In our book, Jesus: A Theography, Leonard Sweet and I take 424 pages to show that both the Old and New Testaments tell the story of Jesus in great detail. The Old Testament points forward to Him. The New Testament points back to Him. But “all Scripture” points to Him, as Jesus said in John 5:39. Throughout the book, we draw on the best scholarship available to throw light on who Jesus is and was and put it together in... Read more

For those who have found Jesus overly-familiar and the wonder, surprise, and excitement have all waned . . . For those who have heard the same-ole,’ same ole’ about Jesus . . . He’s Savior, Lord, King (yawn), etc. For those who have watched their first love grow lukewarm . . . For those who think they have the corner on Jesus, “been there, heard that, got a closet full of T-shirts, tell me something new . . .” For... Read more

If you’re just joining us, read Part I of the series as it introduces the topic of Spiritual Conversation Styles (SCSs). See also Part II – The Charismatic Spiritual Conversational Style and Part III – The Quoter Spiritual Conversational Style. — Unlike the Charismatic SCS and the Quoter SCS, the Pragmatic SCS is chiefly interested in what works. Those who use this style have a nuts-and-bolts approach to life. Appeals to personal revelation do not impress them. Neither do quotes... Read more

People who use the Quoter SCS hinge any meaningful conversation about God to a particular view of biblical authority. The Quoter SCS simply cannot tolerate a spiritual or theological discussion unless the other party shares his or her own assumptions about how the Bible is to be viewed and, more important, how it’s to be used. Most of the folks who use this SCS, particularly in the United States, demand a specific expression of biblical authority. It’s the expression that... Read more

If you’re just joining us, read Part I of the series as it introduces the topic of Spiritual Conversation Styles (SCSs). — Those who use the Charismatic SCS are often associated with the Charismatic/Pentecostal subculture of the Christian world. In conversation, the Charismatic SCS appeals to personal revelation of the Bible as an authority for interpretation and application. Some advocates of the Charismatic SCS despise biblical scholarship, paying little attention to the principles of hermeneutics and sound exegesis, deeming them... Read more

Rick Lawrence has just released a new book. It’s called Jesus-Centered Daily. I caught up with Rick recently to interview him on his book. Enjoy! Why did you write this book? What provoked it? Rick Lawrence: I’ve written or helped produce (co-authored or edited) close to 40 books and curriculums in my writing life, but my “dream project” was always a daily devotional. As I was growing into my “disciple’s heart” as a follower of Jesus, devotionals that drew from... Read more

Why all the harsh debate, misunderstanding, and confusion among those who argue theology and religion? Part it is certainly rooted in substantive disagreements. But another part is rooted in differing conversational styles. The subject of conversational styles is not new. Linguists and sociologists use the term conversational style to describe the specific set of assumptions and goals that people employ when they communicate. All social groups construct such styles to communicate their thoughts. Conversational styles are part of the reason... Read more

JESUS SPEAKS: Learning to Respond & Recognize to the Lord’s Voice has been called the new touchstone on hearing the Lord’s voice. If you struggle in this area, you’ll want to read the book. If you or you know someone who is fan of “Jesus Calling,” this book is designed to give you your own Jesus Calling experience. Amazon Editorial Review: “The Christian analog to the Lennon-McCartney brand, Sweet and Viola offer the third book in their JESUS trilogy. Jesus... Read more

I was going to title this post “In Praise of Wordsmiths” . . . but I decided not to. After you watch the video, you’ll see why. Let me know if you teared-up at the end (it’s less than 2 minutes long). I’m guilty . . . it reminds me of Jesus — the true and perfect Human — on so many levels. Read more

What follows are my most recent UNFILTERED updates and blog posts, some of which have been shared numerous times around the Web. I hope they encourage you. If you wish to share any of them, there are “Share” buttons below each article. Prophetic Nonsense The Truth (and Lie) About Being Vulnerable Everybody’s an Expert Today and So Are You Another Relationship Killer Why You Shouldn’t Offer Unsolicited Advice This is Sabotaging Your Relationships Important Update — A Change Read more