My favorite national holiday is Thanksgiving. It brings family and friends together around a table laden with food. The fact that my wife is an excellent cook makes it all the more enjoyable. Thanksgiving has a fourth F, though — … Continue reading Goodness and Gratitude | Influence Magazine
Harry Bosch is getting old. To be precise, he is 72 years old in 2022, when the events in Desert Star take place. His motto has always been, “Everybody counts or nobody counts. This is the driving force in his … Continue reading Desert Star | Book Review
“There have always been people with mental and relational health problems in the church,” writes Dr. Jared Pingleton. “Unfortunately, we just haven’t done a very good job helping pastors to know how to recognize and minister effectively to these pronounced … Continue reading Mental Health Ministry in the Local Church | Influence Podcast
I once cold-called a young woman named Tiffany for a date. My call went straight to voice mail, so I left a message that began with these words, “Hi! My name is George P. Wood … .” After a few … Continue reading A Good and True Story | Book Review
“Many transition specialists, denominational leaders, and local churches are starting to question whether the traditional method of pastoral selection is effective,” writes Gene Roncone in Mentored Succession. “The model of bringing in outsiders with no understanding of the church culture, … Continue reading A Better Way to Do Pastoral Succession | Influence Podcast
“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction,” wrote the atheist Richard Dawkins. He went on to describe God as “jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty … Continue reading Is God a Vindictive Bully? | Influence Podcast
“Opportunity awaits every single day, and God wants you to tap into each opportunity,” writes Jonathan Hardy. “When you remain faithful to God’s purposes, you’ll see how you can easily step into opportunities and give a wholehearted effort toward achieving … Continue reading Leading with an Opportunity Mentality | Influence Podcast
Outsiders describe Pentecostals as people of the Spirit. After all, we practice spiritual gifts regularly. Our distinctive doctrine teaches that tongues is the initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism. People of the Spirit is even the title of an official … Continue reading Saved, Delivered, and Healed | Book Review
I came across Holy Abortion? in the course of researching Christian attitudes to that topic. Michael J. Gorman is a well-regarded New Testament scholar and author of the classic 1982 study, Abortion and the Early Church. That book describes and … Continue reading Holy Abortion? | Book Review
“American society has a knowledge crisis, and the American church is no exception,” writes Bonnie Kristian in Untrustworthy. Her book details the origin, consequences, and resolution of the crisis. Its message is timely. What is the crisis? “It ain’t what … Continue reading Untrustworthy | Book Review
GeorgePWood.com 