Month: October 2015

On This Day In History, Theology1 Comment

In Honor of Reformation Day, Here are Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

georgepwood

On this day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed the following 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. _______________ Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther (1517) Published in: Works of Martin Luther: Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds. (Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol.1, pp. 29-38 _______________ Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of … Continue reading In Honor of Reformation Day, Here are Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

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Review of ‘The Key to Everything’ by Matt Keller

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This review originally appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com. Matt Keller, The Key to Everything: Unlocking the Secret to Why Some People Succeed and Others Don’t (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015). Hardcover | Kindle To be honest, I’m not the kind of guy who reads books like The Key to Everything. For one thing, I prefer reading “theory” books to “practice” books. For another thing, I am wary of authors who promise simple answers to complex questions, let alone the key to everything. Simplicity comes in at least two kinds, however. The first is synonymous with foolishness. In this sense, a simple person—a simpleton—lacks … Continue reading Review of ‘The Key to Everything’ by Matt Keller

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Review of ‘Center Church’ by Timothy Keller

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This review originally appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com. Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012). Hardcover | Kindle Although the majority of Americans continues to self-identify as Christian, American culture is increasingly post-Christian. Evangelical Christians could once assume the broader culture agreed with them about the existence of God, the shape of moral living, and the usefulness of religious organizations. They can no longer do so. The urgent question evangelicals need to ask and answer is how to minister the gospel in this new cultural environment. Timothy Keller outlines an answer to that … Continue reading Review of ‘Center Church’ by Timothy Keller

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Review of ‘The Challenge of Preaching’ by John Stott

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John Stott, The Challenge of Preaching, abridged and updated by Greg Scharf (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015). Paperback Preaching is not the only thing pastors do, but it is one of the most important things—if not the most important thing. Pastors thus need to work at perfecting their craft through constant attention to proper exegesis and hermeneutics, effective introductions and conclusions, and helpful outlines and illustrations. Because it is so useful in all these regards, John Stott’s The Challenge of Preaching should find a prominent place in every pastor’s library. First published in 1982 as Between Two Worlds, The Challenge … Continue reading Review of ‘The Challenge of Preaching’ by John Stott

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Review of ‘The Last Coyote’ by Michael Connelly

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Michael Connelly, The Last Coyote: A Harry Bosch Novel (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle The Last Coyote is the third installment in Michael Connelly’s series of crime novels featuring LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch. It begins with Bosch in a psychologist’s office, placed on involuntary stress leave for throwing his lieutenant, Harvey “Ninety Eight” Pounds, through an interior office window. Until Bosch deals with his issues, his “shrink” won’t recommend he be reassigned to the homicide table. Bosch’s issues begin with and center on the murder of his mother in November 1961, a … Continue reading Review of ‘The Last Coyote’ by Michael Connelly

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Review of ‘The Black Ice: A Harry Bosch Novel’

georgepwood

Michael Connelly, The Black Ice: A Harry Bosch Novel (New York: Little, Brown and Company: 1993). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle The Black Ice is Michael Connelly’s second novel feature LAPD homicide detective Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch. In it, Det. Bosch investigates the apparent suicide of a veteran narcotics officer named Calexico Moore. As Bosch delves deeper into the case, he is drawn across the border to Mexicali, where he uncovers layers of corruption and deception that shine an unpitying light on Moore’s apparent suicide as well as three other unsolved murders. One of the benefits of reading series novels rather … Continue reading Review of ‘The Black Ice: A Harry Bosch Novel’