Review: Disciplines of a Godly Man [With Complete Study Guide]
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Disciplines of a Godly Man [With Complete Study Guide] by R. Kent Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Challenging and convicting throughout. Kent Hughes has written an extremely practical book about living the Christian life as a man. I like the challenge he issues to men and the encouragement to holy sweat. We can sit around whining about our “issues” and our “struggles” or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work. Paul would have us to quit ourselves like men and be strong, to put away childish things, and to gird up our loins like men. In other words, get to work.
I realize a book like this can be dangerous. Some will use it to ply works righteousness and legalism. Unfortunately, they do the same with the Scripture. Hughes does bring it all together at the end under grace. It would have been better to have grace sprinkled a little more throughout and not saved so much for the end. Nevertheless, it is of grace and we need grace-driven effort, as D. A. Carson put it.
I highly recommend this book to Christian men and particularly those who have a good grasp of justification by faith and the operation of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
Review: Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life
Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Of making many books there is no end, so says Solomon. I would add a corollary: Of making many books about making many books there is no end. In this case, that is a good thing. I have read enough of Doug Wilson that I wasn’t surprised at how good this book is. Readable doesn’t do it justice even if it is eminently. Wordsmithy is informative, insightful, and entertaining.
I must confess that I audibly chortled a number of times. I maybe even threatened a guffaw. I thought about including some quotes, but that I found them so humorous would unveil a nerdom that I am not sure I am comfortable with in the wild.
I have read a number of books on writing and each had its own bit to pitch in. If you are familiar with how-to’s, you will recognize some common advice, but some of it is given much more depth. The chapter on reading provides some worldview and wherefores to the essential prescriptive: Read a lot.
I highly recommend it writers and wannabe’s all the more. This is a book that will help you. It will help you today and even more so years from now if you have ears to hear.
Review: Vision for Missions:
Vision for Missions: by Tom Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m not sure how I acquired this book. I believe it was given to me at some point. It sat on my shelf amidst other volumes until one day when it piqued my interest. Little did I know when I pulled it from its resting place that it would prove to be an epochal book in my life.
It was one of those books that seemed to appear at just the right time. I was only a few years into the ministry. I was like a little boy with a new set of Legos. I had the important blocks but they were in a jumble. I was wrestling with them, moving them around, turning them over, and trying to put them together cohesively to build something sensible and useful.
I was fully persuaded of God’s absolute sovereignty and supremacy in all things, but this book revealed an inconsistency and prompted an articulation of God centeredness in all things. What does that look like in the realm of missions? What should be our chief aim and motivation in missions? Before reading this book, I would have answered: Our chief aim and motivation in missions is the salvation of the nations.
That answer is not right and Tom Wells helped me see that in this book. God is always first. He is sovereign and supreme. So our first aim and motivation in missions is to declare His glory among the nations.
This crucial truth profoundly impacted my life and ministry. The pieces were there, but they weren’t fit together quite right. Looking back at my sermon log, I see that after reading this book I preached messages like “Declaring God’s Glory” from Psalm 96:1-3 and “God’s Commitment to His Own Glory” from Isaiah 42:8. I owe a debt here and I am grateful. I want God centeredness to saturate every aspect of life for me.
I highly recommend this book to you and hope you will consider well the primary message it contains.
Review: Poke the Box: When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?
Poke the Box: When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time? by Seth Godin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You have to start in order to finish, but if you don’t finish, you never really started at all. So, start then finish and repeat. Godin’s message is astoundingly simple. Don’t wait to get picked. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait to be asked. Go ahead and start.
This is a stimulating read though I warn you that it will unmask your many excuses for not doing. He writes just broadly and generally enough that the applications are vast. Yet, he is specific enough to be understandable and to hit home. I recommend reading it, supplying your own context, and then starting.
Review: Arthur W. Pink Born to Write
Arthur W. Pink Born to Write by Richard P. Belcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a brief biography of Arthur W. Pink and it is well done. Belcher has been an avid reader of Pink for many years and has a great appreciation for him. He does however deal quite honestly with some of Pink’s shortcomings.
Pink’s writings have been of inestimable value to me. I also read the old version of Ian Murray’s book on Pink. It has been recently updated and expanded. I recommend both books to you.
