The Shape of Books, part 2
Books do more than just convey ideas. They shape, stir, soften, inspire, and make us different people than we were before we read them. I don’t just understand the abstract…
The Shape of Books, part 1
A friend recently asked me, “Can you tell me why the book of Ezekiel is so long?” He has a point. Have you read Ezekiel lately? The prophet does…
Celebrating C. S. Lewis’ Birthday
Today, November 29th, is C. S. Lewis’ birthday, an event I celebrate every year by reading or rereading one of Lewis’ books. This year, I’m digging into Yours, Jack, a…
Images of Pre-Evangelism, part 5
Consider two different visual images – two people playing tennis and two people looking at the same piece of art. In the first, the people face each other and try…
Images of Pre-Evangelism, part 4
Evangelism requires gentleness. But sometimes it needs shrewdness. Often, the subtext must read, “A gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). At other times, we need to remember, “Answer a…
Images of Pre-Evangelism, part 3
I chose to include a chapter on anger in my book Questioning Evangelism. When my acquisitions editor saw “What if I want my neighbor to go to hell?” as a…
Images of Pre-Evangelism, part 2
I’ve never owned a car with a standard transmission because I can’t afford it. I’m not referring to the cost of buying such a car. I mean that, given my…
Images of Pre-Evangelism, Part 1
Decades ago, Francis Schaeffer wrote, “Pre-Evangelism is no soft option.” His words ring truer than ever. Many people we know find the starting points of our gospel presentations unintelligible,…
Evangelism as “Breaking a Taboo”
In a recent blog, I asked for readers to send me questions they get asked by non-Christians. The first response was: "I haven't ever been asked a question! To me,…
Evangelism: More Impossible Than It Used To Be
I’ve noticed some changes in Christians’ attitudes and motivations in evangelism over the years. A while ago, many Christians evangelized out of guilt. They felt so bad that they hadn’t…