BOOK REVIEWS

State Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Other Recent Blog Entries:

The Caleb Spirit in 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
In my mind, Caleb is the Barnabas of the Old Testament. When others seemed to lose hope, he offered encouragement to them.

A Year to Remember
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

Finishing Strong
Monday, November 21, 2011
I do not pretend to be a football coach, but I do believe this "sports experience" translates into our everyday lives, most notably in our Christian lives. There are times when we have seemingly given our all and we feel spent, emotionally, physically and even spiritually.

Be Encouraged!
Thursday, October 28, 2011
In periods of history like the one we now face, Christians have often done some of their most effective service for Christ. But in order to be an effective servant, we must find our source of encouragement in the face of these discouraging situations.

SBC Today: An Interview
Thursday, October 16, 2011
Managing ourselves means more than controlling the calendar, staying morally and ethically pure, reading the latest books, keeping family time balanced, and running things smoothly in one's ministry. I am convinced this means staying in touch with Lord and with yourself in such a way that you make the right decisions and lead in the right direction.

Newsweek has called Timothy Keller "a C.S. Lewis for the 21st century." This is a high compliment indeed. Keller seems to have some of the qualities of unique insightfulness characteristic of Lewis. He demonstrated some of those distinctives in his first book, The Reason for God.

His second book, The Prodigal God. is an equally thoughtful read. Using the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son as a platform to set forth his own perspectives about God's extravagant grace. Keller defines prodigal not as being wayward but extravagant. The younger son was wayward and, in a more subtle way, so was the elder brother. The father in the parable exemplified an extravagant grace so representative of God the Father. Therefore He is a Prodigal God.

Timothy Keller has become well known for helping to grow a thriving church, Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan. Today, some 6,000 people worship in the church. Keller has led the fellowship to start numerous churches in North America and around the world. His plans for the future call for more of these reproducing efforts

The Prodigal God is a very good book about grace and hope. You will see yourself in the writings of Keller and that is healthy. Younger sons, wayward sinners and elder brothers, self-righteous moral conformists, both need the extravagant grace of God. The Prodigal God seeks to share His extravagant grace to these kinds of people.