Tag Archive - Books

Three Reviews

October 25, 2010 in Books with 2 Comments

This post will finally catch us up on book reviews! (At least, until I finish another book.)

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The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis

originally published 1942, my copy published by Harper Collins in 2001 (209 pages)

I have had this book on my shelf for a long time, and a member at Lebanon Road suggested that I would love it. That gave me the “umph” needed to add it to my reading list.

I’m so glad I did!

Lewis is able to weave through the letters from “Wormwood” to “Screwtape” (an uncle demon to his nephew) the way we see Satan working in our world. The allegory is clear, but haunting. At times, it is almost too real.

Lewis stated that he struggled writing this book because he had to think like the devil would think. However, just looking at the world around with a clear mind will show how Satan works, and it comes across very clearly in this work.

In my mind, the most powerful letter is #25, where Wormwood tries to show how “the same old thing” is the worst  thing humans can think of. In other words, we are always looking for the newest, fastest, and most exciting. Sound familiar?

Read this book! It is short, but will truly cause you to think about how subtle Satan is, and of how well he does what he sets his mind to do.

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Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado

Thomas Nelson, 2006 (233 pages)

Based upon the life of David, this volume shares with readers how we can face the insurmountable times in our lives with God’s help. Lucado is able to take some of the more familiar times in the life of David and show how they were used to defeat more “giants” than just one named Goliath.

In my mind, that is the best part of this book. It is not just a look at David and Goliath. Instead, it is a devotional style walk through major times in the life of David, and it shows how this man faced many giants. We rarely will face a bully like Goliath, but we will face the “giants” of fear, betrayal, and loss. David faced these, too, and Lucado is able to use those common areas of life to show us how to handle them.

This is very much a devotional-level book. There are some times where I feel the author takes a few too many liberties with the text, but overall the book is helpful. The study guide in the back of the book is one that I find more helpful than many others I have seen.

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Communicating for a Change

Andy Stanley and Lane Jones

Multnomah Books, 2006 (199 pages)

This book does one thing, and that is that it tries to get those of us who preach to, well, do one thing: preach one point.

199 pages are spent showing the “why’s” and “how’s,” of doing that, but the one point of this book is to preach just one point.

I preach multi-point sermons like many other preachers do, but I didn’t see this book as an “affront” to that style. I read it as a different approach to preaching, and I did find a lot in it to be helpful. I see this book as another in a long line of books that show other ways of preaching (and preaching Biblically). It is up to the preacher and those who hear to determine what is best for the situation. Some need to be one-point preachers. Others need to preach several points. Some need to learn to make a point!

If you agree with the overall premise or not, this is still a must-read for preachers.

Confidence!

October 11, 2010 in Books with 1 Comment

Dr. David Jeremiah’s new work, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, was a refreshing read in a world filled with seemingly constant negative news. Through this work, Jeremiah is able to share with us the fact that God is still in control, though we read daily about wars, economic downturns and other awful news. In the midst of these constant negative stories, Christians often ask the subtitle to Dr. Jeremiah’s book, “What On Earth Should We Do Now?”

Featuring just 10 chapters, this work is filled with simple, yet Biblical teachings that the reader will find helpful. Significantly, each chapter title begins with the word “Stay” (e.g., “Stay Calm,” “Stay Connected,” etc.). Preachers will find some of these chapters provide good outlines for sermon material, as Jeremiah also illustrates his points well.

There is a clear ring of premellinial doctrine found in the book, as Jeremiah sees the current wave of events as a clear sign that we are nearing the end of time. Obviously, in my view, this takes away from the overall message of the book, besides being false in its teaching (see Matthew 24:36-44 et.al.). However, these teachings are not found often in the book, so they are easy to read “over” while still gaining from the positive and helpful message of Dr. Jeremiah’s work.

This is the first book I have read by this author, though I have heard of him for some time. Considering the help it gave, I do not think it will be the last. I recommend this book with the simple caveat of understanding that there is some false teaching about “end times” events found in its pages.

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I review for BookSneeze

I reviewed this book for Booksneeze.com, and was given the book in exchange for this review. If you are a blogger who likes books, you can find out more about this program at their website by clicking here.

Ask the Readers: Tips to Read More

July 27, 2010 in Books with 17 Comments

It’s been awhile since we had an “ask the readers” column. That’s true for two reasons:

1. I haven’t thought to do it in some time.

2. When we have one, there are very few responses.

If you want to respond to any column, all you have to do is leave a comment. If you aren’t sure how to do that, contact me and I’ll let you know.

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I have always been amazed at guys who can read tons of books, and have the mental ability to remember what they read. I was recently reading Charles Hodge’s monthly column in the most recent Gospel Advocate and he stated that he has read about 400 books per year for the past 45 years. I know that brother Winford Claiborne has read over 300 books per year for several decades.

Personally, my goal for this year is to complete 50 books (not including children’s books I read to the kids). I’m on pace to do that, barely. And, I feel like I read constantly. Very few days go by where I don’t read a fairly good amount of material. Yet, there is no way I could even approach “triple digits” as far as the number of books I consume in a year.

Here is what I want to know. What are some things you do to read more, and to remember what you read? I’m not looking for “learn to speed-read.” I enjoy reading at the pace I can, which is somewhat quick, but I want to still be able to remember at least the main thrust of each book I take in.

I know that it’s not necessarily quantity that matters, but I enjoy reading and I enjoy reading on several different topics, so I want to read more without taking time away from my family and other very important things. Any tips you can give would be helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Friday Links Roundup: Two Notes about Blogging Edition

July 16, 2010 in Links Roundups with 0 Comments

I  love this blog. It is a way for me to get information out there that might not get spread around any other way, and it is a wonderful way for folks to “stumble across” what we think is some decent material. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I truly find it to be a labor of love. For our introduction to the Friday Links Roundup today, I want to share with you two quick notes about this blog, in case you are new to our site.

FIRST, yes, we have another new “look.” I keep searching for the “perfect” background for our blog. I may have found it (may, may, may have found it!). I hope these constantly changing templates haven’t distracted you. We still have a couple of “clean-up” issues with this one, but I love several things about this one, and Leah likes it, too! I like that it is “clean” looking, but very customizable. Enjoy, and let us know what you think.

SECOND, I never write a blog post to air out anything concerning Lebanon Road or any other congregation. Some might see a post like the one I wrote on Wednesday concerning deacons and think, “Wow, they must have a lot of elder/deacon problems at Lebanon Road.” That is not the case! (And, no, there wasn’t anyone who said this to me, but I am just trying to make sure that everyone knows where this information comes from.) Is everything always perfect at Lebanon Road? Nope. We’re human and make mistakes. But we are filled with humble, Godly people. I would never feel right about ranting about a particular person or congregation in this format.

When I write posts like that one, just see them as things I notice in a general way from watching many congregations and studying the Scriptures. I love Lebanon Road and always want to be her biggest earthly “cheerleader!” I hope you feel the same way about the congregation you attend. We need to encourage and teach, and there is a way to do both without ranting all the time.

With that in mind, let’s go to the links (no, not St. Andrew’s…although, if anyone would like to fly me there for Saturday’s round of The Open Championship, I wouldn’t object!)…

1. At Lebanon Road, we LOVE having visitors. Thankfully, we have some at virtually every service. But we always need to make sure we are treating them the right way. Joe Palmer provides some helpful suggestions (and a hilarious video) in his post “How Do We Treat Visitors?”

2. With the Tour de France going on, I found this post from Tim Hall very inspiring. Enjoy “Live Strong.”

3. How often do we pray, “Lord, we pray you’ll be with us”? Tim Pyles gives a beautifully challenging thought in his post “Changing My Prayer.”

4. Ever find yourself whining and complaining? (If you answered, “no,” do you ever find yourself lying???) Christina Gillim shares her struggle with that in a great post entitled “Oy Vey.”

5. If you read our blog at all, you know that I read quite a bit. However, there are always ways to improve reading and the use of money in purchasing books. I like this simple post on Biblical Preaching entitled “A Reader; A Wise Reader.”

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We hope you have a wonderful weekend. We have a group going to North Carolina on a mission trip on Monday. The trip will include physical work, door knocking, a Vacation Bible School, and a Gospel Meeting! Please remember this group in your prayers as they seek to reach many folks in Forrest City.

Also, make sure you remember the Lord on His Day!

A Blog Update and Some Quick Reviews

January 25, 2010 in Uncategorized with 5 Comments

If you read our blog regularly, you know that we have a bit of a “set” schedule currently that works for us. Today marks a “part-time” addition to that schedule. If you don’t check in regularly, here is what we are currently doing each day, including the update:

Monday: Book Reviews. We used to put these on Wednesdays, but I am going to start reviewing books each  Monday, when I have completed a book or multiple books in the previous week.

Tuesday: Article. These are often about family or faith, but these are just brief and, hopefully, encouraging articles.

Wednesday: Lists. From 5 to 30, we’ve listed all sorts of things. These lists are about all sorts of topics.

Thursday: Hymn Reflections. Each Thursday (for about 30 more weeks), we look at a hymn requested by our readers and “reflect” on that song.

Friday: Links Roundup. The oldest series on our blog, we link to around five good posts or sites each Friday.

We hope you enjoy the blog, and that you keep coming back as we post. We also hope you tell others about our blog, so they can enjoy it and learn from it, too.

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I have finished five books since our last book reviews. One was the English Standard Version of the Bible. Here are the other four reviews.

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Marriage is for Those Who Love God–and One Another

Thomas B. Warren

Sain Publications, 1962 (144 pages)

This book contains a series of transcripts of sermons presented by brother Warren in Texas for a series of Gospel Meetings on the family.While the words were recorded 50 years ago, they are still relevant and needed. As I have presented our current series on the home at Lebanon Road, I have often used thoughts from this book.

The best part of this brief volume is brother Warren’s attention to those who are preparing for marriage. He is very serious and straightforward as he reminds his listeners (and the reader) of the extreme care that must be behind preparation for marriage.

The book is an easy read and will encourage you. While it might be dated a bit, preachers can find a wealth of help in preparing sermons. This might also be a good book for a teenage or college class to use as a basis for a “mini-series” on preparation for marriage. The difficulty is finding this book. Here is Amazon’s page for it, if you are interested.

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What Matters Now

edited by Seth Godin

Self-published e-book (82 pages)

What a refreshing read! What Matters Now is pure Godin. Each page is a very brief note from a noted person on his/her area of expertise, from money to leadership to attitude. While I certainly did not agree with each writer (and I didn’t appreciate those who chose to use curse words), the book is a quick and helpful read.

Authors include Dave Ramsey, Michael Hyatt, Ariana Huffington, and about 50 others. Each was asked to write in his/her own style, so the book is very much a compilation. If you like leadership materials, this is for you.

The best part is, this was a project that was to draw attention to a worthy charity through ads that are found about every 15 pages. Translation? the book is FREE! You can read it (in pdf format) here. I printed it out and took it with me on a holiday vacation, reading it when I had a chance.

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Parenting: from Surviving to Thriving

Charles Swindoll

Word Publishing, 2006 (272 pages)

If you read my blog often, you know I like Swindoll’s work…usually. Of all the books I’ve ever read by him, though, this was my least favorite. Of course, being a believer in Calvinism, the concept of original sin runs throughout the book. That “helped” my dislike quite a bit.

There are many principles in this book, especially the first half of it, that are helpful. I was able to gain a better understanding of some of the Bible’s texts about parenting due to the first 100 pages or so.

What caused me to not like this book as much, though, was that, in most of the second half, Swindoll seems to step away from his usual style. Instead of walking briefly through a text and then making good, solid applications, he seems to spend about 80% (or more) of some of the chapters on the text, only throwing a couple of quick applications for life at the end, almost as an afterthought. The textual work is good, but it’s almost as if the book changed focus part of the way through.

That being said, one of the highlights of this book is the 11th chapter (out of 12). Swindoll devotes a brief chapter to those parents who have to deal with special-needs children, a subject not discussed often in books with this focus. While brief, the reader will find that chapter to be helpful.

The paperback version of the book can be found on Amazon.com for $6.00 here.

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Saturday Shrines

The Sporting News, 2005 (223 pages)

If you like the tradition behind college football, this is an interesting read. The book gives quick stories and facts about some of the more well-known stadiums used for college football. While it mentions many stadiums, the best part of the book is the first half, where more space is devoted to the forty “best,” according to The Sporting News. This is a fun little book with lots of great photography.

You can find copies with several universities on the cover. Mine has the Nebraska Cornhuskers (of course). The Amazon.com page is here.

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