New and Notable Christian Books for May 2020

I am in the happy position of receiving endless numbers of Christian books. Every month or so I try to sort through them to identify the new books that seem most noteworthy and, therefore, may be of most interest to readers like you. Here is the selection for May 2020, including the publishers’ descriptions. (Note: I’ve skimmed these books, but have not thoroughly read most of them, so you should not see these as reviews.) Exploring the Bible Together: A …

A La Carte (May 25)

I know I’ve got quite a number of readers from Nova Scotia and wanted to thank you (and your province) for showing up en masse to pay tribute to Capt. Jennifer Casey yesterday. You did the rest of the country proud. If you didn’t check in on Kindle deals over the weekend, you should probably do that today since there were some good ones. I’ve also added some new ones today. Anderson Cooper and the New Normal John Stonestreet: “The …

What Is the Attractional Church?

No one has more consistently described, considered, and countered the attractional model of church than Jared Wilson. In his book The Gospel-Driven Church, one I’d recommend to every pastor, he answers this question: What is the attractional church, anyway? I (and many others) use the term attractional to refer to a way of doing church ministry who’s primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing. The reasoning behind the attractional church approach goes something like this: One reason seekers aren’t attracted …

Weekend A La Carte (May 23)

It is quite a good day for Kindle deals today, so be sure to take a peek. (Yesterday on the blog: An End-of-May Family Update) One Could Never Say Enough “One tribe could never say enough about this Christ. One language would never have enough words and nuances. One nation would never last long enough to see what many nations over many centuries could. Everything truly great and beautiful about every people group in history will be gathered and lifted …

Free Stuff Fridays (Is Genesis History?)

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Is Genesis History? who also sponsored the blog this week. Five ‘Complete Creation Bundles & Conference Sets’ are being given away with over 150 videos in each. A lot of people watch our film Is Genesis History? and are amazed at how many areas of science and scholarship support the history recorded in Genesis. But it’s a lot to take in at one sitting. Many people end up with more questions than …

An End-of-May Family Update

The lockdown (or what should probably be considered a “light lockdown”) in Ontario continues, though we are beginning to see a gradual loosening of the restrictions. As of last week garden centers and other outdoor businesses were able to open, and as of Tuesday all retail outlets, except those in malls, were able to open, provided they hold to social distancing guidelines. Of course, as people in other jurisdictions have noted, the ability to open does not necessarily mean businesses …

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May 23

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"What you can’t forget, God doesn’t remember!" "What you can’t forget, God doesn’t remember!" (John MacArthur)

"What you can’t forget, God doesn’t remember!" (John MacArthur) ...

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May 22

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"It’s going to be much harder to physically resi "It’s going to be much harder to physically resist a sin that you’ve been mentally rehearsing." (Sam Allberry)

"It’s going to be much harder to physically resist a sin that you’ve been mentally rehearsing." (Sam Allberry) ...

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May 21

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"The test of a person’s Christianity is what hap "The test of a person’s Christianity is what happens in the storm, when the house is battered in the winds of affliction." (John Murray)

"The test of a person’s Christianity is what happens in the storm, when the house is battered in the winds of affliction." (John Murray) ...

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May 20

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"Neither Satan nor sickness nor sinful man is sove "Neither Satan nor sickness nor sinful man is sovereign. Only God is. And he is good—and wise and sovereign." (John Piper)

"Neither Satan nor sickness nor sinful man is sovereign. Only God is. And he is good—and wise and sovereign." (John Piper) ...

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May 19

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"Sickness helps to make us think seriously of God, "Sickness helps to make us think seriously of God, and our souls, and the world to come." (J.C. Ryle)

"Sickness helps to make us think seriously of God, and our souls, and the world to come." (J.C. Ryle) ...

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May 18

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"Too many sermons stop short of preaching Jesus; t "Too many sermons stop short of preaching Jesus; they are content to preach about Jesus instead." (Harold Senkbeil)

"Too many sermons stop short of preaching Jesus; they are content to preach about Jesus instead." (Harold Senkbeil) ...

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May 16

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"When you default to thinking of prayer as an abst "When you default to thinking of prayer as an abstract activity, a ‘thing to do’, the tendency is to focus on the prayer as an activity – which makes it boring. Instead, focus on the one to whom you’re praying." (Michael Reeves)

"When you default to thinking of prayer as an abstract activity, a ‘thing to do’, the tendency is to focus on the prayer as an activity – which makes it boring. Instead, focus on the one to whom you’re praying." (Michael Reeves) ...

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May 15

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"Jesus does not love like us. We love until we are "Jesus does not love like us. We love until we are betrayed. Jesus continued to the cross despite betrayal. We love until we are forsaken. Jesus loved through forsakenness. We love up to a limit. Jesus loves to the end." (Dane Ortlund)

"Jesus does not love like us. We love until we are betrayed. Jesus continued to the cross despite betrayal. We love until we are forsaken. Jesus loved through forsakenness. We love up to a limit. Jesus loves to the end." (Dane Ortlund) ...

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A La Carte (May 22)

Logos is having a Memorial Day sale and offering deals on some top-notch resources. (Also, don’t forget their monthly sale where you can get deals on books by Piper and others.) “What Is God Up To?”: The Temptation to Overinterpret Suffering I appreciated this one from Ed Welch as he warns about the temptation to overinterpret our suffering. Queer Times A couple of days ago I linked to a First Things article about queerness. Here Carl Trueman follows up with …

A La Carte (May 21)

Today’s Kindle deals include Mary Mohler’s Growing in Gratitude. Westminster Books is offering deals on some new, noteworthy, and coming soon titles. They’ve got Amazon beat on most of them. (Yesterday on the blog: Ask Me Anything (Logos, Posting Pictures of Children, Lord’s Supper, Submitting to Government)) Theological Primer: The Ascension Kevin DeYoung has a short primer on Christ’s ascension. “Having triumphed over death and the devil in his resurrection, Christ ascended into heaven locally, visibly, and bodily—locally in that …

Ask Me Anything (Logos, Posting Pictures of Children, Lord’s Supper, Submitting to Government)

I receive lots of feedback from readers of this site, and now and again attempt to answer some of the questions that come my way. Here’s a new batch that offers brief answers to questions on Logos, posting pictures of children to social media, the Great Sermon Series of videos, celebrating the Lord’s Supper online, and submitting to the government. I hope you find them helpful. I wanted your insight about how to start a personal library for preaching. I …

A La Carte (May 20)

There are some quality Kindle deals to browse through today. Logos has some good deals on their Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series. Ravi Zacharias Dies at 74 WORLD magazine reports on the death of Ravi Zacharias. (See also Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020) and His Legacy by Alister McGrath) Tucking Ben In “Every night as I tuck Ben into bed, I lay my hand on his chest to pray.I used to ask God to help him sleep, and to help him to obey …

A La Carte (May 19)

Remember that Ligonier has made all its teaching series free for a limited time. There are lots of newer ones there, along with the classics. (Yesterday on the blog: So Very Weak, Yet So Very Proud) A Christian Reading Manifesto I would gladly co-sign David Steele’s Christian Reading Manifesto. “My concern is that those who will benefit the most from this article will never read it in the first place. In other words, the strange irony is that those who …

Watch ‘Is Genesis History?’ for Free!

This week the blog is sponsored by Is Genesis History? In light of the ongoing quarantine in many parts of the world, they are streaming the full film online for a limited time. It is available to watch at the bottom of this article. Let’s be honest: the first chapters of Genesis are pretty controversial. There are a lot of things in them that make people uncomfortable. As a result, some people in seminaries and academia are seeking to replace …

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The Best Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids

The Best Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids

David Murray

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So Very Weak, Yet So Very Proud

It was in early 2020 that we first began to hear of this novel coronavirus that was sweeping through parts of China, then making the short hop to nearby Asian nations, then making the longer hop to not-so-nearby European nations. The reports out of China were alarming, the reports out of South Korea sobering, the reports out of Italy terrifying. Slowly and then all of a sudden it was in our countries, in our towns, at our doorsteps. We are …

A La Carte (May 18)

There are a few new Kindle deals today. Wired for Intimacy is an important one that goes on sale only infrequently. (Yesterday on the blog: Stuck in the Mire of Our Love for this World) 9 Things You Should Know About Buddhism If you’re not familiar with the tenets of Buddhism, this article by Joe Carter may prove educational. He also suggests a few ways Christians can share the gospel with Buddhists. How Amazon Tried To Get Shoppers To Buy …

Stuck in the Mire of Our Love for this World

Earlier this week a friend asked where he should start in reading Calvin’s Institutes. I suggested, as I often do, beginning with Calvin’s A Little Book on the Christian Life which is an excerpt of the larger work, and one focused largely on Christian living. Here’s a wonderful and timely extract from the new edition translated by Aaron Denlinger and Burk Parsons. In whatever trouble comes to us, we should always set our eyes on God’s purpose to train us …

Weekend A La Carte (May 16)

There are mainly, though not exclusively, classics listed in today’s Kindle deals. Why Has Covid-19 Hit Seniors So Hard? Part of the brief of this pandemic has been seeing how it has hit the most vulnerable people the hardest. “The Covid-19 pandemic presents a doubly complicated situation for older people: Not only are they at higher risk of contracting the disease, and more likely to develop severe infections and die from it, but they are also the most likely to …

A La Carte (May 15)

Avid readers may be interested in this new podcast from Westminster Books called The Afterword. They are launching with a book giveaway—a good way to draw in their target audience! Today’s Kindle deals include several books and among them are some of the newer titles by Os Guinness and a modern-day classic by Francis Schaeffer. Should We Theologize About Covid-19? I appreciate this call for caution when theologizing about COVID-19 or interpreting God’s providence in it. “As innately curious creatures …

A La Carte (May 14)

There are a few Kindle deals for those who keep tabs on such things. Walking Through Twilight and The Reluctant Evangelist are both recommended titles that rarely go on sale. Logos users, don’t forget to look at the free book of the month. You may also want to get John Piper’s Coronavirus and Christ since it’s also free to add to your library; you can add a couple more books for only $0.99 and $1.99. Three Thoughts on Navigating Potential …

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My Books

Do More Better Cover

Do More Better

by Tim Challies

I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today’s digital world. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. Read More