The Berean Bookclub Francois Pauw & Conrad Rheeder

In this fourth episode of season three, we chat through "Can We Trust The Gospels" by Peter Williams. The four gospels have regularly been put under the microscope in order to determine whether they can be trusted. In this book, Peter Williams presents the evidence in a comprehensive, clear and accessible way. "Can We Trust The Gospels?" is a must-have on your bookshelf. And, as always, well worth a read.

In this episode, we discuss why a book like this might be helpful for us today, how to think about the 'historical bias' of the gospel writers, the significance of external and internal evidence for the gospels, and the meaning of the undesigned coincidences in the gospels.

In this third episode of season three, we chat through C. S. Lewis' "The Inner Ring". Originally a lecture he gave at King's College University of London in 1944, Lewis describes the existence of the unseen social circles around us and warns about the dangers of our insatiable desires to enter into them. Later transcribed and published as an essay, this piece by Lewis is honest, challenging and incredibly insightful. As always, well worth a read.

In this episode, we discuss what exactly an 'Inner Ring' is, what our desires to enter them may result in, and how we might avoid the dangers of relentlessly pursuing the Inner Ring.

In this second episode of season three, we chat through Randy Alcorn's "Managing God's Money," exploring some foundational principles of financial stewardship and biblical perspectives on money. In his book, Alcorn covers key concepts addressing topics such as cheerful giving, contentment, eternal rewards, debt and more. This book is challenging, freeing and incredibly practical. Definitely well worth a read.

In this episode we discuss God's ownership of all resources and the shift from being owners to stewards, how money is not the root of all evil and the principle of working for eternal rewards.

In this first episode of season three, we chat through Hannah Hurnard's book: Hind's Feet on High Places

In this allegory, Hurnard writes of the Christian life as a journey from the valley up onto the high places. Perhaps a little less known than its counterpart The Pilgrim's Progress, Hind's Feet on High Places has breathtaking insights into sorrow, suffering, inadequacy, doubt, trust and many other aspects of the Christian life. What it lacks in popularity it holds in value, making it a hidden gem in the truest sense. It's an exhilarating journey, well worth the read.

In this episode, we discuss the best companions for a journey up to the high places, a rare flower to be found along the way, and a magnificent waterfall which calls for a closer look.

In this episode of the Berean Bookclub we chat through Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey.

In this book Ramsey wants his readers to learn to love art through the eyes of faith. There is only one way in which he tries to do this: by showing that there is beauty in brokenness. Through ineradicable storytelling skills, he traces the lives and art of 9 different artists through the ages, showing how the brokenness of their lives, families, situations and selves produces art which points toward the beauty in God their art longs to capture. Along the way, he teaches us a way of engaging with art - of Christians and non-Christians - which helps us to deeply appreciate these masterpieces as part of our lives before the Lord. This makes it a book well suited for both the art novice and the critic.

In this episode we speak through neglecting the pursuit of beauty for pursuing what is true or good, how beauty is the application of goodness and truth, how there is beauty in brokenness, how brokenness points toward a beauty outside of itself, how our creativity is borrowed and dependent on one another, why we need one another to create, how Michelangelo's 'David' is a testimony to a decaying world and why vulnerability is necessary for beauty.

In this episode of The Berean Bookclub we chat through Songs of Suffering by Joni Erickson.

This book walks through 25 songs which have accompanied Joni through what seems to be a lifetime of suffering. Along the way, she not only offers personal reflections on the place these songs have had in her own suffering, but reflects on the place of suffering in our lives, the purposes for which God allows suffering and the place which song has to lift our eyes to Jesus in the midst of suffering. In this book, Joni marries two of her great loves: Jesus and song. This makes it not only a sobering reflection on suffering but an incredibly practical read which seeks to equip us to love Jesus through song in the midst of suffering.

In this episode we speak through the value of memorizing God's promises through song and the place of this in suffering, how orchestrated sufferings by the master vine-dresser are an essential part of abiding in Jesus, how to press into suffering rather than fight against it, how to speak about our suffering without creating more anxiety and fear, the ability of suffering to choke out our gratitude, the power of focusing on Jesus cross rather than our own crosses, the beauty of not regaining what was lost through our suffering and trusting God to conform us to the image of Christ through our suffering.