John Calvin said that our wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Our journey in knowing more about God and more importantly, knowing God more personally, will be endless. In this short but thoughtful book, Ben Witherington III invites us to meditate on the character of God by looking at the nouns that define God’s nature in Scripture, guiding us a little further in our pursuit of knowing our wonderful and amazing God.
.
He walks through five things the Scriptures state that God is: Love, Light, Life, Spirit, and One/Unique. It is packed full of biblically rich insights, showing how it is much different to say that God is a loving God than it is to say that God IS Love, or God IS Light, etc. At just over 100 pages, this book can be read through in one sitting, but it ought to be read slowly and carefully. Do not let its size fool you.
.
Witherington is known for many New Testament academic works, but this book is more devotional in scope, drawing the reader into the nature and character of God in a way that inspires worship and obedience. One of its main themes is how God’s nature and character rubs off on us, His children, and how this changes the way we live in the world. Not that we “become” God, but that we become more like Him, being conformed to the image of Christ by the power and working of God Himself.
.
Pick up this book today! You won’t regret having this short and insightful resource on your shelves.
.
This book was graciously provided by @lexham.press in exchange for an honest review.
.
.
.
#readandrepeat #whogodis #lexhampress #benwitheringtoniii #godsnature #godscharacter #thecharacterofgod #timetoread #christianbooks #christianreads #theology #theologymatters #theologynerd #readmore #readmorebooks #bookshelf #greatreads #readtogether #ourgodisawesome #godislove #godislight #godislife #godisone #godisspirit #theloveofgod #theologybooks #theologygeek #booksbooksbooks #christianbookstagram #bookstagram
Religion always has and always will be a hot topic in our culture. Many want nothing to do with it because of cultural stigmas and negative associations with Christianity and religious practices. Yet, religion may be more difficult to escape for all of us than we know. In Seculosity, David Zahl shows how religion, that which we rely on for “enoughness,” has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. We look to all of these things (parenting, technology, work, politics, etc.) for a sense of “enoughness,” righteousness, and validation that they were never meant to give.
.
In one sense, this book is a call to open our eyes to our underlying motives and thoughts. Comparison and greed for acceptance fuel a lot of what we do, especially in the realm of parenting. Being a dad myself, this chapter stung with conviction, revealing what often drives my decision making (which is many times not the well-being of my children). It is also a call to grace, and learning to allow the gospel (not our desperate striving to keep up, be good enough, gain control, or impress) be what infiltrates these areas of life.
.
Zahl ends with how these mindsets affect the church as well. Even here we love to measure, compare, and compete. But this is not the fruit of the gospel or of grace. Our fear of being “not enough” really does affect all of life, and makes us think and do crazy things. Can you relate to this? I know we all can in some way or another!
.
I will be hanging on to this book for a long time! This is a top recommended read for me. It is full of both truth and grace, and ultimately Christ-centered in its conclusions. It is a tough read because it stirs up how we often relate to and view these everyday activities and responsibilities. But it is for the better, and shows how the gospel really can and does change everything.
.
See full review via link in bio.
.
*This book was graciously provided by @broadleafbooks in exchange for an honest review.
.
.
.
#readandrepeat #seculosity #bygracealone #timetoread #christianbookstagram #christianbooks #thegospelchangeseverything #thegospel #grace #inchristalone #goodreads #bookshelf #booksarebetter #readmorebooks #faithandculture #faith
One of the major themes of the entire Bible is land. We each have a place. Everyone in the Bible had a place. But what was this like for them? I believe this is why this little book is so crucial to read, not to mention fun as you discover new things about the land and environment of both Old and New Testament times.
.
Beck not only gives us a lot of maps and visuals, but he also walks through the whole Bible. So often, you think of an atlas as merely a collection of images, but this reads like a normal book, with the added illustrations that bring the Bible visually to life. It focuses on the theology and purpose of land and place in God’s plan of redemption. It begins in the Garden of Eden, follows the age of the patriarchs and the history of Israel as a nation to the exile, Israel and Jerusalem during the life of Jesus, and ends with John on the Island of Patmos.
.
I’d recommend this resource to anyone! It has been such a great tool to have around, especially during Bible study when you want to discover a little more about that specific time.
.
*This book was graciously provided by @readbakerbooks in exchange for an honest review.
.
.
.
#readandrepeat #timetoread #bakerbooks #bibleatlas #thebible #oldtestament #newtestament #greatbooks #studythebible #studythescriptures #biblemap #readmore #bibleresources #studytime #goodreads #readlearngrow #theology #theologybooks #christianbooks #christianbook #christianbookstagram #bookreview #christianbookreviews #godswordistruth #aesthetics #deeplyrooted #place #godsworld #thelandofthebible #placeandtime
One of the most incredible features of the Bible is that it combines so many different authors in such a large span of time, yet tells one, unified story. In The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch, Kevin Chen highlights this by taking a detailed look at how the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) primarily presents a vision of the Messiah for the ultimate redemption of Israel.
.
Many look at the Pentateuch much differently by focusing on the giving of the Law at Sinai and how this shaped (or was supposed to shape) Israel’s relationship with God. But this book takes a look at several key passages, such as Genesis 3:15 and the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham throughout the narratives in the rest of Genesis, the Passover in Exodus, Numbers 24, and Deuteronomy 18 and 34, and how they come together to form a unified message of Israel’s future Messiah. Through these passages, we see that the Messiah, not the Law, is the focus of the Pentateuch.
.
Everything in this book is great and so eye-opening, but Chapter 9 is worth getting the book all on its own! This chapter shows how Israel continuously broke the Mosaic Law given at Mount Sinai and this only accentuates Israel’s (and our own) need for salvation through Jesus the Messiah.
.
I’ll never read the first five books of the Bible the same! Grab a copy today!
.
See full review via the link in bio.
.
*This book was graciously provided by @ivpress in exchange for an honest review.
.
.
.
#readandrepeat #thebible #ivpress #ivpacademic #timetoread #oldtestament #theoldtestament #pentateuch #thepentateuch #themessiah #messiah #jesusmessiah #jesusalone #jesussaves #christianbooks #christianbookstagram #theology #theologymatters #theologynerd #readmore #greatbooks #studythebible #studythescriptures #biblestudy #morebooks #goodreads #christianreads #messiahhascome #oldtestamentstudy #readgodsword
