Why the Gospel? by Matthew W Bates – Book Review

Matthew Bates, author of Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Gospel Allegiance, and The Gospel Precisely, has written yet another profound affirmation of the Kingdom Gospel as described in Scripture.

This book, Why the Gospel? – Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose, magnificently guides the reader toward not only answering that question (Why the Gospel?) but also helps to uncover the incredible breadth of human transformation available through King Jesus.

The gospel is much more than a brief description of individual or personal salvation, no, it is a universe-changing, history-altering reign of Jesus the True and Saving King.

If you’re looking to recover the Kingdom gospel message to its fullest extent as found in Scripture, then read this book. Years from now, when we look back, this book, along with other important titles by Scot McKnight (King Jesus Gospel) and N.T. Wright (When God Became King) will be seen as vital turning points in the study and application of the Good News.

BUY NOW

https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/8168/why-the-gospel.aspx

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Kingdom and Country: Following Jesus in the Land that You Love edited by Angie Ward – Book Review

As a pastor, Kingdom and Country: Following Jesus in the Land that You Love is a book that resonates with the social and political tension found inside and outside the church. Unfortunately, the dividing lines have been drawn and the conversations have ceased to be cordial. Now, this might be painting with broad strokes, but it’s the reality that many of us have faced throughout the past few years.

Angie Ward and contributors do the hard work of identifying some of the major issues that are running rampant through our culture and presenting ways we can amicably work through it together. As you read, you’ll find yourself challenged to step outside your comfort zones, break down walls that separate, and seek to walk in the way of Jesus.

I must say, you might not agree with everything (nor should you), but this book will certainly help you discover that it’s possible for us all to begin “following Jesus in the land that we love” without sacrificing loving (and interacting with) our neighbors.

Love Has A Name by Adam Weber – Book Review

In his second book Love Has A Name, following his 2017 release “Talking with God,” (See my book review here) Adam Weber once again delivers a thoughtful, down-to-earth, conversational approach to interacting well with other people.

In Love Has A Name Weber turns each chapter into a story about real human beings, real interactions, and how he learned from each one.  Each individual person/chapter became another opportunity for Weber to not only learn to love, show compassion, exercise empathy, but also the opportunity for him to grow into a more Christian, more Christ-centered person.

In a similar way to his first book, Weber weaves humor, emotion, difficult situations, and other personal accounts to connect with the reader and create a beautiful, yet vulnerable place, to learn and grow.

Do you want to take some steps towards loving more like Jesus?  Then this book is a welcomed and non-intimidating place to start.

How the Body of Christ Talks by C. Christopher Smith – Book Review

C. Christopher Smith brings yet another wonderful book to the fellowship table of the church. Following in the brilliant trajectory of his “Reading for the Common Good” and co-authored “Slow Church,” Smith masterfully expounds and encourages the church to begin talking again.

In such a culturally timely manner, Smith brings the reader along cutting through the divisiveness and noise of our society, to rediscover and engage in the lost art of conversation.

The aim, simply put in my own words, is that churches should lead the way in being the epitome of fruitful conversation. As Smith says, “intentional spaces of learning to listen and talk in the compassionate ways of Jesus. Our practices of talking together will make possible a multitude of formal and informal conversations that guide our congregations toward health and maturity in Christ” (p. 181).

Even in a world more connected and noisier than ever, it’s amazing how fragmented humanity is becoming. Smith not only diagnoses the heart of the topic but gives the reader techniques to begin to employ productive and abundant conversation in their own communities and churches.

A must read for every pastor, community leader, and even lay person!

 

My review of Smith’s other book Reading for the Common Good.

 

Available on Amazon, Christianbook, and other fine book retailers.

2018 Accessible Theology Books of the Year: Short List – WORLD

Accessible Theology Books of the Year: Short List – World Magazine

The Prodigal Prophet
Timothy Keller

Keller skillfully exegetes the four chapters of Jonah and shows the importance of failure and suffering: “It is only when you reach the very bottom, when everything falls apart, when all your schemes and resources are broken and exhausted, that you are finally open to learning how to completely depend on God.” Jonah thought he understood God, but he initially didn’t know that God cared about Assyrians—and then he worried that God did care about Assyrians. Like Jonah, “We naturally believe that we have far more ability to direct our lives wisely than we really have.”

Idols Of A Mother’s Heart
Christina Fox

Fox explores ways in which motherhood can turn from good gift to idol, from sanctifying experience to sinful one. Her opening discussion draws heavily from R.C. Sproul, Tim Keller, and John Piper, applying their insights to the particular situation of mothers. In her second section, she looks at the particular idols common to mothers, including idols of achievement, comfort, control, and approval. She helpfully lays out how to identify idols and offers wise counsel on the means of grace that train our hearts to love and worship the Lord rather than puny idols.

Disruptive Witness
Alan Noble

Noble describes the problems Christians face in today’s culture, where the gospel is one of thousands of options, and buffered selves intensely adopt stances after seeing compelling viral images on Facebook. Some churches, Noble notes, push back with services “that feel more like a concert and TED Talk than a sacred event. … The pastor paces the stage with a headset mic, skillfully weaving facts, stories, and dramatic pauses. … Each element of the service alludes to bits of popular culture. … The cumulative effect is to give the impression that the Christian faith is something akin to a good motivational conference.”

Embodied Hope
Kelly M. Kapic

Kapic emphasizes that our hope is in God “who made and redeemed heaven and earth, not in our own intellectual acuity.” He asks Christians to mix hope and lament in faithful suffering, rather than emphasizing hope with no lament (that’s naïve optimism), lament with no hope (“unrelenting despair”), and neither hope nor lament (“detached stoicism”). Practical application: “When contemporary churches cease to sing laments as part of their regular catalog of songs, instead only choosing happy or upbeat music, … our muscles for godly mourning atrophy.” Good news: Christ saves us from the tyranny of death, which no longer has the final word.

 

Honorable Mention

Owen Strachan & Douglas Allen Sweeney’s The Essential Jonathan Edwards is an excellent introduction to the great theologian who is heavy sledding for modern readers. Matthew McCullough in Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope asks, “How can you enjoy anything about life if you know that, in the end, the more you love something the more it will hurt when you lose it?” Buddhists say the answer is nonattachment to anyone and anything: McCullough shows how Christians can see that bid for support and raise it through Christ’s promise of eternal life.

Jonathan Leeman’s The Rule of Love explains why the Biblical pronouncement that “God is love” does not mean zapping moral boundaries or judgments, or unconditionally accepting everything except authority and institutions. John C. Peckham’s Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil is a deep dive into the coexistence of divine omnipotence, omniscience, and omnibenevolence with human freedom and rampaging evil.

Source: Accessible Theology Books of the Year: Short List – WORLD

IVP Reader’s Choice Award Winner! – An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich by Veronica Mary Rolf – Book Review (Repost)

In celebration of this book winning the 2018 IVP Reader’s Choice Award (IVP Academic) I thought I would repost my original review.

Also,  you can save 30% on this book through January 31, 2019, when you use promo code RCWIN18 when you checkout on IVP’s website. https://www.ivpress.com/

My original review:

I first heard the name Julian of Norwich from the pages of Richard Foster, but although I’ve appreciated the snippets from her books via quotes and selected paragraphs, I’ve never really taken the time to explore who she is and the works she has written.

Thankfully, in her book, An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich, author Veronica Mary Rolf does the hard work and research, then carefully guides the reader into the life of this intriguing and beautiful Christian of the 14th century.

The book is divided into two parts: Getting to Know Julian of Norwich and Exploring the Revelations of Divine Love.  Each part has subsections which narrow the focus to specific questions, topics, and timelines of Julian of Norwich’s life and work.  Rolf does an impeccable job of carefully and thoroughly examining key information to enrich the reader of not just facts or information concerning Julian herself, but many of the surrounding topics with which she is associated.

Admittedly, although this book was a bit of a challenge due to the breadth of new information and historical material, it was a well received and much enjoyable read.  The included glossary was a helpful addition to push me through any sticking points in the unheard and unknown terms and vocabulary of Julian of Norwich.

If you find yourself wanting to dive in and explore the life of Julian of Norwich, there is no better place to start than An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich.

You can purchase it from InterVarsity Press, Amazon, Christianbook, or other retailers.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary publicity copy from the publisher (IVP Books). (This in no way affected my honest review of the book)

 

IVP Reader’s Choice Award Winners – InterVarsity Press

2018 InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Awards

The results are in!

2018 Readers’ Choice Winners
IVP Books:

Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores
by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
The United States has more people locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. Exploring the history and foundations of mass incarceration, Dominique Gilliard examines Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion, assessing justice in light of Scripture, and showing how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles.

Life in the Presence of God: Practices for Living in Light of Eternity
by Kenneth Boa
It’s hard to discern God’s presence amid the hubbub of modern life. But experiencing God is not just for the super-spiritual—every Christian can learn to cultivate a greater awareness of God in the everyday. Sharing dozens of practical exercises and disciplines, Ken Boa offers a contemporary guide to practicing the presence of God, revealing how we can deepen our walk with God and abide in his presence.

IVP Academic:

An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich: Explorer’s Guides
by Veronica Mary Rolf
Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love is truly an astounding work: an inspiring example of Christian mysticism, a unique contribution to Christian theology, the first book in English known to have been written by a woman. Veronica Mary Rolf guides us as we read, examining its fourteenth-century context and illuminating our understanding of this enduring work.

IVP Praxis:

Seeing Jesus in East Harlem: What Happens When Churches Show Up and Stay Put
by José Humphreys
Church leaders need to show up, stay put, and see what God is doing in their midst. Pastor José Humphreys recognizes how deeply our faith is tied to our particular stories in our particular places. Combining spiritual formation with activism, vivid narrative with exhortation, and realism with hopefulness, Humphreys offers pastors and church planters a thoughtful look at discipleship in a complex world.

Formatio:

The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships
by Suzanne Stabile
How do we understand the motivations and dynamics of the different personality types we see in our intimate partners, our friends, or in our professional lives? This book from Suzanne Stabile on the nine Enneagram types and how they experience relationships will guide readers into deeper insights about themselves, their types, and others’ personalities so that they can have loving, mature, and compassionate relationships.
Honorable Mentions:

Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up
by Kathy Khang
It can be hard to speak up when power dynamics keep us silent and marginalized, especially when race, ethnicity, and gender are factors. Activist Kathy Khang roots our voice and identity in the image of God, showing how we can raise our voices for the sake of God’s justice. We are created to speak, and we can both speak up for ourselves and speak out on behalf of others.

Homeland Insecurity: A Hip Hop Missiology for the Post–Civil Rights Context
by Daniel White Hodge
Even though the North American context is changing, most missiological approaches continue under colonialist assumptions. Focusing on the framework of Hip Hop theology, Daniel White Hodge shows us how to radically engage with emerging adult populations, critiquing the impaired missiology of imperialist and white supremacist approaches to modern, urban short-term missions.

Redeemed Sexuality: 12 Sessions for Healing and Transformation in Community
by Andrew A. Boa
Foreword by William M. Struthers
Sexual brokenness permeates our culture and is often a source of fear, shame, or secret sin for emerging adults within the church. But as we experience love, joy, and intimacy with God and others, sexual shame and sin lose their power. Incorporating peer-to-peer leadership, this small group curriculum invites us to seek sexual maturity and discipleship in the context of community.

 

Congratulations to all!

Save 30% on all of the winning books and honorable mentions through January 31, 2019, when you use promo code RCWIN18 when you checkout at IVP’s website.

https://www.ivpress.com/

 

Bob on Books Best Books of 2018

Bob on Books

It’s the time of the year when numerous publications post their best books of the year. That has been a tradition at Bob on Books as well. A friend I was meeting with the other day described my reading tastes as “eclectic” and I suspect you will find that true of this list. It spans quite a number of categories, and probably leaves out categories you might find on other lists. Many but not all of these works were published in 2018. What qualifies them for this list is that I read and reviewed them in 2018. You will find that I have divided my list into two broad categories: books for general audiences and books primarily for Christian audiences. As always, I’ve included a link to the publisher’s website in the title of the book, and a link to the full review.

First of all, though, my Best Book…

View original post 1,101 more words

VOTING ENDS TONIGHT – IVP Reader’s Choice Award Finalists Voting – InterVarsity Press

2018 InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Awards

Vote For Your Favorite IVP Books!

IVP has received over 500 nominations from their readers, and they’re happy to announce the 2018 finalists!  Now it’s time to choose the winners!  Today is the final day to cast your vote!

Please look over the books below and vote for your favorite titles in each category.

Details:
Please vote for two books in the IVP Books and IVP Academic categories and one title in each of the other categories. Any submissions with more than two votes in the IVP Books and IVP Academic categories will be automatically disqualified.

Books with the most votes in each category will win.

Voting will close tonight, Sunday, December 2 at 11:59pm CT.

Congratulations to the finalists!

Once again, you can vote HERE

 

THE FINALISTS

IVP Books:

Rethinking Incarceration

Empathy for the Devil

Raise Your Voice

The Minority Experience

Emboldened

Beyond Colorblind

Disruptive Witness

Finding Holy in the Suburbs

A Sojourner’s Truth

Life in the Presence of God

The Fellowship of the Suffering

From Jerusalem to Timbuktu

Reconstructing the Gospel

Here in Spirit

 

IVP Academic:

Homeland Insecurity

Rediscovering Paul

The Morals of the Story

Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age

Mariner

An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich

Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered

 

IVP Praxis:

Mapping Church Missions

Seeing Jesus in East Harlem

Seven Practices for the Church on Mission

 

Formatio:

An Extra Mile

The Path Between Us

Invitation to Retreat

 

ENDING SOON! – IVP Reader’s Choice Award Finalists Voting – InterVarsity Press

2018 InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Awards

Vote For Your Favorite IVP Books!

IVP has received over 500 nominations from their readers, and they’re happy to announce the 2018 finalists!  Now it’s time to choose the winners; and there’s only a few days left to vote!

Please look over the books below and vote for your favorite titles in each category.

Details:
Please vote for two books in the IVP Books and IVP Academic categories and one title in each of the other categories. Any submissions with more than two votes in the IVP Books and IVP Academic categories will be automatically disqualified.

Books with the most votes in each category will win.

Voting will close on Sunday, December 2 at 11:59pm CT.

Congratulations to the finalists!

Once again, you can vote HERE

 

THE FINALISTS

IVP Books:

Rethinking Incarceration

Empathy for the Devil

Raise Your Voice

The Minority Experience

Emboldened

Beyond Colorblind

Disruptive Witness

Finding Holy in the Suburbs

A Sojourner’s Truth

Life in the Presence of God

The Fellowship of the Suffering

From Jerusalem to Timbuktu

Reconstructing the Gospel

Here in Spirit

 

IVP Academic:

Homeland Insecurity

Rediscovering Paul

The Morals of the Story

Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age

Mariner

An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich

Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered

 

IVP Praxis:

Mapping Church Missions

Seeing Jesus in East Harlem

Seven Practices for the Church on Mission

 

Formatio:

An Extra Mile

The Path Between Us

Invitation to Retreat