Parenting by God’s Promises by Joel R. Beeke

This book is intended to be a thoroughly biblical and practical guide to bringing up children of every age up to and including teenagers. It’s separated into four parts focussing on the core beliefs the book is based on, some guidelines for how to parent, practical steps on how to bring up your children (like methods of discipline), and some specific tips for raising teenagers. It’s 300 or so pages long so it’s hardly a pocket guide, but is broken up into over 20 chapters, each of which contains several sub-headings and numbered or bullet point lists, so it’s absolutely not overwhelming.

I’m not a parent yet so I can’t comment on how practically applicable the proposed techniques will be, but on the whole I found this an accessible guidebook with reasoned and easy-to-understand tips. Unfortunately I disagree with some of the key foundations that this book is constructed on, so obviously don’t agree with some of the conclusions that Beeke draws (in particular infant baptism) but will certainly expect to open this book a number of times more as I become a parent and my children grow older!

The language may prove a bit of a barrier for some; the Bible quoted from is the King James Version and Beeke likes to address God with ‘thees and thous’, but if you don’t mind that I think you’ll find this a well-constructed and easy-to-follow book which I’d recommend to all Christian parents whose children still live at home.

I got this book for free from Reformation Trust Publishing. I’m not required to give a positive review.

Nearing Home: Thoughts on Life, Faith and Finishing Well by Billy Graham

When it comes to inspirational older Christians not many names come to mind as easily as Billy Graham’s, so I was excited to read the wisdom he’d gathered for the 200-ish pages of this great book. Without wanting to sound morbid it’s essentially Billy Graham’s well thought-through last words captured in ten easy-to-read chapters.

On the whole the book’s written well – it doesn’t minimise the difficulties, frustrations and limitations of growing old, but also doesn’t minimise the continued responsibilities of older people, particularly around things like retiring. The lessons delivered in the book are not ground-breaking by any means but they’re all worthwhile repeating and re-stressing, at any stage of life. Billy Graham has alread lived my lifetime several times over but a lot of the biblical ideas he presents are instantly applicable to my life as well as someone in their 90s.

But that brings me to my only potentialy criticism of this book (and it’s only potential!) – I can’t put my finger on exactly who I’d recommend this book to. Certain paragraphs and chapters relate to how to live as an older Christian, so I’d recommend them to retired people. Others relate to lessons Billy Graham’s learnt so are really around preparing for old age; I’d have to recommend them to younger people because someone in their 80s or 90s may feel it’s too late, for example, to start saving money for their old age! Others are timeless truths and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone, Christian or not.

So if you’re looking for some good wisdom this is certainly a decent book, but I think because of the subject matter it’s a really personal thing whether you’ll find the contents encouraging, challenging, uplifting or frustrating.

I got this book for free from BookSneeze.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

Welcome to a Reformed Church by Daniel R. Hyde

I was excited to read this book. It’s intended to be a ‘front door’ into the world of the reformed church, giving you a basic, beginner’s understanding of what reformed churches look like and believe. But I’m sorry to say I was really disappointed, because this isn’t really what it does at all.

The book starts off by saying that the reformed church stands in contrast with other Christian churches which rely heavily on tradition, and then goes into an in-depth look at a bunch of historic creeds which the reformed church apparently submits to. I didn’t set out to criticise this book, but this seemed to be a bit contradictory – the reformed church doesn’t like tradition but follows specific creeds? Seems to me that Daniel Hyde just likes certain traditions more than others. He seems to like old language so much that at times he quotes from the King James Version for no reason other than he likes the sound.

In fact, he likes the creeds so much that there are quite a lot of points he makes which are made only because the creeds say so – Hyde claims that reformed churches must believe in cessationism, that we are reunited with our earthly bodies when in Paradise, that you can only be baptised by an ordained minister (which he later contradicts by saying that ordination is a Roman Catholic idea), that Christians can be baptised multiple times, and that specific words must be used to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. I’m sure that some reformed Christians would agree with him on these, but they certainly don’t find any backing in the Bible, and Hyde makes no attempt to use the Bible to back up these arguments.

To be honest, my issue with this book isn’t the content, it’s the foundation. If it were called ‘Welcome to the Creeds’, or ‘Welcome to My Church’ that would have been fine, but as a reformed Christian I can say with some confidence that many reformed Christians worldwide would disagree with some of the conclusions he draws.

So if you’re interested in the history of the reformation you might find this book interesting, but if you’re genuinely looking for a beginner’s guide to what a reformed church looks like, I’d look somewhere else.

In return for reviewing this book I’ll be getting it for free from Reformation Trust. I’m not required to give a positive review.

Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You’ve Only Heard About by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson

Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson have a theory that a relationship with God is bigger and better than we have been led to believe. There are these rumours of a God of love, justice, freedom, community, hope and abundant life banded around which don’t seem to be true in our daily lives. By tackling one rumour at a time the authors take us on a journey of discovery, learning about who God is and what our lives can really be like.

I really liked this book. It’s written in straightforward language but communicates some pretty heavy truths without watering them down. The message is biblically sound and sets a standard that really increases the reader’s faith for more. The stories and illustrations are good, and add some real clarity to some of the concepts which may seem unfamiliar to Christians living in the modern-day Western culture.

I particularly liked the insights the book brought to culture – I felt challenged by the analyses of Hollywood, consumerism and individualism but the book is littered with real breakdowns of why our attitudes are the way they are, and how we can break free from them.

There’s also a good feature at the back in questions for small group discussion – the stuff they talk about here is really helped by some healthy discussion, so if you’re in a small group and would like some material to start with, there would be worse places to start than this book!

I got this book for free from BookSneeze.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

More Than Ordinary by Doug Sherman

In this book Doug Sherman explains that it is actually possible to enjoy life with God! Based on his experience as a teenager in which he handed every area of his life over to God and was surprised to find that Christians actually seemed less happy than other people, he has compiled a biblical argument for how life can truly be enjoyed through our relationship with God. The book is separated into two sections: Encountering God, in which we learn about God’s character, and Enjoying God, in which that character is practically applied to our daily lives.

Sherman’s a good communicator – I found the book easy to read but not over-simplistic – and he has an ability to explain some pretty enormous truths concisely. The concepts presented here aren’t ground-breaking by any means but I found it really useful to be reminded of the importance of the Christian basics like prayer, purity and witness.

Each chapter finishes with a paragraph about how to practically apply the lessons learnt; I imagine this could work well as a devotional in which you think about the chapter during the day or week, or as a tool for a small group discussion.

I’d be happy to recommend this book to any Christian but particularly those who have been Christians for a while – it really takes us back to the foundations of Christianity in a way that isn’t patronising.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts by Ian Morgan Cron

This is the story of Ian Morgan Cron’s life, with a particular focus on his experience of Jesus, and his relationship with his father which was rocky to say the least, and which involved his job at the CIA. This book does exactly what it says on the tin.

I enjoyed Cron’s storytelling in his interesting biography (of sorts) of Saint Francis, so hoped this book would meet my high expectations – it absolutely did. I found myself laughing out loud as he told stories of himself as a young child, intrigued by his father’s jobs and past, blinking back tears as some of he told of some of the really tough times, and thoroughly encouraged by the grace of God throughout.

When you have endorsements from everyone from the Archibishop of Canterbury to Brian McLaren and Craig Groeschel you can be certain that there will be bits that are theologicallycomfortable and uncomfortable to any reader, but Cron’s experience, humility and love for God shine through, even if I found myself raising an eyebrow or two at certain occasions. Groeschel claimed that ‘Each turn of the page will draw you closer to God.’ I’m not sure I quite found that to be the case, but the book as a whole is wonderful, and the revelation of God through Cron’s life is clear.

I’d recommend this book to everyone really – the storytelling is great and compelling, the story is heart-wrenching and funny, and God’s grace is wonderfully revealed. Five stars from me!

I got this book for free from BookSneeze.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

Let’s Get Real by Dale and Jena Forehand

Based on the Bible and the Forehands’ experience, Dale and Jena’s aim in this book is to inspire and equip couples to live an authentic marriage, giving husbands and wives the tools to communicate better and not present themselves as the perfect couple while remaining hostile behind closed doors.

I found this book a refreshing detour from the typical marriage books I find myself reading. Far from the dream couple who are showing off how great their marriage is, the Forehands have experienced unimaginable pain through marriage breakdown and divorce before having experienced grace and reconciliation through a successful remarriage.

I like the underlying goal of this book, and I like the specific advice given to couples. The characteristics that the authors say husbands and wives should aim to be are spot on, and are rarely mentioned so it’s good to see them here. Perhaps this is my naivety but I think that the majority of the tips given are likely to already be a part of many happy marriages so for a lot of readers this may be more an encouragement than a significant step forward, but that doesn’t undermine the book’s excellent content.

I also really liked the fact that the book so regularly went back to what the Bible said; at every stage the Forehands humbly acknowledge that the only reason they were reconciled was a result of God’s power, and that’s really good to see.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to every couple. For a healthy Christian marriage I think there are better books out there that will motivate even more growth in intimacy, but this book is designed very well for couples who are going through a tough time. I’d recommend this book for any marriage which is experiencing any level of struggle, and I’d recommend you read it as a couple with another couple you’re comfortable with, to mediate if necessary.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears (audio)

This book pretty much does what it says on the tin. It beings by defining exactly what the church is (a very useful task), before laying out each aspect of this definition as ‘timeless truths’. The book then moves into the ‘timely methods’ half, attempting to apply the model of the church to today’s world in a way which is relevant and appealing.

Overall I really enjoyed this book – it’s informative, challenging, and communicates its message well. But I do have one minor issue which I’d highlight. Driscoll tends to speak with a weighty, compelling authority on whatever he is speaking about, whether or not he should be the authority on that area or not. At times this means that his opinions and perceptions are presented as fact, for example when writing about the multicampus church model. It’s very interesting to hear how Mars Hill Church does it, but you could read it and think that if you disagreed you were committing a sin, which I don’t think is the intention.

The narration is clear and appropriately passionate – there are a couple of occasions where I could hear that Driscoll would have phrased something slightly differently, but I don’t think it takes anything away from the audiobook at all.

My favourite chapter was around the church’s missional role, but it’s all good stuff to be honest. I’d recommend it to every leader in every church – it will challenge and provoke, and at least make you ask questions about why you do and believe certain things.

I got this audiobook for free from christianaudio.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

This is a fictional book about David Ponder, who is whisked away by the archangel Gabriel to lead a discussion with historical characters about the salvation of mankind. The group is given five opportunities to come up with the answer to ‘the question’, each time benefitting from the input of another historical figure, such as King David, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln.

Let’s start with the things I liked. I found a lot of the history behind the characters interesting, and found myself doing further research on some of them, which is always good. I also liked the fact that the book made me think about what my own answer to ‘the question’ would be; there’s a series of questions at the end of the book as well, which would help for discussion in a small group setting.

Unfortunately, as much as I tried to like the book, there were a few too many annoyances for me to do so. The story itself is just a little too simple and predictable for my liking; I don’t want to give the game away here but the way the storyline plays out isn’t in the least surprising. What this means is that at times it feels like chapters are extended just for the sake of it, so the group will come up with a new answer and Ponder will effectively say, ‘should we give the answer, or should we talk about it for a few more pages?’ The answer from the group is, ‘let’s talk about it.’

I also didn’t find the writing that compelling – I read the book through but wouldn’t describe it as a page turner, apart from the fact that I felt like I wanted to skip pages at times – the comparison to C. S. Lewis’ writing found on the opening page are unfounded in my opinion.

But underlying all this is my genuine concern with the book. SPOILER ALERT. I find that the selection of historical figures and answers that the group comes up with (along with Gabriel’s responses) don’t encourage a biblical understanding of a successful civilisation. For me, the key to mankind’s salvation is found only in God – worship of Him, and the free gift of His grace. But the answer found by the group to be the right one is entirely based around mankind’s works to achieve their own success.

So in conclusion the uninspiring narrative and predictable storyline would lead me to give this a mediocre review on the best of days, but the gospel of works that’s preached throughout it undermines any hope I had when starting it that I had found the new C. S. Lewis.

I’d certainly recommend this book to a mature Christian who wanted a fun fiction book to inspire restricted biography study, but generally I don’t have a good opinion of it I’m afraid.

I got this book for free from BookSneeze.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges

This book is an investigation into the full impact of the gospel on our daily lives. Bridges looks at a series of different angles to ask what was achieved at Jesus’ cross, looking at its already completed effects, the day-to-day impact of living in light of the gospel, and the eternal consequences for us and for others.

There are similar books to this out there, such as The Cross of Christ by John Stott, but I don’t think that takes anything away from this book. Jerry Bridges has a good way of communicating, and he uses it to full effect in this book. The content is foundational from a Christian perspective but not presented in a childish way, so I’d certainly recommend this book to all new Christians, as well as anyone who has been a Christian for a while but doesn’t feel that they have every basic nailed (i.e. all of us). It’s very easy to read; Bridges doesn’t shy away from the challenging long words like propitiation, but he’s good at explaining exactly what he means.

The only potential problem with this book is one which I think is unavoidable – a lot of the concepts presented here aren’t that practically applicable due to them being about spiritual attitude, faith, and so on. So although there is a good chapter on sanctification if you’re looking for practical tips on how to pursue purity I don’t think this is the place to find them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”