Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Book Review of the Week
Did the Early Christians Get the Jesus Story Wrong? A review of Bart Ehrman’s Jesus Before the Gospels, Michael Kruger. Our friendly neighborhood skeptic is at it again, having just released a book that questions the reliability of the Bible. Ehrman has become one of the leading voices in this sub-genre, and most of his books (five, at least) strike the same note: the Gospels aren’t reliable history, because they’re full of forgeries and contradictions. Kruger has been patiently responding to Ehrman throughout his career, so he capably knocks down Ehrman’s latest volley with gusto.
Articles of the Week
Seven Troubling Questions about Transgender Theories, Trevin Wax. The “T” in “LGBT” has been rather prominent in the news of late, particularly in light of North Carolina’s HB2 “Bathroom Bill.” The political issues will continue to rumble, but it behooves us in the Church to understand what transgender theory is—and, where necessary, to ask uncomfortable questions.
Three Simple Methods to Get Back on Track with Your Bible Reading Plan, Art Rainer. We all started the year off with good intentions. This year I’m going to read through the whole Bible! But then came Leviticus. Or maybe for you it was Numbers. Regardless of where you got bogged down, now you’re behind, and you feel like you might as well scrap the whole thing. Don’t. Rainer is here to help you get back on track. (And if you’re trying to keep up with our Summit reading plan(s) but have fallen waaaay behind, I’d encourage you to simply jump back in with today’s reading. The past is behind you. Climb back on this train and let’s ride together!)
It’s Trump: Here’s What Evangelicals Should Do Now, Bruce Ashford. As the last man standing in the GOP race, Donald Trump is now the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. (If we’re the first to break this to you, we’re impressed.) Trump’s nomination has caused many evangelicals to wonder what this means for them. Ashford, one of our Summit elders, gives helpful perspective and advice for Christians who feel a bit lost in today’s political climate. (For more, be sure to check out our book, One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics, which dives into this in more depth.)
A White Church No More, Russell Moore. This is an encouraging and humbling reminder. The center of gravity for the Church today looks more and more to lie outside the Western world. Even within the U.S., evangelical churches don’t look how many think they do—and how they often actually did look. American evangelicalism is flourishing in our country, sociologically speaking, because of minorities and immigrants. And we ask for more.
On The Lighter Side
Worship “Advice” for the Less-Than-Expressive, Tim Hawkins. Looking for some tangible pointers to be a little more expressive as you worship? If you need a quick tutorial (complete with the appropriate names for each move), Tim is here to help. Personally, I (Chris) tend toward the “Pointer,” the “Heartburn,” and the “Rocky.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxbCtKfqwXY
Wisdom For Your Weekend is presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from J.D. Greear. This is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
