Paul’s Idea of Community by Robert J. Banks is a well researched study exploring the cultural settings surrounding Paul and the early church and its impact on early community life. This classic work is a deep dive so you better sharpen your steak knives and get the Worcestershire sauce out. The excerpt below is about […]
I stumbled upon this great Called-Forth series by Kevin Geoffrey of The Biblically Correct Podcast. Highlighted below is episode #57 from late 2023. This is part 7 of 7. Watch it on YouTube here. Check out the podcast here and his website here. The rest of the series is linked below. The “church” of God—Yeshua’s […]
Jon Zens shared this powerful quote several months ago from Elton Trueblood’s book The Yoke of Christ and Other Sermons. I’m definitely looking forward to reading this book. I’ve already reviewed a couple of Jon Zens’ books all of which I highly recommend. You can find the reviews on my Resources page and you can […]
This short fifty page narrative by author Robert Banks is quite engaging. This story is told by a fictional character called Publius Valerius Amicius Rufus who is invited to a Christian gathering for the first time. An excerpt from the book is below. When everyone had seated themselves and Lysias had packed away the game, […]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together is a classic on fostering authentic Christian community. As expected, from any book written in 1938, the language and content may seem a bit outdated but the concepts are full of wisdom and still worthy of discussion. The following is an excerpt that is relevant for today. Innumerable times a whole […]
This is the second excerpt from Christian Smith’s excellent book Going to the Root. The Bible helps us see where we went wrong. For the Bible makes it clear that the central and irreplaceable medium for communicating the gospel is the quality of believers’ lives together. Jesus’ last message to his followers was: “Love one another; just as […]
Going To The Root was published in 1992 by Christian Smith and is full of wisdom and great insight. This will be my first of two excerpts from the book. Discipleship stands at the heart of Christian community. We do not build community primarily for emotional intimacy and social support – although we do experience […]
This short work by Chris J. Jefferies is a summary of Alan Hirsch’s book The Forgotten Ways. This 50 page summary is ideal for use as a small group study guide. Questions along the way help readers navigate from theory to practical application. I have included an excerpt below entitled “Structure For Life”. You can […]
For those looking for some real meat to sink their teeth into, here it is. This book by Gilbert Bilezikian took me awhile to finish but it was well worth the effort. Taking the time to chew and digest Gilbert’s comments about authentic community, real leadership and the role of women in ministry was eye-opening. […]
This is another great book by Wayne Jacobsen. Previously involved in the institutional church, Wayne writes honestly and powerfully about his transition and why true Biblical relationships are the most healthy for Christ followers. The following is the second of two excerpts from his book. This excerpt talks about the clergy/laity divide. This book is […]
