tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61566668248001270782011-09-28T18:53:19.253-04:00A Resource for Christian MinistryLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.comBlogger5411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-60346240367790111202010-08-29T23:50:00.001-04:002010-09-04T23:44:04.166-04:00

I'm really excited to tell you that I've decided to move this blog to WordPress.  You can find the new URL here.  Thanks to Paul Adams for all the help he gave to help me make the transition.  I've got a little more tweaking to do but I'm very happy with the results.  Also, thanks to Jeff from Scripture Zealot for the final push to make the move.  If you're a follower of this blog you'll need to

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-16161148054627106862010-08-28T15:00:00.001-04:002010-08-29T12:41:54.077-04:00

A friend of mine at Reformation Heritage Books recently gave me a copy of something new called a "Journible."  It is part of the "17:18 Series" which is based off of the verse in Deuteronomy 17 where the king is commanded to write out a copy of the law.  Each Journible is a blank journal with space to write out a book of the Bible.  I chose the Gospel of John.  I would have picked the Gospel of

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-32377471424187285882010-08-28T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-28T09:00:07.208-04:00

A number of years ago I did a book table for a group of Lutheran pastors. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with some of them over dinner and was just sitting back and enjoying the conversation. Rick Warren’s The Purpose Drive Life was reaching its peak in sales and came up in one of the discussions. I remember one of the pastors leaning over to another pastor and said “I’m surprised how many

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-86853709007603589952010-08-27T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-27T09:00:00.184-04:00

Our annual used book sale is quickly approaching.  From August 31 - September 11 all used books will be 30% off.  You don't want to miss it.  With more than 90,000 volumes in stock we might just have that book you've been looking for.  If you call be sure to mention the sale in order to get the discount.  Our toll free number is 1-866-241-6733. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-82441444502459227972010-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-26T09:00:02.069-04:00

I've been reading bits and pieces of a new book from IVP called A Place for Truth edited by Dallas Willard and it is very good.  Here's the catalog description: Many today pursue knowledge and even wisdom. But what about truth? In an age that disputes whether truth can be universalized beyond one's own personal experience, it seems quaint to speak of finding truth. But whether in the ivory towers

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-90833334469917099122010-08-25T09:00:00.011-04:002010-08-25T09:00:04.898-04:00

Thanks to the Boston Bible Geeks for bringing to our attention the availability of study notes by Craig Keener for a beginner's class he did in Africa on Biblical Interpretation.  They are made available through The Pneuma Foundation.  The notes are in pdf form and, if printed, come to 88 pages.  It is also available in a zip file (link is available at Boston Bible Geeks). I did a quick scan and

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-7218499176500079102010-08-24T09:00:00.016-04:002010-08-25T16:29:28.680-04:00

Francis Beckwith has written an excellent response to Time magazine's latest issue where it asks if America is Islamophobic.  Here's part of what he wrote: "There is, of course, no actual ailment called 'Islamophobia,' as there is with claustrophobia and arachnophobia. The latter two are diagnosable irrational fears that people acquire for a variety of reasons. The first is a rhetorical invention

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-62490049140582051802010-08-23T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-23T09:00:06.240-04:00

Here's three great video clips of Don Carson (aka D. A. Carson).  I enjoyed all three.  I hope you do too.  How do I know God exists? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo. How can God allow suffering and evil in the world? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo. How can God be loving yet send people to hell? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-20572564646205604202010-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-22T09:00:02.718-04:00

I subscribe to a monthly newsletter from the Christian Law Association (CLA). In the August issue they had a “Ministry Q & A” which I found very interesting. Here’s what it said: Q: Why does my church need to put the phrase ‘All donations are non-binding suggestions’ on their giving envelopes? A: Alerting contributors that their designated offerings are considered by the church to be

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-60769367093540641572010-08-21T09:00:00.004-04:002010-08-21T09:00:03.536-04:00

John Dickson is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I just finished Life of Jesus which is due out any day now. In one of the chapters he covers the now common complaint from the New Atheists that Christianity inherently perpetuates violence. He looks at two events in particular: the Spanish Inquisition and the North Ireland conflict. Here’s how he puts it: “The Spanish Inquisition is

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-70697262493538595512010-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-20T09:00:06.850-04:00

Earlier this week I told you about a book I'm reading on the subject of Bible translation.  And God Said is written by a linguist and expert in Hebrew, Dr. Joel Hoffman. Last time we looked at the issue of italics and Hoffman explained how it was not only not necessary but misleading to the reader.  This time the issue is how the advancement of punctuation affects translations. "One of the most

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-69361441209543616592010-08-19T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-19T09:00:07.212-04:00

Ever wondered what Brian McLaren believes?  You're not alone.  Here's a interview between him and Scot McKnight.  Q | Conversations on Being a Heretic from Q Ideas on Vimeo.

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-49615421805416994142010-08-18T09:00:00.003-04:002010-08-18T19:44:16.669-04:00

I’ve always been intrigued by Matthew’s account of the guards at the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 27:62-66). In this clip we have an interview by John Ankerberg of William Lane Craig on the issue. It’s interesting that Craig begins by saying this question would probably be “best left out of the program since the vast, vast majority of New Testament scholars would regard Matthew’s guard story as

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-84024286784045500372010-08-17T12:03:00.000-04:002010-08-17T12:03:00.799-04:00

Noted theologian Clark Pinnock passed away this past Sunday.  See here for more details and some thoughtful and endearing comments.  We will keep his family and friends in prayer. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-18320269573396219392010-08-17T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-17T09:00:00.541-04:00

Here are the top ten best sellers for my department.  We'll start with number ten and work up to number one.  #10 - Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens (Zondervan) #9 - Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll (Crossway) #8 - Reason for God by Tim Keller (Dutton) #7 - Jesus: Tthe Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved? by John Piper (Baker Publishing Group)

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-85992102708760252102010-08-16T09:00:00.003-04:002010-08-16T09:00:00.233-04:00

I’m reading a book by Joel H. Hoffman called And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning. Hoffman holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and has served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College. One of the issues he discusses is the use of italics in translations to indicate words that are not in the original text. This is not a common feature in modern

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-5139423624164871942010-08-15T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-15T09:00:02.242-04:00

For as long as I can remember I've heard this verse cited with the encouragement that God is telling us to be still and make ourselves aware of who he really is.  In that time of "stillness" we will experience God in ways that could not be done apart from being still.  I came across this again in something I read recently so I thought I would look up what John Goldingay had to say in his

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-69332610908008549592010-08-14T15:59:00.000-04:002010-08-14T15:59:58.340-04:00

This may be a parody but there is probably a little bit of truth in it for some churches.   

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-17277871296295839912010-08-12T22:42:00.000-04:002010-08-12T22:42:26.788-04:00

Today was our small group workshop and I was very happy with it.  We had a little over twenty people attend and they took copious notes which is always good to see.  Andrew Rogers presented materials from Zondervan and I highlighted some others from various other publishers.  The one that seemed to draw the most attention was a forthcoming Zondervan book by John Dickson called Life of Jesus. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-71236198018893113212010-08-11T21:38:00.000-04:002010-08-11T21:38:28.234-04:00

Here's a final reminder that our Small Group Workshop will be tomorrow in the store at 10:00 a.m.  If your a small group leader, member of a small group or are looking for that next study guide to do on your own this could be just what your looking for.  We have prepared a packet featuring over 30 of the newest study guides that have come out in the past year and some that are forthcoming.  We

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-63969754969749182632010-08-09T22:40:00.000-04:002010-08-09T22:40:18.222-04:00

Roger E. Olson, a Christian theologian, has recently entered the blog world.  Olson describes himself as "theologian of the evangelical Baptist persuasion."  But he also is a proud Arminian.  So on my maiden voyage to his blog I read his post on "The Problem with Calvinism is . . ."  As difficult as this was to read here's part of what he wrote "Second, I am not a Calvinist because (hold on!) IF

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-79503914510192855642010-08-08T12:19:00.000-04:002010-08-08T12:19:19.695-04:00

This past week, while on vacation, I read Who Can Be Saved? By Terrance Tiessen. My week was much more involved with activities than usual so I wasn’t able to finish it. I am almost done with it but not quite. Let me give some general impressions and then I’ll talk about some specifics. Who Can Be Saved? was published in 2004 and as of then Tiessen had read every one of any significance on the

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-77268700658476389132010-08-06T22:47:00.000-04:002010-08-06T22:47:43.986-04:00

Here's some exciting news from Baker Publishing Group.  Baker has acquired about 300 titles of existing and forthcoming academic titles from Hendrickson.  Congratulations to both Baker and Hendrickson.  I've seen the list and let me just say that Baker has significantly enhanced it's academic line.  I've long admired much of what Hendrickson has produced I'm very excited about this new

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-68159484012530773092010-08-05T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-05T09:00:01.322-04:00

Next year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.  Just as we saw last year with John Calvin's 500th birthday we can expect a lot on the King James Bible.  Coming in February from Baker Books is A Visual History of the King James Bible by Donald Brake and Shelly Beach.  If this sounds familiar to some of you it's because Brake had a previous book entitled A Visual History of the English

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-1519635388782354602010-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-04T09:00:00.102-04:00

In the following two videos John Dickson provides some important observations about the quality of the scholarship he's seen from some of the New Atheists.  His question becomes "If in areas where I can check there scholarship and it proves wrong or they are misrepresenting things then how can I really trust them in other areas?"  The first video focuses on minor problems while the second focuses

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-55641288062816909212010-08-03T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-03T09:00:08.254-04:00

Well, I haven’t seen any of the Twilight movies but I did watch some episodes of Dark Shadows when I was a kid. (I didn’t realize it was just a soap opera with some vampires and werewolves thrown in for good measure.) Better than that was the portrayal of Dracula by Bela Lugosi. We’ve come a long way from then which brings us to a new book coming from Brazos Press called The Vampire Defanged: How

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-77454602006676352982010-08-02T09:00:00.008-04:002010-08-02T09:00:03.052-04:00

This week my family and I are on vacation.  Since I don't like to cart around a lot of books I usually bring only two or three for my primary reading.  The one I'm most excited about is Who Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions by Terrance l. Tiessen.  I've seen this book for a long time and have been tempted to pick it up before but never have.  Why now?  Glad you

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-53874206151346819622010-07-29T15:50:00.000-04:002010-07-29T15:50:37.883-04:00

I've updated our "Upcoming Events" column to the left.  Check it out to see what's coming including our annual Princess Party this Saturday.  The girls (ages 3 - 10) have a great time. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-47377206753642879832010-07-28T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-28T09:00:11.122-04:00

I found this on Francis Beckwith's blog.  His label for it is "bad philosophy."  So very appropriate and terribly funny. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-17701918841950855882010-07-27T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-27T09:00:03.733-04:00

If you have an interest in Intelligent Design you've probably heard of the parody against it called the "Flying Spaghetti Monster."  The idea was created by Bobby Henderson and used in a letter to State Board of Education of Kansas to "protest the use of textbook stickers promoting Intelligent Design."  William Lane Craig explains it in a little more detail in this video and on his website

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-85868133549659113402010-07-26T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-26T09:00:10.778-04:00

As we prepare for our annual Small Group Workshop I’m going through small group materials to figure out what we will feature this year. A series that is already out but has had some new studies added this past year is the Bringing the Bible to Life from Zondervan. This series is based on the popular commentary series known as the Zondervan NIV Application Commentary (NIVAC). When I read (re-read)

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-57562305801731570372010-07-24T12:30:00.001-04:002010-07-25T16:33:49.336-04:00

I’m starting part two of The Heresy of Orthodoxy by Köstenberger and Kruger. The first part of the book responds to charges by Walter Bauer and more recently Bart Ehrman that early Christianity was characterized by multiple forms of Christianities none of which could claim to be true or orthodox. What we know of today as orthodox Christianity simply won the day by overpowering the other

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-78722333680239450212010-07-23T09:00:00.003-04:002010-07-23T09:00:04.537-04:00

Want to get up to speed on the latest on the book of Colossians? In the April 2010 issue of Themelios is an article on “New Commentaries on Colossians: Survey of Approaches, Analysis of Trends, and the State of Research” by Nijay Gupta. Gupta covers six new commentaries on Colossians and surveys their opinion on eight interpretive cruxes. The six commentaries are: 1) Marianne Meye Thompson in

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-90805923838534163992010-07-22T09:00:00.003-04:002010-07-22T09:33:21.740-04:00

This is my second post on Robert Gundry’s Commentary on the New Testament. In my first post I said there was nothing on authorship, dating or audience. I was a bit premature on that. There is a short paragraph which heads up each book though the content varies from book to book. For example, at the beginning of Luke Gundry tells us that “early church tradition attributes the writing of this

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-63253822458358993612010-07-20T09:00:00.009-04:002010-07-20T09:00:07.649-04:00

I was taught for years that when God “made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21) it implied the sacrificial killing of an animal. This is still a fairly popular belief in many Christian circles. D. A. Carson is his recent release, The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, says this about the passage: “At this stage in the Bible’s storyline there is no

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-78131414502423939212010-07-19T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-19T09:00:04.536-04:00

In November 2008 we saw the inaugural release of a new commentary series from Zondervan called the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament or ZECNT. That initial volume was by Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell on the book of James. It was very well done but my question was how would this new format look on a book of larger proportions than James? Well, the wait is almost over. Coming

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-85408068000680204172010-07-18T14:10:00.001-04:002010-07-18T14:23:50.266-04:00

One of the features of Larry Hurtado’s blog is a collection of his essays including a couple that are difficult to find. I’ve read two so far and would highly recommend them to you if either of the subjects interests you. The first one is on the ending of Mark. Hurtado believes that Mark 16:1-8 provides an appropriate ending to the book. One of the foundations to his premise is the three

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-72219672321201986712010-07-16T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-16T10:23:34.685-04:00

Before I start I want to answer a question that came up on yesterday’s post. Andrew asked if Gundry’s commentary was more for laity or scholars. He suspected the former but saw I only put up endorsements from scholars. Well Andrew, you’re right, it is more for laity. The only endorsement I didn’t put up was from John Ortberg who said the following: “This is a great resource in a great format for

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-17527107155066370112010-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:002010-07-15T09:00:01.644-04:00

This week we received Robert Gundry's one-volume commentary on the New Testament appropriately called Commentary on the New Testament.  I've started scanning it and I like what I see.  Let me give you the catalog description with a few endorsements.  In tomorrow's post I'll highlight some the things I've found that I like.  Here's the catalog description: "Shouldn’t a Bible commentary clarify

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-78783376212419059962010-07-14T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-14T09:00:05.538-04:00

I was cruising through YouTube and ran across a series called "Sermon Jam".  They are excerpts from sermons with added music.  These two by D. A. Carson I found especially good.  This is vintage Carson. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-71629159059402412552010-07-13T17:40:00.001-04:002010-07-14T11:54:13.332-04:00

I just received notice that Miroslav Volf will be at Eerdmans Bookstore this Thursday, July 15th, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.  He will be interacting on his forthcoming book Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Reflection.  Here's the catalog description of the book: "In this book, Miroslav Volf, a systematic theologian, interprets texts of the Christian scriptures

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-10167244536834496232010-07-13T09:00:00.003-04:002010-07-13T09:00:09.682-04:00

How many times in the course of a conversation about the the Gospels have you heard someone bring up the illustration of the children’s game of telephone? The illustration is, of course, meant to undermine the credibility of the Gospel accounts.  Since they weren't written down right away they must be hopelessly entangled with a bunch of errors due to the countless times the stories went from one

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-2568715460599445392010-07-12T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-12T09:00:06.727-04:00

Dr. Anthony Gill, professor of political science at the University of Washington and non-resident scholar at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, was kind enough to alert me to his recent interview with Rodney Stark on the crusades.  As many of you know I really liked Stark's book and found it to be enlightening and very easy to read.  You can find the podcast here.  The

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-91428074320023991842010-07-11T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-11T09:00:04.114-04:00

If yesterday's post was a bit too academic for some of my readers here's one that may interest a broader audience.  Coming this January Baker Books brings us Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan.  In the face of so many objections from the New Atheists this topic certainly is close to the top of their list if not at the very top.  It's been said that the motto of the New Atheists is "God does

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-80294742966814347832010-07-10T09:00:00.000-04:002010-07-10T09:00:05.420-04:00

So you've heard of the great Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck but you've been a bit intimidated by his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics.  Well, I've got some good news for you.  Coming next April (It'll be here before you know it!) is a one-volume abridged edition.  Here's the catalog description: "Herman Bavinck's four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-55293698997016170562010-07-09T12:56:00.000-04:002010-07-09T12:56:21.874-04:00

One of the events I look forward to every year is our Small Group Workshop.  This year's workshop is on Thursday, August 12th at 10:00 here in the store.  We cover the newest study guides and small group materials that have come out in the past year.  This year we will have a representative from Zondervan to talk about some of their new materials.  I, and a couple of my co-workers, will present

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-42745968006693500392010-07-08T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-08T09:00:09.007-04:00

It’s becoming more and more common for churches to say “we just want to welcome everyone no matter what they believe.” I recently read about a church which is open to all. The reporter says the pastor “doesn’t bristle at the thought of people not believing in God. He just wants them to come to church.” One of the members says “It’s such a welcoming atmosphere. There are people there who aren’t

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-60227557734865526842010-07-07T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-18T14:10:35.033-04:00

I'm excited to see that Larry Hurtado, professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, has started his own blog.  His book, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, is a masterpiece of Christological scholarship.  If anyone wants to know if the early Church had a high view of Jesus this is must reading.  His scholarship

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-27430295842307559582010-07-06T19:58:00.000-04:002010-07-06T19:58:14.288-04:00

Church history for kids?  Yea, and what fun it is!  We got our copies in of The Church History ABCs by Stephen J. Nichols and Ned Bustard and it is every thing I imagined and more.  You can see two of the pages here on Jonathan Edwards and Martin Luther.  The writing is simple and clear and the illustrations are fun.  It's time we put some fun into the study of Church history and Nichols and

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-23784064539379299782010-07-04T17:16:00.001-04:002010-07-05T13:26:50.965-04:00

We recently attended Baker Publishing Group’s sales conference and one of the forthcoming books for Spring 2011 is You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving the Church . . . and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman. This is understandable from a publishing standpoint since UnChristian has sold over 180,000 copies and still is the topic of many conversations. But I want to remind you of a book I

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-11527304482715954952010-06-30T22:40:00.001-04:002010-07-05T13:40:57.968-04:00

I'm not a lawyer so I don't feel qualified to comment on the merits of the recent Supreme Court decision which would force student groups to allow outsiders who disagree with their beliefs to become leaders and voting members.  This has been termed an "accept-all-comers" policy.  I will offer my biggest concern.  What's to prevent a group from being joined by a majority of students who disagree

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-4966263370947868942010-06-29T23:13:00.002-04:002010-06-30T12:44:12.548-04:00

Since I did a post on my top 10 best sellers for the academic department I thought I would run a report on the Bible department. This time I ran a report on the sale of Bibles by translation for the last year. These figures do not include children or One Year Bibles. Foreign language does not include Spanish. This would be Chinese, Russian, German or French. NIV – 2,424 ESV – 1,623 KJV – 468

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-55067849276662949182010-06-27T20:21:00.001-04:002010-06-27T20:23:16.946-04:00

God’s Battalions by Rodney Stark is a fascinating read. I’m just over half way and I can’t put this book down. I’ve never read much on the crusades but I’m quickly learning that I’ve been duped by the all too common misperception of the crusades as a ruthless conquest by greedy and heartless Christians who wanted to plunder and pillage the land of peaceful Muslims. According to Stark, and most

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-81385927014860733222010-06-23T22:11:00.000-04:002010-06-23T22:11:03.002-04:00

If you've read anything by Bart Ehrman and are wondering if even half of what he says is true then you need to read The Heresy of Orthodoxy by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Michael J. Kruger.  I bought my copy today and want to start it sometime in the next week or so.  Consider this endorsement from D. A. Carson: "In the beginning was Diversity. And the Diversity was with God, and the Diversity

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-70599607712666479072010-06-21T22:44:00.000-04:002010-06-21T22:44:36.387-04:00

I don't read a lot of books on angels but I get a lot of requests for them.  A couple of my favorites are Peter Kreeft's Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them and Mortimer Adler's The Angels and Us.  I've also recommended C. Fred Dickason's book Angels: Elect and Evil.   Dickason's book is a good resource for a more traditional evangelical audience though many will disagree with

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-48831797965093418712010-06-19T21:28:00.002-04:002010-06-19T22:30:08.098-04:00

The trailer for the next Narnia movie is now out.  From what I've read so far this movie promises to be much better than Prince Caspian and a lot more faithful to the book which is important to Narnia fans.  You should also know that the next book in the series that Baker Books has been doing will also be out in October.  Devin Brown's book is called Inside the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  I

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-70399770526920514042010-06-17T09:00:00.004-04:002010-06-17T12:11:53.218-04:00

Today would have been my son's 24th birthday.  In his memory I wanted to tell you just a couple of stories about him.  When he was in middle high he had to build something which incorporated six simple machines.  I have no aptitude for this kind of thing so I wasn't much help.  Anyway, we were coming down to the wire and I took him to the hardware store to pick out the supplies he needed.  We

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-87966930935264096282010-06-16T09:00:00.002-04:002010-06-16T09:00:08.641-04:00

If you enjoy Historical Jesus studies and James Dunn in particular have I got a book for you.  We just received Memories of Jesus: A Critical Appraisal of James D. G. Dunn's Jesus Remembered edited by Robert B. Stewart and Gary R. Habermas.  James Dunn is a familiar name to those involved in New Testament studies.  As the subtitle states this is an appraisal on one particular work of Dunn, namely

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-56858381372988503902010-06-15T15:14:00.000-04:002010-06-15T15:14:48.982-04:00

Mark Galli has an interesting article on the growing lack of Christian symbols in churches today. The article was occasioned by a court case. A high school was planning on having their graduation ceremony at a church and five of the students, one of them being Jewish, said they would feel very uncomfortable in this church given the amount of symbols that adorned it. I don’t care to comment on the

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-3416464174072137552010-06-14T21:37:00.000-04:002010-06-14T21:37:33.811-04:00

This Thursday we will host authors Ted Kluck and Zach Bartels.  They will be discussing the first book from their newly formed publishing company called Gut Check Press.  The book, Kinda Christianity, is a parody on all things emergent.  The evening promises to be an engaging time with two guys who have a sharp wit and just a bit of impatience with traditional publishers.  Part of the reason they

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-6639327275022981532010-06-12T18:47:00.001-04:002010-06-12T18:48:07.557-04:00

I spent an hour or so playing with some buttons that I didn't know I had and here's the result.  I'm still tinkering with it.  "Tinkering" really is the right word because I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm having fun doing it.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I did finally resolve the problem of my YouTube posts getting cut off!  If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment. One more

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-3912527045526436022010-06-11T15:09:00.000-04:002010-06-11T15:09:31.070-04:00

2011 will mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Version Bible.  I've already heard from three of my vendors that plans are well under way to contribute to the celebration.  Coming this October from Oxford Unviversity Press we have a book by Gordon Campbell called Bible: The Story of the King James Version 1611 - 2011.  Here's the catalog description and the table of contents: "Produced

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-38671251365217295652010-06-10T23:04:00.000-04:002010-06-10T23:04:52.280-04:00

Move over unChristian there’s a new sheriff in town. I’ve been excited about this book ever since it was first presented at sales conference. (The cover has changed quite a bit from then. See my first post to see the initial cover design.  Really, you won't believe the difference.) Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites. . .and Other Lies You’ve Been Told by Bradley R. E. Wright seeks to help the

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-38026076790855667592010-06-09T18:03:00.000-04:002010-06-09T18:03:55.856-04:00

Last night we hosted John Dickson in the store. We set up chairs for 45 people but they filled up fast. We put out our reserve chairs and those filled just as fast. Minutes before we started we were pulling chairs from every office we could find. Last count before we started—80! At the end of the presentation we gave out just over 100 books! So attendance exceeded our biggest expectations. John

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-84108392426115195442010-06-08T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-08T09:00:03.976-04:00

One last reminder that John Dickson will be in the store tonight.  For more information on John you can see the article in the Grand Rapids Press here.  If you can be here you won't be disappointed.  We've asked John to speak for about a half hour and then he will offer a Q & A session.  Those who attend will receive a free copy of John's book The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission.  Tonight

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-18785788587690088672010-06-07T09:00:00.002-04:002010-06-08T10:45:41.448-04:00

I started perusing Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism and found myself challenged as to whether I could legitimately claim to be a Calvinist. In the Introduction David Allen and Steve Lemke raise the fact that Calvinism comes in many forms. Some Baptists, like me, consider themselves “Calvinists” of some form since they hold to four or five points of the TULIP

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-46882898490121890882010-06-05T09:00:00.006-04:002010-06-06T19:38:51.537-04:00

I've heard about these machines for a few years now but have never seen one in action.  The Espresso Book Machine (version 2.0) will print up and bind a book for you in a matter of minutes.  If a book goes "out of print" then just find one of these machines and have a new one printed for you.  At just under $100,000 they will be a little hard to find but there is one here in Grand Rapids.  I'm

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-46218387117396246002010-06-04T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-04T09:00:12.550-04:00

I sometimes get asked for a book that would be a good basic introduction to the Bible for adults. A handbook to the Bible is sometimes useful but if the person has no background in the Bible even that can be a little intimidating. I ran across a book by Max Anders called 30 Days to Understanding the Bible and there is much here to commend its use for adults with no Bible background (though I have

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-41142898589524790592010-06-03T09:00:00.002-04:002010-06-03T09:00:03.491-04:00

Every now and then I like to check my best seller reports to see what's selling in my department.  I have 23 different categories in my department which include commentaries, theology, Biblical studies, apologetics, philosophy and a lot more.  I did a report showing my best sellers from Jan 1, 2010 to May 31, 2010 (we're not open on May 31st so don't ask me why I include that in my calculations).

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-74487806286741110442010-06-02T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-02T09:00:10.897-04:00

Books that purport to give a “secret” about things immediately make me a bit wary. So when I say John Dickson’s book entitled The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission I was leery. Then I saw the endorsements on the back and I was immediately impressed by the scope of the names I saw: N. T. Wright, Christopher Wright, I. Howard Marshall, Timothy George, Tremper Longman III, Richard Bauckham,

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-68888702030645562692010-06-01T22:10:00.003-04:002010-06-08T10:55:36.058-04:00

Over the weekend I spent some time in David Allen's new book Lukan Authorship of Hebrews.  Early on he writes "[i]t has been fashionable for some time now to dismiss the possibility of the Lukan authorship of Hebrews by parroting previous commentators without so much as a second look at the historical or linguistic evidence.  This is true for both German and English commentators with rare

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-51321961864423809872010-05-31T12:03:00.000-04:002010-05-31T12:03:25.949-04:00

Chapter six from John Dickson's new book, The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission, was on of my favorites.  I liked it because it was a good blend of exegesis and Church history.  The references to Emperor Julian (AD 331 - 363) were wonderfully appropriate.  As John says in the book Julian "wanted to beat the Christians at their own game." (93)  But, "Julian's program failed" because "[w]ithout

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-44594018354204578772010-05-29T20:50:00.002-04:002010-06-02T10:54:29.102-04:00

I'm so excited about John Dickson coming to our store.  I'm almost finished with his newest book The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission.  Michael Bird has recently commented on how much he liked it.  Endorsements for the book include N. T. Wright, Christopher Wright, Alistair Begg, I. Howard Marshall, Richard Bauckham and more.  He is from Australia so his name may be new to many of you.  So

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-82080346001358303732010-05-28T22:08:00.000-04:002010-05-28T22:08:27.578-04:00

My reading list for this three-day weekend is getting longer and longer.  We just received the Lukan Authorship of Hebrews by David L. Allen.  This is part of the NAC Studies in Bible and Theology from B&H Academic.  I was looking forward to reading this because it is a subject I've not spent much time on but after reading the introduction I'm even more fascinated by Allen's thesis.  Here's how

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-74990604860719224812010-05-28T09:00:00.002-04:002010-05-28T09:00:06.238-04:00

Starting Monday June 7th we will have our Summer Dollar Days Sale.  For one week only we will offer a wide selection of used and bargain books for $1.00 each!  You don't want to miss this but come early for the best selection. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-20456646274603643432010-05-27T20:09:00.000-04:002010-05-27T20:09:33.661-04:00

I was so happy when I saw From Nicaea to Chalcedon arrive in the store.  When I first heard about it at our sales conference I was chomping at the bit to read it.  Early on I can see why the first edition was so highly praised.  This is a veritable banquet for church history lovers.  Here's the catalog description: "In this volume, a world-renowned scholar of early Christianity updates and

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-72494558460017101372010-05-25T20:21:00.001-04:002010-05-25T20:22:18.199-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is to write cross references in books to other books that address the same question. One of those questions that I’ve referenced between a few books is something along the lines of “What kind of evidence would it take for you to abandon your faith or the Bible?” Here are three different answers that I’ve found over the years. In a debate between Terry Miethe and

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-50040067966400480332010-05-23T12:28:00.001-04:002010-06-06T19:43:10.001-04:00

I'm not a big music person but every now and then I see something that catches my attention.  I was visiting the music blog for our store and saw that Kristina, our music buyer, featured a video of a new artist called Petree.  The song is called "Memory Lane" and Kristina notes that the video shows that "sometimes the simple actions that we do have life altering effects."  You don't live very

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-83442441271715897592010-05-22T19:13:00.002-04:002010-05-25T20:21:51.251-04:00

Shortly after I became a Christian I stumbled across Bertrand Russell's book Why I'm Not A Christian.  My mentor at the time encouraged me to read it.  I did.  I was unimpressed even then with his arguments.  Now thirty plus years later I'm even less impressed with Russell.  I did find this short interview with him interesting.  I completely agree with him when he says there "can't be practical

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-57264232472863930322010-05-21T14:18:00.000-04:002010-05-21T14:18:45.292-04:00

Thomas Schreiner's newest book, Run To Win the Prize: Perserverance in the New Testament, is now in.  Some will wonder how this differs from his previous book that he did with Ardel Canaday The Race Set Before Us from Intervarsity Press.  Good question!  Tom explains in the preface. "Why is another book necessary if a previous book has already been published?  First, the length and

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-5245642035192345742010-05-19T20:10:00.000-04:002010-05-19T20:10:58.544-04:00

My co-worker Jared gave me a link to a fascinating interview with Rodney Stark author of God's Battalions: The Case for Crusades.  It is very interesting and Stark pulls no punches.  I read some of the reviews on Amazon and was unimpressed with those who assigned it one or two stars.  The responses to those reviews are spot on.  I'm going to order some copies for the store.  If you're a regular

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-44049199325731096492010-05-18T23:26:00.001-04:002010-05-18T23:35:29.651-04:00

Our church relations team took a trip up to Traverse City (a three hour drive from the store) to visit churches in the area. Since I had some time on my hands I took along Entrusted with the Gospel: Paul’s Theology in the Pastoral Epistles for reading (I wasn’t driving). I was only able to get through two chapters (we talked a good part of the time) but I enjoyed what I read so far. I read

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-43421558039247151242010-05-16T09:00:00.001-04:002010-05-16T09:00:00.147-04:00

Here is the closing prayer from the Ancient Christian Devotional for the Seventh Sunday of Easter.  It is taken from The Gelasian Sacramentary."O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favorably on thy whole church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, and by the tranquil operation of thy perpetual providence, carry out the work of human salvation, let the whole world feel and see that

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-64000871226625404222010-05-15T19:23:00.000-04:002010-05-15T19:23:29.537-04:00

It's been an incredibly busy week and I spent the afternoon at the zoo with my three grandkids.  I'm exhausted!  I thought I would leave you with a paragraph from a book I'm reading through for a second time, Evangelicals and Tradition by D. H. Williams.  The comment is really just a secondary thought but I thought it was aptly stated: "Another related and unintended development that has grown

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-9985688272475135572010-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:002010-05-14T09:00:09.166-04:00

According to the New York Review of Magazines this magazine tops the charts with 40 million a month and is printed in 180 languages and sent to 236 countries.  Did you guess it?  It's The Watchtower magazine from the Jehovah's Witnesses.  According to the article: "The Watchtower is the most widely distributed magazine in the world, with a circulation of more than 25 million. Last year, the world

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-6663726690322221102010-05-13T19:35:00.000-04:002010-05-13T19:35:14.961-04:00

Everyone at the store loves this video.  I found it first linked from John Stackhouse's blog.  Take a look. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-7934982861047985262010-05-10T17:22:00.000-04:002010-05-10T17:22:25.297-04:00

Here's a book that's sure to ruffle some feathers.  Ted Kluck, co-author of Why We're Not Emegent, and Zach Bartels have teamed up to give us a satire on the emergent church entitled Kinda Christianity.  Some will miss the humor and go straight to being offended. For example, here are the three rules of Kinda Christianity: 1.  Always strive to sound deep.  Don't actually talk about what you

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-24206624721632538042010-05-09T16:38:00.000-04:002010-05-09T16:38:46.943-04:00

Since according to the Church year we are still in the Easter season I wanted to do a short post on a resurrection theme.  Lisa Miller of Newsweek magazine has a book out called Heaven: Our Enduring Fascinating with the Afterlife. In a column for the magazine she tied together the notion of heaven with the belief in the resurrection. What I found most interesting is how she ended the article: “

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-43893155968962653382010-05-07T22:48:00.001-04:002010-05-20T16:00:34.582-04:00

As a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute I have a special place in my heart for D. L. Moody.  I was fascinated when I first heard this clip of the actual voice of Moody reading the beatitudes.  The recording is by no means clear but what you can hear is a touch of history.  Enjoy!

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-38245936363797057392010-05-06T23:43:00.000-04:002010-05-06T23:43:55.885-04:00

It's coming!  The newest study Bible will be coming this August from B&H Publishing.  It is the HCSB Study Bible.  My B&H rep showed me a sampler of some of Genesis and it looks like an impressive project.  As I get more information and spend a little time with the sampler I'll let you know more.  For now you can visit their website and find out much more.  You can find it here.  You'll find a

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-47993855306649685622010-05-05T20:16:00.000-04:002010-05-05T20:16:48.896-04:00

If you've never read anything by Frederica Mathewes-Green may I suggest a good starting place--The Illumined Heart: Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians.  I just started this but I love what I'm reading.  Rather than try to persuade you to how good this is let me give you a portion to read.  This is from chapter two.  You can read the first three chapters here.  This is much longer

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-59990099218760032202010-05-04T09:00:00.001-04:002010-05-04T09:00:07.673-04:00

This just looks like a fun book.  I've watched most of these movies with my kids and I still enjoy them.    Here's the catalog description of The Wisdom of Pixar:  "Kids and adults alike love Pixar's movies. We come out of the theater not just entertained or amused, but inspired. Everybody agrees: Pixar makes fun, clean, terrific movies. But what makes these movies so appealing is not merely

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-49666718872920213892010-05-03T09:00:00.001-04:002010-05-03T09:00:00.104-04:00

I noted in an earlier post that the average person in the pew has a terrible knowledge of church history.  Those who have some rarely go beyond the Reformation.  But on top of that many of those who are familiar with the Reformation have a mixed bag of knowledge and unfortunately a good part of it is misinformed. James R. Payton seeks to set the record straight in his book Getting the

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-86104092994045869292010-05-02T15:10:00.000-04:002010-05-02T15:10:58.660-04:00

Christopher Wright preached at Calvary Church this morning and I sat through the first service.  His message was on 1 Kings 8:41-43.  Of this passage Wright says it is "the most remarkable of all the passages with a universal vision in the historical books."  It reads: "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people but has come from a distant land because of your name--for men will

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-90316493976507491822010-05-01T09:00:00.001-04:002010-05-01T09:00:06.384-04:00

One of my reps gave me a list of the top selling study Bible brands for 2009*.  Here are the top 20 1 - Life Application Study Bible 2 - NIV Study Bible 3 - ESV Study Bible 4 - Chronological Study Bible 5 - NLT Study Bible 6 - MacArthur Study Bible 7 - NKJV Study Bible 8 - Archaeological Study Bible 9 - Thompson Chain Reference 10 - Scofield (Old and New) 11 - Ryrie Study Bible 12 - New

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-73984945698012494302010-04-30T09:00:00.002-04:002010-04-30T20:34:47.599-04:00

If there was one section of the store I would love to expand it would be the church history section.  The problem is when I've tried to expand the section with more titles very little sells.  The average person in the pew has virtually no knowlege of the history of the church especially past the Reformation.  So along comes a book that says let's start teaching church history at an earlier age

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-44078052728102640632010-04-29T09:00:00.003-04:002010-04-29T09:00:05.131-04:00

I found out yesterday that Christopher Wright will be preaching at Calvary Church this Sunday.  We were asked if we could provide a book table with a few of Wright's books.  A little last minute but we happily agreed.  So I pulled out my copy of The God I Don't Understand to refresh my memory of some of its contents.  I quickly remembered one of my favorite chapters.  It was chapter four, "The

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-36112439502881520882010-04-28T15:12:00.000-04:002010-04-28T15:12:07.834-04:00

Last night we hosted Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall. About 70 people showed up to hear the two authors speak about their new book Edge of Apocalypse. Tim and Craig spoke for about twenty minutes and then answered questions. We also provided a birthday cake in honor of Tim’s 84th birthday. Folks who attended said the event was enjoyable and informative. The Edge of Apocalypse is an entirely

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-40225813531515209942010-04-28T09:00:00.005-04:002010-04-28T12:12:13.167-04:00

Egalitarians and complementarians alike will have much to learn from How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership.   Here's the catalog description: "This book features a number of autobiographical accounts as to how various persons have come to change their minds about women in leadership. Well-known Evangelical leaders—individuals and couples, males and females from a broad range of

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-47524929222871943952010-04-27T09:00:00.002-04:002010-04-27T10:25:10.965-04:00

Coming this July from Crossway is the Collected Writings on Scripture by D. A. Carson.  I've probably read most if not all of these since it is a compilation of previous published works.  But it will be nice to have them collected in one volume.  For many much of this will be new material.  The catalog description follows: "God’s Word has always had enemies, but in recent years the inspiration

Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0