The Luck O’ The Hobbit
I believe that Tolkien is using the device of luck or chance to make a point, but it isn't mere fate.
We get the first substantive indication that more than luck is involved on the very last page of the book when Gandalf says to Bilbo, “You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?” So after all the references to luck and... Continue Reading
Ibram X. Kendi’s Antiracism Can’t Heal Us
Right from the start of the book, Kendi is clear: at all times we’re being either “racist” or “antiracist.” There is no neutral or in-between terrain of “not racist” we can occupy.
Kendi writes of our underlying and shared humanity beneath the construct of race. Yes and amen. Where do we find this common humanity? What is it? I invite Kendi to turn back to the church from which he has turned away. Instead of the construct of race, I hope Kendi discovers that he is stamped... Continue Reading
When Panic Attacks Me (Broken Heart Syndrome)
No matter what your anxiety looks like, the Bible speaks truth and peace into your mind and heart. Scripture directly addresses the anxious heart in helpful ways.
Not only is our physical frame custom-made by God, but so is our emotional makeup (see Ps. 139:13–14)! We are so amazingly designed by God that he should be exalted and praised— though the full interplay of our bodies and spirits, as well as the understanding of our beautiful and yet complicated emotions, remain mysterious... Continue Reading
The Tyranny of Merit
What happens when you build a society on the idea that if you work hard enough you will be successful?
What becomes clear is that once we leave God out of the picture, we tend to take pride in what we have done, failing to acknowledge that we are not the great shapers of our lives that we like to think. We forget to our cost, and society’s cost that, “There but for the grace... Continue Reading
3 Moral Principles to Consider Related to Reproductive Technology
Theologian Wayne Grudem offers biblical insight into decisions concerning birth control, artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood, and adoption for Christians seeking to live out God’s word in an ever-changing society.
These passages are relevant for the question of reproductive technologies because they mean that we should not condone any such technology that will certainly lead to the death of even one unborn child who was conceived when the man’s sperm fertilized the woman’s egg, the cells began to divide, and the human embryo began to... Continue Reading
They Call It Narcissism
Though not a Christian book, I was helped by her kindness and insight, and she actually rekindled my interest in engaging those who fit the narcissist description.
How do we help self-absorbed people? How do we help their family and remaining friends? And how might we be helped by secular literature? Secular literature is most helpful when its descriptions of difficult-to-understand behaviors are coupled with years of experience and when its practical suggestions come close to the wisdom and love we find... Continue Reading
How to Pray When You’re Tempted by Anger
Because God is angry with injustice and evil, you and I can leave space for his anger by not taking the law into our own hands.
Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley explore the root and character of human anger, examine the righteous anger of God, and offer readers practical wisdom about the way the gospel can gradually transform a heart of anger into a heart filled with the love of God. Five Things to Pray I do not know if... Continue Reading
Eating for the Glory of God
From yo-yo dieting to freely enjoying God's gift of food for his glory.
God’s Word gave purpose to my journey to better health, providing the reason to order my life. This Word came to me in numerous ways: through the faithful preaching of the Word, friends, and other means of God’s choice, such as prayer, music, teaching, and studying the catechisms used by the church through the ages.... Continue Reading
Review of Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer
Follis shows us how to apply Schaeffer’s principles in our time.
In his book Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaffer, author Bryan A. Follis shows his readers what Francis Schaeffer believed and how he lived. It is a transformational book that can bless you in your walk with the Lord. If you enjoy good biography as much as I do, you will probably appreciate... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about the African Church
The number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million; by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million.
When church leaders express concern about an important matter in society, local and national leaders tend to listen. This means that the church is able to speak into the moral issues of the day and gain a hearing. This is one reason why the leaders of African nations have been able to withstand the pressure... Continue Reading
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