Disclaimer: I received this book as part of the Early Reviewer program on Librarything.com. The review copy was given to me for free, with the only stipulation being that I read the book and post a review online.
Statistics are frequently bandied about in conversation as though they represent some type of unassailable truth. "Statistics show Christianity is a dying religion." "This might be the last Christian generation, because teenagers are leaving the church at alarming rates." "Just look at the number of stories in the news and you'll see that Christians are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites." Bradley R.E. Wright, in his work Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told, takes a hard look at many of the popular conceptions about Christianity and holds them under the light of statistics collected over the past several decades. He concludes that many of the statistics used to paint a negative picture of Christianity are ultimately unsupported by more in-depth research. A sociology professor at the University of Connecticut, Wright offers a comprehensive analysis of Christianity today that dispels many myths about the church today, i.e. the divorce rate among Christians is lower than the society at large, in spite of popular misconception. While Wright's writing style can be somewhat stiff at times, Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told is a thought-provoking read worth the effort for anyone involved in the current and future state of the church.
10 September 2010
Review: Life to Life Discipleship by Kevin Greer
~A brief word is necessary before launching into the review. As you might be able to tell, this review is about a month late in its posting. I've come to the realization that, with the busy schedule of a full-time seminary student, a full-time senior minister, and a full-time newlywed, my original goal of reading and reviewing a book a week was perhaps a little overly ambitious. To reflect the growing time obligations as well as the requisite time needed to read and properly reflect on the material included in these books, I've adjusted the review schedule to post every two weeks. As way of penance, I have two reviews to go up today, Life to Life Discipleship by Kevin Greer and Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told by Bradley R.E. Wright (an Early Reviewer copy I received from LibraryThing), which should be up later this afternoon.~
Kevin Greer's Life to Life Discipleship is an excellent introduction for any youth leader looking to help guide students into a deeper relationship with Christ. Writing from a heart for teens and a lifetime of investing in their growth, Greer demonstrates a rich understanding of the principles behind a successful discipleship/accountability program. He offers several hints for those looking to start a discipleship group in their own youth ministry, including tools for recruiting and equipping both leaders and students, sample lesson plans from Greer's own experience, and tips for building accountability and mentorship into your program.
One of the best passages for those in ministry is Greer's use of Paul, Timothy and Barnabas as an example of the types of relationships every Christian should have in their lives. Everyone needs a Paul, a mentor who will invest in their lives and offer guidance and support through the highs and lows of daily life. Secondly, we need a Timothy, someone we ourselves can mentor just as we are being mentored. Third, we need a Barnabas, someone who will come alongside us and offer much-needed encouragement. Too often in ministry, we focus so much on finding Timothys, those people we can help grow deeper in their relationship with Christ, that we fail to be mentored ourselves, and the lack of encouragement is often the death of ministers. To be healthy, we need to develop all three kinds of relationships.
Overall, Life to Life Discipleship is an excellent introduction to mentorship and accountability groups. Although some materials included at times are somewhat dated (it was written in 2000, as evidenced by some of the illustrations included in the appendix), Greer's work remains powerfully relevant because the underlying principles have not changed. If you are looking to start a discipleship/accountability program, this book is the place to start!
Kevin Greer's Life to Life Discipleship is an excellent introduction for any youth leader looking to help guide students into a deeper relationship with Christ. Writing from a heart for teens and a lifetime of investing in their growth, Greer demonstrates a rich understanding of the principles behind a successful discipleship/accountability program. He offers several hints for those looking to start a discipleship group in their own youth ministry, including tools for recruiting and equipping both leaders and students, sample lesson plans from Greer's own experience, and tips for building accountability and mentorship into your program.
One of the best passages for those in ministry is Greer's use of Paul, Timothy and Barnabas as an example of the types of relationships every Christian should have in their lives. Everyone needs a Paul, a mentor who will invest in their lives and offer guidance and support through the highs and lows of daily life. Secondly, we need a Timothy, someone we ourselves can mentor just as we are being mentored. Third, we need a Barnabas, someone who will come alongside us and offer much-needed encouragement. Too often in ministry, we focus so much on finding Timothys, those people we can help grow deeper in their relationship with Christ, that we fail to be mentored ourselves, and the lack of encouragement is often the death of ministers. To be healthy, we need to develop all three kinds of relationships.
Overall, Life to Life Discipleship is an excellent introduction to mentorship and accountability groups. Although some materials included at times are somewhat dated (it was written in 2000, as evidenced by some of the illustrations included in the appendix), Greer's work remains powerfully relevant because the underlying principles have not changed. If you are looking to start a discipleship/accountability program, this book is the place to start!
Location:The Coffee Company, Elizabethton, TN
25 July 2010
Delayed: Life to Life Discipleship by Kevin Greer
This past week turned put to be busier than I first expected. Haylie and I took three high schoolers to Christ In Youth's MOVE conference at Lee University, and as a result, I'm still in the process of reading Life to Life Discipleship. I will say that as a result of things said by Danny Schaffner and Andy Hansen, I have an even greater desire to finish reading, because they stressed the value and importance of mentorship with your youth. Expect to see a review of Life to Life Discipleship at some point mid-week, and Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction by Heather Webb up at some point over the weekend. Until then, MOVE...No Matter What!
Location:Johnson City, TN
17 July 2010
Review: Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
This past spring, Haylie and I had the opportunity to lead a small group Bible study entitled Chase the Goose, based on Mark Batterson's book Wild Goose Chase. In preparation for the study, I had started reading the book; as much of my reading often does, the book sat unfinished on my shelf for many months. When I decided to start this blog, it seemed like a great opportunity to finish several of these books, including Wild Goose Chase.
Batterson provides a stirring call to chase the Wild Goose, the name Celtic Christians used for the Holy Spirit. Often, our pursuit is hindered by the burden of responsibility or the weight of guilt, misled by false assumptions or shaken by fears. Sometimes we get lulled into a routine that leaves no space for God, and sometimes we are haunted by past failures or the potential to fail. Batterson challenges readers to break out of these cages that keep us from pursuing God and reclaim the adventure God has called us toward in our Christian life.
This book was particularly challenging for me, because I have found myself falling prey to each of these various traps at different times in my life. It's hard for someone in the ministry, someone who has made God's work his life's work, to admit that his own life is all too frequently lived out in cages of responsibility or failure or routine or fear. The pursuit of God has too often become a pursuit of stability, a pursuit of financial security, or a pursuit of relational peace; while none of these goals are evil in and of themselves, they are worlds apart from a quest after the Wild Goose. Batterson reminded me that we are called to follow God, and He will work in us and through us to do great things. May you live a life in pursuit of An Geadh-Glas, the Holy Spirit!
Batterson provides a stirring call to chase the Wild Goose, the name Celtic Christians used for the Holy Spirit. Often, our pursuit is hindered by the burden of responsibility or the weight of guilt, misled by false assumptions or shaken by fears. Sometimes we get lulled into a routine that leaves no space for God, and sometimes we are haunted by past failures or the potential to fail. Batterson challenges readers to break out of these cages that keep us from pursuing God and reclaim the adventure God has called us toward in our Christian life.
This book was particularly challenging for me, because I have found myself falling prey to each of these various traps at different times in my life. It's hard for someone in the ministry, someone who has made God's work his life's work, to admit that his own life is all too frequently lived out in cages of responsibility or failure or routine or fear. The pursuit of God has too often become a pursuit of stability, a pursuit of financial security, or a pursuit of relational peace; while none of these goals are evil in and of themselves, they are worlds apart from a quest after the Wild Goose. Batterson reminded me that we are called to follow God, and He will work in us and through us to do great things. May you live a life in pursuit of An Geadh-Glas, the Holy Spirit!
Location:Johnson City, TN
13 July 2010
Quotes from Recent Reading
Here are a couple of powerful quotes from my reading recently; the first comes from David Platt's Radical, and the second from Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase.
"We have taken the infinitely glorious Son of God, who endured the infinitely terrible wrath of God and who now reigns as the infinitely worthy Lord of all, and we have reduced him to a poor, puny Savior who is just begging for us to accept him." - Platt, p.37
"Some of us live as if we expect to hear God say, 'Well thought, good and faithful servant!' or 'Well said, good and faithful servant!' God isn't going to say either of those things. There is only one commendation, and it is the by-product of pursuing God-ordained passions: 'Well done, good and faithful servant!'" - Batterson, p. 29
"We have taken the infinitely glorious Son of God, who endured the infinitely terrible wrath of God and who now reigns as the infinitely worthy Lord of all, and we have reduced him to a poor, puny Savior who is just begging for us to accept him." - Platt, p.37
"Some of us live as if we expect to hear God say, 'Well thought, good and faithful servant!' or 'Well said, good and faithful servant!' God isn't going to say either of those things. There is only one commendation, and it is the by-product of pursuing God-ordained passions: 'Well done, good and faithful servant!'" - Batterson, p. 29
Location:Coffee Company, Elizabethton, TN
10 July 2010
Review: Radical by David Platt
Disclaimer: I received this book as part of the Early Reviewer program on Librarything.com. The review copy was given to me for free, with the only stipulation being that I read the book and post a review online.
There are many books out today that claim to contain the secrets for living a full Christian life; too often, these books just tend to clutter the shelves. David Platt's Radical, however, has the potential to dramatically reshape the Christian landscape in America. His call for Christians to abandon the pursuit of the American dream and pursue a life dedicated to glorifying God, both at home and abroad, truly is a radical charge, and it is one based squarely in the Gospel. The stories of the power of God to work through Christians challenge the reader to quit living comfortably and start living a life of complete abandon for God. This is not about your best life now; it is not about finding your own purpose in the world. It is a call to the purpose all Christians have been given: to glorify God and to make Him known to the nations. I would highly recommend this book to every college student wondering about their future, to every middle-aged man or woman questioning whether the corporate climb is all there is, and to every retiree pondering what is next. Simply put, this book is something every Christian should read; it's time for the church to start acting like the body of Christ again, and this book offers some guidance as to what that life would look like.
There are many books out today that claim to contain the secrets for living a full Christian life; too often, these books just tend to clutter the shelves. David Platt's Radical, however, has the potential to dramatically reshape the Christian landscape in America. His call for Christians to abandon the pursuit of the American dream and pursue a life dedicated to glorifying God, both at home and abroad, truly is a radical charge, and it is one based squarely in the Gospel. The stories of the power of God to work through Christians challenge the reader to quit living comfortably and start living a life of complete abandon for God. This is not about your best life now; it is not about finding your own purpose in the world. It is a call to the purpose all Christians have been given: to glorify God and to make Him known to the nations. I would highly recommend this book to every college student wondering about their future, to every middle-aged man or woman questioning whether the corporate climb is all there is, and to every retiree pondering what is next. Simply put, this book is something every Christian should read; it's time for the church to start acting like the body of Christ again, and this book offers some guidance as to what that life would look like.
Location:Barnes & Noble, Johnson City, TN
08 July 2010
Opening in Expectation...
Over the years, I've collected quite a few books on ministry, the church, leadership and the sort. However, due to a combination of busy school schedules and the lure of TV shows on DVD, these books have done nothing more than collect dust on my shelves, in boxes on the floor, stuffed in cabinets, and wherever else I could put them. This summer, after talking with my wife Haylie, I've decided that it would be beneficial to pull these books out and read them, both for personal enrichment and for the betterment of my ministry. I've laid out the ambitious goal of reading one book a week, hopefully posting a review every Saturday. May these reflections, reviews and thoughts help you in your own spiritual journey!
First up: Radical by David Platt. I received this book back in April as part of the Early Reviewer's program at LibraryThing.com, but with the end of the semester and the wedding in June, well, let's just say that the early review for the book (published May 4) is no longer early. Look for a review tomorrow!
First up: Radical by David Platt. I received this book back in April as part of the Early Reviewer's program at LibraryThing.com, but with the end of the semester and the wedding in June, well, let's just say that the early review for the book (published May 4) is no longer early. Look for a review tomorrow!
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