Review: Resolving Everyday Conflict

Resolving Everyday Conflict
Resolving Everyday Conflict by Ken Sande
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As the title suggests, this is a very practical book on a relevant topic. Everyone experiences conflict. It is not possible in a fallen world of sinners to avoid it. I am afraid that many of us just accept that fact and determine to live with it, which means we have a growing mountain of unresolved offenses that is going to landslide on us someday. Unresolved offenses is fertile ground for bitterness to take root.

Ken Sande brings biblical truths to bear on this topic and highlights with personal experiences of conflict, forgiveness, and reconciliation. He gets at the heart of peacemaking and distinguishes between it and peacefaking. He treats the offender and the offended. He also gives some consideration to whether an offense can be passed over. That issue and forgiveness need a fuller biblical treatment, but he does give some good thoughts.

We must realize that Jesus commands us to resolve our conflicts, whether we are offended or the offender (Matthew 5:22-26; 18:15-17). This is to be done soon, humbly, and as privately as possible. This book will be helpful to you as you strive to live peaceably with all men in obedience to Christ’s demands.

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Review: Future Men

Future Men
Future Men by Douglas Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good books on raising boys are rare and this one is a gem. Wilson shoots straight where it is needed and puts keen insights on biblical foundations. As you would expect from him, the text sprinkled with wit and humor in good places.

One of the problems with a book like this is that it can feel overwhelming. You feel the pressure at the start and it doesn’t let up. Raising boys requires a lot of work and patience. In the appendix on Proverbs, Wilson highlights the need for repetitive instruction, not nagging or harping, but loving, patient, meek, persistent instruction. We need that as well as our sons, so come back to this book and pick out sections to read again and consider.

I have been provoke to a lot of good thought for the raising of my own sons. I recommend reading this book and keeping it handy for reference from time to time as you grow in your understanding and your training of boys to be men.

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Review: When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage

When Sinners Say
When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Outstanding. Five stars doesn’t mean perfection without any weakness, but a great book. Of the writing and printing of books on marriage there is no end, and much reading of them is weariness to the flesh. So many of them are naught more than manipulation manuals and “how does that make you feel?” therapy sessions. The problem is that those kind of books never get to the root of the problems and end up only trying to control the symptoms. A good way to be miserable.

Dave Harvey understands the root of the problem and it is the theme of this book. The sin problem in marriage is not referring to the sins spouses commit against each other, but it is an acknowledgement that both spouses are sinners and houses of indwelling sin. This is what the Bible teaches about the true nature of man–we are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners. When you bring two such sinners together to live in the same house and share the same space day after day, you multiply the opportunity for sin to manifest and offense to abound.

This book is a good mix of doctrinal and practical instruction. It provokes to self-examination and teaches. Rooting these things in God’s Word means that it gives a strong foundation and reason to hope for sinners who say “I do.” I highly recommend it.

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Review: The Life of God in the Soul of Man

The Life of God in the Soul of Man
The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book comes from a collection of letters the author wrote in counseling another man. There are many precious gems of truth in it. The book reveals a spiritual insight and discernment that is very rare in our sound bite age. It seems few can discern the true work of God in man’s soul and counsel soundly concerning the spiritual struggle of life. I recommend a careful reading of this small book.

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Review: Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good book. Mark Dever gives us nine different marks of a healthy church. This is not a full ecclesiology and there are more marks than these required to be a biblical church. However, the author states severally in the book that his design is not to write a full ecclesiology, nor does he mean to say these are the only marks of a healthy church.

Taking it for what it is, it is a good book that fills a gap in contemporary books on the church. The majority of books published on the church in the last couple of decades have been of the “church growth” variety. This book stands out in that crowd and that pushed it four stars for me.

The text is a mingling of doctrinal and practical issues concerning the church. The book does a good job provoking us to thought on these issues. The notes and appendices provide you enough additional reading sources to keep you busy for a long time. There are too many listed to comment about them except in a general way. The books listed are not of equal value and some I could not recommend at all. I hope you will exercise discernment in further reading. This book is not the only book on the church you should read, but I do recommend it to you.

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