Saturday, June 20, 2009

A Quest For More - Paul David Tripp

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Can't believe I forgot to post about this one. Probably one of the best books I've read this past year (also a interns reunion book night book). Very convicting and applicable. Pete especially liked it so I'll let him tell you more :)

Peter: Wow, one of my favorite books this year! The quote which summarizes the book: "We were never meant to be self-focused little kings ruling miniscule little kingdoms with a population of one." He rides around on this horse for the rest of the book, asking whether our actions show that we're focused on the little-kingdom or big-kingdom. These questions really struck a chord with me, because I see so clearly how often my life is little-kingdom centered.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Prodigal God - Timothy Keller

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This was a Interns Reunion Book Night book. Pete and I read it out loud to one another while on vacation this spring. We had some really great discussions. Keller has a lot of fresh perspectives to bring to the story of the Prodigal Son - his controversial sounding title basically resolves into a statement of how extraordinary it is that God behaves with such reckless extravagance towards us lost sinners. Would recommend this one highly.

Peter: Keller has a gift. Hearing him preach in NY was a treat, and I'm glad that he maintains a strong connection with his audience via printed word too. In unpacking the Prodigal Son story, he presents a few fresh insights (how the elder son gets less inheritance once the younger son is re-admitted to the family, etc), but two points stood out to me:
1) Tim Keller has a real heart for reaching the "younger brother" types of people. He awakens a desire in me to also reach out, by being more accepting of my fellow man, and major on the majors & minor on the minors. I too often act the part of the elder brother.
2) Jesus is the perfect elder brother, by giving up everything and sharing his inheritance with us, the returned prodigal.

Long Journey Home - Os Guinness

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This was a Chad Book Night book. An enjoyable read. Might be good to give to "truely" seeking friends as well. If you've read much at all about worldviews this book holds nothing new for you, but it was full of great quotes and a good refresher course in the major world religions and what makes Christianity different.