Listening to the Giants

This reviewer has been a dad for 12 years now and yet I have consistently struggled in finding the right time, place and devotional content for my daughters (ages: 12, 9). This is the primary reason why I took the opportunity to review, The One Year Father –Daughter Devotions . The Good Each day begins with a title and 2-3 paragraphs of interesting facts and/or appealing anecdotes, which relates to the verse of the day. The author’s uses of entertaining and original facts are vital to grabbing the daily interest of the female progeny. Surprisingly, the authors never reveal the intended ages of their audience, but I would assert daughters from the ages of 6-12 would find it relevant. Another element is the use of creative, hands-on ideas in the section called Daddy-Daughter Time . This part of the devotional is normally used for applicational questions, but frequently the authors used it to conduct science experiments (April 29 th ), culinary moments (Feb. 27 th ) or...

This book is a collection of essays, focused on the Decalogue, its interpretations and devotional usage throughout the centuries. Many of the great Christian thinkers are examined such as, Calvin, Luther, Owen, Aquinas and Karl Barth. The book is edited by Jeffrey P. Greenman, who is the Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of Christian Ethics at Wheaton College and Timothy Larsen who functions as the Carolyn and Fred McManis Professor of Christian Thought at Wheaton College. I will admit from the start that this type of book is difficult to review. Each chapter interacts with a “giant” of the Christian thought and boiling down his or her musings on the Decalogue is a challenging task for each of the 14 contributors. Therefore, I am striving to highlight certain chapters, which grabbed my attention for either positive or negative reasons. Please forgive my trendy, categorical approach to this review.  The Most Interesting Chapter To ...

Dr. John D. Currid is Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has a PhD in archaeology and has authored several commentaries (e.g. The Pentateuch, Habakkuk). In his introduction, Dr. Currid breaks up the book of Ruth into five sections: Part one—Setting the scene (1:1-5), Part two—Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-laws (1:6-22), Part three—In the fields of Bethlehem (2:1-23), Part four—The scene at the Threshing Floor (3:1-18) and Part five—Redemption (4:1-22). These sections encompass the majority of the commentaries’ brief 136 pages. Also, the introduction contains the author’s valuable thesis statement, “Thus the book is serving a greater purpose than merely being a moral story of human goodness: it points to the future reality of the coming King ”. I would label Professor Currid’s commentary somewhere between an exegetical commentary and a devotional one. To be clear, both elements are beautifully integrated throughout. T...

The author is Brian H. Cosby, who is the lead Pastor at Wayside Presbyterian Church in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He is the author of the youth ministry best-seller, Giving up Gimmicks and has also published biographies on John Bunyan and David Brainerd.  Cosby begins the book by asking an important question, “What is Reformed Theology?” In this introductory chapter and/or introduction, the author sets the course for this brief 112 page book. His goal is simply stated on page 3, “This book is an introduction to Reformed Theology with a particular view towards teenagers”. How does Cosby plan to achieve such a lofty goal? To begin, he purposely makes the book ascetically relevant. The front cover is bright red with funky lettering and a title that attracts the rebellious teenager, Rebels Rescued . Also, the graphics of the chapter titles remind the reader of paintbrush strokes and possibly a subtle graffiti theme. For all of his anti-gimmick language, Cosby is keen to dra...

The subtitle reveals the simple premise of the book: 15 tectonic shifts that transform churches, communities and the world . As expected, each chapter deals with one of the fifteen tectonic shifts. What are these tectonic shifts? In a word, these shifts interact with the concept of mission , missional living or the more technical term, missiology . It is the belief of the authors that most churches are unaware of these shifts and therefore, are less effective in reaching the world for Christ. So this book boldly seeks to inform a generation of church leaders through the experimental lens of Granger Community Church (a megachurch in Northern Indiana where the author, Rob Wegner, is one of the lead pastors). It is not in the scope of this review to critically interact with each tectonic shift, but extensive comments on a few key shifts are necessary. Let’s begin with the Shift #1: Saved souls to Saved wholes . The authors contend that many churches preach an incomplete gosp...

The author, Dr. Iain D. Campbell, is from Scotland. But where is lives is not as important as who he is. Dr. Campbell is a pastor and as a good preacher, his small book harmonizes the theological and practical in a seamless way. In the introduction, the premise of the book is clear: The seven ‘I AM’ sayings of the gospel of John are unique to the other gospels and therefore are worthy of exclusive study.  So just like a good sermon, Campbell provides an introduction, seven chapters and a brief conclusion. In my opinion, this is 122 pages of pure delight. Each chapter begins with a brief historical sketch of the particular ‘I AM’ saying. Understanding the context is crucial to interpretation and in a winsome way the Scottish preacher diligently transports the reader back to the ministry of Jesus through the eyes of the apostle John. The most excellent example of this is found in chapter two, Jesus the Light . The author states, “The other feature of the Feast of Tabern...

The author of Man Alive  is a smart guy. Dr. Morley graduated from Harvard, Oxford and completed a stint at Reformed Theological Seminary. Yet he is better known for the ministry he created, The Man in the Mirror , which strategically focuses on biblical masculinity. He begins this book with one of his many inspiring stories, directing the reader to his thesis statement: Every man has seven primal, instinctive needs (each need is unpacked within a specific chapter). Morley believes that most men they lead “lukewarm, stagnant, often defeated lives”. Because these primal needs are neglected, men default into physical isolation and spiritual indifference. This book grandly proclaims that it will bring hope, healing and practical help for such a man. I am pleased to state that Dr. Morley succeeds in his literary purpose. Each chapter is embedded with sagely advice and anecdotal offerings. In addition, each of the seven primal needs are addressed with levity and simplistic l...

Organic Outreach for Families: Turning Your Home into a Lighthouse is the last book of the trilogy written by Kevin and Sherry Harney. This reviewer had not heard of nor previously read any of Pastor Harney’s works, so my review is without bias or agenda. In the introduction, the authors are helpful is sketching out the book’s direction, which is challenging Christian families to pursue gospel moments through the use of their home in a natural, organic and relational way. Part one focuses on helping parents reach their children and extended family with the love of the gospel in practical ways. In part two, the Harney’s share their life experiences and proven methods of how they encouraged their kids to live out the Great Commission. Finally, the last section of the book focuses on the home itself: how to build a lighthouse, how to make it shine and how to avoid the dimming or covering of its light. One of my first impressions of the book is that it is an easy read . The generou...