Focuses on Christ & The Church
346787
I haven't read much by Piper. He discusses and focuses more on how important, involved & interested God is in the marriage. It brings out thoughts that I have just skimmed over thoughtlessly. He has good points to think on and consider.
2089468
Wonderful! A book of theological truths based on the Apostles Creed. Theology is more important than what the average Church goer may think. Rather than plowing through thick volumes of theological textbooks on systematic theology, or buy individual books on various theological topics, we have in our hands a book that expounds on the essence of the history, the core theological issues, and the crucial doctrines every Christian ought to know. The Apostles Creed is an excellent choice because it is still the most unifying creed for all (if not most) Christian communities. The Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, Evangelicals, Non-Denominationals, Bible, Independents, and many others are pretty united when it comes to this ancient creed. Even fringe groups will very likely profess the same creed with certain disclaimers. Whether one agrees with the creed fully or not, the scope of coverage is wide enough to give the Church a pretty decent theological syllabus. Author and New Testament Professor Michael Bird has done exactly that and has written this book for the masses.

He begins by making a case for the Apostles Creed as an important syllabus for beginners. Not only is it biblical, it gives us a basic summary of what the Early Church held, what traditions are, and how they inform our theological education. Creeds are part of the way God has used to teach us. From the Old and New Testaments, we get the life of Jesus, the Apostolic teachings, the Rule of Faith, and the Creeds. Creeds are used in worship; in promoting unity and fellowship with other believers; in reminding us about our faith. They also form a key part of our devotional lives. The rest of the book deals with a particular part of the creed.

  Faith
  God the Father
  God the Son
  Jesus as Messiah and Lord
  The Virgin Birth
  The Atonement
  The Resurrection
  The Reign of Jesus
  The Holy Spirit
  The Church
  The Kingdom of God and more.

Each of the chapters begin with a brief introduction, followed by an explanation of what it is, what it means, and which part of the Bible supports the doctrine. From each doctrine, Bird expands it with other important theological vocabulary to enhance our learning. There is always an application component for each doctrine expounded. The short list of recommended readings makes it convenient for planning and research for interested readers. This book is targeted at the layperson. It can be used as a preaching calendar as well. Creeds and catechisms are some of the most important resources the Church has inherited over the years. In fact, every creed came about because of the threats of heresy. Such theological threats have sparked countless debates and council meetings that culminated in a statement of belief to anchor the Church on sound doctrine, something that continually needs to be done in a world that is getting more sophisticated. Learn from our forefathers who have painstakingly put together the creeds not only for their generation but for many more, including ours and our children and their descendants.

I warmly recommend this book for your reading and learning.

Bird is an Australian Professor of Theology at Ridley College in Melbourne. He publishes widely in areas of Systematic Theology and has written a comprehensive theological textbook entitled, "Evangelical Theology."

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book is provided to me courtesy of Zondervan Academic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
4185045
This book offers several important insights into Christ's last week, but for me the most important is that these days can be understood as protesting the existing establishment and offering a new vision of kingdom on this earth, not solely promising a future kingdom. The Christian church universal should include this interpretation of Christ's actions in the usual celebration of the events of Holy Week.
4125603
The author uses scripture and clarifies the role of the church in bringing Jesus into the lives of people. He helps identify the factors that make a church valuable.
1491135
I just finished reading Father, Son and Spirit: Trinity yesterday-I will refer to the authors as K&S from this point on. I must say that the book was much different than I anticipated. This is not to say that I was disappointed in the least. The authors in the first half of the book (and I am over-generalizing here) seek to lay forth John's teaching about each of the three persons in the trinity individually first and then in regard to how they relate to each other. In the second half of the book they focus their attention more on building a coherent theology of the trinity within the framework of John's unique theological purpose and emphasis. The first half of the book really stood as the foundation for the second half.

Those who have spent any serious time studying John's Gospel will find the first half of the book to be delightfully straightforward. I will say, however, that the second half of this book is what really makes this work worthy of honorable mention. I will warn the reader to not skip the general teachings of the Godhead in the first part of the book to delve into the rich theological insight of the second half of the book. The first half really does set a necessary stage for what follows.

The two most helpful chapters (for me, at least) were Chapters 7 ("Christology in John's trinitarian perspective: Jesus' Filial Identity") and 9 ("`As the Father Has Sent Me, So I am Sending You': Toward a Trinitarian Mission Theology"). I think I underlined about half of the content in each of these two chapters. K&S's discussion on both the sonship of Christ and the fatherhood of God and their focus on John's unique trinitarian emphasis in regard to mission was simply stunning. These two chapters provided more than just a little insight; they completely clarified and (maybe I could go so far to say) revolutionized my understanding of (specifically) John's trinitarian emphasis.

I highly recommend The Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel. I was surprised by the readability of the book (although the last chapter was quite dense) and would not be afraid to recommend it to my own congregation for prayerful/thoughtful/discerning consumption. The focus of the book is not simply trinitarian theology, but rather trinitarian theology as communicated specifically in John's Gospel. Because this is the emphasis, the book is biblically based to the core. If you are more interested in biblical theology than you are in logical theology (not that the two should be completely separated, but arguments from actual texts of Scripture read in context should inform our logical categories of theology, and especially when it comes to such an other-worldly doctrine as the trinity-a doctrine which transcends finite logical categories) you will find this book to be extremely informative and stimulating (both intellectually and spiritually).
1186241
This short but insightful book from David Mathis focuses on the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Prayer, and active weekly church participation.
It's modeled directly from the Desiring God approach, which says the main theme for the Christ follower is to enjoy Him.
The book accomplishes that very well, but it may cause some confusion to some churches which only view Communion and Baptism as "means of grace."

Mathis calls all the disciplines "habits of grace," which may ultimately be true.  I think it may just cause some unnecessary confusion.

Chapter 18, EMBRACE THE BLESSING OF REBUKE, is excellent and maybe the best in the book.
The section on keys to good listening is also very good.
3983903
I'm not yet using this second of a three part series on the gospel of John as my Home Group continues its journey through book 1 - Beholding Christ. I anticipate the joy of proceeding from Beholding Christ to Following Christ as the themes of these two volumes progress.  Chuck Swindoll's teaching/preaching gift is well documented in the pages of these studies. New Christians, experienced laymen or ministers formulating sermons may find fertile ground to challenge themselves and others to a deeper love of Jesus from this study.
1306987
It is hard to determine which part of Andy Stanley's book will be most effective in my future ministry endeavors. The entire book is thought-provoking. The intent is obviously toward Christian leaders; therefore it is full of principles for leadership in the local church setting. This is the lens through which I am reading.

  My eyes were opened by the competence section. The idea that one is doing a disservice to their employer and the organization by trying to do everything is new to me and somewhat counter-intuitive. In the settings where I have lead it is also counter-cultural, at least I perceive it as such. Leaders are expected to have a working knowledge of everything they lead, and be able to do any task they expect others to do.

 Stanley's book illustrates how silly this idea is. It is impossible for leaders to be able to do everything. It is also not biblical. Church leaders, particularly the pastor or minister, are not able to do everything it takes to run a church. If they attempt to do this the areas to which they are supposed to pay the most attention will receive the least. "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:2b-4). The pastor must devote himself to pastoring and delegate the administrative areas to others, with the skill, in the church.

  Implementation of this principle in any local church would be incredibly beneficial. It would allow the pastor to focus on the spiritual and free him from the administrative requirements. Delegation would also involve more of the congregation in the work of the church. More involvement would create more "buy-in" in the congregation. The enthusiasm of this "buy-in" would naturally build the church as the excitement spreads. Church leadership culture will have to change for this to happen. Pastors will have to delegate and give up control in areas that they may think are their responsibility. Congregations will have to step up and take more ownership in their churches. Hopefully, as a the next generation of leaders starts pushing for more congregational involvement, we will see the success of this principle and it will spread for the glory of God's kingdom.
3972716
Recent trends in the United States seem to point to a constantly lowering importance of religion in public life.  Yet religion persists as an important factor in elections and in policy making.  Grappling with the question of the interactions of faith and politics does not compare in importance to larger, eternal mission of the church, but political life is unquestionably an element of the temporal mission of the church.

In Five Views on the Church and Politics, Amy Black brings together five scholars who describe and discuss their own traditions' views.  Each of these contributes a chapter, to which the other four offer brief responses: Thomas Heilke (Anabaptist), Robert Benne (Lutheran), Bruce Fields (the Black church), James K.A. Smith (Reformed), and J. Brian Benestad (Roman Catholic).

As you might expect from this type of book, each chapter feels just a bit brief.  Each contributor covers the high points of his tradition, while providing extensive sources for those who want to dig in.  The responses highlight the differences among the traditions.  I was left with an impression of varied traditions that have distinctive ways of saying the same things.  Of course, there are differences among these five traditions, but there are many more similarities.

Five Views is a very useful volume for readers looking for a brief synopsis of these five traditions.  Black couches each in categories drawn from Neibuhr's Christ and Culture.  She points out that "these traditions overlap in many significant ways, have borrowed from each other's teachings over time, and continue to learn from one another and change from within."  Five Views did little to dispel my notion that while theological and scriptural traditions certainly inform denominational views on politics, the reverse is also frequently true.  Sometimes those who shape a denomination's position use theology and scripture to defend a political perspective.

At the very least, Five Views will be a useful book for seminary classes on Christian ethics.  But one hopes that lay people and clergy will use Five Views as a starting point for reflecting on their own traditions and the theology behind their own political views.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
1739370
Word-Centered Church, one of many excellent resources in the 9Marks line of books, is a worthwhile title to add to ones bookshelf.  In fact, some readers may already have this one under its previously-released title, Reverberation, from 2011.  I didn't read the first edition, so I cant speak to what has been changed, but can speak of the book on its present merits.

As the title so aptly suggests, Mr. Leemans intent is to inspire pastors, teachers, and members alike that the Bible  Gods Word  must be the center of our worship, for it is the Word of God that creates His people, gathers His people, sanctifies His people, and sends His people.  It is divided into three parts  Part 1: The Word (Acts; Invites and Divides; Frees; Gathers), Part 2: The Sermon (Exposes, Announces, Confronts), and Part 3: The Church (Sings, Prays, Disciples, Scatters and Once Again Gathers).

Jonathan Leeman unashamedly makes the case that Christian gatherings must absolutely be distinct from the world, for Gods Word is different from that of the world.  Gods Word reveals to us that God that God is holy, that we are sinners, that Gods wrath over sin looms over sinners, that we need a Savior, that Jesus Christ is that one-and-only Savior, and that we will all face Gods judgment  either with or without Jesus as our Substitute.

This book is full of helpful insight for not only pastors/elders, but also for small/community group leaders and church members alike.

For pastors, it will serve as a solid reminder that leaning on worldly church growth models is a hopeless endeavor.  While numbers may increase for a season, what will personal growth be built upon, new programs, cool music, merely motivational sermons?

For community group leaders (and this hit home with me), this book is a strong reminder that we Christians are brought together by the Word of God, and we gather corporately and in small groups under the Word of God.  Like the pastors, community group leaders should be focused on reminding members of the group of the gospel, of the hope we have, and of the joy of sins forgiven.  It reminds us to pray Gods word together.

Finally, for the church and community group member, this book helps establish a strong foundation that we ought to be looking for Gods Word in our large and small gatherings, and that our worship and daily lives must be centered on His Word.  To expect new programs, cool music, or merely motivational speeches misses the mark of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are not saved by or for the next greatest song; we are saved only by the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gospel is revealed to us in Gods Word!

In other words, the Word must be the center of all we do as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Rating: I give Word-Centered Church 5 out of 5 stars.  It contains both rich theology AND practical application to daily living.

Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from MP News Room (Moody Publishers) in exchange for my unbiased review of it.  All opinions are mine, and I was not required to provide a positive review of it.
3431545
If it hasn't happened yet, stick around church long enough, and youll find it lets you down. We each respond a little differently when that happens. In Searching for Sunday, we find out how Rachel Held Evans handled it. And in the process with her, we fall in love with church again.

She uses these seven sacraments to structure her church story:

The church tells us we are beloved (baptism). The church tells us we are broken (confession). The church tells us we are commissioned (holy orders). The church feeds us (communion). The church welcomes us (confirmation). The church anoints us (anointing of the sick). The church unites us (marriage).

Each section includes several short chapters with personal stories, insights from others, and general enlightenment on how the church can function well. Throughout the book you see how Rachel found dead things and things brought to life again. She stays focused and engaged all the way to the end of the book.

In the epilogue entitled Dark, she gives this beautiful definition of church.

Church isn't some community you join or some place you arrive. Church is what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder and whispers in your ear, Pay attention, this is holy ground; God is here.

I believe this book will help believers and doubters alike find hope again through community with God and others.
1684895
The complete history of God's dealings with humans, from the creation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, to the end times as prophesied in the Revelation of John, is told in this book. The content of the book is nearly all selected directly from the text of the New International Version of the Bible, but it also includes linking portions to explain omitted events and to maintain the flow.

The book is divided into 31 chapters, and one way in which it can be used is as a 31-week teaching series for churches, focusing on one chapter per week. This is how my church has used it (with breaks for Christmas and other special events). Weekly sermons have focused on one part of the week's chapter, and supplementary materials relating to the same chapter have been available for small groups meeting during the following week.

In my opinion the book has identified and addresses a key weakness for many contemporary churchgoers: a lack of understanding of the complete message of the Bible. However, I am not sure that a condensed 500-page version is really any more likely to solve the lack-of-Bible-reading problem than a full 2000-page version. It seemed to me that at the start of the church teaching series most people made an effort to read the weekly chapters, but the participation rate fell off as the series progressed. The problem seems to be not that the "real" Bible is too challenging but that many people just do not read.

On the other hand, I thought that the 31-week overview of the whole story of the Bible as given by the sermon series did help most people to develop a greater understanding of the big picture. A lot of Bible was crammed into each chapter, so the weekly sermons tended to focus on one aspect of each chapter rather than on the whole, but the cumulative effect of the 31 weeks still gave a reasonable overview. I would definitely recommend this resource to other churches.
3107920
I am not a rabid fan of Andy Stanley. Having said that, I believe he is right on target in this book. He discusses the focus of the church: A place for those who have always been in church and looking for a comfortable place vs. a place for the unchurched who do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. I have almost finished the book and will need to go back and rehear many of the ideas he discusses.
4420442
This is my introduction to Bill Hull and his teachings.  I found Conversion and Discipleship to be a thought provoking read.  It seems his main audience is the Evangelical church although there are references to more main line denominations too.  This is guaranteed to step on people's toes, no doubt about it, regardless of your denomination.

Bill Hull's premise is this:  there are too many Christians out there who may be "saved" but they are not disciples.  He goes on to explain that there are six types of gospel preached now  the forgiveness only, the liberal left, the prosperity, the consumer, the legalistic and the kingdom gospel.  He briefly describes each of these.

Hull then clarifies what saved is.  He does not subscribe to the Evangelical sinners prayer as being definitive of a Christian.  He quotes George Whitfield who when asked how many people were saved at his meeting, he states, I don't know.  We should know in six months.  Hull posits that the sinners prayer has become the starting and ending point of many a Christians walk.  He believes too often pastors are not preaching repentance and a turning away from an old life to obedience in Christ.  We are saved by grace, he believes but Christians must move beyond the sinners prayer.  He holds justification is a process not just a one-time prayer.  He believes Christianity asks something of the believer and that is obedience

Hull refers to several Biblical passages in support of his justification process.  He also quotes several well-known theologians too. Hull thinks that many Evangelicals spend too much time on sins being forgiven without the further process of sanctification.  He lists several reasons why, such as pastors not wanting to offend their congregants.  Hull affirms Luthers key concept of justification by faith but he also holds that the church does not talk enough about the standards and responsibilities of believers after they are saved.

Truly Hull feels that churches have not made a concerted effort to disciple believers.  In fact, he states emphatically that pastors are more concerned about the people not sitting in the pews rather than the ones who sit there on Sundays.  Hull writes that this is where Evangelism should reside, with congregants who have been discipled.  Disciples, he concludes, are the ones who are to go out and bring in the sheaves.

Theres much to think about in this book.  I found many of Hulls arguments persuasive, especially the minimal standards and low expectations the church has of people who are saved.  Christians should be doing good deeds, this is not to state that Hull is a works oriented theologian, he is not, but Christians should want to act like Jesus who was compassionate, kind and self-sacrificing.

He goes into much detail about justification and sanctification being a seamless process but it still was not a very clear road for me to follow.  Also Evangelism has a strong place in the Evangelical community.  There are times that Hull can almost sound too rigid.  As for how to disciple, I found this to be less interesting as his earlier chapters on conversion and justification.

There are many good points Hull makes in his book.  His audience of Evangelicals will likely find much to admire and disagree with, especially regarding how they measure success at churches, they tend to count how many people said the sinners prayer rather than look at a congregants character, the former is easier to measure.  Maybe its a bit of both.
4238434
I am conservative, Reformed, and Evangelical in my theological and spiritual underpinnings.  Anytime I agree with Brian McLaren then it is a bit unusual at best.  But he and I both agree that this is a very useful, informative and challenging book.  Although I wonder if McLaren really paid attention to what Wright says.

In this book Wright challenges the church to a return to the Lord's authority working through scriptures as the pathway to revitalization and empowerment.  He calls for a balanced perspective which understands "tradition" (present in every communion) as the Church's dialogue with scripture over the years but which, as dialog, is to be respected, understood and continued, but not to the extent of blinding us to where tradition itself needs critiquing and perhaps augmentation.

He calls for a living, re-orientation to Scripture as THE means by which the Lord authoritatively directs His church through the ages, including this one.  In doing so he directs us away from a modern & post-modern tendency to reduce scripture to a "back ground buzz which we use to give a spiritual flavor and "baptism" to our own cherished ideas about how the God's business is to be accomplished.  He actually calls for Bishops (my tradition doesn't have those) to get back to the primary business of actually teaching scripture and relegating other "bureaucratic" tasks to secondary or less status.  I found this willingness to critique his own peers very refreshing.

Wright makes a major contribution in reminding us that we need to be governed by an historical perspective (time and place) in our own self-understanding of the Church, its place in the "story" of God's saving work in the world.  He, like most who push this emphasis, falls a bit short on communicating exactly how this understanding is to avoid an essential relativism  between the ethics of the various phases of this meta-narrative.  In this book he is better than most in that regard.

This book is well worth reading.  For those new to Wright it is a good intro to his thinking.  To those of us who have read his other works, this book is a good refresher and in many ways, a clarifying over-view of some of his more important thought.
2425571
Bonhoeffer presents a challenging, Christ-centered view of Christian community in this concise and challenging work.  Some may view certain particulars described by Bonhoeffer as overly specific and dogmatic, but all points are made with a clear eye for the Scriptures and focus on Christ.  This is a very good read for today's disciple of Christ, especially with the many competing voices vying for one's attention and allegiance.
1642226
Knowing about some of Tony Evans' public presence, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book.  Would his message be political in nature or written from a pastor's heart to the church?  The answer is both, although it's first a plea to Christians to become Godly disciples, and then, out of that commitment, he calls churches to become involved in community action, effecting God's kingdom here on this earth.

The text is divided into three parts.  Part one explains our call as Christians to become true disciples of Christ. Too many serve Christ as long as he doesn't start messing with their comfort. This section of four chapters lays a great foundation for the rest of the book, but it seemed long and sometimes redundant.  I kept waiting for specifics on how this growth comes about and what the process might look like.  Tony writes very passionately.  What sometimes felt judgmental or condemning, I attributed to the urgency in his message.

Part two began to satisfy my questions of "how".  True disciples pursue intimacy with Christ.  The power to live victoriously comes through that relationship. This involves abiding, soaking in God's Word, depending on the Holy Spirit, and identifying with Christ even through suffering. It's consistent growth in living with the mind of Christ. True followers dig deeper into spiritual things on their own and work hard at spiritual exercise. "Spiritual maturity demands spiritual responsibility." There is heavenly incentive for any sacrifices Christ followers make.  Because rewards may not be immediate many aren't willing to pay the cost of kingdom living.

Part three speaks to:
-the individual; the Kingdom disciple has learned to rest, trusting that God will do the work in him
-the family; established to be God's framework in society to carry out his plan in history
-the church; "God's officially designated university of discipleship" to bring believers to spiritual maturity
-the community- "In national times of racial crisis, the church should have a greater collective voice in addressing responses to the chaos.  Protests take place and anger is often displaced, and yet we need more than a protest, we need a plan." Tony believes a national plan of restoration involves a community-wide solemn assembly, unified community impact, and a shared public voice. Personal agendas need to be set aside.  Real impact requires unity in the Body of Christ.

The last chapter on community includes some examples from the community outreach strategy the author has created in his church.  Appendix B in the back of the book offers more resources about Tony's ministry called "The Urban Alternative".

The message of the book is confronting and challenging.  As an individual I can focus on my commitment to discipleship and pray for a willing and eager heart to continue to pursue spiritual maturity. I can influence my family to be Kingdom centered rather than focused on self satisfaction.  I think it will take pastors and church leaders to implement the strategies for community involvement. It might not be Tony's model, but some kind of unified goodness into communities to benefit the broader society is needed. We are called to go, to share the good news. Thank you, Tony for being a voice urging us to be about the Father's business.  What could be a greater calling?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.