Forming God's Community

 In "Why Would Anyone Go to Church?" Kevin Makins gives a wonderful testimony to how God works in his life and in the lives of obedient Christians to bring about His kingdom on earth. Makins offers very personal stories regarding the planting of a congregation in Hamilton, The Eucharist Community. These stories explore both victories and setbacks, joys and struggles in order to share the process by which Eucharist came to be. In sharing these personal and communal moments, Makins also provides a sound theology of the church. He considers the church's mission to reach all people. He considers the diversity that should exist within the community of God. He considers the richness of community and relationship. He considers how the church should relate to the surrounding culture. In doing these things, Makins provides a method for people to reflect on their own church and how each church plays a unique part in the wider body of Christ.

I received this book from the publisher as part of their blogging program.

Is it really a battle?

Stephen Mansfield offers sincere guidance regarding how men can regain what it means to be a man. Mansfield presents seven fires that should burn deep in a man's soul in order for that man to restore noble manhood. In presenting these seven fires: Heritage, Battle, Destiny, Friendship, Love, Legacy, and God, Mansfield encourages positive lifestyle choices for men. He seeks to reignite the morality that should guide men as they enter into society and into relationships. 

Mansfield depends too much on the metaphor of battle though. In this writing he encourages an almost conqueror mentality in men. Not all men have hearts that beat with the heart of a warrior. Not all men have a passion to dominate. Not all men view life as a battle to be won. This metaphor might encourage some men as they grow as people, but it might actually be detrimental to others. If the primary metaphor of masculinity is winning the battle then some men might seek to conquer rather than offer Christ-like compassion.

In addition, at one point in the book, Mansfield makes a huge point of looking at Christ as a man. While this is certainly true, Jesus was and is a man, Mansfield's exploration of Christ as a man does not fully speak to who Christ is. The exploration of Christ as an adventurer who lived on the edge, may have been more impacting if the point of Christ's life choices and actions was more fully explored. Jesus lived on the edge and died on the cross as an act of love and compassion for all people. Men, and all who seek to follow Christ, need to find their passions in the midst of a love that reflects Christ's sacrificial attitude. 

Overall, "Men on Fire" does not inspire the fire of manhood in my life. It disappoints through a lack of defining Biblical manhood. It also depends way too much on a metaphor that could inspire very unmanly attitudes and actions.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This Could Apply to Others

The Fredericks offer a compelling vision of what it means to live in a committed married relationship in "See-Through Marriage." This book provides inspiration for couples to live honestly with one another in order that their marriage might testify to God and His grace present in the married relationship. 

This book could be applied more widely though. If the Fredericks had first developed a theology of See-Through Relationships and then applied this theology to various relationships, including that of marriage, the book could impact a wider audience. Marriage is an important part of many people's lives and for Christians, should be viewed through a Christ-filtered lens. Many people are not married though and could benefit from the advice in these pages. The idea of living in see-through relationships could be applied to friendships, church fellowships, work relationships, and parenting as well. 

There is also a place where it seems they misrepresent themselves and orthodox faith. On page 42, the Fredericks speak about becoming light walkers - walking in the presence of God in their relationships. They state, "Your marriage is the main way by which all three of these are realized." when speaking of fellowship with one's self, one's spouse, and others. It would be better stated that God's church is the main way we can realize fellowship in these three areas along with other areas of our lives. The Fredericks do seem to think this, but elevate marriage more highly than maybe they intend at this point.

The Fredericks do accomplish their goal of helping married couples understand how they might more fully know and love one another. Unfortunately, there are some missteps along the way and their overall argument could impact more lives if they considered how to apply it to the myriad of relationships in which people find themselves.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Lost the Plot

In "The Sacred Chase," Heath Adamson takes a look at the story from Mark 5 when Jesus casts Legion out of the man in the graveyard. As he retells the story, Adamson weaves other Biblical tales, life stories, and spiritual truths in order to encourage readers to increase their intimacy with God. This book falls short in a few places. First, as it does reach the point of encouraging readers to grow in relationship with God, the process does not draw the reader in. Second, the book's message would have been stronger if Adamson had focused exclusively on the primary narrative from Mark 5. Interweaving other Biblical stories in weakens the narrative structure of the book. Going deeper into the story of the man possessed by Legion would have allowed Adamson to develop the points of the book more specifically. Finally, when Adamson discusses King David and the confrontation from the prophet regarding David's actions of Bathsheba, he identified the prophet incorrectly. As Adamson recounts the story he identifies the prophet who knocks as Samuel. If this was the case, David probably would have freaked out as Samuel had already passed away at this point. The prophet that comes and visits David is Nathan. While this seems minor in regards to the point that Adamson seeks to make in the book, it is very important to make sure the narratives you recount from Scripture tell the story as it is relayed. This small mistake causes distraction and breaks down the integrity of the text. Better editing/proofreading would have improved the text at this point.
While Adamson makes his point by the conclusion of "The Sacred Chase," the journey through the book lacks coherency and sound editing. Ultimately, the book felt like a collection of badly drawn together sermons.
I received this book as a review copy from Baker Books in return for an honest review.

Helpful Insights for Current Ministry

As a millennial himself, Jonathan JP Pokluda is in a unique place to offer advice on ministering to this generation, which seems increasingly distant from the church. In "Welcoming the Future Church: How to Reach, Teach, and Engage Young Adults," Pokluda begins by offering some broad qualities of the millennial generation. These qualities then lead Pokluda to suggest some specific idea regarding ministry. Many of these ideas emerge from his own pastoring at The Porch. Some of the most helpful lean on the fact that millennials long for purpose. Giving them purpose through an understanding that they are all pastors, witnessing to their peers is the base for ministering with this age group.
Pokluda also helpfully explores various teaching strategies that are attractive to this generation. A teacher of the Gospel should share their own story, warts and all. A teacher of the Gospel should also be honest regarding Scripture. Help people to wrestle with those places in Scripture that are notoriously difficult. Help people to discover where culture tempts us to compromise the message of Scripture so that they might know the truth present within.
Some of what Pokluda writes sounds very familiar. Many suggestions regarding church structure and leadership training are applicable across generations in the church. It seems that these suggestions could be applied to many churches with many generations so that Gospel sharing might be more effective.
Overall, "Welcoming the Future Church" helps familiarize ministers of the Gospel with the unique culture of this generation. It also assists in helping ministers of the Gospel to consider how they might integrate young adults into existing ministries so that the entire church might be more effective in sharing the Gospel.
I received this book from the publisher as part of their blogging program.

Encouragment to Overcome

Through a series of personal stories and spiritual wisdom gleaned from her journey, Kristen Welch offers encouragement, grace, and strength in "Made to Move Mountains." Welch shares parts of her recent story including her work with mercy house, parenting decisions, family challenges, and financial questions in order to help people understand that we are made to move mountains. It is through the grace of God and the faith we have in God that people are enabled to make it over or through the mountains of life. Life will have its challenges and disasters, in God, the faithful person can climb over them. God also gives us seemingly impossible dreams, itches that cannot be scratched. Yet, the promise is he will help us accomplish these dreams and scratch the itch all to the glory of His name. Join Kristen Welch on her journey and receive amazing encouragement!
I received this book from the publisher as part of the Baker Books blogging program.

For Joy!

This may be the most seminal work recently released regarding youth ministry. It is certainly one of the top writings from the pen of Andrew Root. "The End of Youth Ministry?" verbalizes so much of what I feel youth ministry should be about. As a long time youth pastor and parent, this is what I want for my children and students. I want them to discover joy in Christ.
Taking the atypical route of sharing a parable regarding the journey toward enlightenment, Root guides readers toward enlightenment. Root encourages us to think counter-culturally about youth ministry. Rather than seeking to please the parents who want a place of entertainment that helps their children be happy, youth ministry should guide youth in discovering the joy of Christ. To do this, we must share in one another's life narratives, particularly the moments of death. When communities do this, Christ enters in, providing grace and resurrection. This book is revolutionary and should be on the top of every youth pastor's , parent's, elder's and pastor's list of current must reads! Youth ministry is for discovering the joy of the Lord within His community. Let the church discover this!

Finding a New Career

Public speaking seems a lucrative career for those with the gifts and drive to take it on. If this is you, Grant Baldwin offers the consummate guide in "The Successful Speaker." Taking, what appears to be the model for a speech or workshop on becoming a public speaker, Baldwin presents the five steps to success. In this, he follows one of the speaking models he himself uses - that of the numerical framework. Baldwin gives five steps: select a problem to solve, prepare and deliver your talk, establish your expertise, acquire paid speaking gigs, and know when to scale. In these five steps he gives clear guidance to the hopeful public speaker. If this is your career dream, you do yourself a service by reading this very understandable, instructional text.
I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

The Map of Redemption

"The Basic Bible Atlas" by John A. Beck provides beautiful illustrations of the geographical area in which the stories of the Bible take place. The maps are clearly labeled and provide the budding Biblical cartographer with points of reference when exploring the Biblical narrative.
The richness of this resource does not come from the maps and illustrations though. The value of this reference work is found in the text surrounding the maps and illustrations. This text aptly assists the Biblical scholar in understanding the importance of the land in regards to the story of redemption. Beck clearly and rightly emphasizes that God's plan for salvation is tied to a people and a land. The value of The Promised Land and other geographical locations in God's design for redemption finds clear emphasis throughout the text.
The only place this resource falls short is in the Biblical stories that are not tied into this narrative such as Esther and Job. Having a full picture of God's revelation through geography would have enhanced this resource.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

God Brings Victory through Trial

"God's Hostage" is a story that is hard to judge as it is someone's story, very personal, very heartfelt, very tortured, very faith-filled, and personally lived out. As a story it touches the heart and brings one great comfort. The story also brings great sadness and anger because of the way we as human beings treat one another and betray one another because of the politics of a situation. Too often we justify our actions because it is better for us and not better for another. This comes through fully in the mess of Andrew Brunson's story.
The moment's when Brunson honestly expresses his struggles in faith in the midst of his imprisonment are the strongest parts of his story. That he emerges from some of the darkest moments that a human could suffer in the name of faithful belief in Jesus Christ with a vibrant faith is in many ways amazing. The story astounds and brings one closer to God and God's compassion in the midst of suffering and trial.
From my perspective it is a shame that his story is so intermingled with human politics. The human powers involved in the story and in the liberation of Brunson are certainly a vital part of the story, but the way the story is told these human powers pull away from the glory that is due to God and God alone for orchestrating things toward justice. These parts of the story do show that God works within human structures to bring about his glory even when those structures are flawed or politically motivated.
This is a great story that declares God's victory. God brings about his purpose through the pain caused by humans. God brings together his church and draws people into the church through the suffering that we are often forced to embrace as the faithful.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher: Baker Books.

Reflecting Holiness - Showing Love

“Growing in Holiness” by R. C. Sproul offers the maturing Christian a wonderful glimpse into the process of sanctification offered to us through Christ Jesus. In a clear expression of Biblical theology, Sproul moves us from the moment of justification into the process of sanctification, challenging all those who follow Christ to pursue holiness diligently. In this pursuit, through the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit we will come to reflect God as we are meant to. In Genesis, God declares that all of humanity is created in His image. This means that our duty is to point people toward worshipping/serving God. In our own corruption we fail to reflect God and fail to point people toward God. God sends Christ to restore us to this image. This image is best seen as we pursue righteousness. We pursue righteousness through loving God and loving other people in reflection of God. This small and accessible text beautifully presents this theology and challenges all those who follow Christ to allow His righteousness to shine through as we pursue a life lived in love.
I received this book as part of blogging program for Baker Publishing Group. “Growing in Holiness” by R. C. Sproul offers the maturing Christian a wonderful glimpse into the process of sanctification offered to us through Christ Jesus. In a clear expression of Biblical theology, Sproul moves us from the moment of justification into the process of sanctification, challenging all those who follow Christ to pursue holiness diligently. In this pursuit, through the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit we will come to reflect God as we are meant to. In Genesis, God declares that all of humanity is created in His image. This means that our duty is to point people toward worshipping/serving God. In our own corruption we fail to reflect God and fail to point people toward God. God sends Christ to restore us to this image. This image is best seen as we pursue righteousness. We pursue righteousness through loving God and loving other people in reflection of God. This small and accessible text beautifully presents this theology and challenges all those who follow Christ to allow His righteousness to shine through as we pursue a life lived in love.
I received this book as part of blogging program for Baker Publishing Group. “Growing in Holiness” by R. C. Sproul offers the maturing Christian a wonderful glimpse into the process of sanctification offered to us through Christ Jesus. In a clear expression of Biblical theology, Sproul moves us from the moment of justification into the process of sanctification, challenging all those who follow Christ to pursue holiness diligently. In this pursuit, through the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit we will come to reflect God as we are meant to. In Genesis, God declares that all of humanity is created in His image. This means that our duty is to point people toward worshipping/serving God. In our own corruption we fail to reflect God and fail to point people toward God. God sends Christ to restore us to this image. This image is best seen as we pursue righteousness. We pursue righteousness through loving God and loving other people in reflection of God. This small and accessible text beautifully presents this theology and challenges all those who follow Christ to allow His righteousness to shine through as we pursue a life lived in love.
I received this book as part of blogging program for Baker Publishing Group.“Growing in Holiness” by R. C. Sproul offers the maturing Christian a wonderful glimpse into the process of sanctification offered to us through Christ Jesus. In a clear expression of Biblical theology, Sproul moves us from the moment of justification into the process of sanctification, challenging all those who follow Christ to pursue holiness diligently. In this pursuit, through the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit we will come to reflect God as we are meant to. In Genesis, God declares that all of humanity is created in His image. This means that our duty is to point people toward worshipping/serving God. In our own corruption we fail to reflect God and fail to point people toward God. God sends Christ to restore us to this image. This image is best seen as we pursue righteousness. We pursue righteousness through loving God and loving other people in reflection of God. This small and accessible text beautifully presents this theology and challenges all those who follow Christ to allow His righteousness to shine through as we pursue a life lived in love.
I received this book as part of blogging program for Baker Publishing Group.

The Story of Our Lives

Our lives tell a story, a story of who we were, are, and who we will become. That story is only part of a larger story though - the story of all of humanity and all of creation. We can view this story through many lenses. The best lens is through the larger meta-narrative of the Judeo-Christian worldview as presented throughout Scripture. Within Scripture, this narrative is presented through the stories of people who encounter God, the creator and redeemer of all of creation. Helping us to see this is Alistair McGrath's primary goal in "Narrative Apologetics."
McGrath offers an amazing argument as to why we should use stories: the stories of our lives, the stories of Scripture, and the stories penned by a myriad of novelists in order to point to the truth of the Christian narrative. When we tell stories or use stories, people are invited into the grand meta-narrative. They begin to see their place in God's plan and design. All those who profess Christ as Lord should consider how they might use familiar cultural stories to point to the truth of the Gospel. As a preacher, this book changes that way in which I approach the Christian story and present it to those whom God places within the narrative of my life.
I received this book from Baker Publishers as part of their blogging program.