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The Wiersbe Study Bible

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

The Wiersbe Study BibleThe first time I was introduced to the writing of Warren W. Wiersbe was when I was a student at Ozark Christian College, in a preaching class. One of our assigned readings was a small book called Elements Of Preaching. It was simple and yet profound, and formed some of the basis upon which I still craft my sermons and lessons twenty-five years later.

It didn’t take me long to track down a few other books by Wiersbe to add to my library, each as helpful as that first one. When I saw that there was a new Wiersbe Study Bible, I was immediately interested in looking it over. And I was not disappointed.

Of course, the text of the Bible is not what is on review here; it is the study notes that accompany the text itself. And these notes are phenomenal. Warren Wiersbe has a very intellectual mind, and that is very apparent in any of his books that I have read over the years. But these notes, while containing much that is challenging to the thought process, also remain very approachable and are not above the head of the average Bible reader.

The Wiersbe Study Bible has several great features that can help anyone striving to learn more about the Bible. Each book has a detailed introduction and an outline. Along with the overview, each book contains a section called “Be Transformed,” which is a practical application section, outlining several key aspects of each book for daily growth. Add to this the study notes, special notes, and cross references, and you have an excellent tool for spiritual growth.

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The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

The Baggage HandlerFiction is fun to read, but when fiction has a point to it, that seems to make it even better. Some of my favorite examples of this are novels written by Andy Andrews, such as The Traveler’s Gift, The Noticer, and The Heart Mender. In that vein, David Rawlings has written a fictional novel with a solid point in his book The Baggage Handler.

The premise is simple. Three different people have their baggage mixed up by an airline. Each of them are struggling with significant issues in their immediate lives. As they arrive at the location where they can receive the correct baggage, they each meet the Baggage Handler. This young man speaks some pointed truths into each of their lives that they may not have wanted to hear, but they needed to hear.

The Baggage Handler is a quick and easy book to read, but as the pages turned, I realized that Rawlings holds some deep insights into more lives than just the three fictional lives presented in his book. The truths he presents are simple, yet profound, and the impacted my thoughts in a way that was fresh and gave some new perspective to some of the baggage that I find myself carrying in my own life.

Knowledge of biblical doctrine is to the soul as an anchor to the ship, that holds it steady in the midst of the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution.

Thomas Watson
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Digital Minimalism

Takeaways From The March LeaderBooks Selection

I recently joined a book club designed for leadership building called LeaderBooks. The book selected for March was Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport. Here are a few of my thoughts concerning the book, and my reactions to it.

Digital Minimalism

Our culture is noisy, and a voice of reason in the midst of that noise is needed. Cal Newport strives to be that voice with his book Digital Minimalism. The subtitle seems highly appropriate for the culture we live in: Choosing A Focused Life In A Noisy World.

The premise Newport begins with is that we have been hooked by the digital conglomerates that operate in our world, and we are no longer the user being targeted with need to fulfill. No, we are the product being sold, and our consistent tapping, clicking and swiping is an addictive habit that is designed to keep our attention focused in on the apps we use. Because, the longer we use them, the more money they make.

In response to this, Newport calls for a heavily moderated digital detox. His approach is simple. First, remove all optional digital use from your life for thirty days. After that time, as you allow certain products back in, evaluate just how effective they are at meeting your needs, and if there is a better tool, use it instead. Then, finally, you set the parameters that it can operate under. The digital product no longer has mastery; you do.

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Coffee Break – 03.25.2019

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 421, the city of Venice was founded. In 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned king of Scotland. In 1807, British Parliament abolished the slave trade. And in 1911, 146 women were killed in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City. The owners of the company were indicted on manslaughter charges because some of the employees had been behind locked doors in the factory.

Coffee Break

Today Is National Tolkien Reading Day!
The Hobbit is calling!

What’s The Difference Between Cold Brew And Iced Coffee? – I am amazed at the amount of people that don’t know the difference between the two. And also, that cold brew can be consumed hot, and it’s delicious.

5 Brands I’ve Been Using For Over 5 Years – These are some of Antonio’s trusted brands, and I can vouch for a couple of them as well.

What Sugar Does To Your Brain – Sugar isn’t that great for us, and the more processed it is, the worse it is for us. This article explains some of that.

China’s Geography Problem – After watching a similar video last week on India’s geography problem, I discovered this one on China. It’s just as interesting.

The question shouldn’t be, “Is it okay for me to have some nice stuff?” The real question is, “If I don’t have nice stuff, will my spirit be okay with that?

Dave Ramsey
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Unoffendable

Living Without Offense In Our Current Culture

One of the classes at our church started a new study this week called Unoffendable. The premise is based on a book of the same name, written by Brant Hansen, and we are using the book as a springboard for discussion in the class.

Unoffendable

As we started off the class last weekend, we discussed the topic of anger, and compared personal anger to social anger, to injustice, and to the concept of forgiveness that Jesus clearly defines in Scripture.

I’m looking forward to reading through the book to see what the author has to say on these subjects. After our first discussion, I was challenged in my own thinking. Let me give you an example of how I might need to review how I approach this idea.

I have always had a short temper, and controlling my anger is something I have struggled with over the years. I’m pretty sure I’m better at this than I was a few years ago, but I know I still have a long way to go. In Ephesians 4:26, Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” But the question comes down to just what he means by this.

Does he mean that we are not to get angry? Is anger a sin? Or does he mean that when we do get angry, we are to make sure we handle it in a sin-free, appropriate manner? Is anger is a common human emotion, something we all deal with as emotional beings? Or is it something that comes straight from our fallen nature?

And what about righteous anger? Is there such a thing? Or is that simply our excuse to be angry and justify it? Can we be motivated about such things as injustice and the brokenness of the world without being angry? Can we handle those kinds of things without giving in to anger?