Book Reviews: Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung, plus the best of 2013

December 31, 2013January 3, 2014 Geoff Robson Christian Living, Quick Hits book reviews, crazy busy, gilead, one forever, open, secret thoughts of an unlikely convert

If you’re looking to put together a summer reading list, here are five ideas to get you started. These are some of the best books I’ve read in 2013. Enjoy!

Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung (Hard copy | eBook)
Kevin DeYoung is one of my favourite Christian writers, mostly because his books are thoroughly biblical. He refuses to use Scripture superficially, but digs deeply and carefully into the riches of the Bible in all his books. In doing so, he helps you see how to handle the Bible for yourself. On top of that, he is just a flat-out good writer, particularly because he gets that clarity (not obscurity) is a virtue for anyone wanting to expound the Bible and help people to understand the things of God.

The title of his latest book, Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem, probably grabs your attention without much help. If you don’t know what it is to feel crazy busy, then rejoice and be glad – and skip this book. But if you’re among the other 95% of the population, then it’s absolutely worth your time. DeYoung doesn’t just dig through the Bible to find some self-help bromides to aid us in our busyness. Instead, he goes back to basics, addressing the theological roots of why our lives feel so manic, yet managing to apply his findings to real-life situations like parenting, setting good priorities, and monitoring your use of technology. The publishers have also produced some excellent resources at crazybusybook.com (including a study guide) which will help book clubs or staff teams wanting to read the book together. Continue reading →

The Top Ten of 2013

December 29, 2013December 30, 2013 Geoff Robson Quick Hits 2013, Breaking Bad, census, depression, Evangelism, homosexuality, Kevin Rudd, politics, relationships, Same-sex marriage, top ten, West Wing

It’s that time when, apparently, bloggers post ‘best-of’ lists from the year that’s past. So here we go. These are the top ten most viewed posts from Every Thought Captive in 2013.

10. A Breaking Bad Idea: I took some heat (some of it justified) for this rumination on whether or not Christians should watch shows like Breaking Bad. I’m glad it raised questions for people.

9. Depression and the Christian: A collection of resources for people dealing with (or helping those dealing with) this massive issue. Continue reading →

The Secret of Contentment

December 13, 2013December 13, 2013 Geoff Robson Christian Living, Christian Thought comparison, contentment, Philippians, Romans, sober judgment

We all struggle with the constant desire to compare ourselves to others. LIZ ROBSON shows us how to break free of the comparison game and look on ourselves with ‘sober judgment’.

We live in an age where the lure of comparison is more enticing than ever before. Facebook tells us what hundreds of people are doing at any given moment. We have Instagram and Twitter to monitor the world’s every move, and there’s nothing quite like a little bit of Pinterest envy on the side. Now, thanks to Skype, we have to even consider how we present ourselves while making a telephone call! Continue reading →

Census delivers few surprises on religion in New Zealand in 2013

December 11, 2013December 12, 2013 Geoff Robson Christian Thought, Sport & Culture atheism, Census 2013, Christianity, denominations, New Zealand, religion, secularism

New statistics on the spiritual and religious landscape in New Zealand make alarming (yet sadly unsurprising) reading

This month, Statistics New Zealand has begun releasing key data from the 2013 Census. A wealth of information is already available online, with all the details being rolled out between now and June 2015. I especially enjoyed ‘What if New Zealand were a village of 100 people?’

Of course, we all know what they say about lies, damned lies and statistics, and the story of a nation can never be reduced to mere Census figures. But statistics do have their place. As Jed Bartlet once said, “Numbers, Mrs. Landingham. If you want to convince me of something, show me numbers.” Continue reading →

Jesus on healing broken relationships

December 9, 2013December 10, 2013 Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Living forgiveness, Jesus, Matthew, reconciliation, relationships

We should always take the first step to fix our damaged relationships, no matter which side of the breakdown we’re on

There’s an old cliché in Christian circles – often said half-jokingly, but through quietly gritted teeth: “I love everything about Christian ministry apart from people.” It’s a cliché laced with bitter irony because, of course, so much of the Christian life and ministry is about people and relationships. Yet it acknowledges the painful reality that relationships are always difficult, because people are always flawed and sinful. We all make mistakes. We hurt others, and we get hurt.

The Bible is the most realistic of books, dealing directly and honestly with the reality of our sin. And that means it contains forthright, practical wisdom on handling broken relationships. Continue reading →

A Breaking Bad Idea

October 17, 2013October 17, 2013 Geoff Robson Christian Living, Sport & Culture 1 Peter, Breaking Bad, holiness, Romans, TV

Is it healthy or wise for Christians to watch and enjoy a program so deeply laced with violence and darkness?

In case you were living in a cave and missed it, last month featured a genuine ‘television event’: the final episode of Breaking Bad. Though I’ve never seen a single episode, it was enough of a sensation to capture my attention and leave me with some big questions.

My first experience of the show came when I was browsing some DVDs in a store last year, saw the cover for Season 1, and thought, ‘Why is Bryan Cranston standing there in his undies?’ I read the back cover and shrugged: chemistry teacher is diagnosed with cancer, so decides to start making methamphetamine to provide for his family – a slightly strange (even unpleasant) topic, some potential, but nothing special. Continue reading →

When Prime Ministers Attack: Faith under (friendly) fire

September 6, 2013September 6, 2013 Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Thought Colossians, Ephesians, gender roles, homosexuality, Kevin Rudd, politics, Same-sex marriage, science

What can we learn from the Australian Prime Minister throwing his own faith under the bus to win political points?

In case you haven’t already heard, the Australian election campaign took an interesting turn this week when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appeared on Q & A (a current affairs interview program in Australia) and was asked a question about ‘same-sex marriage’. Rudd went into full flight, launching a passionate defence of the change of heart that has seen him become a vocal proponent of what he calls ‘marriage equality’.

Continue reading →

God and Caesar: On the limitations of government

August 23, 2013September 16, 2014 Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Thought Abraham Kuyper, democracy, Government, Jesus, John F. Kennedy, Mark, politics

We Christians are a strange, motley bunch. Part of the glory of the gospel – and part of the joy and the challenge of life together in this world – is that God draws us together as his people from such diverse backgrounds. When we come together as his people, united as brothers and sisters in Christ, we bring with us an enormous range of quirks and weaknesses, experiences and strengths.

This wonderful diversity in the Christian community also means that we bring with us all kinds of passions and commitments. Sometimes, sadly, trivial matters can become our consuming desire, and yet we might remain coolly indifferent to things that really should put fire in our bellies. Sometimes, however, it’s just a matter of personal preference; the things that excite one person leave the next person unmoved, and that’s okay.

Where does politics fit into that mix?

Continue reading →

Accepting the foolishness of Christian faith

August 16, 2013January 7, 2014 Geoff Robson Christian Thought, Quick Hits 1 Corinthians, atheism, Budziszewski, intelligence, religion

This week, researchers at the University of Rochester have made a slightly off-putting discovery. Trawling back through decades of studies, they believe they have found “a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity.” That is, they believe they’ve worked out that atheists are smarter than religious people.

The research looked at 63 studies conducted between 1928 and 2012, and found that 53 studies showed this ‘reliable negative correlation’ between religion and intelligence. Out of those 53, no less than 35 were said to demonstrate a ‘significant’ negative correlation. Continue reading →