Book Blurbs: March 2020

I love books, and every month I attempt to give quick thoughts (or “blurbs”) on books I have read recently. These are not extensive book reviews but bite-size endorsements or warnings about books available for church. Here is my current rating scale:

• 1 star – Awful, awful book. I have already thrown it away and/or burned it. I may have not even finished reading the book.

• 2 stars – The only reason to keep this book is to refer to it as bad theology or to prop other books up on my shelf.

• 3 stars – Frustrating read, couldn’t find much that I enjoyed.

• 4 stars – Will do you more harm than good to read.

• 5 stars – I disagree with significant conclusions but also found agreement in areas of importance.

• 6 stars – Buy this book used. Readers will probably be divided on the value of its contents.

• 7 stars – Not sure if I found the book valuable or not. Need to process more.

• 8 stars – The main points of the book are good, but I don’t always understand how they are supported.

• 9 stars – Hardly noticeable complaints or flaws. A book I recommend for purchase.

• 10 stars – Tremendously helpful. A book that I will read multiple times in my life.

Lessons from a Hospital Bed by John Piper (published by Crossway, 2016). 77 pages. I will be buying extra copies of this book to take with me to the hospital to distribute to my loved ones as a resources for meditation and service. What a gift this short book is for those suffering in such a place. I can’t say, “I can’t wait to be in the hospital myself,” but I can say that I fell much better equipped to be a “good and godly patient” than I did before reading this book. I found it to be provocative and convicting. BOOK RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.

Loving Your Wife as Christ Loves the Church by Larry E. McCall (published by BMH Books, 2009). 200 pages. This would make a good resource for a small group to go through – specifically a small group of husbands or aspiring husbands. Instead of going through the classic texts on husbanding (e.g., Ephesians 5:25-33), he systematizes the different instructions for husbands in the Bible. He takes the command of husbanding loving their wives, and their paradigm of Christ loving the church, and illustrates it with other Scriptures giving a sufficient amount of application for how that can be done in the area of forgiveness, sexual intimacy, prayer, etc. BOOK RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.

Churches Partnering Together: Biblical Strategies for Fellowship, Evangelism, and Compassion by Chris Bruno and Matt Dirks (published by Crossway, 2014). 176 pages. What a helpful tool this is going to be in my own shepherding! I have longed for a tangible resource to encourage and equip me as a local pastor for the ministry of reaching out to other local pastors and to form friendships and partnerships that help further God’s kingdom. This is the book I have been waiting for. Of particular help is the weaving of Paul’s experiences recorded in Acts as a church planter and church partner. The authors take his example and show us the biblical precedent and paradigm for partnering with other churches – local and global. Towards the end of the book, there is also a helpful checklist of the “what next” question. If you are a pastor looking for encouragement in making disciples and feel alone in the mission, read this book and allow it to encourage you invest in the local AND universal church. BOOK RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.

Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We’ve Made Up by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle (published by David C. Cook, 2011). 197 pages. This book made me sad, but not for the reasons you might think. It was not sad because it was not helpful or the authors took liberties with Scripture. It was sad, because I kept thinking of the concerning trajectory of Chan and how speculative and detached he seems to be getting from orthodox evangelicalism. I was sad because this is a very helpful book. It blends careful explanation of Scripture and devotional application (which is missing from most books on hell). Chan’s passionate love for those who are headed to hell comes through on most pages. I still commend this book to you, because the truths that the authors compile do not change even if their current writing or associating is puzzling and/or concerning. BOOK RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger (published by B&H Publishing, 2006). 257 pages. Call me old fashioned. This book had too many pragmatic ideas for doing church ministry than I am comfortable with. I am not against “doing what works,” but growing a church can become an a-biblical pursuit at the expense of being faithful to prioritize what the Bible says we ought to prioritize and expect Christ to build His church (Matt 16:18). While I found the authors paradigm for doing ministry easy to understand, it read more like a philosophy of running a successful organization than it did a church. BOOK RATING: 6 out of 10 stars.

Same-Sex Partnerships? A Christian Perspective by John Stott (published by Fleming H. Revell, 1998). 93 pages. One of the strengths of this author is that he wrote decades ago, but his words are timeless. His clear explanation of Scripture on a very polarizing topic is refreshing. When you ask, “But what does the Bible say,” too many people are saying, “Well, it’s not that simple.” Stott’s example in this book is this: “It is that simple.” If you are looking for a simple answer to what the Bible says and how we can speak the truth in love, read this book. BOOK RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.

Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes (published by Tyndale House, 1987). 204 pages. I gave this book 10 stars, because I reserve that rating for books that I have read more than once because I wanted to. I first read this book when I was in college and before I served in any full-time ministry capacity. This book will serve every pastor well as it communicates that faithfulness is more important than personal success. You will go behind-the-scenes with a pastor and pastor’s wife as they share their struggles with pastoral ministry and shepherding issues that did not go well. BOOK RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.