In Search of the Source
Recommended by Ben Panter
This past year our family read In Search of the Source together. It’s the story of a missionary family that went into an extremely remote region of Papua New Guinea and worked to produce a translation of the Bible in the people’s native language. If you’ve ever heard the missionary we support, Beth Fuller, talk about the work she does, there are a lot of similarities that helped us connect with the story even more.
While this book focuses on the stories of God working in this village, those stories are often told through the lens of the specific translation work that was being done. Often there was a specific word or phrase that wasn’t translating right or didn’t carry the meaning that the missionary intended. But through the language work they were doing, and more often than not, through just living life with these people, God revealed culturally specific words or phrases that incredibly communicate Gospel truth while still connecting with the locals at their very core.
In all this was a great book to read with our 10 and 6 year olds. And it fits in well with our current Acts series by seeing the way in which we are called to work alongside of what the Spirit is doing.
From Strength to Strength
Recommended by Scott Parker
Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.
What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?
At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.
By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.
