WHAT IF I DON'T FEEL LIKE GOING TO CHURCH?By Gunner GundersenReview copy courtesy of the Crossway Blog Review Program That's a great question! It represents a tension we probably all have felt. Who has not had a Saturday night when they had that realization, with a twinge of dread, "Ah man, we've got church tomorrow!" I mean, I serve as a pastor, and I still have those moments. So what do you do when you find yourself there? What if you really don't feel like going to church? What should … [Read more...] about What If I Don’t Feel Like Going to Church?
Book Reviews
The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments
HUMAN RITES (Audiobook)The Power of Rituals, Habits, and SacramentsBy Dru JohnsonNarrated by Trevor JohnsonCourtesy of Eerdmans How might your everyday, never-think-twice-about routines be shaping and forming you, for good or bad? Dru Johnson invites us to consider this question. In Human Rites, Johnson explores how our schedules and smart phones, sacraments and training, all work together to mold us into who we are. Though we may not view all of these activities and elements of our … [Read more...] about The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments
Confronting Christianity
CONFRONTING CHRISTIANITY12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest ReligionBy Rebecca McLaughlin In Confronting Christianity, McLaughlin takes on some of the toughest modern objections to Christianity with care and concision. She tackles these questions, a chapter at a time: Aren’t we better off without religion?Doesn’t Christianity crush diversity?How can you say there is only one true faith?Doesn’t religion hinder morality?Doesn’t religion cause violence?How can you take the Bible … [Read more...] about Confronting Christianity
Digital Minimalism
DIGITAL MINIMALISMChoosing a Focused Life in a Noisy WorldBy Cal Newport Would you have more life if you had less tech? Cal Newport explores this question in Digital Minimalism, and his answer is emphatically "yes." Newport considers the effects of technology and social media on our productivity and wellbeing. While various social platforms can have many upsides, Newport reminds us that they come with many downsides, too. Smart phones and social media are not neutral. They come with … [Read more...] about Digital Minimalism
The Explicit Gospel
THE EXPLICIT GOSPEL By Matt Chandler, with Jared Wilson In The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler (with Jared Wilson) seeks to clearly explain the content, scope, and trajectory of the Gospel so that it is, well, explicit. By "explicit," Chandler means both full and bold, as well as clear and obvious. Full and bold because our understanding of the Gospel is too small. Clear and obvious because we simply assume the Gospel too often. On both accounts Chandler succeeds in making the Gospel … [Read more...] about The Explicit Gospel
Pastor’s Justification
THE PASTOR'S JUSTIFICATION Applying the Work of Christ in Your Life and Ministry By Jared Wilson I first discovered Jared Wilson on twitter. He was funny. He was a Patriots fan. And he was prolific. Win, win, and win. Turns out he's a good writer, too. Wilson has written several books and coauthored several more. But one thing sets him apart: He pastored a small church in rural Vermont. That's street cred. Reading after legendary church leaders can be intimidating. I will never … [Read more...] about Pastor’s Justification