I’m taking a preaching seminar during these first two weeks of January, and one of the books the professor assigned us is Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry by Michael Lawrence. This is one of those books that I’ll reread because it addresses things that will help me be a better preacher. In a way it’s a book on hermeneutics—it addresses how we ought to incorporate the storyline of Scripture into our preaching—but it’s also a book about how to apply the biblical text to the diverse people who are sitting in our pews. It includes what Lawrence calls “The Shepherd’s Taxonomy” where he walks preachers through a series of questions to ask ourselves about the application portion of our sermons. That section alone is worth the price of the book.

And here’s some other good stuff I’ve run across recently . . .

4 Principles for Parenting in a World of Video Games by Trevin Wax

This has been something my wife and I have struggled with in raising our kids, particularly our sons. How much screen time should they get? How can we teach them to be self-disciplined in their use of electronics? If you’ve got kids, this article is definitely worth your time.

How to Love God by Getting More Sleep by Joe Carter

I doubt I’m alone in my struggles with sleeping. Sometimes I’ll lie in bed for hours and then finally drift off at 3 or 4 in the morning. I first read this article a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been incorporating some of his suggestions. So far, it’s helping. I like how he approaches it from a spiritual perspective.

Modesty Lets Our Light Shine by Kim Cash Tate

It’s not often that the wife of an NBA megastar makes comments about dressing modestly, but it happened not long ago when Ayesha Curry—wife of Stephen Curry—expressed her frustration with the way many people dress.

Seven Situations Where Your Church Should Not Have Greeters by Thom Rainer

Rainer puts out a lot of good, church-growth-type stuff. After reading this, I’m convicted that we’re not doing what we ought to be doing with our greeters.

12 Books Every Married Person Should Read and Reread by Andrew Hess

If you can deal with their ads and multi-page articles, churchleaders.com actually has some helpful material.

Christianity, the World’s Most Falsifiable Religion by Michael Patton

This is a good, simple, apologetic article that’s worth reading. Compared to other world religions, Christianity exhibits qualities that others don’t. Its falsifiability is an important one.