I seem to always be reading a handful of books at once. Here’s the latest: Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards Leading from the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson Always reflecting on and praying through the pages of The Valley of Vision Reading for seminary: Ephesians at least three times a week (love that epistle!) Biblical Preaching: The Development...

Damian and Norman over at Christians in Context posted a guest post by me (Jeff) after I won a great new book in a recent drawing they held. I won The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven J. Lawson. Looks to be a great book and from what I’m told highly accessible and full of practical helps. Here’s what they let me say as a promo for their blog/site (read it here or there ): Last week, after arriving home from a discouraging day attempting to tutor disinterested public high school students, I received an email from Damian saying I had won a book from Christians in Context....

A couple weeks ago in our Theology Colloquium class we discussed Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). I was on the ad hoc panel for asking questions of the three making defense of their doctrinal statements. It is a somewhat nerve-racking experience for those giving defense, and all in the room need humility, especially those asking questions. Afterward we are able to amend and revise our written doctrinal statements (after they are graded and returned to us). I see this time as part of the process of helping us “land” doctrinally and leading to convictions about the most essential...

“Christianity alone among the world religions claims that God became uniquely and fully human in Jesus Christ and therefore knows firsthand despair, rejection, loneliness, poverty, bereavement, torture, and imprisonment. On the cross he went beyond even the worst human suffering and experienced cosmic rejection and pain that exceeds ours as infinitely as his knowledge and power exceeds ours. In his death, God suffers in love, identifying with the abandoned and godforsaken. Why did he do it? The Bible says that Jesus came on a rescue mission for creation. He had to pay for our sins so that someday...

This past summer I read a short little book by Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church? It was a quick, good read, and I highly recommend the book. Recently, permission was given to New Attitude to post the first chapter of the book, free to read and download (PDF). Find it here. Much of Dever’s ministry is emphasizing and developing nine marks of healthy churches. I have grown in my understanding, appreciation and devotion to the local church. God had to tear down my pride, humble me by painful circumstances and bring confusion before allowing me to see the light of the beauty of His Bride,...

My favorite author John Piper has come out with a new theological and exegetic book, The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright. In it he, among other things, champions the biblical doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believer on the basis of faith in Jesus. He deals primarily with the Bible in responded to the Bishop of Durham Tom (N.T.) Wright, a champion of the “New Perspective on Paul” position. I look forward to reading parts of the book soon (as a reference), since some of the parts are not as germane to my studies and daily battles...

Well, I’d rather we all get some genuine affections for GOD in our hearts and minds! Do you desire your Creator above all else? Christian Audio’s free audiobook download for November is Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections. Description: Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), the central figure in New England’s first Great Awakening, offers here his most detailed description of the signs–true and false–of revival, while highlighting the role truly balanced emotions play within the Christian life. He takes a long, hard look at the evidence of true conversion–the...

Monday night I arrive home from class to find a box awaiting me. It was books the books I bought from the DesiringGod special $5/book sale back in late June. I was among 11,000 orders than day (they normally get about 100 daily), so I understand the delay. It was worth the wait. (And by the way, a disclaimer: I looked at the box of books and then to Kari and said, “You are worth more than all my books; I’m not opening these tonight. I’d rather be with you.” We were able to catch up from our days and the books waited until today to be sorted out.) Now the books of John...