Kingdom Harbor

Here’s some books I’ve been reading lately (aside from school reading).

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham

Drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the forty-first president and his family, Meacham paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times. From the Oval Office to Camp David, from his study in the private quarters of the White House to Air Force One, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the first Gulf War to the end of Communism, Destiny and Powercharts the thoughts, decisions, and emotions of a modern president who may have been the last of his kind. This is the human story of a man who was, like the nation he led, at once noble and flawed.

A Life That Is Good: The Message of Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom by Glenn Pemberton

Somewhere out there is the “good life,” and we’re all scrambling to get it. Glenn Pemberton maintains in this book that we find the so-called good life not in good things but in living well—and the biblical book of Proverbs teaches us how to live that life. Though based on solid biblical scholarship, A Life That Is Good is a readable, practical guide to the wisdom found in the ancient book of Proverbs—wisdom on everyday living, speech, relationships, justice, money, and much more.

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

There is a growing and unacceptable discrepancy between God’s vision for the church and ours. Consumerism has to leave. The Church requires more. God’s Church started as a radical, spiritually intimate gathering of believers that ultimately changed history. Yet millions today are content to be mere observers at church. Many more have left, brokenhearted and cynical. But God is waking up His people—people who will risk anything and sacrifice everything to be the dynamic, world-changing Church of Scripture. Speaking out of deep love for the Church, Chan guides Christ followers to live out God’s magnificent and beautiful vision for His Church-a vision we may have lost but God has never forgotten.

Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King by Matthew Bates

We are saved by faith when we trust that Jesus died for our sins. This is the gospel, or so we are taught. But what is faith? And does this accurately summarize the gospel? Because faith is frequently misunderstood and the climax of the gospel misidentified, the gospel’s full power remains untapped. While offering a fresh proposal for what faith means within a biblical theology of salvation, Matthew Bates presses the church toward a new precision: we are saved solely by allegiance to Jesus the king. Instead of faith alone, Christians must speak about salvation by allegiance alone.

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby

The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don’t know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality.

 

Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross by Michael J. Gorman

Most studies of Paul concentrate solely on his theology. This book breaks new ground by focusing on the source and nature of Paul’s spirituality. Taking his cue from Paul’s express desire to “know nothing but Christ crucified,” Michael Gorman shows how Paul’s personal experience of God constantly intersects with the story of the cross, an event that both reveals the cruciform character of God and shapes believers into a community of “cruciformity” (conformity to the crucified Christ). Expertly combining biblical studies and theological reflection, this noteworthy volume presents a model of the Christian life marked by faith, love, power, and hope.

The Upside-Down Kingdom by Donald B. Kraybill

The Upside-Down Kingdom calls readers to imagine and embody the reign of God on earth as it is in heaven. Since its publication in 1978, The Upside-Down Kingdom won the National Religious Book Award and has become the most trusted resource on radical Christian discipleship. In this completely updated anniversary edition, author Donald B. Kraybill asks: What does it mean to follow the Christ who traded victory and power for hanging out with the poor and forgiving his enemies? How did a man in first-century Palestine threaten the established order, and what does that mean for us today? Jesus turned expectations upside down. The kingdom of God is still full of surprises. Are you ready?

Once Upon a Lake: A History of Lake Minnetonka & Its People by Thelma Jones

Did you ever wonder, ‘who was here before me’? How did this place come to be? Where is your place? Mine is a childhood exploring, living & breathing the magical Minnetonka; an idyllic romping ground, a place of mystical beginnings. A place of incredible wealth. Minnetonka, West of Minneapolis. Once Upon a Lake.

 

The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others by Scot McKnight

When an expert in the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment, Jesus responded with the Shema, the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. But the next part of Jesus’ answer would change the course of history. Jesus amended the Shema, giving his followers a new creed for life: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also to love others as themselves. Discover how the Jesus Creed of love for God and others can transform your life.