Book Blurbs: June 2018

Here are some books I had the privilege of reading this past month and some brief thoughts about each one.

#1 – Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice by Bryan Chapell (published by Baker Academic, 2009). The benefit of reading this book is two-fold. First, you will learn the practices of the church throughout history (early church to modern church) when it comes to a worship service. You will see what worship services were comprised of, how they were ordered, and given explanations for why certain elements existed and why others didn’t. Second, the author gives commentary on a variety of elements that churches schedule (e.g., benedictions, Lord’s Supper, call to worship, etc.), offering suggestions for how to “make the most” of them in a worship service. The book will mostly be useful for church leaders and any leaders involved in the planning and orchestration of worship services. BOOK RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.

#2 – Serving as Senders by Neal Priolo (published by Emmaus Road International, 1991). Caring for missionaries extends well beyond sending them money every month or praying for them every-now-and then. This book will equip the church with very practical ways to minister to missionaries as they prepare for their departure, whey they are in the mission field, when they are on furlough, and when they return. If you love missionaries, read this book. BOOK RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.

#3 – Preaching the Whole Counsel of God: Design and Deliver Gospel-Centered Sermons by Julius J. Kim (published by Zondervan, 2015). We don’t need more books on “how to preach.” Thus, I didn’t learn anything from this book that I haven’t read elsewhere (e.g., Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching, John Stott’s Between Two Worlds, Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers) – with one exception. Chapter 9 is a memorable one as the author explains why understanding the brain’s functionality can make one a more effective preacher. Other than that, I don’t believe I will need to consult this book again. BOOK RATING: 7 out of 10 stars.

#4 – The Inerrant Word: Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspectives edited by John MacArthur (published by Crossway, 2016). If you attended the Shepherd’s Conference in 2015, you have sort of read this book already. The book is a compilation of the general sessions and many of the breakout seminars that occurred at that conference. Thus, it’s like reading a bunch of sermons and lectures, which is not always as enjoyable as hearing them spoken live. While the context is informative, the delivery medium (reading and not preaching) wasn’t as memorable as being at the Conference “in person” (as I was). BOOK RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.

#5 – The Pastoral Handbook of Mental Illness: A Guide for Training and Reference by Steve Bloem (published by Kregel Ministry, 2018). You can read my review here. BOOK RATING: 6 out of 10 stars.

#6 – We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (published by Weinstein Books, 2008). As usual, the book and movie are not too similar. But something that was unusual, the movie was way better. There are a few discrepancies that are noticeable but the liberties that the movie takes (which I won’t spoil for anyone wanting to read the book) make the story more compelling. Generally, speaking the author’s writing style is a but cumbersome to take in, but if you are an animal love, I am sure you will appreciate the rabbit trails where the author recounts facts about a variety of animals. BOOK RATING: 8 out of 10 stars.

#7 – How to Talk So People Will Listen by Steve Brown (published by Baker Book House, 1993). This is more of a book about public speaking than preaching, but most of the principles taught are applicable to either form of speech. You will also be helped if you find it difficult to make ordinary conversation on any given day. BOOK RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.