Joel Osteen, Break Out! 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life. FaithWords, 2013. 243 pages. $26.00 Detroit’s freeways are framed by dozens of billboards featuring happy, young, successful people enjoying a night of games and entertainment at one of the city’s casinos. The sleek, enticing images preach an alluring message: “Greatness awaits... Continue Reading

I find it hard to imagine the ancient Israelites admiring the artwork on the Asherah poles they were called to tear down. I find it hard to picture the early church fathers attending the games at the Roman coliseum, praising the artistic merits of the arena even as they provide caveats against violence. Yet now... Continue Reading

The following top 12 Christian books for 2103 as posted by Monergism Books. 1) Who’s Your Father?: Returning to the Love of the Biblical God By Robert Bernecker 2) From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective From Crossway/Good News Publishers 3) Systematic Theology: An Introduction to... Continue Reading

“What appears to be the most seminal moment in a young person’s decision to leave Facebook was surely that dreaded day your mum sends you a friend request,” wrote Miller.   Facebook is ‘dead and buried’ to older teenagers, an extensive European study has found, as the key age group moves on to Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and... Continue Reading

So, a big loss for GLAAD, and the larger debate about freedom of speech concerning homosexuality goes on. Fox Sports executives are scheduled to give depositions next month about why they fired college football analyst Craig James in September because while running for the U.S. Senate in 2012 he had opposed same sex marriage.   The gay... Continue Reading

Rick Warren somehow finds a different understanding: “But Daniel knew this wouldn’t be a healthy diet, so he asked that he and three of his friends be allowed to eat healthier…. [H]e understood God wanted him to live a healthy lifestyle so he could serve God no matter where he was located.” Warren’s reading of... Continue Reading

Nagel believes that we should accept the failure of our contemporary scientific account of the world in order to make way for a revolution. Humanity has made great progress by excluding the mind from the material world, but the time has come to accept the facts: we need to have a new account with mind... Continue Reading

In “The Message of Daniel,” the author essentially follows the book of Daniel, from chapter one straight through to chapter twelve. He doesn’t work it out like a normal commentary, verse by verse, with tons of Hebrew/Aramaic syntactical-grammatical verbosity cluttering up the page. Instead, the material genuinely lends itself to serious devotional reading, as well... Continue Reading

James Hamilton writes this little volume, What Is Biblical Theology?, so that when you stare death in the face you will stand with Paul and declare, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better!”   James M. Hamilton Jr. What Is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and... Continue Reading

Can’t we make distinctions anymore between someone who wants to beat up homosexuals and someone who (1) affirms what the Bible says, (2) recognizes that gays are also made after God’s image, and (3) notes that all of us, without exception, are sinners? Must we all applaud propaganda? Can’t we oppose bullying attempts from both... Continue Reading