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Take one divinely-inspired book of Scripture—Galatians, say—and one of this age’s most insightful, thoughtful and contemporary Bible teachers—Tim Keller, say—and one Christian who wants their mind and heart to be increasingly engaged and stirred by the gospel—you, say.
What do you have? Galatians For You, the first in a series of expositional guides to books of the Bible, which launches today.
Who exactly is it for? Well, though it sounds like a cliché, it is FOR YOU. Whoever you are, and whatever stage of your Christian walk you’re at, from seeker to seminary student.
You can simply read it, like a normal book, chapter by chapter, working your way through Galatians. Used this way, you’re reading a book which totally allows Scripture to set the agenda; it’s not topic-based, or a thematic look at a Bible book. It simply looks at what Paul said, and why he said it, in the order that he said it, and unpacks how it’s liberating and life-changing for us today.... continue reading
My friends are hurting. I’m guessing yours are too. There seems to be a never-ending stream of people sharing their struggles. In the last few months alone I’ve had phonecalls about suicide attempts, unplanned pregnancies, lost jobs, broken relationships, spiraling debt, childhood abuse and post-traumatic stress syndrome (to name just a few).
It’s a privilege to stand alongside people in tough times. Any Christian with a heart of compassion will want to support those who struggle. All of us, I’m sure, know the importance of prayer. And I imagine most of us are confident in the transformational work that can take place when people turn to Jesus as the great counselor and sovereign Lord. But, if you’re anything like me, there are moments when you feel ill-equipped. What can (or should) be said to someone in the depths of despair? What can we do to point people to Jesus in the tough times?... continue reading
Today on The Good Book Blog, Carl Laferton speaks to Mike McKinley about his new book, Passion.
Passion is a book about the last day of Jesus' life, leading up to the cross. There are A LOT of books about the cross! Why is this one different?
Well, Passion certainly doesn't break any startling new ground. I think that's probably a good thing! But there are three features of the book's approach that I hope make it particularly helpful: First, it’s expositional. The book is rooted in the text of Luke. I hope that by the time the reader is finished with the book, they have a fresh grasp of the what the Scriptures tell us about the suffering of our Lord. Second, it’s applicational (if that’s a word!). The writers of the New Testament saw the cross of Christ (alongside his resurrection) as one of the foundational realities of the Christian life. The cross applies to our lives right now; we are meant to live and love and believe in light of what Jesus did for us there. Third, it’s slow.There is a lot of action packed into Luke's account of that day. My goal in Passion was to slow down and look carefully at all of those events and what they mean to us.... continue reading
And here, to whet your appetite, is an extract from Mike McKinley's brand new book, Passion.
Barabbas is famous for being the man who was set free instead of Jesus. We only know a few things about him. We know his name. Barabbas means “son of the father” (bar=”son”, abba=”father”). Some early manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew tell us that Barabbas’ full name was Jesus Barabbas.
We also know that he was in jail, having been found guilty of starting a riot and committing a murder. He was a dangerous criminal, a killer.
Barabbas is the opposite of the people we’d like to be, and like to think of ourselves as. But for a moment, put yourself in his shoes. You are sitting in a Roman jail awaiting your death. You know you will be crucified for your crimes. And, in your more honest moments, you know you deserve it. There aren’t many worse ways to die. And so day after day you sit in this jail, anticipating the nails, the mockery, the excruciating pain, the blood filling your lungs, the breaking of your legs. That’s your future. You don’t know when it’s coming, but you know it is coming.... continue reading
The cross of Jesus is the centre of human history. It's the centre of the Christian faith. And it changes everything we are, everything we have been, everything we will become. Or at least it should ... But it's all too easy to let the wonder that is the cross seem routine, in our thinking it can become just an historical fact that will one day get us a free pass to eternal life. All too often it doesn't always have the pivotal place in our lives that it deserves. Which is why we're so excited to be launching Mike McKinley's new book today: Passion.
Through its pages, Mike takes us on a tour of the last day of Jesus' life. He draws out the awfulness of Jesus' execution and the awesomeness of the salvation it buys in ways that will inspire and equip. Through the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, the implications of Jesus' death are gently but challengingly brought to bear. So whether you're exploring Christianity, a new Christian or have been following Jesus for many years, this book is a great opportunity to reflect on how Christ's Passion can change everything - absolutely everything.
To buy Passion with at least 15% saving, click here if you're in the UK, or for our US customers buy Passion here. Or check back later today for a the chance to read an extract from the book ...
Name your idols. Maybe you’re thinking of people you look up to and admire — a sports star or a singer. But what is an idol? When the Bible uses the word, it isn’t thinking of the latest winner of a TV talent show.
Stupid statues
Idols feature loads in the Bible, even in the Ten Commandments, where God tells His people: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20 v 4–5). So an idol is something that we worship instead of God.
In the Old Testament that mostly meant worshipping statues or idols made of metal, stone, wood etc. It should have been self evident that these home-made gods were a joke, but from the golden calf onwards (Exodus 32 v 1–4), God’s people kept falling into the same old trap. Isaiah 44 v 9–20 is a blistering attack on how stupid the whole thing is. Check it out for a moment.... continue reading
In each issue of Engage, a section called Toolbox gives readers tips, tools and advice for wrestling with the Bible. In issue 18, we ask: who should we copy?
Follow the leader?
When learning to drive, it’s natural to watch other drivers and copy them. But many experienced drivers don’t drive as you’re meant to in the driving test. There are some habits you should copy and some you shouldn’t.
Sometimes we should follow the example of people in the Bible. But not always! For example...
Still buzzing from a great day at the Growing Young Disciples conference in central London. I especially enjoyed running a workshop on Making Crafts Work for those who run childrens' groups and Sunday Schools. Here's a few key points that I became more convinced of during my preparation:
Crafts have to work practicallyThe need to be:
Christmas is a time for giving presents – and a season that links directly to God’s rescue plan in sending Jesus. So surely the obvious present to give a child is a Bible? Yes! And No!
Yes, it’s always wonderful for children to have God’s living Word in a version they can enjoy and understand. But sadly many such Bibles stay on the shelf, unread. And others may get read – but be less than faithful to the full text of Scripture. So, how do you choose a good Bible to give away? Here are a couple of pointers – plus a link to a full article with some further help in making your choice.... continue reading
It's scarily close. That season when many who are sympathetic to Christianity (but rarely give God a second thought) make their annual visit to church. And if you're speaking at a Christmas event, the chances are you're starting to at least mull the content of your talk and pray that the lost will be reached. But how do you preach evangelistically?
The Evangelists' Conference last month tackled just that question. To fuel your prep, why not click here and listen to some immensely useful talks from John Woodhouse?
