A Few Good Reads

A Crash Course on the Muslim Worldview and Islamic Theology

Justin Taylor provides all of Adam Franciscos videos on Islamic Theology and Worldview on his page at the Gospel Coalition. With the renewed discussion about Islam in our culture, Christians would do well to gain a better understanding of the Islamic faith and how it informs their view of the world. “His work on the history of Islam is nuanced and informed. As one online bio notes, ‘He has a unique ability to see and understand both the difficulties facing Christians who wish to evangelize their Muslim friends and the Muslims who are being asked to come to Christ. Many of his unique insights come from personal experiences sharing his faith with Muslims.’”

Why White Men Should Preach Noteless Sermons
Nicholas MacDonald at Scribblepreach states his case for white men preaching without notes in the pulpit. He argues that white men grow up in literary cultures and this makes our sermons harder on the listener. As a guy who types a 3,000 word manuscript, I needed to hear this challenge. “In fact, the reason why most white men need their notes in the pulpit is that our sermons are too dense for the ear. Let me say that in another way: if you can’t remember your sermon, it’s too dense. It’s too complicated. It’s too geared toward written communication. Memory goes hand-in-hand with simplicity and focus – two essential qualities for oral communication.”

Certainty, Openness, and Theological Wisdom
Unfortunately Christians have a difficult time discerning the difference between doctrines which and central to our faith and ones about which we can disagree. Thankfully Ray Ortlund offers his gracious and wise voice on this matter. “The gospel requires us to have high expectations of one another on biblically central doctrines and strategies, and it cautions us to be more relaxed with one another the further we have to move out from the center.”

5 Strategies for Daily Bible Reading
Every Christian struggles at times with their daily Bible reading. In this post Dane Ortlund shares some strategies that will help your daily devotions bear more fruit. “One of the issues that comes up most often frequently when I am discipling others in the church is the struggle to do daily Bible reading. And it doesn’t necessarily get easier for those of us who are in ministry or study the Bible in an academic context—in fact, I think many pastors face the temptation of their teaching ministry from the Bible to crowd out, or altogether replace, their own personal devotional reading of Scripture. But if Christ claims that daily Bible reading is more important to us than daily food, we can’t neglect our own nourishment, even while seeking to feed others.”

The Gospel
This important little book from Ray Ortlund teaches how the church displays the beauty of the Gospel in our relationships. He shows how our doctrinal understanding of the Gospel should shape and form our community life. “The gospel is a theological message. But this message also creates human beauty—beautiful relationships in our churches, making the glory of Christ visible in the world today.”