Tag: Book Reviews

I have a lot of admiration for those people who are especially skillful at evangelism. Likewise, I have a lot of admiration for those people who feel especially called to it. I sometimes marvel at how adeptly they are able to steer conversations to topics that matter and how easily they can get to Jesus from any starting point.See AlsoGo Into All the World: Embracing the Mission Mandate of God’s CovenantEach Gift Has Its PlaceShould We Kiss Evangelism Goodbye? A Post by Jonathan K. Dodson

Every now and again, I decide that I will visit the ECPA list of bestselling Christian books and read the number one bestseller, no matter what it is. It is a decision I often regret. I wish the books that rose to the top were the best of the best, but, sadly, they are often the worst of the worst.See AlsoA La Carte (March 26)How Jesus Really Feels About YouFinal Call (January 3)

Despite the temptation to think otherwise, I am certain there has never been a time or a context in which it has been easy to raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Rather, every set of parents of every era and place has had to face challenges.See AlsoBooks about the Challenges of Parenting in a Modern WorldWhat Do I Say When…?Trusting Jesus in The Public Square 

Christians have an unusual relationship with trials. While we do not wish to go through trials, and while we generally try to avoid them, we also know that God uses them to accomplish his good purposes in the world and in our lives. See AlsoPast Them, Through Them, Over Them, Around ThemWhat We Cannot EscapeI Want Him Back (But Not The Old Me Back)

I am about to turn 49, and a few months later, Aileen will turn 50. But these are just numbers, and already we have a deep awareness that we have entered into this afternoon of life. Already, we are seeing how different our lives have become, and already we are grappling with new challenges and embracing new opportunities. See AlsoThe Joy of RejectionUnintended ConsequencesA Taste of Heaven by R.C. Sproul

While making a long journey across the world and enduring the fatigue that comes with it, I thought it would be nice to enjoy some light reading along the way. I mean it as no pun when I say Zero Gravity proved to be just the thing. See AlsoIs It Time To Stop Streaming Your Service?A La Carte (November 8)Lecrae: Gravity

One of the best things I have ever done is to get into the habit of reading through the entire Bible every year—or almost every year, at least. While this necessarily involves sacrificing some depth, it involves gaining breadth. As I have read and re-read the Bible, I have come to a greater familiarity with the Bible’s big picture and the way its many pieces work together to form a cohesive storySee Also12 Fresh Ways to Read Your Bible in 2025Undermining the BibleBreadth and Depth

I have come to realize that I probably felt a little skeptical about the new Sing! Hymnal from Getty Music. I wasn’t aware of this, but I suppose I hear of so many big product launches—and experience so many that end up being a mite disappointing—that I am prone to be a bit jaded. But I realize now that I should not have been, because this hymnal delivers. The Sing! Hymnal Getty Music (Affiliate links) It forced me to ask the question: What makes a good hymnal? Obviously, song selection is at the very top of the list and is the most important factor. A hymnal cannot be good if it is full of bad songs, and it’s hard for it to be truly bad if it’s full of good songs. Beyond the quality of the songs is the variety—the variety of songwriters, subjects, time periods, and even the inclusion (or lack of inclusion) of Psalms. Simply, a good hymnal must be a collection of good songs. With the massive variety of songs available in the English language, we could perhaps go a bit farther and say that it must be a collection of great songs. A second factor is the additional material such as Scripture readings, creeds, liturgical elements, snippets of catechisms, and so on. Many of the best hymnals go beyond merely printing hymns and offer other material that can be used for personal or corporate worship. A third factor is the structure. While it would be possible to simply arrange each of…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Crossway)20 Hymns To Sing With Your Family This SummerWhat We Gained When We Lost Our Hymnals

Most parents I know could do with a bit of good news. Though parenting brings many joys, it also brings its share of struggles and sorrows. Though parenting is a fulfilling task, it is often also an exasperating one.See AlsoWeekend A La Carte (July 26)Books about the Challenges of Parenting in a Modern WorldWho’s Afraid of the Teenage Years?

It is a question that seems to arise time and again and year after year: How should Protestants relate to Roman Catholics? Are Catholics faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord? Are they misguided members of an alternative denomination? Are they followers of an entirely different faith that preaches an entirely different gospel? How should we relate to our Catholic friends and family members? And if given the opportunity to speak about what matters most, what should we tell them? Tell Your Catholic Friend Leonardo De Chirico (Affiliate links) Leonardo De Chirico lives and ministers in a unique context: He is the pastor of a Protestant church in Rome that is just outside the walls of Vatican City. He has committed his life to both pastoring a church and becoming a scholar of Roman Catholicism. Suffice it to say, he understands Catholicism and has had many opportunities to engage and interact with its adherents. His new book, Tell Your Catholic Friend, is meant “to help people like you who are already involved in evangelism to Catholics or wish to be involved but don’t know how to do it or where to start. This book will help you in your attempt to witness to your Catholic friends. It won’t provide all the answers, but hopefully it will be a helpful tool to wrestle with the joys and challenges of being ambassadors of Christ to those Catholics who live around you.” That ought to tell you what he believes as a result of his studies and his…See AlsoSharing the Gospel with Quasi-CatholicsAre We Together?Billy Graham and Ecumenicism

Sometimes you read a book and realize quickly that it probably won’t make a tremendous difference to your life. It could be that the book simply isn’t very good—we have all encountered those books. Or it could be that its information is so irrelevant that there is nothing to gain from it, or already so familiar that you’ve already applied all of its lessons. The Good Investor Robin John (Affiliate links) But then sometimes you read a book and realize in the opening pages that it might make a huge difference to your life—that it has already begun to shift your thinking in an integral way. It did not take me long after beginning The Good Investor to realize it was going to fall squarely into the second category. The Good Investor is written by Robin John, who co-founded an asset management firm and now serves as its CEO. The book’s subtitle explains what it means to be a good investor: “How Your Work Can Confront Injustice, Love Your Neighbor, and Bring Healing to the World.” John’s concern is that many Christians do not understand how their investments may be fostering injustice and causing harm. Not only that, but many Christians do not understand how their investments could be fostering justice, expressing love to their neighbor, and bringing healing to the world. The way we invest our money is not neutral, and we are responsible before the Lord for the allocation of each dollar. “This is a book,” he begins, “about joy, specifically the joy…See AlsoHelp Your Family Make a Tech ExitCould I Be One of the Bad Guys?My New Book: Run to Win

It is a sedentary age. It is true for so many of us that if we do not deliberately pursue opportunities to exercise, we can remain unhealthily static. Those of us whose work is with words and whose primary tool is a keyboard may face special challenges in this regard.See AlsoCessationist: The FilmReading Classics Together – The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (XIII)Is It Better Not To Marry?