davidsteele1966

A Call to Contentment – David Kaywood

David Kaywood, A Call to Contentment (Geanies House, Fern, Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2024), 156 pp. The package arrived in the afternoon. Not recognizing the return address, I hastily tore into the parcel, like a schoolboy on Christmas Eve. My misguided enthusiasm led to a ripped front cover of a new book. My first thought: DisgustContinue reading “A Call to Contentment – David Kaywood”

Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age – J.I. Packer

J. I. Packer, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2024), 141 pp. It is to my utter shame that I fell asleep in the middle of a J. I. Packer sermon during my freshman year at Multnomah University. The man in the pulpit that morning helped restore Reformed theology in America. ThisContinue reading “Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age – J.I. Packer”

Ask Pastor John – Tony Reinke

Tony Reinke, Ask Pastor John (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2024), 499 pp. I cannot think of a living writer who has wielded more influence in my life than Dr. John Piper. My personal journey began with Piper’s epic book, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. To say the book was pivotal would be a massiveContinue reading “Ask Pastor John – Tony Reinke”

Make the Most of Your Productivity – Ana Ávila

Ana Ávila, Make the Most of Your Productivity (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2024), 156 pp. I’m a sucker for books that address personal productivity. So when the chance came to review Make the Most of Your Productivity by Ana Ávila, I jumped at the opportunity. Mrs. Ávila is a senior writer for Coalición for el Evangelio.Continue reading “Make the Most of Your Productivity – Ana Ávila”

How to Memorize Scripture for Life – Andrew M. Davis

Andrew M. Davis, How to Memorize Scripture for Life (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2024), 57 pp. There was a day in the church when Scripture memory was expected. Something happened around the turn of the century. The emphasis on Scripture memory began to decline, both among children and adults. How to Memorize Scripture for Life byContinue reading “How to Memorize Scripture for Life – Andrew M. Davis”

Systematic Theology – From Canon to Concept – Stephen J. Wellum

Stephen J. Wellum, Systematic Theology: From Canon to Concept, vol. 1 (Brentwood: B&H Academic, 2024), 988 pp. Stephen J. Wellum has contributed significantly to the thorny questions of redemptive history that help bridge the gap between Presbyterian covenant theology and Dispensational theology. Kingdom Through Covenant, co-authored with Peter J. Gentry, provides biblical answers that unlockContinue reading “Systematic Theology – From Canon to Concept – Stephen J. Wellum”

Apostasy from the Gospel – John Owen

John Owen, Apostasy from the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2023), 422 pp. Crossway Books deserves a great debt of gratitude for republishing The Complete Works of John Owen, including his magisterial treatment of Hebrews. Lee Gatiss and Shawn D. Wright edited the series. The volumes are bound in beautiful hardcovers and include an attractive slipcover. Apostasy from theContinue reading “Apostasy from the Gospel – John Owen”

I Am a Complementarian

As a complementarian, I affirm the responsibility of biblically qualified men to serve as elders in the household of God and to lead and shepherd the people of God (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 1 Cor. 14:34-36; 11:2-16).1 Therefore, the office of elder/pastor is reserved for men. I deny an egalitarian framework that rejects role distinctions betweenContinue reading “I Am a Complementarian”

I am a Calvinist

I affirm the sovereignty of God in salvation and embrace a Calvinistic worldview where the glory and supremacy of God are the end of all things. Seven fundamental realities compel me to embrace Calvinism, what C.H. Spurgeon referred to as a “nickname for biblical Christianity.”1 Total depravity is not just badness, but blindness to beautyContinue reading “I am a Calvinist”

Truth Unhinged in Edinburgh Square

My wife and I recently spent five days in Edinburgh, Scotland. While there is much to commend in this very beautiful city, it did not take long to realize that God is no longer welcome for many of the inhabitants there. On the last evening in Edinburgh, I watched a young street preacher proclaiming theContinue reading “Truth Unhinged in Edinburgh Square”