A mind is a terrible thing to waste. It’s been said that the intellectual life, or the thinking life, is nothing more than a mind awake. And who in their right mind could bear to live as a mind asleep? To think is one of the highest privileges humanity possesses. Made in God’s image to … More A Mind Awake
The Hebrew Scriptures are adorned and haunted by their crown jewel — the Psalter. The Psalms fathom the depths of evil, suffering, and betrayal, and scale the heights of devotion, deliverance, and steadfast love. Through the centuries, Jews and Christians have turned to the Psalter both as individuals and communities to lament, repent, question, declare, and … More Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom by Michael Barber (Review)
With four children ages 5-7, I care deeply about children’s Bibles. If the Bible is the sacred book we believe it is, then the selection of stories, their emphases and implications, the language and tone, the artwork — everything matters. The tagline of the popular Jesus Storybook Bible (ZonderKidz, 2009) reads: “Every story whispers his name.” In the introduction … More The Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition (Review)
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to make this regular request: “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13a). Perhaps because “temptation” sounds so ominous, believers and non-believers alike typically view it as a noticeable, passing, one-time event. We certainly see these types of temptations in the Bible: Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:1-7), Jesus in … More Temptation Is Bigger Than You Think
The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms (Crossway, 2013) is a collection of insightful essays by seasoned OT scholar Gordon Wenham. Wenham promotes using the Psalms in worship, reading the Psalms through canonical, messianic, and ethical lenses, and valuing the imprecatory psalms. Emphasizing a canonical approach throughout, Wenham seeks to interpret a particular psalm in light … More The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms by Gordon Wenham (Review)
“Family worship” is an archaic phrase—and an increasingly archaic practice. It sounds austere and intimidating, like an outdated tradition for über-conservative, tightly sheltered, hyper-Christian families who care more about spiritual solemnity than family warmth. Jason Helopoulos, assistant pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, puts the lie to these misconceptions and seeks to … More A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home by Jason Helopoulos (Review)
In a fallen world, life is not worth living without convictions. If such things as evil, lies, and suffering are not mere illusions — not just the darker side of our social constructs — then evil must be fought, lies unmasked, and suffering eased. If such things exist at all, and especially if they flourish, then we … More Assumptions vs. Convictions
Todd Bolen is a professor, mentor, and friend — the kind of teacher and advisor I want to be around and be like. In 2002 I took my only class with Todd — History of Ancient Israel — and then toured Israel with him in summer 2005. Both experiences fostered true education: my understanding and my … More Lessons on Teaching from Prof. Todd Bolen: A Brief Interview
James Innell Packer was born in Gloucester, England on July 22, 1926. Oxford, teaching, authorship, and a long life of Christian service would follow. Now at the back end of an influential life, J. I. Packer lives in Vancouver and serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College. He is 86 years … More Weakness Is the Way by J. I. Packer (Review)
The Bible contains a rich tapestry of interwoven themes, intricate layers, and imaginative development. Reducing its grand story to a sterile set of platitudes or a disposable heap of shallowly constructed contradictions is naïve at best. As I go deeper into the unfolding themes of Scripture, I continue to marvel at its intricacy and sophistication. … More Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel’s King (Review)
I recently reviewed Dr. Douglas Huffman’s very helpful Handy Guide to New Testament Greek. Dr. Huffman was kind enough to answer a few questions about biblical Greek and the value of keeping up with the biblical languages. How did you get into biblical Greek, and what made you enjoy it enough to continue studying and eventually teach it? I first took biblical … More Interview with Dr. Douglas Huffman: Keeping Up with Your Greek
Professor Grant Horner is a rock-climbing, sailing English teacher at The Master’s College and author of Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer (Crossway, 2010). I took only gen ed courses with Horner in college, but they were always intellectually appetizing. Horner’s teaching was passionate, stirring, and tension-building, creating the need for wise and discerning resolutions. His … More Lessons on Teaching from Prof. Grant Horner: A Brief Interview
I have written a little, and would like to write more. Dave DeWit is Senior Editor at Crossway and has spent nearly three decades in the Christian publishing industry, mostly with Moody Publishers. I met Dave on a recent trip to Chicago, and after hearing some of his experience and perspective in person, I wanted to hear … More Wisdom for Would-be Authors: Interview with Crossway’s Senior Editor Dave DeWit
Dr. Abner Chou serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at The Master’s College in Southern California. He is the author of I Saw the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Vision (Wipf & Stock, forthcoming) and will contribute the Lamentations installment of the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (Logos). I have known Abner for more than ten years now. … More Lessons on Teaching from Dr. Abner Chou: A Brief Interview
The landscape of higher education is undergoing a seismic shift. What’s the future of teachers after the shakedown? What will the teachers of the next generation need to look like and prioritize? Dan Dumas, Senior Vice President for Institutional Administration at Southern Seminary, recently shared four observations with a classroom of prospective teachers. Dumas has … More Teachers of the Future: Advice from Seminary Leader Dan Dumas
I’ve always thought the account of Simeon in Luke 2:21-35 was a very precious and moving story. I’ve read it and been stirred by it at all times of the year. But it’s particularly striking around Christmas. Simeon was an elderly man who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t die until he had seen the promised Messiah, … More All I Want for Christmas: Simeon’s Hope
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