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2024 was a good year for reading…I think I read more books this year than I have any other year. At the time of writing, I have 36 books done…and 2 more in the works. I hope to read 50 next year…here’s a quick list of what I read this year. Click on the title […]
Read More 2024 Reading wrap-upOne of the biggest misunderstandings of Christianity is that it is merely a privately held belief. There is a measure of truth to this as we do “privately” believe – meaning we each individually have to come to terms with our sin, repent, and ask for the forgiveness graciously offered through faith in Christ Jesus. […]
Read More when christianity affects cultureFresh off the press, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, is a profoundly insightful and helpful book. A revised and condensed version of the longer and equally helpful earlier work, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, it is accessible, powerful, and quickly cuts through the […]
Read More Strange New WorldI’ve said it a lot lately – read the Puritans. Wow. What a wealth of spiritual encouragement and perspective. The latest gem I read was “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” by Thomas Brooks, written in 1652. In non-Puritan speak that means “The most common tricks Satans uses to try to trip you up spiritually and […]
Read More Precious remedies against satan’s devices[A pastor’s response to the vision and fall of Hillsong] Yesterday, Mel and I binged the new Docuseries about Hillsong. (It’s only three episodes so maybe it was more of a “mini-binge.”) It was extremely revealing to see this done from a non-Christian worldview. However, this is how the world sees the church, and it […]
Read More the church I seeSome books I buy just for the title, and this was one of them. The subtitle is even better “12 Hard Question for the World’s Largest Religion.” We need to be asking the hard questions. We need to be encouraging our people, especially our youth, to ask the hard questions. Why? Because unfortunately so much […]
Read More Confronting ChristianityAh yes…books! Some people hate them, some love them. Some have too many, some don’t have enough. Reading is essential for many reasons. On a mental, physical, emotional and intellectual level there are myriads of benefits to daily reading. [Google it! I’m not kidding!] But on a spiritual level, especially as it pertains to growth […]
Read More Pastor Mike’s top books of 2021Fair question. A lot of people are asking it these days and let’s face it – there are some really strange things in the Bible! But, to answer the question – I believe the Bible is true because of its external evidence and its internal evidence. Here’s a quick explanation of what that means. First, […]
Read More Why do you believe the Bible is true?So here we are. The end of our five part series designed to answer the question “Are the Gospels reliable?” I certainly don’t have all the answers and I certainly can’t cover all the topics in a blog-mini-series. But I hope you think about this differently, I hope there have been just enough thoughts to […]
Read More Are the Gospels Reliable? ConclusionAre we having fun yet? If you are still reading…let me just say “thanks” and I hope you have found some of this helpful. Maybe even some of this can serve to build your faith stronger in the reliability of the gospels! To trace where we have been – we started with an Introduction and […]
Read More Are the Gospels Reliable? Part 3 – What About All the Mistakes?
Mike Ruel