The Gospel & Personal Evangelism

1. Paperback: 124 pages
2. Publisher: Crossway
3. Date Published: 2007

Idleman, Kyle. Gods at War: Defeating the Idols That Battle for Your Heart. Zondervan, 2013. 

Pages: 240

Point: Our hearts are constantly making other people, things, dreams, sensations, and ideas into the gods of our lives. These gods cannot simply be removed, they must be replaced. 

Path: Idleman begins by explaining THE issue, idolatry. It was what the ancient Israelites dealt with it. It is what we deal with today. He then demonstrates how pleasure, power, and love can all become idols in our lives.

Each chapter normally includes a story, an evaluation of what is happening at the heart of the individual, an explanation as to why we might trust in this idol, and then how we must nor merely remove that idol, but replace it with Jesus.

Sources: Helpful stories, humor, Biblical texts.

Agreement: The book was easy to read. The message was convicting. Their was a focus on replacing the idol with Jesus.

He had a helpful guide to identify idols: 1) What disappoints you; 2) What do you complain about the most; 3) Where do you make financial sacrifices; 4) What worries you; 5) Where is your sanctuary; 6) What infuriates you; 7) What are your dreams.

I would summarize them by saying: 1)What are you willing to sin for in order to get? and 2) What causes you to sin when you lose it?

Disagreement: I appreciated how he ended each chapter with Jesus as a better alternative, but these sections could have been beefed up. If he would have taken a passage of Scripture and demonstrated how Jesus blows these idols out of the water – that would have been great. Instead he offers a few reflections (which were often good) on Jesus, and then moves on.

A few statements made me wonder where he was coming from, like “All you have to do is let go.”

Personal App: What has taken the role of God in my life? Am I consciously replacing it with Jesus?

Favorite Quote: “When something good becomes a god, the pleasure it brings dies with it” (Kindle loc 1358).

Stars: 4 out of 5

I would recommend Keller’s “Counterfeit Gods” first and then if someone really appreciated that one, have them read this one.

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Disclaimer: I received this copy through the Booksneeze.com website, however, I am under no obligation other than to give my honest opinion.

Grigoni, Michael R., Miles Custis, Douglas Mangum, and Matthew M. Whitehead. Abraham: Following God’s Promise. Edited by Michael R. Grigoni. Bellingham: Logos Bible Software, 2012.

What you get: Upon opening the book this is the general table of contents with information about each chapter from the introduction:

1. Stepping Out in Faith – an examination of Abraham’s response to God’s call
2. Fear Verses Faith – the beginning of Abraham’s battle with fear as he leads Sarah into deception
3. Active Faith – one of Abraham’s greatest successes following God’s reassurance of His promises: military victory and royal blessing
4. Dealing with Doubt – Abraham struggling deeply with doubt as he and Sarah turn to Hagar to provide an heir, and the covenant ritual through which God reconfirms His promise.
5. Promising the Impossible – God further reveals His promise by giving Abraham the sign of circumcision
6. Bargaining with God – Abraham boldly bargains with God over the inhabitants of Sodom
7. God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse – Abraham relapses into old sin
8. Of Sons and Sacrifice – God’s command that Abraham sacrifice his son, Isaac

A look at the individual chapters:

The chapters are set up in a consistent, and easy to follow pattern. Each chapter begins with the title, passage to read, and Setting the Stage. Here, the reader is provided the theme of the chapter, information about the literary context, and background into the history and culture.

The second chapter section is A Closer Look, helping the reader understand the story.

The third chapter section is Throughout the Bible, demonstrating that this isn’t just a story to be forgotten, both the Old and the New Testaments are built upon this story.

The fourth chapter section is Beyond the Bible, filling in the gap between the story and history by answering questions such as, who else has used this story, how did they understand it, etc.

Final there is an Application, bridging the gap from this ancient individual to our lives.

Interspersed throughout the chapter are “Quick Bits” and “Quick Tips” helping the reader get the most out of their study.

Positives:

The Logos format makes it easy to navigate

The infographs are visually appealing and helpful

The consistent chapters allow the reader to get accustomed to thinking in a pattern and then branching out in study on their own

The Bibliography is helpful for further study

The questions throughout help the reader remember that this is not merely a mental exercise.

What this resource is not:

A replacement for one’s own personal a study. It is a great tool.

A full commentary. It is more similar to the Opening Up series of studies which are helpful for asking questions and application.

What I would like:

More links like the Faithlife Study Bible to books, articles, graphs, maps, etc. that one can purchase while studying.

Where I plan on using this:

1. In my own personal, devotional study. This would go well with the Faithlife Study Bible offered by Logos as well.
2. As a tool to study with another individual, reading a chapter and then discussing it weekly.
3. As a small group Bible study. There is an additional Leader’s guide which may help someone who is new to leading a Bible study. I found that the layout of the original resource was sufficient.

Overall:

Helpful resource for personal and small group Bible study. Logos is providing some quality material on a great platform. I believe this study will encourage many in their Christian walk.

Fire In Your Pulpit by Robert G Delnay

Fire in Your Pulpit was what I expected after reading the title. The author addresses common issues in preaching and the recurring setbacks found among preachers. He deals with topics such as sermon planning, preparation, and execution. He sincerely attempts to restore the place of preaching to it’s rightful place of the prophet’s proclamation of “Thus saith the Lord.” The chapters are rather short so the reading is quick.

The author does an accurate job of explaining how to continue the preaching found in fundamental circles in the past century. He explains the need for the preacher to be organized, fluent and precise. He also deals with several different sermon types, but focuses on the “exegetical” sermon.

I was not too impressed with this book as I read it. The other preaching books which I have read have far surpassed this one in many areas.

His section on invitations was frustrating. I found his concept of an exegetical sermon to be a little weaker than others I have read (Chapell, etc)

Overall, it was an average book. I would recommend Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Chapell instead.

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9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
I found that Dever’s book was a very interesting evaluation of the local church and it’s responsibilities. He basically boils down the nine marks or pillars of the church, exhorting the churches of today to practice them. These nine marks are as follows: expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, a biblical understanding of conversion, a biblical understanding of evangelism, a biblical understanding of church membership, biblical church discipline, a concern for discipleship and growth, and biblical church leadership. These are the key indications of a healthy church.

I found much that was very helpful in Dever’s book. Probably the most influential part in my thinking was his chapter on discipleship. I found his goal in regards to church visitation and discipleship stimulating and encouraging. He has made the commitment to interview every potential member and ask questions about their understanding of the gospel and their intentions. He also is attempting to visit every current member and get a better understanding of where they are in the faith.

Dever mentions five questions that he would probably ask. I am going to implement these in my work in our church. The questions are included with a brief note on why I think they are important. “In what particular way have you grown in your understanding of the Christian life since we last met?” This is a good question because it forces one to evaluate their current Christian growth. It may be a good idea to inform people of the questions that you would ask so that they could think about it before hand.

The second question is “in what particular way have you grown in your practice of the Christian life since we last met?” This is a positive question because the first one singles out the aspect of intellectual knowledge, whereas this next question focuses on living it out. If one is a hearer only and not a doer, they are only deceiving themselves.
The third question offers the person the chance to give feedback to the church leader. “In what particular way do you feel that you need instruction?” I would benefit from this question by understanding areas where I have either failed to communicate clearly or at all.

The fourth questions allows the believer to express some personal frustrations. “In what particular way are you disappointed in your own pursuit of holiness?” This give the leader the opportunity to encourage and exhort the believer to move forward in their Christian life. It also provides valuable information about where they are at right then, which can and must be followed up on.

The final question functions as the first step in the leaders response to all these answers. “How, specifically, can I pray for you?” Most likely the leader will have a good idea about how they should be praying, but this gives one last opportunity for the believer to evaluate their Christian walk and open themselves up for further accountability.

The one area absent in the book which I was disappointed with was that of prayer. He mentions at the beginning that he realizes its absence, but I think it is more important. The first church leaders were interested in giving their full attention to the Word of God and prayer. He emphasizes the Word of God greatly, and rightly so, but fails to do so with prayer. I believe that this mark would be a valuable addition in his reckoning as it holds such a high place in the Scriptures. Overall I greatly benefited from the reading of this book.

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A Complete Guide To Sermon Delivery by Al Fasol

A Complete Guide To Sermon Delivery did a fairly good job at presenting material described in its title. Fasol put forth information and exercises regarding several of the main components of sermon delivery. He covered areas such as vocalization, articulation, body language, reading, and presentation for radio and television. He also responded to ten commonly asked questions in reference to his presentation.

The book has some very helpful aspects to it. One of these is the space given to exercises which preachers and communicators are able to practice in order to understand better how they do things, and also how they can train their bodies to communicate effectively. His exercises often revolve around listening or watching oneself after a presentation to evaluate one’s weaknesses.

Another helpful aspect about the book is the evaluation forms in the appendix and scattered throughout the chapters. These are necessary, although oftentimes burdensome. No one really wants to see their weaknesses, much less have others see them and point them out.

Another part of the book which I appreciated was the attention given to how the television has changed the congregation. John Stott is quoted as giving five negative influences of the television including “(1) physical laziness, (2) intellectual passiveness, (3) emotional insensitivity, (4) psychological confusion, and (5) moral disorder” (pg 114). The following observation that perhaps the television has locked the congregation into a “world of fantasy from which they never escape” is convicting (pg 114).

Although I though it to be very helpful, there were several things which I did not appreciate about the book. First, any book which purports to be the “complete” or “definitive” guide to anything needs to be read with suspicion. The book does a good job in the areas it addresses, but it is far from “complete.” I do not know who gave the title, so I cannot disparage the author. Second, in the introduction the author makes the comment “When God called you to preach, he saw something in you, some quality no one else has” (pg 4). Really? A quality that no one else has?

Overall I appreciated the work and will most likely use information found in it.

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Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know 
by E.D. Hirsch

“I have no idea what you are saying.” This is the reaction which most American students will have as they interact with others in the present age. Children are missing the foundational knowledge necessary in order to properly interpret today’s society. They are not culturally literate. Hirsch, in his book Cultural Literacy, examines the problem, the causes, and a possible solution.

The author defines culturally literacy as possessing “the basic information need to thrive in the modern world” (xiii). It is a growing base of facts which is common to the culture. If order for a person to be culturally literate they must understand references from nearly all general topics such as history, science, technology, literature, and religion.

Hirsch is a reaction against Dewey and Rousseau who believe that if children are left to develop naturally, they will grow into well rounded individuals. Every child has within them what is necessary to produce a well rounded individual is the humanistic belief which fueled the educational system of America in the last century. Their idea for a “natural development” involved a diminishing stress on subjects such as Latin and Greek. These were replaced with “content-neutral curricula” (xv) which allowed the child to learn as he went at his own pace. He was not forced into a mold.

Hirsch believes that it is “only by piling up specific, communally shared information [that children can] learn to participate in complex cooperative activities with other members of their community” (xv). In other words, if a child does not have the same grid to interpret what others are saying, a grid which is common to other Americans, they cannot understand what is going on. This grid is also essential to the communication with others. The grid which allows communication is constructed through a conglomeration of general and specific facts which are common to the average American.

Changes need to made in order to bring others to the place of cultural literacy. These changes need to specifically take place at the educational level. If this change does not take place, this country is doomed to the same fate as those others who do not have a unified language and culture. Those countries which lack a culturally literate society fail at their attempts in global pursuits. “Where communications fail, so do the undertakings. (That is the moral of the story of the Tower of Babel)” (2). The author uses China as an example, which may not be the best example for the twenty-first century.

The proposed changes in order to bring others to a culturally literate state involve an education which is both broad and specific. American children need to be educated broadly on a variety of subjects so they may communicate with others about Shakespeare, the Civil War, Homer and pizza. They need to have a general knowledge which allows them to know that a reference to a “Judas” is not normally made in a positive light. They also need specific knowledge in other areas. If all they have is a general knowledge in every area they will be shallow, and ignorant of it. This specific knowledge comes through a greater interaction in the chosen areas.

Hirsch is right on target in certain areas. Without the proper grid one cannot understand anything. Studies presented by the author showed that without sufficient background information one could not understand a simple paragraph. The specifics could be understood, the words and grammar, but they had nothing with which to place it in the larger scheme of things. What was needed was a common understanding which should be expected of the average American.

This grid, according to the author, comes through a knowledge of certain facts. He is correct in stressing that the educational system of today needs to reject the idea that every child should be encouraged to retain their individuality and culture to the detriment of others. It is correct that they should not reject their own culture and history, but they also must learn others. They must be taught a unified body of understanding if they are ever to communicate with others.

Hirsch raises the curtain on several important issues which educators of the twentieth century must understand. A purely humanistic approach to education will only leave the student farther behind in their development and ability to communicate with others. Unless a child learns to be culturally literate he will fail in his endeavors to understand others. This will ultimately result in a nation with limited influence and ability on the world scene.

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Abolition of Man
By C.S. Lewis

There must be an end to explaining away and “seeing through” things. What good is a window if the garden and the street are transparent as well? In this short book, C. S. Lewis addresses the problem produced by modern education. Those who are educating the world’s youth are stealing the foundation out from under the student in order to build a “better” structure. By eliminating what Lewis refers to as the “Tao,” many teachers have replaced the objective for the subjective without realizing it.

Lewis, a confessing Theist, attempts to present a case for even those who do not share like convictions. One manner of doing this is by naming the natural law, or preassigned truth, to the “Tao.” There are parts of this natural law found throughout every civilization and culture, and he demonstrates this by presenting the reader with a selection of sayings from various people groups. This allows the reader to see a representation of the teaching of the “Tao” without questioning from where it ultimately comes. The purpose of the author is not to convince the reader from whence comes the “Tao” but rather to express the presence and necessity of it.

In order to substantiate his argument for the abolition of man through modern education, Lewis interacts with two authors of his time who had written a popular educational book. He demonstrates to the reader through their example that the modern educators are treating the student as a poultry farmer conditions a bird rather than an adult bird trains a younger how to fly. The former knows not for what or how he is being conditioned therefore disabling him without his recognition. He is then prone to repeat this very procedure on others.

Lewis not only criticizes the work of the current educators but he also posits a better way. He states that “the task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts” (24). His point is that the current trend in education at the time of writing was to disassemble one’s belief system instead of fostering it’s growth. The goal of the modernist is to educate the mind so that one is able to see the error in their beliefs. The focus of Lewis however is to stress the formation of the heart. He states “the head rules the belly through the chest…” (34). The ultimate outcome of the modernist movement is the paradox that “we laugh at honour and and are shocked to find traitors in our midst” (35), In essence, a generation of “men with chests.”

Reading through “The Abolition of Man” one wonders how exactly Lewis understands the “Tao”. Is the “Tao” the actually grid by which one must understand the world, or is the “Tao” the outcome of seeing the world through that grid. It is true that these ethical standards are found through cultures from all ages, however, from whence came these statements of good and evil? Is it simply natural? If there is a natural law then who would be the lawgiver? These are questions which the reader is left with following the presentation of Lewis. Obviously it was not the intent of the author to deal with all the factors concerning one’s worldview, however one is left to wonder. Is it possible to understand that there is a higher law and actually leave the conversation there?

If the “Tao” is actually the base from which the ethical statements found throughout the world are derived, one is left to question how one goes about teaching it. If the “Tao” is found in one’s natural law or morality, does the student trust the nature of the teacher over his own nature? How did that teacher refine his own understanding of the natural law by which he has the right to teach it to others?

Lewis in the later part of his book deals with those who attempt to reason faith away. He argues that although there is a benefit to the exploration and dissection of nature, it comes at a very high price. He contends that when something has been conquered we lose part of it (84-85). Often times that which is lost is its greatest part for an object is not the sum total of its components. As if we could have a man if we were to obtain all the necessary elements in a laboratory test tube. The whole is much greater than the individual parts.

Where does the modernist take man? It takes him to a place where his heart has been torn out in exchange for the enlargement of his head. He has succeeded in providing possible alternatives for faith but has disabled his very soul. Lewis attempts to combat this heartless butchering by appealing to a natural law which much be fostered within the heart of the student by those who have followed it in their own lives.

One would do well to couple this book with a reading of Less Than Words Can Say. Mitchell in his critic on the lack of proper education and use of language postulated that in order for one’s worldview to be changed he must change their language. He saw words and language as governing how one views the world. As a culture’s language develops so does their ability to understand the world. Lewis however sees a greater law by which a worldview is formed. It is not language which governs one’s interpretation of the facts but his understanding of the natural law which is given to each individual.

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