benefit from) repeatedly. Last week, I had the privilege of recommending some books for someone who was starting to build a library of resources for biblical and theological studies. If you're looking to slowly start building a biblical and theological library yourself, here are eight places I'd point you as you begin: (Click on either the book's picture or title to be taken to the Amazon.com page where you can learn a bit more about any of these.) Based on the number of "hits" each month, here are the top 5 posts here on the Brookside Institute blog for each month, since June 2014.
Did you miss any of these? Click on any of these "Top Posts by Month from 2014" to be taken to the post, and check 'em out! If you're like me, you've perhaps seen some "Top Reading Lists of 2014" floating around the internet and social media. Rather than adding my own such list (which, honestly, I'm realistically not going to take the time to do this year), I figured this year I'd create my 2014 Top 5 "Top Reading Lists of 2014." In other words, check out these book lists and you'll find some books that are worth reading. Of course, keep in mind that not every book is created equal, remember to read discerningly, and always remember that a careful and responsible reading of the Bible should be our final authority. But I generally think these "sources" are worth listening to for some worthwhile reads (I know I'll hope to be reading many of these I've not yet!) - and to see what's current in publishing today. If you're still looking for some Christmas gift ideas or want some reading material for yourself while taking some vacation days, these lists can come in handy that way too! Here are my top 5 "Top Reading Lists of 2014" - in no particular order:
What are the best books you've read in the last 12 months, that you'd recommend to others?
Last Sunday as part of Brookside Church's "Heard" series, co-lead pastor Jeff Dart tackled the question, "Why Pray?" His short answer was this: We pray because of who God is, who we are, and the relationship that prayer invites us into. (To access the full sermon, click here and find the sermon preached on December 7, 2014).
In other words? Prayer is important. It's the communication that helps cultivate a full-orbed relationship with a Christian's heavenly Father. But prayer can also be difficult. After all, for some (many?), a rich prayer life doesn't come naturally. Therefore, prayer must be learned. For those wanting to learn to pray, the best place to start is by actually praying -don't wait till you feel like you're an expert before you take initial steps of application. (Nothing works that way, right?) Read the Psalms (kind of like a prayer book to God, in lots of ways), and spend lots of time reading and reflecting on Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:5-13. But there are also lots of great resources that can help you learn to pray. When people ask me for recommendations on prayer, here are the five books I point them towards first: Last Sunday as part of Brookside Church's "Prepared" series, co-lead pastor Jeff Dart responded to the question, "Can I Have Confidence in the Bible?" His short answer was "yes." We can have confidence in the Bible because it is reliable, unified, unique, and relevant. (To access the full sermon, click here and find the sermon preached on November 9, 2014).
This topic of "reliability of the Bible" is important because of what's at stake: we won't believe the Bible's message (culminating in Christ and His work) if the source is inconsistent or incoherent. And because so many critique the reliability of the Bible, it's important for Christians to be equipped to believe and explain the credibility of the Bible as God's Word. If you're looking for some resources that will help you have confidence in the Bible and its message, here are 4 that I'd encourage you to dig into: People say you can't judge a book by its cover. That may be true, but the stuff on the cover can still be what compels you to check it out in the first place. And this is exactly the case with Os Guinness's latest, Renaissance.
The name on the cover compelled me to pick the book up - Os Guinness has long been an insightful and prophetic voice speaking to American evangelicalism through his books and speaking. The subtitle of the book compelled me to take a closer look: "The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times." In a world almost deaf amidst the cacophony of voices addressing how evangelicals relate to culture, Guinness's voice is worth listening to as he offers realism and hope. For any Christian that wants to think thoughtfully on interacting with, in, and among culture (whatever stance you may currently take), this book is a must-read. |
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