Posts filed under "Book Reviews"
Recent Blogposts
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Book Recommendation: Rescuing Ambition
Many think of ambition as nothing more than the drive for personal honor or fame. As a result, ambition—the God-implanted drive to improve, produce, develop, and create—is neglected and well on its way to paralysis.
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Book Recommendation: Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself
We need good preaching—preaching that challenges us by God’s Word and brings the comfort that comes from God’s promises. Yet many of us rely solely on others to preach to us and are not benefitting from the kind of preaching that should be most consistent and personal—preaching to ourselves.
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Reading the Bible in 2012
I have a friend who does not know that we are friends. Actually, he died over 100 years ago. Don't worry, this is not as creepy as it may sound. J.C. Ryle was a faithful pastor in England who preached and wrote with simplicity. He loved Jesus Christ and the Bible and I have often turned to his writings when I need to shake up my routine.
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Book Recommendation: The Christ of Christmas
The Christmas story evokes gentle images of halos, fresh hay, shepherds carrying newborn lambs, the beauty of young motherhood and the frailty of the baby lying in the manger surrounded by animals gazing fondly at the new arrival. These timeless images soften the hearts of Christmas church-goers all over the world. But, as James Montgomery Boice’s The Christ of Christmas illustrates, the story is more than just sentimental.
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Book Recommendation: How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home
In How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home, Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas explores Romans 8, which he calls “the best chapter in the Bible.” Here he finds an exposition of the steps through which God leads His people in the process of their salvation, but also loving counsel on such topics as prayer and resisting the Devil, as well as exhortations and comforts for weary pilgrims.
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December Recommended Reading
May we recommend...
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas
Edited by Nancy GuthrieSo many books and so little time
Each month we are glad to recommend a book to guide you in the decision making process of what to read and to help build your personal library. We will dust off a few of the classics and let you know about some of the more recent publications. The monthly book recommendation will be available at Books by the Park where you can pick up a copy for yourself and maybe a friend.
May we recommend...
The Disappearance of God:
Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness
by R. Albert Mohler Jr.A special thanks to our friends at The Discerning Reader for the book review.
It is becoming difficult to keep up with the volume of books coming from the pen of Dr. Albert Mohler. In the past eighteen months we have seen five new books and there is still one remaining
for later in 2009 (an original work based on a sermon series, slated for release later this year). Atheism Remix began as the W.H. Griffith Thomas Lectures Mohler delivered at Dallas Theological Seminary early in 2008; He Is Not Silent, a book on preaching, is an original work, written as a book; Culture Shift and Desire and Deceit began as articles written over a period of years, most of which were posted at Mohler’s blog. Each of these books speaks to a different subject that is of importance in our cultural context.Newly added to the mix is The Disappearance of God. Like Culture Shift and Desire and Deceit, this title had its genesis on Dr. Mohler’s blog, though interestingly, this is not acknowledged anywhere within the book. Like the previous titles, it is a series of articles that speak to a common theme—in this case, dangerous beliefs that point to a new spiritual openness.
If you have read Dr. Mohler’s blog, you will know how good these articles are and how applicable they are to living as Christians in this culture. The book begins with what I consider one of Mohler’s most helpful articles, “A Call for Theological Triage.” Here he explains how to contend for the faith and how to understand distinctions between theology of utmost importance and theology of lesser importance. In later chapters he discusses assurance and perseverance, the doctrine of hell, Christian beauty, the emerging church, church discipline, faith in a post-Christian age, and so on. Here are just a few of the questions this book answers: Is God changing His mind about sin? Why is hell off limits for many pastors? What’s good or bad about the “dangerous” emergent movement? Have Christians stopped seeing God as God? Is the social justice movement misguided? Could the role of beauty be critical to our theology? Is liberal faith any less destructive than atheism? Are churches pandering to their members to survive?
By its very nature as a book that began as articles written over a long period of time, the book does not have a great deal of flow and does not offer a real sense of building an argument. It simply compiles articles and essays dealing with the subject matter. Thus those who keep up with Dr. Mohler’s blog will inevitably have a sense of deja vu when they read this book. I stress this because I think it is important that you know what it is you are buying here. Still, these articles (chapters) are worth owning and worth reading again. Reading this material in a book is far superior to reading it online and there is value, I think, in having it in this printed format. I am glad to have it on my shelf rather than being forced to access it only online.
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Book Recommendation: King's Cross
This is a book about Jesus—Jesus as he is portrayed in the Gospel of Mark. Keller says, “It is an extended meditation on the historical Christian premise that Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection form the central event of cosmic and human history as well as the central organizing principle of the world—and how we fit into it—is most clearly understood through a careful, direct look at the story of Jesus. My purpose here is to try to show, through his words and actions, how beautifully his life makes sense of ours.” Understand Jesus and you will understand the world: that is the central premise of the book.
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Book Recommendation: The Next Story
Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this ‘instant message’ culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls.
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Book Recommendation: What is a Healthy Church Member?
Jenny surprised me when she started crying during our membership interview. The first twenty minutes of the interview were fairly routine. She recounted her childhood growing up in a Christian home, her high school years filled with fear, and a period of living as a prodigal during college. Then she recalled with some joy her conversion experience in a hometown local church.
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Book Recommendation: Humilitas
In his new book, Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership, Dr. Dickson sets forth his thesis that true greatness and genuine fulfillment can only be achieved by recognizing the virtue of true humility. By defining humility as "holding power loosely for the sake of others," Dr. Dickson posits that humility is essential for turning one's gifts and strengths into true greatness in all areas of life.