Not long ago, a reader asked my opinion on swearing/cursing/cussing/using profanity. Certain words are offensive in the hearing of much of our culture. Before someone pipes in and says, “but swear words aren’t offensive to the culture,” think again. I was a high school teacher for many years and there were words that were “offensive” and couldn’t be used by the students nor the teachers without rebuke. That hasn’t changed in most public school systems today. Further, many parents don’t... Read more

This article has been edited and now appears in my limited-edition Titan. Read more

Prove it! by Derek Turner Charlotte, NC The eyes of the world are on my city. At least until the next tragic event happens and the media scurry off like a pack of eight year old soccer players chasing a ball around the pitch. Charlotte is being judged. Not by God, but by the countless beliefs of individuals who have every right to express their opinion and then fight over it on social media. The protests in the streets are... Read more

Originally published in 2012. The good folks at the Patheos Book Club asked me to review Francis Chan’s book, Multiply, co-authored with Mark Beuving. And I agreed. Let me say a few words about Francis Chan to begin with . . . things I’ve never stated publicly, until now. Since 2008, I’ve received a steady stream of emails about Chan from readers. Here are some examples: Hey Frank, I just saw a video of Chan talking about the church. Looks like... Read more

 Read more

I recommend the following new books by Eerdmans. Discovering Romans This third volume in the Discovering Biblical Texts series offers readers a compact, up-to-date, and student-friendly introduction to Paul’s letter to the Romans, focusing on its structure, content, theological concerns, key interpretive debates, and historical reception. Anthony C. Thiselton alerts readers to key issues and questions raised by the text, encouraging in-depth study and a sincere grappling with the theological and historical questions raised by this often-controversial epistle. He pays... Read more

The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching is a massive textbook on preaching with numerous preacher/authors contributing their own short chapters. The chapter by Dallas Willard alone is worth the price of the book. What was lacking, however, is that today’s greatest preachers were completely missing from the book. As well as some of the most powerful lessons/secrets to effective preaching. Here’s the back cover write up from the book. “A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Communicators This extensive encyclopedia is... Read more