A Few Good Reads

Last updated on: October 19, 2016 at 9:55 am by Scott Slayton

A Few Good Reads 2016-10-19T09:55:26-05:00 Scott Slayton

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

photo credit: solidether via photopin cc

“The Biblical Necessity of Judging Others”
Our culture loves to quote Matthew 7:1 as a way of silencing Christians for their critiques of wayward morality. Unfortunately, many Christians wrongly quote this verse to other believers who are called false doctrine to account or pointing out where people are not walking in step with what it means to follow Jesus. David Prince explains what this verse does mean and what it doesn’t mean. “The entire Sermon on the Mount requires moral judgments to be made by the followers of king Jesus. Elsewhere, Paul urges the followers of Christ, ‘Test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil’ (1 Thess 5:21-22). The word translated test in this verse means ‘to prove, verify, examine prior to approval, judge, evaluate, discern’ (Ceslas Spicq, the Theological Lexicon of the New Testament [TLNT]).”

“Hillbillies: My Kinsmen According to the Flesh”
I loved J.D. Vance’s book “Hillbilly Elegy.” Here Jeff Robinson reviews it and shares his thoughts on how Vance accurately portrayed the struggles in rural America. Then he shows how the Gospel addresses the root of these terrible issues. “Vance rightly detects the odd dichotomy of a people who hold affinity for Jesus, but none for his church. Personal transformation is a community project, so we need each other. We need churches that are serious about being the church.”

“Nine Characteristics of a Real Man”
In the last two weeks, we have heard a lot of talk about how “all men” act a certain way and what they discuss. Vince Miller explains who God has created men to be and what a man who is truly being conformed into Jesus’ image looks like. “We need a better definition of masculinity, and who better to define what masculinity is than the Creator himself. When God created life, he reached down to touch and mold man from the earth. With care and intimacy, he created man in a distinctive way. Ultimately, we learn that God is embedding his own image into man.”

“10 Tips for Leading Kids to Christ”
For those of us who are raising children, seeing them come to know Jesus stands as one of our life’s chief preoccupations. Jason Allen shares ten helpful tips to help us along the way. “Be faithful to teach them the Word, to shape their hearts, and, yes, to indoctrinate them. Even if your church is healthy enough to outsource your kid’s spiritual formation, do not do it. It is unbiblical, and it robs you of some of life’s greatest joys.”

“The Power of a Dinner Table”
When I think about my childhood, the first image that comes to my mind is our family dinner table. Around that table I experienced a lot of laughs, heard a lot of great stories, and received a fair share of correction. David Brook talks about the power of a dinner table, and how it can be a place where people find real friendship and community. “The problems facing this country are deeper than the labor participation rate and ISIS. It’s a crisis of solidarity, a crisis of segmentation, spiritual degradation and intimacy.”

Books

Previous Post

October 17, 2016

Four Reasons Why You Shouldn't Live in Fear

Next Post

October 24, 2016 Why Proverbs 31 Shouldn't Overwhelm You

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Books Church Life Marriage Parenting Photos The Ministry Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 February 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 March 2020 July 2019 April 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz