The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter

Carter, Matt. A Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father.  Nashville, Tenn: B&H, 2019.  

Matt Carter has written a good book. It's not earth-shattering. It's not poetic. It's not mind-blowing. It's not fadish or trendy or bound in 2019. It's just a good book. But there's something refreshing about this good book among the many other popular-level offerings this year.  

It's easy to recommend this good book to a friend, regardless of where he or she might be on the Christian journey. It's easy to talk about The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter because it's a good book. Carter has written a good book; it's just that simple.  

In this book, Carter set out to answer the question, "If I go all-in following God, am I missing out on the best life has to offer?" Actually, he set out to answer many raw, honest questions, but this one is at the heart of them all. If the answer to this question is unsettled, it doesn't matter what comes of the other questions. "Does God really love me despite my failures?" Even if God does, what will it matter if I think I'm missing out on the best life has to offer? "Do my doubts and questions about faith make God think less of me?" Who cares if God thinks highly of me when I think I'm missing out on the best parts of life? "Do I have a future in the family of God despite my past?" Do I even want to be in the family of God if it means I think I'll miss out on something better?  
The most honest question lingering in the back of the mind is Carter's first question, and he does an outstanding job tackling this question. To get at the heart of this inquiry, Carter walks his readers through the story of the Prodigal Son. It's a famous parable told by Jesus, and it becomes the framework for the book.     

There were some other insightful and fascinating moments in the book. One I found the most thought-provoking (and could be an entirely separate book) was Carter's discussion on loneliness and the impact of social media. I have shared his thoughts on this with many people since reading the book. He hits the nail on the head and then deals with the problem. But it's not a new problem. The prodigal son had the same problem.  

If this book had any shortcomings, they are found it two places. First, the cover seemed to roll back too easily. I'm not one to be rough on my books, but the paper seemed to want to curl open naturally. This problem may seem minor, but those who don't like having their books stay open when laying flat on a table understand my issue. The second issue is also trivial and didn't give me any problem, but it might be worth mentioning. Carter is Generation X. Most of his personal stories and illustrations were well suited for Generation X readers. Some unimaginative readers may struggle to relate. For example, Carter shares stories about a time before social media. For most, this shouldn't be an issue, but it does cause the work to be more timely rather than timeless. 

I found Matt Carter's book so helpful that I'm planning on using it for a men's book club and study. I may also use his forthcoming study materials.  

Purchase The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter wherever you buy your favorite books. 

It's All About Jesus: "Jonah"

In this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman explore where we see Jesus Christ in the book of Jonah. The series is called, “It’s All About Jesus” and this episode is focused on Jonah. If you’re not already subscribed wherever you listen to podcast, we encourage you to subscribe. You can also listen to this episode, “Jonah” here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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It's All About Jesus: "Proverbs"

In this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman discuss where we find Jesus in the book of Proverbs. It’s not just the fortune cookie of the Bible. It’s a book about Christ and it teaches us much about God. Even the Proverbs 31 women is more than a good earthly wife. Listen to this episode here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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"Hearing the Voice of God" with Alex Absalom

Alex and Hannah Absalom have finished the first book in their new series, “The Naturally Supernatural Life.” The book is called Hearing the Voice of God. Alex joined Bryan Catherman to discuss his book on Salty Believer Unscripted. Listen to their discussion here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Inside the UISBC Podcast Series

Bryan Catherman and Jared Jenkins (co-hosts of “Salty Believer Unscripted”) are both pastors of churches in the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention. Yes, they’re Southern Baptist in Salt Lake. In 2019, they also served as elected officer within the convention, giving them a unique perspective that they thought would be worth sharing. Salty Believer Unscripted was the outlet.

Starting at the beginning of the year, had a series that offered an occasional episode. Each episode served to discuss a different aspect of the convention and interviewed various leaders within the UISBC. After the 2019 Annual Meeting, they recorded the conclusion of the series.

Listen to every episode of our, “Inside the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention” series here:

Inside the UISBC
— An Introduction of the SBC and UISBC audio
— Planning the Annual Meeting audio
— An Overview of the SBC 2019 Annual Meeting audio
— What does the UISBC President Do? (with Matt McGukin) audio
— Why the UISBC (with Rob Lee, Travis Best, Gary Brown, and Cory Hodges) audio
— Recapping the 2019 Annual Meeting audio

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Every Pastor's 180 Days with Charles Stone

Charles Stone joined Bryan Catherman to discuss Stones’ newest book, Every Pastor’s First 180 Days: How to Start and Stay Strong in a New Church Job. In this podcast, they discussed the importance of on-boarding and having a strategic plan for success. Exploring Scripture, Stone found principles to help pastors get off on the right foot. Pastoring is not easy but there’s no reason to make it more difficult. While not the same as the first 100 days in the corporate world, Stone also explored these aspects of the corporate world to see if there may be helpful lessons. And his work wouldn’t be complete without lessons from his previous books, to include tools from neurological leadership and the spiritual formation of self-awareness and mindfulness. Listen to Charles Stone’s interview with Bryan Catherman here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Al Mohler on Church Planting in the West

In 2014, we got to sit with Dr. Albert Mohler. The topic of discussion was church planting in the West. He pointed out that the culture of America is changing at a rapid pace and in the cross hairs is cultural-Christianity.  "This is a pretty expensive turn," said Mohler in a discussion for Salty Believer Unscripted; "but it really doesn't help us to argue as to whether it's good or bad because we don't get to choose our times." 

Mohler spoke at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and then addressed area pastors at First Baptist Church of Provo.  Preaching from the first chapter of First Peter, Mohler made a strong case that we are seeing some major cultural shifts which will impact the American church but the elect exiles need not be surprised. "The question is," he later told us, "is now what do we do?  What does faithfulness require us to do?"

It would seem his words ring more true today than they did just a few years ago.   

Dr. Mohler record a Salt Believer Unscripted podcast dealing with the question: What does church planting look like in light of the coming cultural shifts? 

We discussed the need for less infrastructure, more flexibility, and a willingness to take less for granted.  He also argued for a little different approach by dropping the expectations on the other side of our present models.  Stained-glassed windows, pipe organs, paid staff, and programs (among many other things) may have to change.  Things may look a bit different in the future.  In addition, I was encouraged and concerned by his charge that Christians in the Pacific North-West may have a responsibility to help other Christians around the nation as the "iceberg melts."  It seems that we're closer to the front edge of these changes (especially Seattle and in the heart of Mormondom) than are believers in other parts of the nation. 

"You are on the cutting edge of what America is going to look more like," Mohler stated.  He continued, "The fact the evangelicals are in a minority and have been for a very long time, virtually from the beginning of Utah as a territory, means you're on the cutting edge as a laboratory of what Christians in the rest of America are going to wake up and find. I'm not asking you to rejoice in every particular; I am asking you to consider the fact that the Lord has giving you the stewardship here to help the rest of the Church to figure these things out."

We were extremely thankful for the time Dr. Mohler gave us to discuss church planting on the front edge of these changes.  If you'd like to listen to our Salty Believer Unscripted discussion with him, you can find it here.

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Inside the UISBC: Recapping the Annual Meeting

We’ve been walking through the activities and events of the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention in a series called, “Inside the UISBC.” It’s been a journey to better understand the workings and value of the convention. In this episode, Bryan Catherman and Jared Jenkins recap the annual meeting. How did it go? What was worth noting? And by ending with the annual meeting, they’ve brought the year to a close. You can listen to “Recapping the Annual Meeting” here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Unscripted: "Context is Key"

The Old Testament is about Jesus. We can and should see Christ throughout the Old Testament. In our series, “It’s All About Jesus,” Bryan Catherman and Jared Jenkins are exploring how we find, see, and understand Jesus in the Old Testament. Looking at three sections of Scripture they discuss one of the most important tools in seeing Christ in the Hebrew Bible— context. Context is key to unlocking what we often miss. Listen to this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, “Context is Key” here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Unscripted: "The Promise" (Genesis 12:1-3)

There’s a powerful thread or string running through the entire Bible. Everything else in there hooks to that string. They clip on to the most important theme of them all. It’s Jesus. That running thread is Jesus. The story of the Bible is about the redemptive history and Jesus is the hero of the Bible. It’s all about Jesus. In this series, Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman look at Genesis 12:1-3 to see Jesus. Rather than just seeing what’s clipped on to the tread, they are looking at the tread itself and how it runs through these passages.

Listen to this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, “The Promise” (Genesis 12:1-3) here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Life Connections Study Bible for Personal and Small Group Study

Since 1988, disciple-makers and small group leaders have been using the Serendipity Bible for Personal and Small Group study to help raise up disciples of Jesus Christ. With the help of this resource, it was easy to train up more small group leaders and disciple-makers. In its pages were opening questions, questions to drive conversation to consider Scripture, and application questions for every chapter of the Bible. And, if you’ve ever used it, you know it was great. But alas, it end up outdated and eventually it went out of print.

But it was not forgotten.

Thanks to the work of LifeWay folks like Trevin Wax and J.D. Green, Holman Bible Publishers has not only brought this gem back into the hands of small group leaders and disciple-makers, they’ve given it an update and an upgrade. It’s clean, the questions are updated, and they’ve added additional materials like study Bible notes. It’s called Life Connections Study Bible for Personal and Small Group Study and it’s better than ever.

This study Bible includes ready-made discussion and study questions for every chapter of the Bible. Some chapters include more than one study and set of questions. There’s an opening question (or ice breaker), some Scripture-driven questions for consideration, and some application questions, all based on the chapter in which the questions are found. Where appropriate, there are also questions for worship, group activities, and digging deeper in Bible study. Maps are included in the back and each biblical book as introductory information. There are chapter summaries. Along the bottom of every page are study notes to provide more information and an enhanced understanding of Scripture.

For those more inclined toward topical studies, there are 16 topical study courses, 60 life needs courses, and 200 Bible stories available for study. But what’s excellent about these additional studies is that they simply point to selected chapter studies in the Bible. Scripture is still the driving force behind every lesson and every study. For example, the topical study, “Significant Women of the Bible,” has 15 women listed in a 13-week study or 7 women listed for a 7-week study. Next to each lesson is the Scripture from where the lesson draws Truth and the page number where the questions for that chapter are found. A life needs study on sexuality points to specific chapters from which to draw the Texts and questions. Bonus: all the 60 life needs studies have beginner and advanced options and all of them depend on the Scripture with margin questions from the chapters.

It’s a study Bible, which means there’s also a Bible. The publisher used the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation to pair with this study Bible. If you’re not familiar with the CSB, it’s a readable, accurate translation of God’s Word developed by more than 100 scholars from 17 denominations.

This is an excellent resource for the Church.

Get a more information and a look at the Life Connections Study Bible For Personal and Small Group Study in this 8-minute video. Then, pick up yourself a copy wherever you buy your favorite books or follow this link to the listing on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2mYyIzO

New Unscripted Series -- It's All About Jesus: "Introduction"

The entire Bible is about Jesus. But how do we see Christ when the text is about building a tabernacle or numbering the people or going to war. Where is Jesus in the Old Testament? In this new series, Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman will look at the Old Testament and point to Jesus. It’s all about Jesus! Listen to the introduction here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Podcast Discussion: "A Change of Affection" by Becket Cook

One of many difficult conversations in the Church today in found in the LGBTQ aspects of our changing society. These are challenging conversations that require more than surface-level thought and sensitivity. The Bible must dictate the actions of the Church and it’s worth much discussion. Becket Cook, a formerly gay man wrote a book sharing his story, conversion, and his thoughts on the conversation. Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman discuss the book on this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted. You can listen in here:

Purchase A Change of Affection: A Gay Man’s Incredible Story of Redemption wherever you buy your favorite books or follow this link to the Amazon listing.

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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The Gospel or Nothing! -- Suicide

Suicide is a serious issue. Today, it’s a crisis in our country. It’s a topic that needs discussed, especially in light what the gospel says about hope and suicide. In this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman discuss how we need to look at suicide in light of the truth of the gospel. Listen to this episode, “The Gospel of Nothing: The Gospel and Suicide” here:

If you are wrestling with the thought of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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The Reluctant Witness by Don Everts

Don Everts' new book, The Reluctant Witness: Discovering the Delight of Spiritual Conversations (IVP, 2019)is a beautiful addition to the on-going conversation about personal evangelism. It’s also a solid work for the Church that’s called to engage with those who are far from Jesus (which is every local church, everywhere, as their part in the body of the universal Church). Everts is vulnerable in his examples, informative as he interprets the research, and helpful as he offers things to think about and some tips for engaging in spiritual conversations. This is a great book for personal reading but even better for a small group, book club, or church study.

The meat and potatoes of the book are the research from a combined project with the Barna Research Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries. In 1993, a study was conducted to understand spiritual conversations better. It was a robust project and extremely insightful. But what's more insightful is that they repeated the research 25-years later to look at the trends and changes. It is this 25-year project that forms the foundation for the book. Everts looks at all sorts of data and offers a cornucopia of insight.

Here's a short video look at the book:

I highly recommend the Reluctant Witness: Discovering the Delight of Spiritual Conversations. Purchase your copy wherever you buy your favorite books or follow this link to the Amazon listing: https://amzn.to/2NrIBBt.

What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever

Mark Dever is known for his passion for healthy local churches. His ministry is marked by this passion. 9Marks, a para-church ministry he founded and leads, is all about teaching churches how to be healthy. Dever believes there are three essential marks that any healthy church must have and 6 more that are extremely important. Miss any of the three vital ones and there’s not much chance of getting the other 6 right. But when all nine marks are working in concert, even if not strongly, there’s a good possibility that a local church will be healthy and continuing on a path toward greater health.

Sadly, many churches in America are sick. An examination of most of them will likely reveal that one of the first three marks is missing. But if not one of the vital three, than there’s a good chance one of the other six is not treated as important and absent from the church.

In his book What is a Healthy Church? (Crossway, 2005), Dever explores why these marks are essential (the first 3), or at least important (the remaining 6). He examines the heart of the believer in regard to finding a church with these healthy marks and seeking a life that includes church health. Then, in the second half of this short book, Dever discusses each of the 9 marks of a healthy church.

This is not the only book or only place to explore these 9 marks with Mark Dever. He’s written other books, most notably, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church. The 9Marks ministry has also written booklets on each of the marks and the’ve produced scores of short videos. There’s also a Ligonier ministry series on the same topic. Dever hosts annual conferences focused on church health and he speaks about these 9 specific marks often. However, this little book serves as a easy introduction to the topic and a great overview. As an added bonus, it’s an encouraging, fun read.

Here’s a video recommendation for What is a Healthy Church?:

I highly recommend this book for anyone calling him or herself a Christian. Purchase this book wherever you buy your favorite books or simply follow this like to pick up a copy from Amazon.

Is Worshiping Church Size a Silent False-Gospel? Yeah, Probably.

We American Christians are going to have a jolting shock when we arrive in paradise with Jesus. What a surprise when we finally learn that bigger doesn't always mean better, or more effective.

There it was again, the denomination’s "best" churches list. Only this time, they replaced the word "best" with the words, "most effective." The headline read, "Tracking the fastest growing churches gives us a glimpse into some of the most effective ministry work in America."

How do we measure this?

In the cast of the article, the speed at which the crowd got bigger each week was king. What's more "effective"? A church in a community of 10,000,000 people baptizing 400 people or the only church, a church-plant in fact, baptizing 390 people in a population of 400? (This isn't any specific situation, but one for us to consider.)

What about the church in say, Provo, Utah where .5% of the population is evangelical Christian, and nearly everyone else is Mormon? Resources are very limited, seminary interns in short supply, and nearly zero churches or church buildings. It's incredible when they plant another church or two. It's remarkable when they start another worship service in another language to reach new refugees. But how do we compare this church with a church in Texas or Georgia that grew from 20,000 to 25,000 attendees on a Sunday? I suspect we're not seeing these situations with the same eyes God sees these two churches. Both are worth praising the Lord for, but what are we doing comparing the different ways God's working with "best" and "most effective" lists? Something might be missing. Something might be wrong. And who are we to compare the various things God is doing in various places in a way that puts one on the top of a “hey look at us” list?

What do we do with the underground house-church in a hostile Muslim country where 80% of the 32 members have served time in jail for their faith? The church might have tripled in size except 67 new converts were martyred this year. (Again, this is not any specific church but an example for us to think about.)

Some time ago, I was sitting in a training meeting with a popular seminary-trained author-consultant. He kept saying, "We've looked at the best churches in the world, and this is what they're doing." When asked which churches, he was quick to say the top in size. And all of them located in the American Bible Belt. During the break, he and I were talking. I suggested that he consider calling those churches the biggest (or larger) rather than the best. Size might be a fact, but best is a qualitative statement that depends on what we decide to measure. He looked at me like I had just had a second nose emerge above my eyebrows. It was as if there were no other possible qualifiers.

When I read Hebrews 11, I wonder what the Pharisees would think of the list. It's the hall of faith. It's a "best" list, made by God. But it's full of foreigners, last born, women, and sinners. There's a prostitute in the list, for crying out loud! And some of these folks didn’t get but one or two verses in the entire Bible. Yet, that’s God’s list. It doesn’t look like God’s using the same criteria we might use if we made a “Most Faithful Christians of 2019” list. I wonder if we're thinking about the "best" and "most effective" churches in the way God thinks? I wonder.

Inside the UISBC: Why Get Involved?

Jared Jenkins and Bryan Catherman sat down with Cory Hodges, Travis Best, Gary Brown, Matt McGukin, and Rob Lee to discuss the UISBC and why there’s value in getting involved. They discussed some things that happen and the various meetings throughout the year and how people can get into opportunities for leadership. Even in you’re not in Utah or Idaho or even Southern Baptist, there’s a lot of great information here and it was a great discussion. Listen to this special episode of Salty Believer Unscripted here:

You can find more info about the UISBC Annual Meeting and Pastor’s Conference by visiting the UISBC website. Here’s more about the Idea’s Lunch too:

Register for the Ideas Lunch here.

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Unscripted: "The Gospel and Politics"

On this episode of Salty Believer Unscripted, Bryan Catherman and Jared Jenkins explore how the gospel should inform our thinking and actions when it comes to politics. Our hope should not rest in politics, but in Christ. But what does that look like, practically? That’s the topic of our series, “The Gospel or Nothing!” and we drill down into that in this episode. Listen to “The Gospel and Politics” here:

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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Unscripted: Suffering and Medical Challenges

How does the gospel of Jesus Christ speak into suffering and medical challenges? Guest, Matt McGukin join us on Salty Believer Unscripted to discuss how the gospel impacts life and decisions in the think of suffering and medical challenges. It would be easy to rest and wallow in brokeness but Jesus makes a way for us to find freedom, even in suffering. Bryan Catherman chats with Matt about how the gospel transforms his situation and thinking in all of this family’s medical challenges. Listen to this episode in our series “The Gospel of Nothing!” This episode is titled, “Suffering and Medical Challenges,” and you can listen by following the link, using the player below, or listening wherever you listen to podcasts.

Find more podcasts like this, as well as many interviews with Christian pastors, professors, authors, and others from all across the US and Canada on our Salty Believer Unscripted page. And be sure to subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted on your favorite podcast app, or use these links:
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