How much time do you spend on your phone? The answer may surprise you. From supposed "quick glances" to long hours scrolling through social media, mobile devices continue to grab people's attention. In his new book, Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport seeks to address the problems associated with having a life dominated by digital devices. The Problem:…
How does the church keep from being too inward focused? How does the church balance the big gatherings with smaller service initiatives? It's questions like these that Hugh Halter and Matt Smay seek to answer in their book And: The Gathered and Scattered Church. Halter and Smay don't want people to lose their love for the church,…
What kind of leadership would is take to make the gospel spread quickly across an area? That's the question that Steve Addison takes up in Pioneering Movements: Leadership that Multiplies Disciples and Church. The Gist Churches join in gospel movements by training leaders (24). A powerful combination is "training followed by action" (25). The training method…
Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998) was a Britist missionary for many years to India. He wrote many books focusing on the church and her mission. The Open Secret introduces some key issues surrounding the concept of mission. Because church plants must be mission focused in order to survive, the book has direct implications for shaping the discussion around church…
I love the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. It's probably been the most influential book on me in the last four years. You can find the series I did on the book here: one, two, three, four, five. But the book does raise a number of remaining questions that have to be worked through to develop…
If actually doing deep work is meaningful, then we the flipside is true: doing shallow work is not meaningful. So what it to be done? Rule #4 Drain the Shallows If you want to work deeply, then you must drain the shallows. You must attempt to rid your schedule of as much shallow work as possible.…
Author Cal Newport gives several "rules" for rebuilding your focus and strengthening your ability to produce high-quality work. First, we must make space for deep work. Second, we can embrace boredom. Next, Newport advocates for people to quite social media. Rule #3: Quit Social Media Internet sabbaticals are overrated. Why? Because such sabbaticals aren’t training your…
Jordan Peterson, a professor of psychology from the University of Toronto, has become very popular, especially among young men. Here are some quotes from the book. #1: The Power of Habit The body, with its various parts, needs to function like a well-rehearsed orchestra. Every system must play its role properly, and at exactly the…
What do Christians believe? And what role, if any, do the teachings of Christianity play in helping believers live out their faith? It is precisely these kinds of question which Michael Horton attempts to answer is his systematic theology, The Christian Faith. In his book, Horton attempts to teach through all the major teachings of Christianity. He…
It always cost time and money to do justice...And yet there are times when doing justice really costs. These verses talk about a time of trouble--literally, "the day of adversity." In times of crisis, from recession to government coups, the most vulnerable are most endangered, and to defend them puts you in the way of harm as…
Raising Lazarus 