The New One-Stop Shop for Ministry and Theology Texts?

Okay, it's no secret that I love books. I love bookstores. It's not unheard of for a "good date" in my book, to be dinner and a bookstore.

So when I see a bin of books for sell even in a non-bookstore, I usually can't help but at least see what they are selling. Even if it's the bargain bin at Kroger, where one might find random Christian devotional books and Joel Osteen over-runs.

But I've been surprised before: I found a book that my Personal Spiritual Disciplines professor had recommended, plus an old John Maxwell book that I really enjoyed (for $4.99!)

Yesterday Ashlee and I had lunch with our friends Jason and Lindsey, and we stopped at Kroger to pick up dessert on the way there. There, in the frozen foods aisle, I was drawn to the bargain book bin. I was taken aback at what I found:

• Brian McLaren's Secret Message of Jesus
• John Piper's Passion of Jesus Christ
• CJ Mahaney's Humility: True Greatness
• Josh Harris' Stop Dating the Church!
• Andy Stanley's Visioneering
• ... and more... for $4.99 each.

It was beautiful.
Good by Lifeway / Southern Seminary Bookstore, hello grocery store.

Hopefully the non-Kroger branded stores that Kroger owns up North carries the same quality selection so that you Yankees can participate.

Speaking of Yankees, did you know that Ted Nugent might be playing on the new David Crowder Band album? :-O

Seth Barnes on Discipleship

See the article here and an excerpt here:

If you're an average youth worker you got into the field because you wanted to disciple young people. But something happened along the way. Your church gave you a flawed model of discipleship, one that involves little long-term ministry and results in meager fruit.

Expectations, calendars, and a risk-averse evangelical culture all make your life complicated.

Our culture wants you to work as guns-for-hire babysitting a generation sitting back with arms folded and a smirk that says, "Go ahead and try to hold my attention. I've got satellite TV, an X-box, wireless internet, a cell phone, and a schedule that won't quit. See where you fit in that list."

Jesus said, "Let the dead bury the dead." His terms were uncompromising; ours should be too.

HT: Joe Ball