Category Archives: Not quite a review

Sproul, R. C. Can I Trust the Bible?

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Book: Sproul, R. C. Can I Trust the Bible? Revised, expanded. Crucial Questions. Reformation Trust Publishing, 2009.

Can I Trust the Bible?

Pages: 65

Point: The Bible is reliable and deserving of our attention and obedience.

Path: Sproul walks through the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy which was drafted in 1978. This book is an explanation and application of that statement. He directly addresses in various chapters the authority of Scripture, the concept of revelation, the reality of inspiration, the parameters of inerrancy, the Scriptures and truth, and the Bible’s position in the life of a believer.

Agreement: This was a helpful book for anyone seeking clarity on the issues of inspiration, infallibility, revelation, and inerrancy.

It was short, 65 pages, so it is easily read in one sitting.

The manner of writing lends itself to quoting for those who are working on doctrinal summaries, or church statements of faith.

You can get the free kindle version here.

One draw back is that this work is not as “recommendable” as I was looking for. It is inappropriate to critique an author for a book he didn’t write. However, I was hoping for a book that I could hand to someone new to the faith, or one learning about our faith. It isn’t that book. It is very helpful in what is above, but not necessarily one you would hand to someone new to these topics.

Personal App: Am I cognitively recognizing the authority of Scripture while practically denying it?

Favorite Quote:

“Here the advance of science helped the church to correct an earlier misinterpretation of Scripture. Thus, to say that science cannot overturn the teaching of Scripture is not to say that science cannot aid the church in understanding Scripture or even correct false inferences drawn from Scripture or actual misinterpretations of Scripture.” (Kindle Locations 456-458).

Stars: 4 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

 

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

Bryon Yawn, What Every Man Wishes His Father Had Told Him

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Book: Yawn, Byron Forrest. What Every Man Wishes His Father Had Told Him. Harvest House Publishers, 2012.

Pages: 180

Owner: My Kindle

Date of reading: 1st – 5/21/13

Point: Sons, hear me. Manhood is about recognizing one’s identity in, and responsibility to, Christ the risen King.

Path: Yawn walks through crucial applications of the Gospel in the life of a young man, and any man, who still has breath. To the steady stream of valuable Biblical advice, the author adds humor, stories, illustrations, and plenty of punches to the gut of “self worth.” According to the table of contents, he addresses Fatherhood, Grace, Masculinity, Affection, Ambition, Sincerity, Accountability, Confidence, Marriage, Wives, Sin, Sex, Pornography, Eternity, Consistency, Thinking, Work, and Integrity. Those are the themes, but he addresses much more than that.

Sources: He is the biological son of a distant father, the adopted son of a godly man, and the spiritual son of a Heavenly Father. He also has sons of his own.

Agreement: I really enjoyed reading this book. His humor, insight, and bare knuckle punches were both interesting and convicting. His focus on the Gospel kept it from being a moralistic pat on the back or challenge of self will. He helped me to focus on Jesus Christ more in every area of my life.

Personal App: Am I finding my identity in Christ? Am I finding my strength in Christ? Am I finding my hope in Christ?

Favorite Quote: “To the adult son who looks back and regrets, there is hope. To the confused husband who looks down on his life with despair, there is a means to victory. To the father who looks ahead to the future of his own children, there is a way. In every case it is the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Kindle Locations 146-148)

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

Dispatches from the Front: The Power of His Rising

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Film: Keesee, Tim, and Peter Hansen. Dispatches from the Front: The Power of His Rising (South Asia). Frontline Missions International, 2013.

Running Time: 65 min

Point: God is able to use the skills, strength, and everyday experiences of individuals to take the Gospel to lands who attempt to shield its entrance.

Path: Tim Keesee follows up after three years with an entrepreneur in South Asia who is using coffee to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through instructing tribes how to plant and harvest coffee, to teaching men and women how to roast, prepare, and present coffee, to sitting with them in his shop and explaining what he is doing, this missionary is using bitter beans to tell of the sweet savor of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Presentation: I enjoy the way in which these videos are presented. You walk along with Tim as he visits missionaries in their work. Most of the video you watch the interaction and hear the flowing narrative of Tim’s journal. His ability to communicate through metaphors always encourages me.

Agreement: These films give a variety of views of missions and are sure to challenge the viewer in their love of Christ and devotion to his mission.

What I especially appreciated about this episode is that they honestly showed the struggles of tent-making missions. Their decisions were hard. Their days were long. Often times the results were few. But they were realizing each day how great their God is.

I think it is easy to romanticize about the possibilities of tent-making missions without being ready to embrace the difficulties. I think this film was a valuable reminder that missions life is hard, but Jesus Christ is great.

Personal App: Am I thinking creatively about Gospel contacts?

Favorite Quote: “Hebrews eleven, the great chapter of faith of the Bible, was written in complete sentences. But it was not lived out that way. We know now how things turned out, but at the time, they didn’t.

Stars: 5 out of 5

It would be worth watching again and I would recommend it.

 

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

The Faithful Parent by Scott and Peace

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Peace, Martha, and Stuart W. Scott. The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2010. 

Pages: 240

Point: You will not merely “fall into” being a godly parent. It is a work of God in both the parent and child.

Path: Peace and Scott do a terrific job of providing 1) a biblical basis for what it means to be a godly parent and godly child; 2) a step by step look at different difficulties at various ages; and 3) counsel and guidance for those who feel as though they have failed.

Sources: Thoroughly grounded in the Gospel and the whole counsel of God

Agreement: I would put this on the Top Shelf of parenting books. We have been working through various books from this genre and have found this one to be one of the best. It has:

Good overviews

Helpful age specific struggles and counsel

Good steps, verses, and charts

Helpful Appendices

Good 30 day devotional for those who have wayward children (or anyone who is struggling in their life!)

Great questions for review at the end of each chapter – perfect for parents to ask each other.

There is not a push to see conversion early in the life of a child, but there is a push to teach the Gospel from the very beginning. They also provide a helpful outline to help the parent do that.

Personal App: What is my purpose as a parent but to glorify God in all things and seek to point my child to Him?

Favorite Quote: “We can, with God’s enabling grace and for his glory, faithfully honor God as we parent, even through the teen years” (14).

Stars: 5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

From The Garden To The City by John Dyer

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From The Garden To The City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology

Author: John Dyer

Product Details

Publisher: Kregel

Date Published: 2012 

Point: Though technology is a God-given and God-imaging tool which can relieve symptoms of the Fall, it cannot save our souls.

Path: Dyer walks through the story of the Bible, Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. In these broad sweeps of history he explains how technology has been used by both God and Man. Along the way explains that technology is not neutral, but by nature it changes both the world and the user. The final section of his book looks at the Modern revolution and then the present technological landscape.

Sources: Neil Postman, McLuhan and other thinkers. Internet articles, Blog posts, and more books on technology than I have heard about. His endnotes are helpful.

Agreement: This is the best book I have read on technology. I would include it in the top five books I have read all year. Dyer takes the time to not only define the terms, but to talk through the reasoning.

Technology is not neutral. It is always changing us.

Personal App: Am I evaluating not only the content but also the method that this technology is using to communicate to me?

 

Favorite Quote: “When technology has distracted us to the point that we no longer examine it, it gains the greatest opportunity to enslave us.” 

Stars: 5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

Praying Backwards by Chapell

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Chapell, Bryan. Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name. Baker Books, 2005.

Pages: 208

Point: “In Jesus’ name” is not merely a hashtag to get God to see your prayer. Praying in Jesus’ name is the recognition of God’s sovereignty over all things, Jesus’ intercession for all believers, and the Spirit’s understanding and communication of God’s perfect will.

Path: Miller breaks a path for the reader through the daunting jungle of prayer. He explains what “praying in Jesus’ name” is not (ch 1), praying for God’s will (ch 2), praying without doubting (ch 3), the Spirit’s intercession in prayer (ch 4), the grounds upon which a believer can pray (ch 5), hope in prayer (ch 6), persistence in prayer (ch 7), prayer and God’s will (ch 8-9), and prayer and action (ch 10).

Sources: Chapell uses helpful illustrations, good quotes, applicable scriptures, and an easy to understand style to effectively communicate great truths regarding prayer.

Agreement: This readable, helpful, and extremely challenging book is a great resource. Some books you should skim through to get the main point. Some books you should read very slowly. This book is best read chapter by chapter.

  • I loved the summary statements at the end of each chapter
  • The discussion questions at the end of the book would make this a great resource for a small group study
  • The example prayers are helpful
  • His everyday illustrations were very good

Personal App: Is my heart ready to pray in Jesus’ name?

Favorite Quote: “Praying backwards simply ensures that he comes first in our thoughts so that we are prompted to make him first in our priorities” (p. 16). 

Stars: 5 out of 5

I was challenged by this book, and look forward to going through it again with others. It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

7 Men by Metaxas

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Book:
Metaxas, Eric. Seven Men: And Their Secret of Greatness. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013.
Pages: 211

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Point: Manhood is not measured by physical proportions, but by a deep resolve to live rightly in the sight of God and fellow man.

Path: This book attempts to answer two questions, “What is a man?” and “What makes a man great?” (xiii). Both the style and message is geared toward young men. Metaxas walks through the lives of seven men who all stand tall amidst their weak and timid companions. These men did not share a similar education, social status, nor geographical connection. However, they shared a common trait, living their life in pursuit of a greater goal.
George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson all demonstrated that true manhood lies deeper than the skin.

Sources: Through his own personal study of original sources, and also the work of other biographers, Metaxas gives brief overviews of each life as though he is telling the story of a life around a warm fire and refreshments.

Agreement:
I appreciated the desire to pinpoint key characteristics of each man which contributed to his greatness.
The chapters were short enough to jump in and read in one sitting, giving a good overview.
The reading was easy and not bogged down with unnecessary detail.
His own preface to each story illuminated how this individual had impacted him personally.
The broad range of men shows depth in Metaxas’ study.

Disagreement: I felt as though the style of writing was not as good as men like Ambrose or other biographers. I have not read any of his other works, so it may just be the format of this book.

Personal App: Am I living for me, or am I living for Someone greater?

Favorite Quote: “Until we realize that God is concerned with the size of our hearts and not that of our genital apparati, we can never understand God’s idea of true masculinity” (xxii).

Stars: 4 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

If this review was helpful, let me know here.

I received this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest opinion.

Practical Theology for Women by Alsup

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Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives 

Author: Wendy Horger Alsup

Product Details

Paperback: 154 pages

Publisher: Crossway Books 

Point: Theology and doctrine are practical for our daily lives. We must learn of God’s character and works and then examine our own lives to see if our daily actions and responses are reflecting what we believe about God.

Path:  After a brief testimony of who she is and how she got to where she is now, Alsup systematically works through several key doctrines. She does not claim that this book is comprehensive by any means, but a good foundation. She works through the importance of theology and faith, several different aspect of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. She also adds a section on communication with God.

Agreement: This is a great tool to use for personal study and also for group Bible studies. It is helpful in making connections between daily life and theology.

Personal App: How I view God directly affects how I think and act. Am I seeking to know God more all of the time?

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

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Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges

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Bridges, Jerry. Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991.

Transforming Grace

Point: God’s grace is sufficient. It is sufficient for our salvation. It is sufficient for our sanctification. It is sufficient for our weaknesses. It is sufficient for trials of today.

Path: Bridges explains how Christians today often accept God’s grace to cover them for salvation, but then attempt to live in their own strength day by day. We become legalists by attempting to please God with what we do or refuse to do.

Sources: This is a traditional Bridges book. He studies through several passage, noting Puritan writers and contemporary commentators.

Agreement: This was an excellent book to remind me that there is nothing I can do to improve on God’s grace. I cannot work for what God has done. There is no way that I could ever merit anything that God has given me in His grace.

Disagreement: I would disagree with some of what he says in regard to the OT law.

Personal App: Why am I doing what I am doing? Am I trying to earn God’s favor? Have I practically tried to earn grace?

Stars: 5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

I would probably put this on my once a year reading list.

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Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians

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Marshall, Paul, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea. Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians. Thomas Nelson, 2013.

Pages: 416

Point: This is not a book about people standing up to drug cartel, kidnapping for money, or natural disasters. The purpose of this work is to report on Christians who are being persecuted around the world for being Christian. 

Path: “Christians are the single most widely persecuted religious group in the world today.”  This book walks through example after example of these persecutions. According to the authors, this persecution takes place primarily for three reasons: 1) hunger for political control; 2) a desire to preserve religious heritage; and 3) radical Islam’s desire for dominance.

Sources: Stories, reports, and personal experiences which haven’t made it to our mainstream media.

Agreement: I appreciate this resource for the numerous stories of persecution which help me to pray better for believers around the world. The recent dates after each story remind me that persecution is happening today.

In their conclusion, “A Call to Action” they point out that prayer is the first responsibility.

Disagreement: One needs to be careful with definitions. “Christian” is defined as including “Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant to liturgical, evangelical, and charismatic, including hundreds of small, little-known sects” (Kindle, 237). They include all these because “our churches are united in belief in the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.” I think this is the main reason I wouldn’t recommend this book to most people. It can be confusing.

Their second, and primary (they spend most of their time on this one), conclusion is that to government action. It is not wrong to push for government action, but is it the primary?

Personal App: Pray for those who are being persecuted for following Jesus Christ.

Stars: 3 out of 5

It would be worth consulting in the future.

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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.