Hello from SBL, this year in San Diego, where I’ll be seeing folks like my friend and co-editor Nijay Gupta. Sky boxes, wonderful! Like many parents, Steve Simpson wanted to teach his son the importance of hard work along with valuable skills that can be used both on the job as well as in life. So two years ago, Steve, along with his son, Sky, started their very own small business. Sky Boxes, a family partnership that primarily installs and... Read more

Title: Culture of Friendship (Pastor Paul Series) – KR 142 What would it have been like to be friends with the Apostle Paul? Scot takes a look at what friendship looked like in the ancient world through figures like Aristotle. Friendship was seen as a powerful force that shaped the trajectory of a life. If the Apostle Paul’s relationships teach us anything it is that friends are essential to having a thriving ministry. Explore this topic further in Scot’s book... Read more

Of the making of multi-view books there seems to be no end. I think the books began at IVP and then migrated for full-blown efforts to Zondervan, with a few other publishers involved as well. The genre had made for good books for students and pastors and classroom discussions. Most of them are quite accessible, and the introductions to them have mapped the territory for the readers. James K. Beilby and Paul Rhodes Eddy’s book, however, doesn’t quite fit the... Read more

Rachel Conner, a friend of Kelly Edmiston, has been part of the Sugar Land Vineyard since 2001, and along with her husband Stephen, has been an active participant in the life and activities of the local church. She has served on the Senior Pastor’s Council and completed her Spiritual Director’s Training. She now serves as the Executive Pastor for the Sugar Land Vineyard Church, working with the pastoral staff and leading various discipleship efforts. In her spare time she enjoys the beach and spending... Read more

Matthew Bates, in his new book Gospel Allegiance: What Faith in Jesus Misses for Salvation in Christ, takes on some heavies — Piper, MacArthur, Sproul. Over and over he interacts with those evangelicals who will have problems with this book or who are shaping the gospel in the evangelical world today. It is irresponsible for them not to interact with the solid exegesis of a book like this. Bates is young but he’s an accomplished exegete of Scripture and his contentions... Read more

If there is a single question that has stood the test of time it is the problem of pain. How could a loving God allow so much inherent pain and suffering? The question has stood the test of time because answers are neither easy or straightforward. Rebecca McLaughlin addresses this question in chapter 11 of her book Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. She has no knock down answer, but does offer some thoughts worth considering.... Read more

Andrew Bartlett, in his new book Men and Women in Christ, sketches the six most common pillars on which the argument against women leaders rests. (#ad) Formerly, the view that women may not fulfil these leadership roles rested on a belief that women were in a subordinate position and inherently unfit for leadership, either because this was how God created them or because of the fall. This belief is no longer regarded as consistent with Scripture… While there are differences between... Read more

By Ruth Tucker Years ago son Carlton and I visited a grove of trees near Palmyra where Jesus had appeared and told Joseph Smith, in answer to his prayer, that he should join none of the churches because “their creeds were an abomination in his sight.” Last week I posted on Spurgeon and MacArthur and their “downgrading” of fellow Baptists. The top-dog downgrader, however, was surely Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons. Smith was fourteen, the same age as Carlton... Read more

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen BCP Read more