Life and Books and Everything

For two years, way back in the early Oughts, Kevin and Stephen Witmer were classmates at Gordon-Conwell. That means having Stephen on LBE is long overdue. Listen in as Kevin asks Stephen about two books: Stephen’s earlier book about ministering in small places and his newest book about the poetry of George Herbert. You’ll find that Stephen is a thoughtful, mature, inspiring guide on both subjects. Whether you are interested in New England, small town ministry, poetry, or just thinking about meditation and creativity in pastoral ministry, you will be helped by this edifying episode.

After his excellent book Digital Liturgies (2023), Samuel is back with a new book aimed at young adults called Scroll Less, Live More. Join Kevin and Samuel as they talk through some of the book’s ten habits for recapturing our real embodied lives. In this practical episode, you’ll get some concrete action points to consider, as well as provocative thoughts about the macro ways (and many ways) that screens are shaping all of us.

When someone has pastored the same church for nearly 40 years, you should listen to what he has to say about thriving in ministry. That’s the topic of Joel Beeke’s new book and the focus of this week’s LBE. Listen in as Kevin and Joel talk about the benefit of long-term pastorates, how a pastor might know he’s being called somewhere else, how to maintain healthy rhythms in ministry, how to avoid personal scandal, and why it’s okay for pastors to focus (within reason) on the things they do best.

What is classical theology? Why was it sometimes forgotten by evangelicals in the 20th century? What difference does this theology make for our modern world? Listen in as Kevin talks to Carl Trueman about his newest book, and they discuss important doctrines like immutability, impassibility, and the hypostatic union. You’ll also hear why Carl is encouraged about the next generation of students in America.

“What do I do about my grown children who not only have abandoned the faith and values they were raised with but have also estranged themselves from us?” This painful, and increasingly prevalent question, is what Noelle’s Mering’s new book is about. Noelle is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, an author and commentator, and a wife and mother of six children. Listen in as Kevin and Noelle talk about the rise of this “No Contact” phenomenon—where it came from, what is wrong with it, and how parents can respond to it with truth and grace.https://www.crossway.org/LBEKidsJournalhttps://www.crossway.org/books/future-grace-case/