Drastic, Gratuitous, Liberating, Scandalous

. . . dangerous, reckless, irrational, absurd, shocking, rare, and surprising. These are not the labels normally associated with the word "grace," but Tullian Tchividjian would say that this is because our idea of grace is too tame.  In One Way Love, he begins a conversation about the love of God that pulverizes the church's… Continue reading Drastic, Gratuitous, Liberating, Scandalous

A Higher Education

To the already stunning list of monikers on the Dietrich Bonhoeffer resume -- pastor, martyr, spy, author, faithful brother -- Paul R. House has added another:  theological educator.  In Bonhoeffer's Seminary Vision, the author has fulfilled the promise of his subtitle by making A Case for Costly Grace in higher theological education, but there is… Continue reading A Higher Education

Unmasking the Substitutes

Nancy Pearcy's biographical sketch, woven into the pages of Finding Truth, chronicles her journey from agnostic, teenage skeptic to professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University -- but that is not the point of the book.  Her goal is to make a case for critical thinking in the church.  Offering her memoir as exemplar and… Continue reading Unmasking the Substitutes

Inerrancy Defined and Defended

  As one who is eminently shake-able, I look daily and with great need to the unshakeable Word of God.  There's no better place to turn when your heart has been shaken -- Truth (with a capital "t") is the solid foundation for a life of stability.  The #livefree Thursday community is pondering the word… Continue reading Inerrancy Defined and Defended

Brighter, Better, and More Potent

The Things of Earth:  Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts by Joe Rigney -- A Book Review By nature, I have a war-time mentality.  I wish I could attribute it to a white-hot gospel fire in my bones, but it probably has more to do with seeing President Gerald Ford wearing a sweater and urging… Continue reading Brighter, Better, and More Potent

Beside Us to Guide Us — and More!

Jesus, Continued . . . by J.D. Greear:  A Book Review As soon as he started talking about guidance, J.D. had my ear.  You see, I am THAT Christian -- the one who becomes paralyzed whenever there's a big decision on the table, and even though I know that God is not interested in mindless… Continue reading Beside Us to Guide Us — and More!

A Lively Faith is Enhanced by a Lively Mind

Redeeming Philosophy:  A God-Centered Approach to the Big Questions by Vern S. Poythress:  A Book Review Why does anyone exist? How do we come to know what we know? Where do commonly held moral standards come from? Do any of these questions matter to ordinary people in our "sleeping, eating, going to work, walking around… Continue reading A Lively Faith is Enhanced by a Lively Mind