The Parables

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Carl Simmons

An in-depth look at the power of Jesus’ parables. . . .

The Parables

Douglas D. Webster. The Parables: Jesus’s Friendly Subversive Speech. 240p., $22.99, Kregel Academic.

Jesus’s parables used familiar situations to convey deep spiritual truths in ways that are provocative and subversive of the status quo. Prayerfulness was pictured by a persistent widow. The joy of salvation in the homecoming of a lost son. Love of neighbor by a marginalized Samaritan. If we’re not careful, we can easily miss details in the parables that reveal their subtle meanings as well as their contemporary relevance.

Drawing on scholarship on the parables as well as theological, pastoral, and practical insights, Douglas Webster guides the reader through each of Jesus’s parables, pointing out the important nuances that allow us to understand them and be transformed by them. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter can be used for personal or group study, and an appendix for pastors provides guidance for preaching the parables. Pastors, Bible teachers, and serious students of Scripture will find this tour through Jesus’s parabolic teaching to be a feast for both the mind and the soul.

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Biblical Economic Policy

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Carl Simmons

One way of looking at the world of economics biblically. . . .

David Arnott and Sergiy Saydometov. Biblical Economic Policy: Ten Scriptural Truths for Fiscal and Monetary Decision-Making. 400p., $16.99, Deep River Books.

What does the Bible say about economics? A lot. . . . In Biblical Economic Policy, Arnott and Saydometov build a biblical framework for analyzing national economic policy that takes on everything from taxes to spending to tariffs to minimum wage. The Bible has something to say about all these critical present-day issues, and this book explains how to apply it to 21st-century policies.

Arnott and Saydometov hold up the mirror of the Bible and ask their fellow Christians, “Is this the way we’re supposed to run a biblical economy?” . . .

Biblical Economic Policy takes the macroeconomic view and analyzes how well America’s economic policies align with biblical principles.

This book tackles difficult present-day economic policies, including taxes, spending, national debt, interest rates, and money supply.

Written with sound biblical grounding, in accessible language, Biblical Economic Policy will turn the common reader into a biblical economic analyst.

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Crazy Church Ladies

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Carl Simmons

The true story of how a group of “church ladies” took on the world of sex trafficking. . . .

Gwen Adams. Crazy Church Ladies: The Priceless Story of an Unlikely Group Winning the War against Trafficking. 160p., $15.99, Deep River Books.

What happens when ordinary churchgoing women heed the radical call of an extraordinary God?

The sex trafficking trade is an ugly, messy, and complicated crisis in desperate need of intervention, but it is easier to stay out of it and pray from a safe distance.

However, the church is not called to be safe. In Crazy Church Ladies, Gwen Adams recounts how she and her group of church ladies became crime-fighting machines to upend the world of trafficking in their city.

Their program, Priceless, has become a multifaceted wrecking ball to the crime of human trafficking in their home state of Alaska. But they still focus on the simple truth that as they invest wholeheartedly in the few, they will reach the masses with the hope of the gospel message.

Crazy Church Ladies lays out a blueprint for the church to be the church. In a world with so much conversation about the church and social justice, this story shows how the church can live into its primary calling, to make disciples and impact the surrounding culture in ways that no government, law enforcement, or community activism can.

Get to know the real Crazy Church Ladies and eventually, the men, too, as they encounter victims of trafficking and the worst abuse you could ever imagine. In the most unlikely place, among people with nothing in common, life-changing friendship emerges. The stories will break hearts, but unbroken hearts rarely change the world. In the end, the reader will see the astounding beauty that can only emerge from the darkest of places.

What happens when ordinary churchgoing women heed the radical call of an extraordinary God? It breaks their hearts and brings true hope and healing to the world around them.

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Talking about Ethics

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Carl Simmons

A tough set of subjects in a surprisingly conversational tone. . . .

Talking About Ethics

Michael S. Jones, Mark J. Farnham, and David L. Saxon. Talking about Ethics: A Conversational Approach to Moral Dilemmas. 384p., $29.99, Kregel Academic.

Talking about Ethics provides the reader with all of the tools necessary to develop a coherent approach to ethical decision-making. Using the tools of ethical theory, the authors show how these theories play out in relation to a wide variety of ethical questions using an accessible dialogue format. The chapters follow three college students as they discuss today’s most important ethical issues with their families and friends, including:

  • Immigration
  • Capital punishment
  • Legalization of narcotics
  • Abortion
  • Premarital sex
  • Reproductive technologies
  • Gender identity
  • The environment, and many more

The engaging dialogue format illustrates how these topics often take shape in the real world, and model critical thinking and Christian ethical decision-making. Study aids in each chapter include overviews, sidebars, reflection questions, glossaries, and recommended reading. Ideal as a textbook for undergraduate ethics courses, it is also accessible enough for high school classes and personal study.

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Biblical Worship

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Carl Simmons

A survey of biblical worship, from the source itself to the present day. . . .

Biblical Worship

Benjamin K. Forrest, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., and Vernon M. Whaley, eds. Biblical Worship: Theology for God’s Glory. Biblical Theology for the Church. 544p., $42.99, Kregel Academic.

While many books on worship focus on contemporary trends, Biblical Worship plumbs every book of the Bible to uncover its teaching on worship and then applies these insights to our lives and churches today. A team of respected evangelical scholars unearths insights into a variety of issues surrounding worship, including:

  • The Old Testament concept of worship
  • Worship before the Exodus
  • Worship in the Old Testament feasts and celebrations
  • Worship in the Psalms of Lament and Thanksgiving
  • The New Testament concept of worship
  • Worship in the Gospels
  • Worship in Acts
  • Worship in the Pastoral Epistles, and much more.

Pastors, worship leaders, instructors, and anyone who wants to grow in their knowledge of the Bible’s full teaching on worship and how it applies today will benefit from this volume.

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An Invitation to Biblical Interpretation

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Carl Simmons

For those ready to wade into the theological deep end. . . .

Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, 2nd ed.

Andreas J. Köstenberger & Richard D. Patterson. An Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology. 2nd edition. 704p., $51.99, Kregel Academic.

In this second edition of Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, Andreas Kostenberger leads the reader step-by-step through the process of interpreting and applying God’s Word.

The primary principle is the hermeneutical triad, which consists of history, literature, and theology. Readers are equipped to explore the historical background of a biblical passage, analyze its literary genre and features, and derive its theological meaning in light of the biblical canon. Numerous examples are provided throughout to illustrate the concepts. A concluding chapter provides direction on practical application, preaching, and helpful tools for Bible study.

Additional features include key words and definitions at the end of each chapter, study questions, and practical exercises for applying the material. An appendix lists numerous resources for Bible study, including recommended commentaries for every book of the Bible.

The second edition updates these resources, as well as the sources cited throughout, and includes a revised chapter on the Old Testament canon. Instructors, students, pastors, and anyone who desires to interpret Scripture accurately will find this volume to be an indispensable addition to their library.

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The First Stone

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Carl Simmons

A historical novel of redemption. . . .

Kim Pearson Weise. The First Stone. $15.99, Deep River Books.

Chava is still just a girl when she makes a life-changing decision; to escape from abuse that threatens to follow her, she enters an arranged marriage with a stranger in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, Jerusalem is not far enough away. When her abuser turns up in the city, Chava is again forced to seek safety wherever she can find it—but the results are disastrous. Caught and brought before a rabbi, Chava is faced with the consequence of being stoned to death. The rabbi refuses to condemn her, but in the midst of a culture that values honor above all, Chava’s life is stained with the public disgrace of what she has done. That shame weighs down her path, but her path is also interwoven with faith, as she struggles to live with the disgrace, and maybe even find a way out.

Chava’s story is inspirational in its exploration of abuse and dishonor, the damage done by both, and the challenges faced by a young woman striving to cope with that damage. It gives rise to an understanding of infidelity, still relevant today, two thousand years after Chava’s story takes place. Beginning with an arranged marriage in first-century Jerusalem, her journey is about so much more—the burden of abuse and shame, and the relevance of faith amidst it all.

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Kerux Commentaries: Hebrews

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Carl Simmons

Hebrews

Herbert W. Bateman IV and Steven Smith. Hebrews: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. 342p., $36.99, Kregel Academic.

Kerux Commentaries enable pastors and teachers to understand and effectively present the main message in a biblical text.

Each volume uniquely combines the insights of an experienced Bible exegete (trained in interpretation) and a homiletician (trained in preaching). These two authors work together to explain the essential message for the original listeners or readers, unpack its timeless truth, and then provide a contemporary restatement and communication insights for the key biblical concept. Every book is a resource designed and written with the real needs of the pastor and teacher always in sight, providing many ways to creatively express the principal thought in a biblical passage.

Based on the Big Idea preaching model, Kerux enhances the reader’s ability to deliver a message that is biblical, cohesive, and dynamic.

For more information on the series, please visit KeruxCommentaries.com.

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40 Questions About Pastoral Ministry

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Carl Simmons

40 Questions about Pastoral Ministry

Phil A. Newton. 40 Questions About Pastoral Ministry. 320p., $23.99, Kregel Academic.

In 40 Questions about Pastoral Ministry, veteran pastor Phil Newton provides trustworthy answers to 40 of the most common and pressing questions relating to the life and work of the pastor. Covering five major categories–such as development, practices, and preaching–Newton equips pastors to successfully handle everyday duties and challenges, including:

  • Remaining spiritually healthy
  • Strengthening your marriage
  • Dealing with discouragement
  • Avoiding pitfalls
  • Leading elders’ meetings
  • Mentoring future leaders
  • Preaching through books of the Bible
  • Conducting marriages and funerals
  • Practicing church discipline
  • Leading change and revitalization, and much more

Basing his answers on Scripture, theological reflection, and personal experience, Newton serves as a mentor and guide for pastors at every stage of ministry. The questions and answers are self-contained, and topics of interest can be easily located. Pastors will want to consult this volume often for authoritative advice on all aspects of pastoral ministry.

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Engaging Generation Z

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Carl Simmons

Youth ministry for the next generation . . . .

Engaging Generation Z

Tim Mc Knight. Engaging Generation Z: Raising the Bar for Youth Ministry. 192p., $17.99, Kregel Ministry.

To disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. In this thoroughly revised second edition of Raising the Bar: Student Ministry for a New Generation, pastor and professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today’s adolescents.

Following an overview of the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Generation Z, McKnight provides youth pastors and volunteers with a complete plan for discipling adolescents through the local church. This includes practical advice on topics such as:

  • Engaging parents in youth ministry
  • Holistically guiding students in their beliefs, behavior, and affections
  • Equipping adult leaders who can serve as role models
  • Working with pastors, staff, and church leaders
  • Helping parents develop rites of passage for their children as they move into adulthood
  • Raising expectations for adolescents to encourage them to grow toward maturity

Based on years of personal experience and practice, Engaging Generation Z provides everything youth ministers need to equip, grow, and encourage today’s generation of young people to follow Christ, and to take their student ministry to the next level.

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