God Is Not a Genie in a Bottle

Last updated on: April 18, 2012 at 2:25 pm By Owen Strachan

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Eric Bargerhuff, author of The Most Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God’s Word Is Misunderstood (Bethany House). The interview was published in Christianity Today. Eric is a keen thinker (and a fellow PhD graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). He’s written a helpful, readable book that I commend to you. Here’s a swath of the CT interview: You critique prayers that uncritically expect God to grant us, well, anything. Like... Read more

The Gospel Coalition Goes Existentialist (!)

Last updated on: April 17, 2012 at 3:50 pm By Owen Strachan

Collin Hansen of TGC announces a fantastic new project chaired by Leland Ryken: “We’re thrilled to welcome Wheaton College professor Leland Ryken as a sort of literature scholar in residence to guide us as we read classic books together. Every week he’ll lend us his decades of learning to help us understand why these works have come to be regarded as timeless treasures. Have you ever thought, I’ve heard that book is great, but I’m intimidated to read it myself... Read more

The Elegance of the Physical Book

Last updated on: April 14, 2012 at 11:47 pm By Owen Strachan

From a mesmeric piece on Robert Caro, biographer of Lyndon Baines Johnson, in Esquire: It’s important to him that each of Caro’s books looks and feels the same as the previous one and the next. He wants them to be built to last. Unfortunately, book building is another dying art. Bindings are glued instead of stitched; most hardcovers are made from paper rather than cloth; hinges aren’t as sharp as they used to be and half rounds aren’t as tight. “These... Read more

A Startling Word from Mark Dever on False Conversions

Last updated on: April 11, 2012 at 12:23 pm By Owen Strachan

Justin Taylor is live-blogging Together for the Gospel, which is quite a feat given the extensive content yielded by this outstanding conference. Yesterday, he summarized Mark Dever’s message on “False Conversion,” which included the following. It’s well worth pondering as a pastor and a Christian. “In reading through the NT, there are five summary truths that were being distorted in NT times and are still being distorted again—on these we must be especially clear on: God’s judgment is coming (2 Peter... Read more

Reviewing Rapper Trip Lee’s New Album

Last updated on: April 10, 2012 at 11:18 am By Owen Strachan

Just published a review of rapper Trip Lee’s new album (out today), The Good Life. Head over to the Gospel Coalition to check it out. Here’s a teaser: The rappers used to sit on the periphery of evangelical life. Now they’ve taken over. Their songs play not only in the streets, but in the minivans, the seminary offices, and the homes of folks who say they play the music “for the kids.” I’m here to call bluff on you, suburban pastor.... Read more

The Church Is Hungry for Teaching on Vocation

Last updated on: April 9, 2012 at 3:55 pm By Owen Strachan

Just had an interview published at the Gospel Coalition that I did with Gabe Lyons, a leading thinker on how to infuse Christian work with meaning and purpose. Gabe leads Q, a Christian cultural think-tank of sorts that is holding its annual conference in Washington, D. C. tomorrow through Thursday. Here’s a slice: With Q we’re trying to learn from leaders who are in those spaces—what they’re working on, what they’re imagining, how they’re trying to shape the values of... Read more

Monday Night Pre-T4G: SBTS Panel w/Trueman, Bethke, Harris, Moore

Last updated on: April 7, 2012 at 1:15 pm By Owen Strachan

Just heard from the SBTS brass that this killer dinner/panel at Southern Seminary in Louisville on Monday night (two days from now) has, due to popular demand, added 100 extra seats. Here’s the info: Dinner & Dialogue Monday, April 9, 6:00-8:00p.m. Dinner in Heritage Hall, Dialogue in Alumni Chapel $15.00 Join us for a pre-conference dinner from Chuy’s Tex Mex, followed by a panel discussion on Christ-centered theology and ministry. Dialogue will feature Josh Harris, Carl Trueman, Matt Pinson, Jeff... Read more

The Mistrial of LeBron James

Last updated on: April 6, 2012 at 12:50 pm By Owen Strachan

The new issue of ESPN the Magazine has a fun story on LeBron James. Worth reading for all you sports fans. A selection: Ask most anyone who LeBron James is and you’re likely to get a blunt reply delivered with great conviction. Choker. God. Traitor. Hero. Arrogant. Generous. Undisciplined. Underappreciated. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone is in disagreement. And over the course of this afternoon in Miami, they all will be proved right — and therefore all be proved wrong. It’s... Read more

The Ironic Key to Good Thinking: Daydreaming

Last updated on: April 5, 2012 at 7:53 pm By Owen Strachan

From Fast Company quoting Jonah Lehrer: We often feel guilty daydreaming. The time spent in an extra-long shower or staring out the window feels wasted. But daydreaming is a critical component on the path to a creative breakthrough. The activity that takes place inside of our brains while we believe we’re daydreaming is unique and activates a part of our brain associated with insight. Lehrer describes the “3M attention policy” that has been credited with several innovations over the course... Read more

Which empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel?