The Barnabas Blog

Several months ago, I reviewed some study Bibles ( Holman , NIV , ESV , Dugan , Hebrew-Greek Keyword ) that I found to be helpful for expositors.  The Bibles that I reviewed were primarily those that fell into a category of general readership and those that were commonly found at large in big box Christian bookstores.  There are several Bibles that I am going to write reviews of in the next few days that fall into a variety of subsets of Christian doctrines and views.  While some of these Bibles can be purchased in big box stores, there are a few that you may have to track down through on-line sources. 

It is obvious from the flurry of writing that I am doing on the Barnabas Blog that you can tell it is the end of the year.  I generally try to put out a “Top Ten” list of books that I have read the previous year.  This year is a little different because I have read so many good books, helpful books, and changing-my-thinking books that it is hard to say which one was the best one.  I probably read too many books about preaching during the year but since it is what I do, I read in an effort to sharpen both mind and efforts in that category.  I mentioned to the church recently that when they get to heaven one of the jewels they will get in their crown will be from having to endure my preaching.  I hope it is not an endurance factor for them but one that encourages their spiritual growth. This book, Engaging Exposition , by Daniel Akin, Bill Curtis, and Stephen Rummage will be very difficult to unseat as one of the best I have read and interacted with this year.  It was given to m

One of the genres of books that I enjoy as a preacher is the group that deals with act and art of preaching itself.  If you have read this blog for any length of time, you have discovered that I have recommended a lion’s share of books about preaching—most have been to do with expository preaching.  It is good for preachers to continue to read books that will sharpen their skills as a preacher.  Because I believe that preaching—both the delivery by the preacher and the listening by the hearer—is an act of worship, I believe a preacher should do everything within his power to get better at preaching.  One of the ways that we can get better is to read books about preaching. Last week, a friend of mine, Wayne Naylor, sent me a book, A Guide to Expository Ministry which has been edited by Dan Dumas.  It is a little over a hundred pages in length and it is packed with very good advice.  However, the advice in this book comes from a bit of a different angle in that it addresses th