HUMILITY

Here’s another book I really enjoyed. I was not familiar with Michael Austin until I saw a post about this book in a Dallas Willard Facebook Group I’m apart of (so, of course, I had to check it out and I’m glad that I did). Dive in and enjoy!

Here is an overview via the publisher:

Amid culture wars and church division, Michael W. Austin calls us back to the authentic Way—following Christ in humility and love. 
 
American Christians have lost the Way. We chase power and comfort and coat our self-righteousness in a Christian veneer. We comfort ourselves that we follow the rules and go to church, so life will work out for us. But we have forgotten what it means to truly follow Christ. 
 
Michael Austin brings us back to basics of the Christian life: humility and love. Drawing on Philippians and 1 Corinthians, Austin reminds us how Jesus, in love, poured himself out for others. This other-centeredness stands contrary to vainglorious affirmation in our lives, online and off—and it is the key to healing the deep divisions in our communities.  
 
Austin guides the reader through spiritual disciplines to aid in the formation of this virtue, from praying the Psalms to building healthy communities. For Christians seeking transformative union with God, in their souls and society, Humility is the ideal companion.

GRIEVE, BREATHE, RECEIVE

I was super excited to listen to this book on release day (May 7, 2024) and it did not disappoint. The audio version is outstanding. I look forward to going back through it slowly via the hardback copy soon. By the way, the cover design is spectacular!

Here’s an overview of the book via Steve Carter’s website:

When Steve Carter thought all hope was lost, God impressed three words upon his heart: Grieve, Breathe, Receive.

Grieve what is, what you thought it would be, and how you were let down; Breathe in goodness, peace, and mercy; exhale bitterness, resentment, and anger; and Receive what you need to learn, what you need to own, and who you will become.

Peppered with stirring reflection questions, Grieve, Breathe, Receive will remind you that you’re not alone, that your pain is never wasted, and that you can find renewed energy for the next steps as you move forward toward hope and peace.

PS: You can learn more about Steve here (you’ll want to check out his other books and his Craft and Character Podcast too).

27 Summers

I really enjoyed listening to this powerful story of redemption. It’s one I think you’ll enjoy as well.

Here’s an overview via the publisher:

Dive into the extraordinary life of Ronald Olivier, a man who found faith, forgiveness, and freedomin the darkest of places – America’s infamous Angola prison. In 27 Summers, Ron shares his gripping tale of transformation that proves that even in the bleakest circumstances, God’s power can shine.

Imagine spending nearly three decades behind bars, locked away from the world. Ron Olivier’s remarkable story unveils the incredible journey from a troubled past to a hopeful future. Get ready to learn profound lessons about faith, patience, and the boundless mercy of God. This book will empower you to overcome your own challenges, showing that no past is too dark to be redeemed. Plus you will:

• Learn new insights about faith and patience from a man who spent almost three decades in a cruel and violent environment;
• Be encouraged, like Ron, to find grace and forgiveness to overcome the pain of their past; and
• Find hope that God can redeem and restore anyone.

The Women

Here is another must-read book by Kristin Hannah. She is such a great storyteller (she is the bestselling author of more than 20 novels). I waited in line via the Libby App for weeks before finally getting it (and I listened to it in 3 days because it was so good). So, dive in and enjoy!

Here’s an overview via the publisher:

From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah’s The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. 

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Prayers for Becoming

I was grateful to be able to read an advance copy of this book and have been blessed to work with Drew as one of the newest ministers on our team at The Hills. I think you’ll find this book to be very helpful as you pursue a more intimate relationship with God through prayer. You can order a copy of it here!

Here is an overview of the book via Amazon:

What would I say if someone asked me to describe prayer? As a minister and follower of Christ, I felt I should be able to answer that question well. But I wasn’t sure I could. I set out to search Scripture for instances and teachings on prayer; my goal became to develop a mature prayer life.

Throughout my research, I began to refer to my understanding of prayer as my prayer tool belt. Beginner craftsmen have only a few tools and minimal experience using them. Master craftsmen have countless tools and they employ them all with the precision that only comes from years of use.

I want to become someone who has a holistic appreciation and wonder for prayer and who has years of experience practicing the art of praying. As a master craftsman knows his tools, I long to know my prayers – prayers of lament, thanksgiving, supplication, depth, and endurance. Not to produce better results, but to become someone who communes with God.

This book is an invitation for everyone to join me in my pursuit of a mature prayer life. Do you desire to reflect on how and what you pray? Do you want to have a healthier, deeper outlook on prayer?

The purpose of this book is threefold: to be a conversation partner and guide for those very questions, to encourage us to practice our prayers more frequently, that we would become people who pray more like Christ.

The Lost World of the Prophets

I really enjoy The Lost World Series by the Old Testament Scholar, John H. Walton. This volume focuses on Old Testament Prophecy and Apocalyptic Literature in Ancient Context (I believe this one is the 7th in the series): The Lost World of the Prophets.

Here is an overview of the book via the publisher.

Being responsive to God is at the heart of prophecy. But readers of ancient prophecies and apocalyptic literature—including those in the Old Testament—can come away thoroughly perplexed. Are the prophets speaking about their own times, about our present, or about some still-unrealized future?

It’s common to study prophecy with a focus on the sole question of prediction and fulfillment, either for the sake of apologetics or for understanding the end times, but such an approach can fail to track with the original intent of the authors. We need to shake loose both from a paradigm of reading prophecy as an offer of mysterious divination as well as from the habit of constructing eschatological timelines of any sort. How do these books work as meaningful Scripture for Christians today?

John Walton applies his signature method to help us recover the lost world of the prophets. To read these biblical books well, we must understand:

• the role of the prophet
• the nature of prophetic literature
• the theological significance of prophecy
• how apocalyptic differs from prophecy

A fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help readers avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives.

The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.

Living In Christ’s Presence

One of the reasons I love this book so much is because it features two of my all time favorite authors (Dallas Willard and John Ortberg). Another reason I love it is because this book contains the last conference Willard shared at prior to his death in 2013. I highly recommend listening to the audio version because it is Willard and Ortberg’s messages along with some Q & A between the sessions.

Here is an overview via the Dallas Willard website:

Dallas teamed up with John Ortberg in February 2013 for the Dallas Willard Center’s inaugural conference in Santa Barbara, California. John and Dallas have been ministry partners for decades, which was quite evident as they taught together and shared insights into living more fully in the presence of Christ daily. The primary passion for the conference was to provide an overview of Dallas’s writings and ministry. His most impassioned ideas. The conference was built around the theme “Knowing Christ Today” and as a way to present the golden thread that runs through all of his primary writing: that it is possible to know the Trinity intimately and to step into their glorious kingdom.

Throughout the conference John and Dallas explored what it means to live well now in light of God’s kingdom. They reflected on the power of the Trinity in our lives, the meaning of knowledge, the state of the university, the importance of spiritual disciplines and much more. Dallas also offered poignant thoughts about what it will be like to transition into the very presence of Christ in heaven. At the end of each session John moderated a wonderful dialogue with Dallas, teasing out further insight and clarity about the topics at hand. Three of the sessions were taught by Dallas and three by John, followed by a final session with the theme of offering a blessing to one another and learning to receive blessing from others.

The talks at the conference by Dallas and John have been edited just a bit to make the transition to create this book, but they retain their conversational feel. At the start of each chapter is one of the prayers that was prayed during the conference. A Discussion Guide written by Gary Moon is included with the book.

Jesus and the Powers

The new book by N. T. Wright and Michael Bird is so good and comes at the right time as we head into an election season. Dive in and enjoy!

Here’s an overview via the publisher:

An urgent call for Christians everywhere to explore the nature of the kingdom amid the political upheaval of our day.

Should Christians be politically withdrawn, avoiding participation in politics to maintain their prophetic voice and to keep from being used as political pawns? Or should Christians be actively involved, seeking to utilize political systems to control the levers of power?

In Jesus and the Powers, N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird call Christians everywhere to discern the nature of Christian witness in fractured political environments. In an age of ascending autocracies, in a time of fear and fragmentation, amid carnage and crises, Jesus is king, and Jesus’s kingdom remains the object of the church’s witness and work.

Part political theology, part biblical overview, and part church history, this book argues that building for Jesus’s kingdom requires confronting empire in all its forms. This approach should orient Christians toward a form of political engagement that contributes to free democratic societies and vigorously opposes political schemes based on autocracy and nationalism. Throughout, Wright and Bird reflect on the relevance of this kingdom-oriented approach to current events, including the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the China-Taiwan tension, political turmoil in the USA, UK, and Australia, and the problem of Christian nationalism.

Table of Contents

1. The kingdom of Jesus in the shadow of empire
2. The Church between Jesus and Caesar
3. Power and the ‘powers’ in early Christianity: John, Paul and the paradox of biblical politics
4. The kingdom of God as vision and vocation
5. The Church between submission and subversion
6. The Church resisting the powers of today
7. Liberalism and love in a time of fear and fragmentation
8. Conclusion

Jayber Crow

This is one I had not heard of until John Ortberg referenced it on a recent podcast episode. He said it was one of the best novels he had ever read — an endorsement that piqued my curiosity. I enjoyed it very much and I believe you will too: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.

Here’s an overview of the book via the publisher’s website:

ABOUT JAYBER CROW

“This is a book about Heaven,” says Jayber Crow, “but I must say too that . . . I have wondered sometimes if it would not finally turn out to be a book about Hell.” It is 1932 and he has returned to his native Port William to become the town’s barber.

Orphaned at age ten, Jayber Crow’s acquaintance with loneliness and want have made him a patient observer of the human animal, in both its goodness and frailty.

He began his search as a “pre–ministerial student” at Pigeonville College. There, freedom met with new burdens and a young man needed more than a mirror to find himself. But the beginning of that finding was a short conversation with “Old Grit,” his profound professor of New Testament Greek. 

“You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out—perhaps a little at a time.”

“And how long is that going to take?”

“I don’t know. As long as you live, perhaps.”

“That could be a long time.”

“I will tell you a further mystery,” he said. “It may take longer.”

Wendell Berry’s clear–sighted depiction of humanity’s gifts—love and loss, joy and despair—is seen though his intimate knowledge of the Port William Membership. 

Death’s End

Here’s the final book in the Three Body Problem Series —  a science fiction trilogy also referred to as the Remembrance of Earth’s Past. I loved this series and really enjoyed the Netflix series called 3 Body Problem too. Check them out and let me know what you think (book 1 and book 2).

Here is a synopsis via the publisher:

The New York Times bestselling conclusion to the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China’s most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing daily and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent.

Cheng Xin, an aerospace engineer from the early twenty-first century, awakens from hibernation in this new age. She brings with her knowledge of a long-forgotten program dating from the beginning of the Trisolar Crisis, and her very presence may upset the delicate balance between two worlds. Will humanity reach for the stars or die in its cradle?