By Bob Hostetler (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)A book bearing the instruction to “quit going to church” might strike some church-going folk as a text to avoid, one surely full of disrespectful thoughts or even heresy. This is not so with Bob Hostetler’s book. Bob pens his work, not as one who has dismissed church attendance […]
Some people who follow Jesus have a future focus, greatly anticipating heaven. They endure the present while waiting for what is next. Other people who follow Jesus have a present perspective, living boldly for today as his ambassadors to the world. The afterlife is almost an afterthought. Which is it? Is our reward for following […]
When people in our materialistic society say they want more, they usually mean more money and possessions. But that’s not the kind of more I’m talking about. A year ago, after Easter, my wife and I slipped away from our church to take a yearlong sabbatical to visit a different Christian church each Sunday. On […]
When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life By Jeff Goins (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Wrecked is what happened to Jeff Goins when God figuratively tapped him on his shoulder, causing him to turn around and actually see what he had been conveniently overlooking. As a result, his self-centered, non-committed demeanor was pierced. Other […]
In Doctor Luke’s biography of Jesus, he shares some of the things Jesus said. Two accounts appear to contradict each other. One time Jesus says the master will have his servants sit at his table and he will wait on them. Another time Jesus said to not expect any such treatment; the servants will not […]
In my post “What I Learned From The Great Divorce,” I shared three levels of spiritual understanding for a book: reading it, seeing it preformed, and discussing it afterward. These have parallels to our spiritual journey. 1. Read I was intrigued when I read C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. However, my primary reaction was […]
Overwhelmed by a Relentless God By Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)Francis Chan’s Crazy Love opens by bravely stating what is self-obvious to many Christians, but is seldom voiced: “we all know something’s wrong.” Chan unabashedly writes this book “for those who yearn for more Jesus,” for those “bored with what American […]
Happy Mother’s Day With Mother’s Day coming up, I want to salute all moms by commending one mom in particular. The Bible simply says she was the wife of Manoah. Though we don’t know her name, we know her son’s name: Samson. God promised to give a child to this childless wife of Manoah. Before […]
Many years ago I read C. S. Lewis’s book The Great Divorce. It’s an allegory about heaven and hell, the connection between the two, and the perspective of their residents. The imagery intrigued me, providing much to contemplate, yet I was mostly confused. Yesterday, I attended a theatrical production of The Great Divorce. Being able […]
10 From the Past Who Speak to Our Future By Chris R. Armstrong (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)In Patron Saints for Postmoderns: 10 From the Past Who Speak to Our Future, author Chris Armstrong examines the lives of ten extraordinary people whose examples transcend time and teach us today. While they may have preceded us in […]