When my children were small, I was able to stay home with them. As much for my sanity as their enjoyment, we visited the tiny library in our tiny town every Monday morning for children’s hour. Ms. Jan, the ancient librarian, was a wizard with kids. She knew which books would keep their attention and which authors wrote quality content. She thought up and supplied creative crafts every week to go along with her theme. And she could keep a... Read more
Over a decade ago, my co-author and I were encouraged to write a book about men and women relating to one another in a holy way, particularly in the church. We immediately realized that, to accomplish our goal, we needed to invite a male to co-author alongside us. What sort of credibility would we have, two women writing about women—and men? The process proved fun, eye-opening, and encouraging. Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher are collaborating in a similar manner in... Read more
While the Bible is full of interesting people, sometimes we modern readers struggle to understand them fully. They lived in a different time, with vastly unfamiliar social norms and cultures. Sometimes the text doesn’t share enough to give us a well-rounded picture of them. Dr. Ben Witherington, III, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, decided to investigate one of the most prominent New Testament women, Priscilla, a contemporary of the Apostle Paul. Who Was Priscilla? We first read about Priscilla... Read more
Embed from Getty Images The election year has started off with an impeachment bang, and everyone has an opinion—nay, OPINIONS!—about both. Thankfully we can all access the latest facts online before we talk amongst ourselves. Why are you laughing at me? Okay, okay, it was a joke. It’s true, though, that the facts are out there on all the sites we access for news. It’s also true that the facts are obscured in spin. Each news outlet or network has... Read more
It’s the first rule of writing: show, don’t tell. Literature is littered with metaphors, similes, and analogies. These descriptive tools create mental images that communicate an intangible concept. Good storytellers know how to paint an idea onto the canvas of a reader’s imagination. They don’t even have to write them down; in some cultures, stories and traditions are passed down orally. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Word of God brought a word. Specifically, he painted word pictures. With... Read more
One of my favorite writing opportunities has been contributing both articles and book reviews to Bible Study Magazine. Produced by Lexham Press, the publishing arm of Faithlife, which also created Logos Bible Software, this bi-monthly magazine contains complete Bible studies, explores major themes from the Bible, interviews authors of important books on those themes, and reviews interesting books from within Christianity. It’s a wonderful resource for pastors, teachers, and regular believers seeking accessible—but not dumbed-down—content on the Bible. The most... Read more
Tucked into my earlier list of favorite 2019 books is this gem from Mary DeMuth, Outrageous Grace Every Day: Daily Reflections on the Gospel’s Hope. The title doesn’t really clue you in that it’s an ingenious combination of devotional and commentary—through the theologically densest book of the Bible, Paul’s letter to the Romans. Mary DeMuth has done the unlikely, distilling the deep, complex theology of Romans into accessible, personal, and applicable truth. Walking readers through each verse of the book, she celebrates its... Read more
Is the Old Testament still of value to Christians, and if so, how so? Dr Carmen Imes, associate professor of Old Testament at Prairie College in Alberta, Canada, offers an answer to that question in Bearing God’s Name. Based on her doctoral research on the third Commandment, ‘You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain,’ her new book attempts “to address the need for Christians to recover the Old Testament and read it well,” she says. I met Carmen last month, in person at... Read more
Some folks write in their Bibles. Remember the ancient handwritten Bibles with gorgeous illustrations? The art added beauty and value to each volume. These days, we doodle, underline, and draw in the margins. Created especially for girls ages 8 to 12, this proudly pink Bible provides ample space for young artists to express themselves through coloring and journaling. Girls can get creative with the detailed, ready-to-color line art surrounding the hundreds of inspiring verses in the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible... Read more
A renewed series of children’s board books aims to help families introduce their youngest members to the old Christmas carols. What’s new about them? The sound! These first came out in 2010, but this edition features an updated and improved sound chip that sings clearly and cheerfully. SmartKidz has done a great job on this like-new book series. I received two versions for review. They both boast solid binding, bright colors, clear sound, traditional songs, and new lyrics. O Little Town... Read more
Kelley Mathews
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