Stopping to Think

I like to read. I love to read. But very rarely am I happy with the amount of time I have to read. Many people are in the same boat, so it's always fun to give my suggestions based on the previous year's reading. I don't track what all I read in a year, given that I pick up and put down so many books. Sometimes I'm purposely dipping into a section of a longer book, or re-reading a section from an old favorite. And I start countless books and stop-either to begin again later, or to never pick them back up. This Top 10 list comes with caveats. Obviously it is limited to the books I finished in 2018, of which there were only 28. Second, I'm not including re-reads in the Top 10, otherwise The Great Divorce would likely be the top book. Also, I'm only allowing each author one Top 10 appearance, though Tim Chester and Sherman Alexie probably deserve to appear multiple times. And finally, I'm not counting in any of this the books my wife reads to our family...

I sat at the table, drinking my daily cup of coffee. Enjoying the treat of having cream in said coffee, I opened my Bible to Philippians 1. The pastor had preached from that chapter yesterday. Reading aloud to the four year old on my lap, verse 22 struck me. "If I am to live on in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me."   (ESV) In verse 21, Paul declares that, " to live is Christ, to die is gain." This is the better known verse. And in many churches we hear frequent reminders of why death is gain. "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (v23). But why can Paul say to live is Christ ? Because of his certainty of the truth of verse 22. That is, there are no doubts in his mind that an extension of his life would serve Christ and His church. More life equals more fruitful labor. Is this true for me? Do I walk in that same confidence? Is my desire to live a long life tied to fleeting things like seeing my grandkids...

The following are my notes from a training session I led at a meeting of volunteers for a youth ministry. We discussed the pervasiveness of porn, its devastating effects, and how to help someone struggle against this sin. Hopefully some of the links are beneficial to you, as well. The Problem of Porn Why Does Pornography Matter? Statistics 1 : Pornography would matter, if for no other reason than the staggering number of people who access it regularly. Asking if pornography matters, in this sense, is like asking if Facebook matters or if cars matter. It’s important to understand simply because of its ubiquity. 13% of all internet searches are for erotic content; that number jumps to more than 1 in 5 for mobile searches. 20% of 16 year olds and 30% of 17 year olds have received a sext. 66.5% of young men and 48.7% of young women said viewing pornographic materials was an acceptable way to express one’s sexuality, according to a 2007 study. [Note: thi...

A Brief Philosophy of Ministry Biblical ministry is centered on Christ and Him crucified 1 . Without the message of reconciliation 2 offered by God 3 to sinners 4 , there is nothing for us to minister. “Christ is the center of Christianity; all else is circumference.” 5 A ministry centered on Christ will take a certain shape: namely, that of prayer and of the Word 6 . Paul asks the Ephesians to pray for him that he may speak boldly 7 , turns his every thought of the Philippians vertical in prayer 8 , and asks the Romans to join him in the struggle of prayer. 9 The same apostle commends to his protégé Timothy the preaching of the Word as a right response to the decaying nature of humanity and the sufficiency of God’s revelation in Scripture to save and transform. 10 Paul also makes clear that those called and gifted by God to minister are to do so for the purpose of building and equipping the body of Christ 11 , and such an endeavor will be futile and ultimately unsucce...

Orwell's dystopian novel was good.  He is the essence of a cultural cynic, which both enables his penetrating analysis of socialism and destroys his ability to believe in any sort of egalitarian or equality based system. This book was almost eery to read in the age of the internet, smartphones, and ubiquitous cameras and microphones. The power we give those who control that information is quite disturbing. My rating: 3 of 5 stars.

Questioning Evangelism, Second Edition by Randy Newman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Newman's essential argument is this: questions are a more effective mode of moving conversations forward than sermons are. This would include evangelistic conversations. Upon reading the gospels, I think Jesus largely argees, which gives his argument a lot of credence. He also illustrates with a number of stories and sample conversations that help you mentally enter into what he's talking about. All in all, a very helpful book. View all my reviews

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene H. Peterson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I always find Peterson worth reading. These chapters are presented as expositions of the Song of Ascents. Perhaps meditations upon the main subject of each song would be a better way of putting it. I often differ with Peterson on particular points of doctrine, yet he has an incredible sense for the feel of the Christian life. His familiarity with the metanarrative of Scripture, the history of Christian doctrine, and the plain practicality of living as a disciple make this book well worth picking up and musing over. View all my reviews