This week Westminster Books is offering a steep discount on a new resource meant to help you read the Bible cover to cover with Jesus as its center.
There are at least a couple of new Kindle deals to consider today. As always, I tend to update the list at around 6:30 AM EST.
(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for August 2024)
Paddling in Sync: What Canoeing Can Teach Us About Marriage
This is a simple but helpful metaphor. “Canoeing (and marriage) is best learned on calm flat water but is also a skill utilized in waves or even rapids. Honing your skills in times of ease will help sharpen them and build muscles for times when challenges arise that are either unexpected or are a part of a planned journey. Marriage rhythms, too, are more easily laid out before the addition of children and, ideally, before a crisis arrives.”
What Are Spiritual Gifts and How Do I Discover Mine?
This is a good take on spiritual gifts—what they are and how you discover them. “Most people view spiritual gifts as something like special abilities given to us by God that we are called to discover and exercise in the church. That view, sadly, doesn’t make much sense of all the biblical data on gifting.”
How a Troll Becomes a Troll
Diane Jones reflects on Peer Gynt and shows how it helps explain how a troll becomes a troll. “In 2024, we live in a world of trolls. What is the name for cowardly people who leave hateful comments on the internet? Trolls. Our family’s word for road-ragers? Road trolls. Peer Gynt is a story for today.”
When Bible Reading Doesn’t Produce a Neat and Tidy Takeaway
“Many of us treat our Bible reading like a trip to the drive through. We want it to be convenient, we want it to be easy, and when we’re finished, we want a neatly-packaged takeaway to sustain us (spiritually) for the day.” But that’s not really how it works, is it?
The Biggest Evangelical Divide Is No Longer Between Wesleyans and Calvinists
Whether or not you agree with Nick’s take here, I think you’ll enjoy reading it. “The largest divide between evangelicals, these days, isn’t over issues of soteriology (or how God does or doesn’t elect people to salvation and the mechanics of all that). Those are important issues, but I’ve found over the years those particular issues tend not to impact the church’s ethics and mission so much as people might think they do, except for in extreme articulations (pelagianism or hyper-Calvinism).”
Themelios 49.2
If you’re interested in some slightly heavier reading, you may like to take a look at the new issue of Themelios which offers a large collection of articles and reviews.
Flashback: No Fear of Old Age
Why should we despise the fact that a story begun must also end? Should we not anticipate it as the beautiful final act? Should we not determine to close the story in a way that is beautiful and admirable and honoring to God?
It is almost universally true that whenever a man begins to talk about himself, he lowers himself with those to whom he speaks. He makes himself appear less noble and worthy to them.
—J.R. Miller
