Leitourgia

Now in its second edition, Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas' acclaimed book Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups  is available with revised and expanded notes. This model for small group ministry claims to create groups with 100% participation by changing the mindset of both church leaders and parishioners and embarking on the Activate system of Focus, Form, Fill, and Facilitate. This book is question-driven, seeking to answer concerns such as, "How do I recruit people for a small group?" and "How long should a small group last?" The book is methodical and able to be read through a process of implementing a modified discipleship program. Overall, this book is very helpful. It provides practical advice in a readable format, offering real examples with biblical support. It may also serve well as a reference text for churches already ahead in the process. For those seeking to activate their congregants, look no further than this text. (My thanks...

Beginning biblical students often find it difficult to navigate a sea of technical terms. Such vocabulary can inhibit them from fully understanding the world of biblical scholarship. However, with Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss' The Baker Compact Dictionary of Biblical Studies  (Baker Books, 2018), this issue can be remedied. Containing the essential terms necessary for understanding the language of biblical study, this reference tool should be sufficient to equip beginning scholars in furthering their study of the Bible. This book is compact yet full, with definitions that cover a range of topics while remaining accessible. It contains significant locations, persons, events, scholars, artifacts, and documents relevant to understanding the literary and historical context and study of the Bible. (My thanks is given to Baker for providing a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Baker Books, 2018. 285 pp. It should be no surprise that the world in which the Bible was written is drastically divergent from the world in which we live today. Scholars note a gap between these "two horizons," and, if we are able to understand how to bridge it through understanding the theological, cultural, and literary context of the original culture, we can fully understand how the Bible speaks to us today. This is an issue that Lois Tverberg seeks to address in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding  (Baker Books, 2018). After being intrigued by Jesus' usage of the Old Testament and the hidden cultural nuances lost through language translation, Tverberg seeks to expose readers toward understanding how Jesus read the Bible. To this end, she describes the mechanics of Hebrew and Greek, the first-century world, and applies specifically to various OT books. Tverberg presents a refreshing and much-needed appr...

Overview Those who own laptops know that you are carrying an expensive investment. Considering the price of the laptop, software, and insurance, many laptops can be worth well over $1,000. Therefore, it is imperative to protect one’s investment with a case. Many cases are designed for purely aesthetic purposes—it makes the laptop look good, but it offers little to no protection. Others do an excellent job protecting the laptop but add unnecessary bulkiness, and—let’s be frank—they don’t often look that attractive. This is where MAX Cases’ Extreme Shell comes into play. Albeit a lesser-known company, MAX specializes in creating cases for educational and business settings. In other words, these cases are designed to survive in high-impact areas. The MAX Extreme Shell, offered for Mac and Windows laptops alike (here we will review the Macbook case), is a lightweight yet durable laptop case. It protects against impacts, scratches, and other wear and tear. I have owned th...