A return?

Well, it's been a while ... lots has been going on.
My grandmother passed away last year at 94, and her sister passed away later in the year as we were planning on attending her 100th birthday party ...

I would like to resume blogging - I think I have noticed a difference not putting some thoughts down on a regular basis. I've been challenged by two friends to spend some time making a priority list and planning out my time more intentionally, which is something I'd like to do ...

to be continued ...

Book Review: Ministering to the Mourning by Warren and David Wiersbe

Ministering to the Mourning
by Warren and David Wiersbe

Outstanding Book! Absolutely recommended for everyone - but especially for those who minister to others (pastors, elders, care givers)! Tough topics, but warmhearted compassionate biblical advice.

Book Review: Leadership Next by Eddie Gibbs

There were some parts of the book I liked - for instance, the movement towards a shared leadership framework. However, like most "Emerging Church" leaders, he shows too much disdain for the church of the present and the past and thinks, like many others, that his generation will finally *get it right.* I'd like to see him do a review of this book 25 years from now - but of course, that doesn't help his readers today. Worthwhile for some insights and approaches, but I wouldn't recommend it to a non-critical reader.

Book Review: Spiritual Leadership

Spiritual Leadership
Principles of Excellence for Every Believer
by J. Oswald Sanders

This book was required reading for me for a course. I've found it to be helpful in some areas, but I have questions about others. Dealing with the issue of Leadership, Sanders is at his best when he deals with the "inner life" or "private life" of the leader - there's no divide between the character of the leader as leader and as a private person. This is a continually welcome message for both the church as well as the culture. He deals quite well with the fact that Jesus' choice for leaders in the early church was quite different from what the world would have chosen.

He rightly reminds us that God is most interested in our relationship with Him and our relationship with others. One might be quite smart, or quite down-to-earth, or quite charismatic - but that does not mean one would be a leader in the mold of Christ. Service is perhaps the best word Sanders uses to define what Leadership within the church looks like.

He deals with practical issues of time management, reading, delegating, training others, and making yourself exspenable to the place you serve. He highlights the cost of leadership, the perils of leadership, and the tests of leadership. All of this is great stuff, because it reflects scriptural principles to a large degree.

However, I do wonder if there is too much focus on the "religious" at times. I recognize that prayer is time we spend with God, but the "old-time" focus on three, four, or five hours of prayer a day makes me wonder if we have not allowed religious ideas or even a bit of asceticism to creep in. I also wonder if we too easily excuse neglect of family in the name of "serving the Lord." I have heard that many of the leaders of these "great awakenings" have not had the best family life - and, without judging them, I wonder how much we should listen to them in their spirituality?

My final issue that I will voice is one I have with many evangelicals today - the reference to Charles Finney as a positive example. From what I know, Finney denied that Christ's death on the cross did anything for mankind, or for individuals - except that it was an example to follow. From my understanding, that places Finney not just outside the bounds of orthodoxy, but outside the "church." How can we quote a man's methods whom Paul (see Galatians) would apparently oppose?

Top 10 teams in baseball history ...

OK, I just read somebody's post that makes me think they have no idea what "top 10" means - they had teams in their top 10 who did not win the World Series, but did not include the team that beat them! Now, I understand that the "best team" on paper does not always win the World Series (like in 2009 ;) ), but to be considered a "best team" it seems a requirement that you did put it together and win the World Series - or at least lost to a team higher on the list. With that said, here's my list:

10. 1993 Blue Jays
9. 1970 Orioles
8. 1998 Yankees
7. 1918 Red Sox
6. 1939 Yankees
5. 1961 Yankees
4. 1974 A's
3. 1976 Reds
2. 1927 Yankees
1. 1908 Cubs

It galls me to have more than one Yankee team and no Phillies - but depending on what the Phillies do in the next couple of years, they could crack this list - all of these teams were multiple series winners.

Book Review: CrossTalk - Where Life and Scripture Meet

CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet by Mike Emlet

OK, another book from CCEF that cracks my top 10 all time books. I'm going to have to make it officially a top 20 books just to keep some other authors visible ...

To sum up a response to this book, I say “Wow !" I wish I had read this book years ago, but I doubt I was ready for it – in any case, the Lord is sovereign and I have read this book (and it has been published) in His timing, which is perfect. I have lived as a perfectionist, as someone who functionally based my justification on my supposed sanctification, and I have lived in a community where the Bible is always reduced to “rules.” It has been difficult to realize that I am always looking for the “call” on someone’s life – mine or a friend’s – and that much of my personal ministry was looking for “corrective verses” instead of the “whole-istic” view of ministry presented in Scripture. It was like being in a band where on the flat notes could be struck, and thinking that this was the only kind of music there was.
I have struggled even in my own reading of scripture not to turn everything into a demand, into a rule that needed to be followed in order for “approval” to be had. The first chapter continued to whet my appetite for more – something that CCEF resources have been doing for a couple of years now. The imagery of ditches and canyons struck home – I wanted everything to be a ditch, and I felt inadequate for anything wider than a few inches. Saying to me that the Bible is NOT primarily a book of do’s and don’ts has felt like making the Bible a foreign book – if THAT was not what it was for, how do I understand it? But then to go even further and say that the Bible is not primarily a book of timeless principles for the problems of life – well, statements like that will get you labeled with the “L” word. And yet, there is something that rings true, something that warms my heart, something that creates longing in me when I see what is meant by the proper use of Scripture in ministry. As I am learning in my Prolegomena class, it is improper for me to sit in and judge Scripture, and so I must confess that my feeling of “rightness” has no impact on the actual rightness or wrongness of any method, and yet I do want to affirm that this approach seems to be more in line with the Jesus I see ministering to others rather than the people I see around and including me.
The idea of meta-narratives, of seeing myself and others within a story that is part of a larger story seems quite revolutionary to me – and yet, by transferring my gaze off of my own little world, I gain an others-centered perspective that keeps me from spiraling in on myself. By explicitly focusing on the saint-sufferer-sinner model, it prevents me from falling back into old habits – of merely attacking the points of sin. I am reminded to see people as God’s beloved children, being redeemed, who suffer due to their own sin and the sin of others – and not just as projects who need fixing. I love the concrete examples that are given of using a passage from the Old and New Testament in a ministry setting – and not just “easy application” passages. This again seems to resonate in my heart with a “I knew there was something better out there but couldn’t find it” response.
I find myself longing for the time to re-read this book and to sit down and think through specific ministry situations with the framework it presents. Quite frankly, at this stage of my life - I find that I have little time for anything. And yet, I am smack in the middle of ministry – so much so that I desperately need to make time for this. Most of all, I want time to go through Scripture and change my view from a “rule-search” or a “principle-search” to a search for Christ. It really is He that I want most of all, and yet so much gets in the way – including myself. I think this book will get worn out from my use – at least I hope so – and I want to be able to incorporate it into the “second-nature” of my thinking.

Tiger and me ...

It appears Tiger Woods is human after all. Oh, there was never really any doubt, but as we do far too often in our culture, we place athletes and celebreties on pedastals where they should not be and then revel in their fall. I don't know much about Tiger, and I'm not much of a golf fan, but I do feel for him. Don't get me wrong, what he apparently did was wrong and I have far more empathy for his wife than for him. And yet ... I understand. Our desires are insatiable. Here is a man married to someone who was a model, if not a supermodel. Our culture tells us that he should be the happiest man on earth. He has money, fame, a beautiful wife, the envy of much of the world, and he gets to play a game for a living. And yet, it was not (apparently) enough.

These things never are enough to satisfy our hearts, our longings - and our desires can outgrow the ability for anything to satisfy them. We see this play out in the news (and the tabloids) time and time again. The human condition is one of searching, of longing, of wanting, of needing ... yet being unfulfilled. We have brought it on ourselves, yet we refuse to hear the solution. We suppress what is readily apparent about the universe because we like our sin. We don't want to be accountable to anyone or anything outside ourselves. We certainly don't want to hear that our lives will be evaluated for what they were in the end ...

I'm not sure women appreciate the all-consuming nature of lust. There are probably some women who do, but as a whole, the reactions I have seen from women lead me to say that they don't get it. Why, for instance, would Tiger stray from a supermodel wife? Isn't that enough? Could he possibly want more than that? Yes. It is, in a very real way, like an analogy to food I heard. You could put the best piece of apple pie ever made beforre a hungry man and let him eat it. He could take his time, savoring each bite with the most appropriate beverage ever devised. Maybe he takes an hour to eat that pie. When he's all done, he sits back and reflects on the best piece of apple pie ever made. Could he possibly want more after that? If someone came along with a store bought cherry pie, could he possibly want that? Yes, we all know full well that one (male or female) could have a desire to eat that cherry pie even after finishing off the best piece of apple pie ever made. Why? Because our desires, ultimately, are insatiable.

There must be something else that captures our hearts more than our desires - or we will destroy our lives. Whether through an affair or over-indulgin in pie, we all die a slow death this way. Tiger, what you (apparently) did was hurtful, dumb, and sin. You and I both need a Savior. Without Him, we shall be consumed ...

What about MY shame?

I went to a conference recently, and a lot of great things were said. One of the speakers touched on something that I have personally witnessed in my interaction with others. For most of us, Thanksgiving and Christmas are days we look forward to as we consider spending time with cherished family and friends. But they are not so for everyone. Some people are far away from their family by distance, death, or rejection. The holidays are not times of joy for them, but times of sadness and sorrow. There are still others who are dealing with great tragedy in their life who cannot seem to find any reason to rejoice at this time of the year. The gospel has much to say to these people in their circumstances. But there are others for whom the shame of what has been done to them colors all of life. Most of us see how the Gospel relates to things that we have done – but how does it relate to things that have been done to us?

Shame is something we see coming on the scene immediately after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Before, they walked and talked with God openly, and they were naked and not ashamed. As soon as they sinned however, we see them hiding from God – and we see God graciously providing coverings for them. This is a hint of what was to come, for we needed more than animal skins to cover our shame before a Holy God. In Exodus 28, we see God providing garments to the priests – giving them “dignity and honor,” for the priests represented the people in the tabernacle/temple. Adam and Eve, in addition, were driven from the garden – they were literally “outcasts.” In the Old Testament, those who were unclean were outcasts. God provides again for the shame of His people as He details sacrifices for the people, sacrifices for sin and uncleanness. In Leviticus 10:10, God tells them to make a distinction between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean. The unclean was not to be touched, for the unclean could contaminate the clean. Those who have been sinned against can often feel this sense of “uncleanness” – and how does one get rid of this sense? What can make the unclean clean again? The Holy can make the unclean clean!

Fast forwarding a bit to when Jesus comes on the scene. We find him doing what ought not be done with the unclean - He's touching them. On purpose! Touching lepers to make them clean, touching blind people, touching all sorts of “untouchable” people! He even touches dead bodies (i.e. Jairus’ daughter)! Can you imagine the sense of healing, of wholeness given to those who have been outcasts for years by Jesus touching them and healing them in this way. Lepers who perhaps had not had human contact for years were touched by Him! Lepers who had to go through the streets yelling "unclean! unclean!" so that others could avoid them were now healed! In Luke 8, we see a woman who had been bleeding for 8 years trying to secretly touch the hem of Jesus’ garment – and when she does, she is healed! Jesus doesn't allow that to be the end of the healing, for when he publicly brings her forward, he gives her words of acceptance and peace – affirming that she did not “steal” the healing. When Jesus comes on the scene, we see him pursuing the worst sinners, the outcasts, the ones whom no one associated with. He does not allow a sense of shame, of uncleanness, to come between these people and His love. The “Holy” had come on the scene, and uncleanness itself is banished! Know that if your life is colored by shame, Jesus is willing to touch you, to heal you, and to extend his love to you!

Mark Driscoll strikes a similar tune in his book “Death By Love.” In the chapter on expiation (the cleansing of the stain of sin on our soul), he writes a letter to a woman in his congregation who had been raped. In his own style, Mark Driscoll speaks to her of the gospel – what the gospel has to say to her in her pain. Jesus did not only take the punishment for our sins on the cross, but he also took on our shame! He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), he became rejected by men and God, spit upon, beaten, and crucified. It is not just that we can be forgiven from whatever we have done – the gospel also cleanses us from any and all shame of what has been done to us! Christ is the Holy One who comes and touches us, who cleanses us, who remakes us into His image - the one who can make us Holy! If you struggle this Thanksgiving and Christmas season because of what has been done to you, look to Christ and see how the Gospel sets you free and cleanses you from even this! Your hope is in Christ!

Falling in Awe at the Savior's Feet Together

See Life Differently: Dealing With Lust

I found an old post on a blog that I am unfamiliar with (and so do not endorse anything on it) that I found particularly insightful on lust.

See Life Differently: Dealing With Lust

The key section (in case the link gets broken) for me is:

"Wouldn't it be better if a woman in a bikini didn't even register on my radar because I am so in love with my own wife? Wouldn't it be best if I could actually overcome my lust altogether, rather than merely trying to control the sinful behavior that results from it?

How come no one's talking about how to change the heart? Hmmm?"

Some thoughts:

There actually are some people who are looking at heart change, rather than merely external boundaries. The people at CCEF have been dealing with this for years, and they don't get enough traffic, as far as I'm concerned. They have some fine resources on dealing with "how people change" that deals primarily with heart change.

If I might summarize to the best of my ability: we need to realize that we do, in each and every moment, exactly what we want to do. We always follow our greatest desire. The question is, how do we desire something else?

First, we must realize that what we want often kills us slowly. We ingest poison - poison that gives us a rush - and then wonder why we are deteriorating. We choose to swallow the lie, that thing offered to us that promises life, and find only once it gets into our stomach that it is bitter.

Second, we must realize that we undervalue Christ. We think the gospel is only for the moment of salvation and we're on our own to "make it the rest of the way" through life. We do not see that the Gospel is for ever day living. We do not see the all-surpassing glory of Christ that would far outshine these momentary pleasures if we would just look! Instead, we suppress our knowledge of Christ in order that we might pursue this created thing - or perhaps we have never had an accurate picture of the Glory of the Risen Christ!

Third, we fail to realize that we cannot change ourselves - or others. The one thing everyone needs - and the one thing no one can do for themselves or others - is a change in the heart. We can't reach into someone else and flip a switch, as it were, so that they crave the right thing. The best we can do is show truth to them, to hold up Christ in all His glory, and pray that he will draw this person to himself.

Fourth, we must see that life is a series of realizations that we have turned from Christ and to something else - that we have sought life in another. We then turn from the thing that has captured our affection and look to Christ. We need to deny ourselves this momentary pleasure for something far more satisfying. To paraphrase John Piper's words: we must stop dwelling on "our mud pies in the slums" and see the value in the "holiday at the sea" that is offered. We are far too easily satisfied.

Fifth, and perhaps this is out of order, we must realize that if we are united with Christ, our Sovereign Lord has arranged the details of your life so that you will continue to walk down the path of Christ-likeness. We are guaranteed to reach our destination, as the deposit of the Holy Spirit attests. We will one day be like Him - when we see Him face to face. Your life is bigger than your life, and the "Grand Play" going on around you will display the Lord in all His Glory. Your life is a part of that reality. There is nothing that happens to you by chance, by happenstance, by randomness (as if that were a force anyway) - every detail is arranged according to plan. The sovereign Lord speaks into all of life - and He cares far too much about His children to let them settle for mud pies. He will do whatever is necessary to free them from the power of sin - for if He has given us Christ, what good will He withhold?

No, for whatever reason, God does not see fit to perfect us in this life. But as we walk with Him, we will be more like Him. And I have a suspicion that when all is revealed, our joy and His Glory will be ever-intensified because of the path He has taken us through.

So, as we struggle with lust, remember:
1. We are falling for the trap and lie of the enemy that life is found in a sexual experience rather than fellowship with God
2. Lust is destructive and will destroy us
3. We do what we do because we want to
4. We need heart change, but are dependent on God for that
5. Christ's Glory far surpasses the mud pies we play with - so behold Christ!
6. Because we are united in Christ, one day this struggle will be over - but that day is not today

Polycarp ... burned at the stake at 86

Polycarp, a direct pupil of the apostle John who lived between 70 and 155 A.D., was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake.

What will the world be like when I'm 86 - if I get to live out those years? What will be the great technological advances that will make life 'easier' for all of us? What will be the great political moves that will shape the world? What will be the new ways that men dream up to express their sin? What will my kids and grandkids be like then? What kind of world will this generation have left them?

What if there is great persecution coming - whether to the whole world or just my little corner of it? Will I be able to face death as faithfully as Polycarp? What would I do at the thought of facing being burned alive?

What brutalities would be possible for this pluralistic, secular world? What things would they do to try to snuff out any allegience to the Lord? Could such a thing ever be possible? Despite the advance3s in technology, the human heart has not changed. Is it possible? You can count on it unless God restrains the evil in the heart of men still longer ... What kind of future do my descendents have to look forward to?

In you alone, O Lord, will I put my trust!

“What do I want?”

This is a great question to ask yourself, and to ask of others. It’s simple and straightforward, and yet the desires, thoughts and motives of our very core can be displayed by honest answers to this question. It fits just about any moment of any situation. What is it that is driving me to say, do, feel and think the things I do right now?

This question is in essence a summary of some of the work of Jonathan Edwards as he considered God’s Word. He spoke at length to the desires we all have in his work “The Freedom of the Will.” Edwards’ thesis in this work is that “we are free to choose that which we most desire.” Why do you do what you do in each and every moment of your life? Because you want to – you desire to. Even when we have competing desires, we will always pursue that which is greatest. This is why the things we do reveal our hearts – even though no one can see our inner motives.

“Wait,” you say, “I know there are times I would rather be fishing than at work, or times I do the dishes for the thousandth time when my back hurts.” How can you say that I always follow my greatest desire when so often I feel like I must do something out of a sense of duty, if nothing else? It is true that sometimes we do have a desire to do something other than what we are doing that seems greater. But it is not just these two desires competing, but a third (at least) enters the picture. You know that to abandon work (not speaking of vacations) is to put you job in jeopardy, and your job is how you provide for your family, support the work of your church and other causes you value, and that on occasion, it really does provide you with a sense of purpose. Thus your desire to protect your family, help others, and have a sense of accomplishment with the talents you have been given overrides the momentary desire to be fishing. Thus, even though you’d rather be fishing – you really would rather be faithful to the other causes more important to you than your own enjoyment. So even when we think we are sacrificing a greater desire, we are really doing it in service to a greater desire yet.

“Following our greatest motivation” thus highlights why sin is so offensive. When we sin, we do it because we want to do it – in spite of God’s desire for us. We believe the lie that life is found in this other thing we want rather than in God’s plan for us. This is why sin is so insidious – it promises to us exactly what we want, but hides the price we will pay. Even as Christians – people committed to Christ and His Glory – we often trade the life he offers for a momentary pleasure or power or comfort.

Next, this shines light on the reality that we are not all tempted by exactly the same things. Yes, we are tempted by the similar categories of sin – i.e. pride, lust, greed, self-centeredness, etc. – but the actual things that “hook” our hearts may be different. The things that set off pride for a businessman may be different than for a pastor or a stay-at-home mother – yet they all struggle with pride. The things we want may be as different as our hobbies, careers, or tastes in food – but it is the desire that is in our heart that tempts us (James 1:13-15). Thus, what tempts me may be perfectly innocent for my brother, and we must be careful not to assign our struggles to someone else.

The final thing this points to is the fact that external remedies (isolation, boundaries, fleeing etc.) may be of some value in the moment, but ultimately the thing we need the most is heart change (and it’s the one thing none of us can do for another or even ourselves). We need to desire different things. I am not kept pure merely by the avoidance of situations that may tempt me – although it is Biblical and wise to flee moments of temptation rather than to fall into sin – but by the change of my desires from the things of this world (yes, even good things out of proportion) to the things that please God’s heart. Monasteries were a fine idea – until humans were let in. In spite of their extremely rigorous rules and ascetic conditions, monasteries still found the same sins present as in the rest of the world. The human heart will find ways to go on its own, to chase its own desires. We don’t need a better environment, ultimately – we need a Savior. Christ is yet our example: when the “pressures” of all He went through in his crucifixion and separation from the Father, look at what came out of his heart. When the sponge is squeezed, the liquid that comes out was what was already in there. What comes out of your heart when the pressures of the moment squeeze you?

When Christ is lifted up in all His Glory, he not only draws men to himself for salvation, but captures more and more the hearts of his children. I am convinced that what I need more often than not is a true, vibrant mental picture or understanding of the glorious appeal of Christ for who He is so that the trinkets of earth that so easily amuse me fade into dust in comparison with Him. I need not just to shun sin, but to desire Christ more!

If the gospel has any power – and it does – then it is the answer for us not only when we first come to Christ, but for living life every day thereafter. “What do you want?” – a simple, but powerful spotlight on your heart.

Ultimate Questions

Whenever human beings spend time thinking about "ultimate questions" - "what is the meaning of life," "why am I here," "what is my purpose," "what lies beyond death," etc. - we all approach them in certain ways. Most people approach these questions from the "bottom up" - that is, they start out with themselves (or other people) and their own thoughts and experiences. That is the way the world approaches these things - primarily because they see no ultimate authority outside of themselves.

Some approach ultimate questions in a "generational approach" - that is, "I believe it because my family taught it to me." Such beliefs are not founded on any evidence beyond my family ties - and thus, while sincere, will have little influence on others outside the family.

Others approach these questions in a "traditional approach." By this "tradition," some dominant group or influence is pointed to as the authority backing up what I believe and why. These two approaches have probably dominated much of human culture and history, and fall under the category of "peer pressure" (not meant disparagingly). In the last few centuries, other approaches have come onto the scene.

With the enlightenment came "rationalism" - we can only know what we can use the scientific process to show and what "reason" leads us to. Therefore, we can't know anything about the unseen.

Later came the idea of the experiential - one can only know what one can experience, and experience can't be refuted. "There must be a god because I feel it is so" and "There is no god because I feel it is so" are both experiential arguments.

Yet finally come the "irrational" - language only has meaning as I understand it. My impressions are true because they are mine. I define reality for myself.

Notice again that these approaches are all "bottom up" - they start in some way with man and his perception of the world and reality. Unbelievers (and I'm including those of other faiths) have no other way of approaching life. In reality, none of us have any other way of approaching life - unless there is a God and He takes the initiative to reveal himself to us. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we have a problem trying to understand God. We also have a problem in that we are fallen - and the fall has not only affected our thinking, but has affected our willingness to think right thoughts. If humanity tries to "understand" who God is in this condition, separate from His revelation, we will end up with an inadequate and imperfect view of God. This is the essence of idolatry.

The conclusion hen, and the grounding of all good theology, is that we have an utter dependence on God to reveal himself to us - God must speak! All of the above approaches are ultimately fruitless in humanity's search for God, and they are yet fruitless when brought into the church as a defining authority. But when we are His, He gives us His Holy Spirit and the Word of God and reveals Himself to us. Good Theology is "thinking God's thoughts after Him" and remaining true to what God has revealed about Himself - whether it is out of line with what our families believe, the traditions we have, the experiences we interpret, or how I want to view life. Good Theology helps us to know Him as He truly is and not as the idol our fallen, finite minds make Him out to be. Good Theology, in short, leads to overflowing praise and the enjoyment of the One who has saved us!

Review of "Religion Saves"

RELIGION SAVES
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll

Table of Contents

Introduction
Question 9: Birth Control
Question 8: Humor
Question 7: Predestination
Question 6: Grace
Question 5: Sexual Sin
Question 4: Faith and Works
Question 3: Dating
Question 2: The Emerging Church
Question 1: The Regulative Principle

Review of "Religion Saves"

RELIGION SAVES
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll

Another Mark Driscoll book, another hard-hitting winner as far as I'm concerned. Mark takes the top 9 questions people submitted to him and answers them in his no-holds-barred straight forward style. You may not agree with him on every issue, but you won't wonder where he stands.

Mark takes on "religious" people, who go beyond what the Bible has written on issues and draw firm lines where the Bible has not. Instead, he attempts to think biblically about the issues that seem to dominate some intra- and inter- faith discussions. You may have other pressing questions than these nine, but reading through this book will give you a great sense of where many people are and how Mark answers them as a pastor and a man who cares about truth.

The Prodigal God

The Prodigal God
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Parable
ONE - The People around Jesus: "All gathering around to hear him."
Two Kinds of People
Why People Like Jesus but Not the Church
TWO - The Two Lost Sons: "There was a man who had two sons."
The Lost Younger Brother
The Younger Brother's Plan
The Lost Elder Brother
THREE - Redefining Sin: "All these years I've been slaving for you."
Two ways to find happiness
Two Lost Sons
A Deeper Understanding of Sin
Both Wrong; Both Loved
FOUR - Redefining Lostness: "The older brother became angry and refused to go in."
Anger and Superiority
Slavishness and Emptiness
Who Needs to Know This?
FIVE - The True Elder Brother: "My son, everything I have is yours."
What we need
Who We need
SIX - Redefining Hope: "He set off for a far country."
Our Longing for Home
The Difficulty of Return
The Feast at the end of History
SEVEN - The Feast of the Father: "He heard music and dancing."
Salvation is Experiential
Salvation is Material
Salvation is Individual
Salvation is Communal
Babette's Feast