Christian Archives

Beginnings: Understanding How We Experience the New Birth

Conversion as a Process Author: Stephen Smallman As part of the C.S. Lewis Institute’s Fellowship program, the month of July was dedicated to understanding true conversion and what it is. One of our assigned readings was Stephen Smallman’s Beginnings: Understanding How We Experience the New Birth. Throughout Beginnings, Smallman examines the misnomer of conversion as a singular event: a once and done experience. Traditionally, in Christian culture, conversion is seen as a literal come-to-Jesus moment, usually a grand event, brought on by some sort of action, such as saying a prayer. But, Smallman argues, this is selling conversion short. Conversion is [...]

Frances Carden2023-11-01T15:44:01-07:00November 1st, 2023|Tags: book review, Christian, conversion, nonfiction, read, reading|

Knowledge of the Holy, The

An Inspiring Devotional Author: A.W. Tozer As part of the C.S. Lewis Institute’s Fellowship program, the month of July was dedicated to understanding true conversion and what it is. Part of that is understanding God, the gift He gives us, and how we are to worship and magnify His name. Conversion is about turning: turning from the old, into a new way of life. As such, A.W. Tozer’s short but transcendent devotional, The Knowledge of the Holy, talks about why it is imperative to truly know God, as best we can, and how although there are things we will never understand, [...]

Frances Carden2023-10-28T19:39:32-07:00October 28th, 2023|Tags: book review, Christian, devotional, read, reading|

Transforming Grace

A Devotional on Grace Author: Jerry Bridges The reading and listening challenge for the C.S. Lewis Fellows Program for the month of June revolved around grace. Specifically, what is grace, where does it come from, how do we live by it, and how do we live in it daily. Most of the grace related reading was from Jerry Bridge’s book, Transforming Grace. Because we were reading so many chapters, and because I am such a bookworm, I just read the entire thing. The concept of grace is simple. God gifts us that which we have not earned and which we inherently [...]

Frances Carden2023-10-06T14:38:56-07:00October 1st, 2023|Tags: book review, Christian, non-fiction, reading, reviews|