Is the law good or bad? Occasionally a biblical theological study comes along that has the potential to strongly impact soul care ministry. The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church is one of those works. It is a major paradigm shift in understanding and living the law in all of Scripture. Continue Reading →
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Pastor Dave Swavely, church planter and mission leader, writes out of concern for relationships that should function in love. Among the author’s other writings, Life in the Father’s House: A Member’s Guide to the Local Church (P&R, 1996) illustrates his church relational commitment. In the present study, Swavely addresses the unique relationship Jesus calls “unto others” and invites Christians to rediscover it for the good of the home, church, and society. Continue Reading →
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Angry with God offers guidance specifically for when pain leads to grief that gets stuck in the anger phase. For this review, let’s call it grief-anger. The author explains, “Anger with God is often stunted grief with the loss or destruction of something good” (p. 39). He explains the book’s title and purpose: “This entire book is an invitation and a process for sharing your pain with God as a means of processing what you currently experience as anger at God” (p. 25). Intentionally understanding anger as a part of the grief process can move us forward in our pain and suffering. Continue Reading →
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How would you describe the church to someone who asks? In The Loveliest Place: The Beauty and Glory of the Church (full-size book) and Why Should We Love the Local Church? (concise version), Dustin Benge observes that we naturally resort to structural and organizational language. In response, he warns, “Defining the church in institutional terms is futile, for the church belongs exclusively to God.” That’s why he can argue, “The church is God’s household and our family.” God describes His church with relational imagery as He views it. Church is home. Continue Reading →
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Few concepts confuse Christ-followers more than the fear of the Lord. Michael Reeves aims to clarify this issue by defining and explaining the biblical term ‘fear’ as well as treating the broader concept. He does so within a broad framework of fear and anxiety as common human experience; that is, he uses the current universal notion of fear to help explain the fitting biblical response to God. Continue Reading →
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