Inspired by John Pippo's website: www.theolobloggy.blogspot.com, I thought I'd share some things I am currently reading:
I am currently leading a Bible study with 8-10 young men from our youth group who are reading through Ecclesiastes.
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
And my fiance and I are studying the Gospel of John.
I don't mention these things to make myself look like some "higher-up intellect" who reads many books. Quite the contrary - I do find it difficult to retain some of the material I read. However, it seems the Lord is teaching me something about Grace.
Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, is all about a world crying out for a savior. We here of the meaninglessness of all things unless we understand who our Creator is and what we're here to do, "Eat, drink, and enjoy the fruits of our labor."
The Ragamuffin Gospel and Cost of Discipleship, from what I've read so far, are talking about this thing called Grace and the difference between 'cheap grace' and 'costly grace.' Both Manning and Bonhoeffer are riveting in their analogies and discourses in explaining what Grace is.
Finally, my fiance and I are studying how this Grace thing came about. "In the begining was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1,2).
It seems God has had a plan since the very beginning of creation to reconcile Man back to Him. God has, "Made mankind upright, yet they have gone in search of many schemes." (Eccles. 7:29). This is why we need a graceful God. Because we can never and will never be able to reconcile ourselves back to God. So what does God do? God, "...gave His one and only Son, so that those who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16).
Blessings,
Joe
