Best Books

Best Books: Executing Grace

September 15, 2016

Bad theology can get people killed. I know this because I live in the state of Alabama. No, our state has not been attacked by terrorists motivated by a twisted religious ideology. But right here in the Bible belt, in a region that has multiple churches in every neighborhood, the State of Alabama recently took …

Back to School from a Mom Perspective

August 26, 2016

My husband calls me a “schoolie.” I loved being a student, I loved being a teacher… I would go get another degree right now. Post-grad school I taught tenth grade at Briarwood Christian School, and after some settling in, found the job to be a source of great joy. My days were filled with hilarious …

Best Books

July 26, 2016

What God Has To Say About Justice I am not the Pope. Unlike Pope Francis, world leaders don’t answer calls from people like me. But if I could sit down with those who weld political and social power, I know exactly what I would say. Do justice. Justice is a major concern in the Bible, …

Best Books

June 27, 2016

Thriving in Babylon Remember the days when we mobilized our churches as political weapons? Well, the war is over. We lost. And maybe we deserved to lose. Maybe we forgot that putting our faith in political power instead of the power of Pentecost is nothing less than idolatry. Maybe it’s time the Bride of Christ stopped …

Best Books

May 2, 2016

Roots and Sky I am not an outdoors kind of person. After being outside for fifteen minutes, I’m usually done. I don’t hunt or fish or hike mountains. And I certainly don’t plant gardens. That’s why this month’s book selection is somewhat ironic. In Roots and Sky (Revell Publishing, $13.99), author Christie Purifoy chronicles a year …

Best Books

April 13, 2016

Home Is Where My People Are Alabamians are known for many things, some of which are commendable. We are a polite, friendly, and hard-working people. We consume vast quantities of sweet tea, and speak with a highly distinctive accent. Our religious zeal for college football is barely, and only barely, eclipsed by our passion for …

Best Books

March 3, 2016

Prepare for Easter with Gospel of John For most people, the book of Revelation is the most difficult section of the New Testament. Not for me. I say this not because I’ve mastered the bizarre symbolism of John’s apocalyptic literature, but because its mysteriousness is superseded by John‘s gospel. The fourth gospel is beautiful and …

Best Books

February 17, 2016

The Bible Tells Me So…Why Defending Scripture Had Made Us Unable to Read It This month’s recommendation is for those who are brave. If you are afraid to read anything which may call into question your established beliefs about the Bible, or if you’re of the opinion that all Christians must share the same perspective …

BRONNER: A Journey to Understanding

December 25, 2015

I remember the day I heard the news. My family was sitting at a restaurant table, discussing the sermon we had heard earlier that Sunday morning. In the midst of our banter and laughter, a text message popped up on my wife’s phone. Suddenly, the world impinged itself upon us and the table grew somber. …

For the Love

October 25, 2015

It is an awkward truth, but I do, on occasion, read books intended for a female audience. Since I belong to a denomination which frowns on women teaching men, I’ve often questioned the wisdom of leaving my store premises without such literary works in a brown paper bag. What if I happen upon a fellow …

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