The books assigned to us cover spiritual growth, roles of the church, and various counseling topics. The term "spiritual growth" can be kind of off-putting. We are not reading books that teach us how to become a "super" Christian, and you don't have to have a PhD to understand them. These books talk about how to read the Bible even when you don't know much about it, and how to pray even when it makes you uncomfortable. Below are some of my thoughts on four of my favorite books from the program.
Getting the Message, by Dan Doriani
The point of scripture is Jesus. Doriani expresses this theme of scripture in two very poignant points: (1) Every passage in the Bible presents Christ both as the remedy for human fallenness and as the end point of God’s plan of salvation (2) Every passage of the Bible touches on some aspect of the fallen human condition and presents some part of God’s remedy in Christ. If I were to read every passage of scripture with these things in mind, I would see the Bible as much more vital to my life. If I believed all of scripture had this point, I would read it more often.
Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers, by Chap Clark
Abandonment is the big theme of Chap Clark’s book Hurt. Clark states that abandonment is the biggest overarching issue facing teenager’s today, and that their biggest need is a safe and welcoming relationship with adults. Abandonment in the context of Clark’s writing does not mean physical abandonment, but rather emotional and spiritual. Parents and other influential adults are physically present in the lives of mid-adolescence but cease to provide any emotional support as they are bussing their teens to soccer practice and seeking to achieve their own goals. Merely being physically present in teen’s lives seems to be the world’s standard for adults, and it has created a generation of mid-adolescent’s looking for support and comfort elsewhere.
The Reason for God, by Tim Keller
Who better to write on the argument against skepticism than Tim Keller, a pastor in New York City which is perhaps the most skeptical city in the United States? He speaks from a breadth of knowledge on the topic, having not only studied it, but confronted it head on in his urban ministry. It is with this knowledge that we can confront this book confidently, knowing that the author is not simply trying to throw Biblical phrases at non-believers, but is rather attempting to answer the questions which plague the skeptical critics of the twenty-first century. "The Church has been responsible for so much injustice" and "You can't take the Bible literally" are among the applicable topics.
The Enemy Within, by Kris Lundgaard
Lundgaard's purpose with The Enemy Within is to describe the seriousness of sin, it's effects, and how we should guard against it. Mission accomplished. He is not afraid to bluntly state that the wages of sin is death. Lundgaard reinforces the point that sin draws you away from the Father. Perhaps the clearest point that the author makes is that the battle against sin is a battle between flesh and spirit. Lundgaard writes, "When the mind wants to know God, the flesh imposes ignorance, darkness, error, and trivial thoughts. The will can't move toward God without feeling the weight of stubbornness holding it back." He clearly expresses how I feel every day when I want to get an extra 30 minutes of sleep instead of reading my Bible, or how I do not want to talk with God because it feels awkward.
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