I read a lot of books. I sometimes review some of them at this blog. Some of the best books I read don’t get a review, either because I meander my way through them, or because I just don’t feel like reviewing a book at that particular time. Owing to the fact that I had my own book to get to the press I did not read as much as I usually do.

Many of the books I read I have disagreements with. Some of them are quite large disagreements—say, in eschatology or soteriology—but I firmly believe one should not read books by guys you agree with all the time. You grow more when you “joust” with alternative positions, and a good writer will always improve you, the reader.

Here then are a list of books I was helped by this year.

“We have people sitting in the pews … women have had abortions. But it’s not something I’m going to tell anyone unless I trust them deeply….. I really am not going to share with my pastor, because I’m afraid what he’s going to think about me.” - Seminary Viewpoints

“While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to helping people face a problem with pornography, there does seem to be a consensus on what people perceive to be the most effective solutions.” - Barna

Kevin DeYoung on his upcoming book Daily Doctrine

Mark Ward discusses English “false friends” (old words that seem clear to us today but meant something different at the time) in a trio of Reformation confessions. - Ward on Words

In Romans 11:13, the Apostle Paul inserts a short but pointed phrase which has the power both to convict and to inspire. He wrote simply: “I magnify my ministry.”

It seems that such a personal and dynamic statement may be better understood when it is exemplified than when it is exposited. But it has captured my imagination, and I thought that I would share a few thoughts on the subject—for my own sake, as well as those who read them.

“This is not morbid; it is just facing head-on what Scripture says….You are not going to live a moment shorter because you pause to think about death. You are not going to live a moment longer if you refuse to stop and think about death.” - Randy Alcorn

“God doesn’t change in response to what he sees…. Yet creation and people bring real delight to God. God delights in the good, the true, and the beautiful.” - TGC

“The factor perceived as least important is being a member of the historically predominant religion, according to Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 36 countries in 2023 and 2024.” - Pew Research

“Young Christian men need strong role models. They should turn Tate off.” - Breakpoint

By Anthony Wood

When I was a boy, a visiting pastor taught us about humility He opened his Bible and began, “Any preacher not wise enough to tremble when asked to preach on humility should not be preaching at all.” The congregation chuckled.

The pastor’s preaching then echoed through the church, enveloping the congregation in a sense of reverence and awe. The hush that followed was broken only by the soft rustle of pages turning as those gathered opened their Bibles to the passage about Christ’s humility.

Paul records the humiliation of Christ as:

“Quebec’s National Assembly passed Bill 21 in 2019, which requires various public officials in authority — such as police officers or teachers — to refrain from wearing religious symbols while performing their duties.” - CPost

In Romans 2:14-15, Paul speaks of law written on hearts:

14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them …

In 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul uses this term to refer to believers, seemingly referring to the work of the Spirit in regeneration:

“Gavin Ortlund and Joe Schmid discuss the ontological argument. Originally hosted at Unbelievable.” -YouTube

“In his article, ‘Who’s Afraid of AI?,’ Erik Hanson helpfully reminds us to deal biblically with our fears and think objectively and soberly about this technology. We also must be alert to the way technology affects the way we minister.” - P&D

“projects now take less time and often transcend geographical barriers, connecting people from opposite corners of the globe…. volunteers—whether full-time or with just a few hours to spare—can contribute meaningfully to this mission.” - C.Leaders

“The Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act (S.204) was filed Jan. 23 and is sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)…. The legislation seeks ‘to protect the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children as a fundamental right.’” - Baptist Press

“Forty-four percent of Americans say they are ‘very satisfied’ with the way things are going in their personal life, the lowest by two percentage points in Gallup’s trend dating back to 2001. This also marks the continuation of a decline in personal satisfaction since January 2020, when the measure peaked at 65%.” - Gallup

“while I argue expository preaching is to be most common, other approaches have their place. I would say expository preaching is primary but preaching that is ultimately biblical can come in other forms as well.” - Ed Stetzer

“To many the church appears as a cult, an archaic institution clinging to outdated beliefs. Others see the church as a place of judgment, intolerance, and hypocrisy. This perception isn’t entirely unwarranted…. But it also stems from a misunderstanding of what the church is supposed to be.” - Brian Cederquist

“What should be a source of shock for today is the increasing number of young Americans who doubt that the Holocaust, one of the most well-attested events in all history, even happened.” - Breakpoint

Hatred of any human being is never an option for a believer in Jesus Christ.

It is easy to sinfully justify hatred, especially when the world, the community around us, encourages it. Hatred, a lust that already exists in the human heart in seminal form, doesn’t need a lot of stoking to bring it to a raging flame.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Those raised in the church are often indifferent to her teachings and practices while it is those from outside the church who are most interested. I’ve received young people from Catholic, mainline Protestant and evangelical backgrounds.” - The Dispatch

Related: Orthodox Christian churches are drawing in far-right American converts - NPR

“By the time of the Reformation, many of the gains made in the fight against Pelagianism were lost. An entire ecclesio-sacerdotal system of salvation, which relied more on individual merit than the grace of God, had become dominant.” - Ligonier

“A.W. Tozer said, ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.’” - Breakpoint

“If you hit the bullseye on this Ven diagram, you earn a living doing what the world needs, what you’re good at, and what you love to do. You are fortunate.” - IFWE

“After our conversation, he asked those counseling him if they felt it would be prudent to let him speak from the heart in a video interview at our church in Mobile. The idea is that I would interview him and release the video if, and only if, his family, his counselors, OnePassion’s board, and the elders at TBC were all in agreement.” - Clint Archer

This is a series of brief devotional articles on The Orthodox Catechism (“OC”), a Particular Baptist document written by Baptist pastor Hercules Collins in 1680. Read the series.

When confronted with a moral failure, our instinct is to minimize or to blame-shift. Yes, we shouldn’t have said this, but it only happened because you said that. No, we haven’t quite gotten around to fixing the car like we promised, but that’s because you keep using it every Saturday. Although these are silly little examples, the pattern holds true for the larger things.

“So how should a Christian respond to these ‘imaginings?’ What would you say if someone played that at a funeral, right before you were supposed to speak?” - P&D