A Few Good Reads

“Yes, Muslims Really Qualify for Religious Freedom“
In a recent editorial for The Christian Index, Dr. Gerald Harris argued that Muslims should not receive full religious freedom because of the faith commitments of some of its adherents. Dr. Harris’ editorial advocates a stunning departure from the historic Baptist understanding of religious liberty and Bart Barber responds with a thorough exposition of our position on this issue. Barber’s post explores the history of religious liberty and offers some thoughts on this current debate. “The most rapidly growing religion in the world is Evangelical Christianity—the faith that gave the world universal religious liberty and has been its staunchest ongoing defender. You’d think that those two facts would instill a little pragmatic confidence in the idea of universal religious liberty.”

“When Your Pastor Preaches a Sermon Dud“
Sometimes when you go gather with God’s people to pray, sing praises, and hear his word your pastor completely drops the ball on his sermon. This can happen when his main point wasn’t clear, he didn’t have relevant application, seemed like he wasn’t into it, or was just plain boring. What should you go home and do that day? How should you respond to your pastor bombing? Tony Reinke offers some helpful suggestions drawn from the writings of John Newton. “Our pastor is a weak and sinful man, and he is quite likely aware of this without our help.”

“Why Daughters Need Their Dads“
I get the privilege of being Dad to three amazing girls, so anything I can read on how to be a more faithful and godly father piques my immediate interest. Dr. Meg Meeker shares why girls need their Dads, and how we shape their lives for decades to come. “Over the years, in erratic bursts and in simple ordinary life together, she will absorb your influence. She will watch every move you make. She might not understand why you are happy or angry, affectionate, but you will be the most important man in her life, forever.”

“Four Ways for Fathers to Engage at Home”
Men face many temptations in parenting, and one of the most subtle is our tendency to be disengaged from our children for the few hours we are home in the afternoons. Jeremy Adelman reminds us of four specific ways we can engage our kids when we are at home with them. “When our wives and children are awake and want to be with us, our phones are a distraction from what matters most in that moment. By the time we get home most days, our children will be asleep within a few short hours. Don’t waste it on your phone.”

God and Politics
With the 2016 general election getting into full swing, it’s helpful for Christians to step back and think about how our faith affects the way we view and engage in politics. Few people can answer this question like a pastor in the nation’s capitol. This short book from Mark Dever will help us as we seek to engage the political in a biblically faithful manner. “In a society where religion is increasingly private, and faith is OK as long as it s not shared, many would seek to keep God out of their politics. But is that right, and is it biblical? This is an important topic to consider, not just for those working in government, but for all of us as we seek to be responsible citizens in a fallen world.”