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Pascal is known for "The Wager," an argument that it's far better to believe in God - whether he exists or not - to run the risk of unbelief. But Pascal had far more to say. Dr. Doug Groothuis discusses his book Beyond the Wager and explains why Pascal is more relevant than ever.

During Christmas and Easter, our readings are filled with passages from the prophet Isaiah. Although he lived 800 years before Jesus, he described Jesus's life in amazing detail. The book of Isaiah is full of pictures, prophecies, and descriptions of the Messiah.

We're reflecting on a summer of reading and recommending our favorite reads! Books mentioned in this episode:  Pastoral Mentoring for the Care of Souls — Jared Wilson The Ministry of Small Things — Ruben Bredenhof My Story: A Spiritual and Intellectual Biography — John Lennox Foundation — Isaac Asimov Dune — Frank Herbert The Wizard of Earthsea / Earthsea series — Ursula K. Le Guin The Farseer Trilogy — Robin Hobb The Desecration of Man — Carl R. Trueman The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self — Carl R. Trueman The Making of the American Mind — Matthew Spalding John Adams — David McCullough Truman — David McCullough History Matters — David McCullough Scalia: The Supreme Court Years — James Rosen Master of the Senate — Robert A. Caro Means of Ascent — Robert A. Caro The Passage of Power — Robert A. Caro The Power Broker — Robert A. Caro London Falling — Patrick Radden Keefe Rogues — Patrick Radden Keefe Empire of Pain — Patrick Radden Keefe The Lives of the Caesars / The Twelve Caesars — Suetonius; translated by Tom Holland Dominion — Tom Holland

For most of church history, Song of Songs was among the most popular books to teach, preach, and study. Now it's typically viewed as a book about marriage. Is there more to it? Cole and Terry discuss this poetic masterpiece and explain the ways it teaches us about Christ.

Ecclesiastes is unlike any other book in the Bible. The wise King Solomon shares his experiences about life under the sun, struggle, vanity, and the purpose of life. Even here, we can see pointers to Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it's the hardest times that teach us what is most important. In the second half of this episode on The Tower and the Ruin, Dr. Michael Drout opens up about the sorrow behind the book and how Tolkien's stories helped him through.

J.R.R. Tolkien's work is more than just a great story. Michael Drout's book is part memoir and part scholarship, tracing Tolkien's masterpiece as a work or literature and a work of life. You'll never read Lord of the Rings the same way again.

In the wisdom center of the Bible, we can see pictures of Jesus. The wisdom of God is fulfilled in him; Proverbs' counsel for living is fulfilled in him; and the instructions we read show us the way God has called us to him.

The Psalms are the songbook of the Bible. Can we find Jesus there? Throughout his life, the Psalms were always on Jesus's mind. Some point to him, others were fulfilled in him, but all of the psalms help us to see Jesus more clearly.

The final city of our series is one of the most important in the New Testament. Ephesus was Paul's home base for many years, a gospel hub and gateway to Greece. The church was pastored by Timothy, and the Apostle John made it his home as well. The church received a letter from Paul, two to Timothy, and one from Jesus in Revelation. It was a city transformed by the Gospel, and a model for ministry today.

One of the goals of great books is to help us see our world more clearly. Few books do this like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. In Robert Dobie's new book The Fantasy of J.R.R Tolkien, he shows how Tolkien recovers a Christian vision of the world, nature, language, myth, virtue, death, and humanity.

The first major church outside of Jerusalem was founded in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas pastored there before they were sent out on their missionary journeys. This church would be their home base for decades afterward. It is the church in the New Testament that gives us a glimpse of how to do missions and church planting.

The world wars were driven by attacks on the very values of the West. Liberty, justice, the rule of law, and the dignity of all people were directly under assault. Shaped by the First World War, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien offered a clear moral vision during the Second. In this episode, Cole talks with Joseph Loconte about his book The War for Middle-Earth and the values worth fighting for.

What does it mean to be a disciple? The Gospel of Matthew is more than just a description of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection; it is a literary masterpiece designed to invite us into a life of discipleship. The teaching, narratives, and portraits of Jesus show us who he is and who we have been called to be.  Grab a copy of Jonathan Pennington's book, Becoming a Disciple of the King.

Where did Jesus grow up? Where did he choose to live during his ministry? Did Jesus own a home? This week, Cole and Terry discuss the cities of Nazareth and Capernaum, what they would have been like in Jesus' day, and the role they play in his life and ministry.