The Man, The Message, The Mission

At the annual youth camp Newday, I was bought a copy of a book called Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission by Darrin Patrick. Patrick is heavily involved in the Acts 29 church planting movement alongside men such as Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler. I hadn't heard of Patrick prior to reading this book so I was not sure what to expect.

The cover itself is very striking. At first I thought I had been bought a horror novel, but soon saw the title. The cover offers a great glimpse into what Church Planting is actually like. As Patrick shows, it's a lot tougher a task than it is often made out to be. We see all these successful plants all around but we very rarely see all the hard work, times of desperation and stress that go into it.

Patrick has written a brilliant book, aimed mainly at an American audience which was it's only downfall for me. At times I found it hard to engage with it as it isn't aimed at British readers. Despite this there is a lot that we can learn from Darrin and his buddy's over at the Acts 29 camp.

If you are a man currently in ministry, a man feeling the call of God on your life for pastoral ministry or church planting, this is a book for you. Check it out and let me know what you think! 

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

I am currently writing an assignment on bible genres and how to approach them correctly. This has led me to dive back into a fantastic book, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. The book has been a tremendous help with writing the assignment and at points I have been tempted to just hand the book in and say "there you go!" 

 
Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart have written a wonderfully clear and insightful book on approaching the bible and getting maximum nutrition from it. They correct many common mistakes made while reading the word of God and offer "essential insights into scripture and its application".

They say that "Understanding the bible isn't just for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The bible is accessible. It's meant to be read and comprehended by everyone..." This is so true. Everyone from the new believer to the seasoned preacher can and needs to understand this wonderful living book. 

Grab a copy of Fee & Stuarts fantastic book and get stuck into God's word, reading it "for All its worth."  

Vintage Jesus - Driscoll & Breshears

Mark Driscoll is a lot like marmite. You either love the stuff...or you don't. However, I do like marmite and I admire Driscoll to. The man is phenomenally gifted! He is one of the most listened to preachers around the world. God is using this man big time!


Here we have Vintage Jesus. A book exploring who Jesus really was. In our culture and cultures around the world Christianity and religion as a whole is seeming to become less and less popular as people dismiss it as 'not relevant to 21st century living'.


Driscoll along with Gerry Breshears have succeeded in writing a book that really answers all the tough questions, in a way that anyone can understand. Together they explore whether Jesus really was God, whether he really was fully man, the prophetic promises about Jesus' first coming, the virgin birth all the way up to what will happen when Jesus returns. 


Those of you who have heard Driscoll preach will see that he has not lost any of his humour or raw honesty in the exchange from preaching to writing, and he brings the very practical approach that pastors often do when they write. 


Each chapter is finished with Breshears answering commonly asked questions about Jesus. I found these sections extremely helpful as many of the questions that he answers are ones that I have been and am asked on a regular basis as a youth and children's worker.


There is no question that Jesus is still alive and still as relevant today as he was 2000, 500 or even 100 years ago. It's just a case of showing how he is relevant and Driscoll & Breshears have succeeded in doing so. This is a book that Christians should read, and I also think non-believers would benefit from reading it to.

The Reason For God - Timothy Keller

If you want help answering the tough questions that you may face from your unbelieving friends, family or colleagues this is a MUST read. This was one on my Christmas list, and I am nearly done. It has been brilliant! 

Want help with apologetics? This is the one for you!

Straight to the heart of...

All I can say is, I am three chapters into this one and I already feel compelled to recommend it so that others can get what I have got out of it.

Phil Moore has written a truly great commentary series here, one that is so understandable, even I get it. He truly goes "straight to the heart" of the books and brings forth their mains themes, characters and application for our own lives. The bible is often very tough and challenging to read, yet Phil makes it come to life.

If I can recommend one commentary series that a young and seasoned christian should buy, get the "straight to the heart" series. As an office team, we are reading the Revelation commentary and it creates a great atmosphere to lead into worship.

New bible reading plan...

I have just done my first day of the "10 Lists" bible reading plan designed by Professor Grant Horner. It's a very unusual and challenging plan considering you have to read 10 chapters a day, but I enjoyed it and it didn't seem to take to long. 
The idea is that you get to know the bible very well in a relatively short amount of time.

There are 10 lists, and you read one chapter from each list a day. Once you have finished a book, you move on the the next one.

LIST 1: Matthew to John.

LIST 2: Genesis to Deuteronomy.


LIST 3: Romans to Colossians (Hebrews is added to this list).


LIST 4: 1 Thessalonians to Revelation (excluding Hebrews).


LIST 5: Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

LIST 6: Psalms.

LIST 7: Proverbs.

LIST 8: Joshua to Esther.

LIST 9: Isaiah to Malachi.

LIST 10: Acts

I will give updates shortly on my progress with this plan...

Disciplines of a godly man by R. Kent Hughes

This is my first book review for some time, mainly because the time I have for reading has been reduced by my increasing social life. Anyway, Monday's are my day off and my lazy tendencies had once again been proven as I had no washing. So, what better to do than read while waiting for washing to dry?

Anyway, R. Kent Hughes has written a fantastic book here for men. It goes through all sorts of disciplines that as men we should engage in our lifes. There are six sections within the book based on discipline of relationships; soul, character, ministry and grace of discipline. We all know that discipline is a big part of following Christ, and it can often be one of the hardest things to do. So men, grab a copy of this book and read away. Even for those that struggle to read, this book grabs you, and now sports a study guide which makes it excellent to read as part of a discipleship group.

I have been blessed by reading this book, I expect you will be to.

Also for you ladies, there is a female version, written by Barbara Hughes, wife of Kent. Although I have not read it, I have heard several good reports about it.

Incomprable By Andrew Wilson.

Theology is something that many Christians often struggle to get their heads around. It is something that can be so simple, yet so hard at the same time. It often scares and confuses us so much that we don't even attempt to study into it. Andrew has written us a book that is easy to understand, laid out in small chapters (three or four pages at a time) and really delves into the character and names of God.

God has so many names, and so many characteristics that it is often hard to understand what they all mean and what they encompass. However, Andrew Wilson has broken them down for us and made them understandable. He goes into real depth on the names of God used in the Bible, of which there are lots, and he explains what they really mean. For example, what does it mean when God refers to himself as I AM?

This book really builds a desire in the heart to worship God. That's what it should lead to. For this reason I suggest reading this book in your daily devotional time, it is short and simple to read and it is a great precursor to worship.

As Joel Virgo writes in his short review of the book "read it, then read it again". It's a definite must for any Christian's book shelf.

The Money Secret By Rob Parsons.

Money is something that many aspire to have. The world tells us that being rich and famous is what brings happiness and a sense of status, but it can also get us into lots of trouble and the sad fact is many get into debt. Debt is a form of imprisonment and many even end their lives because it seems impossible to get out of.

"The Money Secret" is a very well written book that gives us practical ways of getting out of debt and budgeting so we can avoid it. Rob Parsons has written this book in a fictional format which tells the story of Amy, a young woman who is in serious debt.

The story begins with Amy, about to commit suicide because of debt, meeting Lydia, an older woman who is able to help Amy get practical with tackling debt and educating her on how to avoid problems.

The book is very eye opening as it shows us how bad the UK has become with interest rates and how companies (banks included) actually prey on the vulnerable. Loans are given to those whom they know can never repay them, which subsequently leads to debt which just builds up and doesnt't stop rising.

The main issue tackled though is the fact that our country has become a place full of "spendalholics" who are constantly spending what they don't have just to increase their social status or to keep up with fashions. Do we really need all that stuff? Does it really make us better as people and more popular? Or does it just cause sadness and depression because of the debt that ensues? Surely it's more fullfilling to save up to buy something (with our OWN money) than to go out and get it now and suffer for it in the long run.

All I can say is read "The Money Secret" for practical advise on how to budget successfully, get debt free or just to wake you up to the world around you.

God knows you're human By Terry Virgo

I have been wondering for a while about what other sorts of things i can write about on here other than updates on my progress. As i shall be attempting to do a lot of reading this year I have decided that i will review some of the books that i have read, generally the ones that really hit home with me and i think would be a good read for my fellow disciples.

The first book i have decided to review is "God knows you're human" by Terry Virgo. The book takes us on a journey through three very different, yet influential bible characters and the mistakes and trials that they faced in their lives.
Terry takes us through the stories of King David, Elijah and Jonah. All three men were very different and God had a different mission for each of them, however one thing they did have in common is that at different points in their lives they seemed to "fail" God.
David, "A man after God's own heart", committed adultery and then arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Despite this God used him to raise up a nation.
Elijah, a great prophet was one minute calling down fire from heaven on mount Carmel and then the next moment he is a whimpering mess, running away.
Jonah, a prophet who God used to bring great revival to a sinful nation, always seemed to always struggle with feelings of fear and pride.

Despite all these men's faults and issues, God used them in a big way. I found this very challenging yet encouraging, because as humans, we need to understand that is what we are...humans. Often we fall into the trap of thinking that our failings mean God will stop loving us and cut us completely out of his plans. This is not true at all. All three of these biblical "giants" would have been counted down and out if this was true, however God used them in unique yet impacting ways. God's grace and mercy really shined through in their lives.
Elijah, after calling down God's fire upon the Baal worshipers went into exile before finally giving one of the best biblical examples of a discipleship. Through his hardship, God showed him how much he loved him and then used him to raise up the next generation in Elisha.

Terry also gives a great example of how God doesn't use men and women who the world think will be great in David as a young boy. His own father overlooked him when Samuel came to select the next King. Where was David? Doing the thing that is key to leadership...serving. Samuel at first was unable to look past the exterior look of David's elder and more physically able brothers and failed to look at what was important, the heart. It is upon the heart that God looks, not on the outside.

I truly recommend this book to anyone. It could satisfy the most experienced and skilled readers, and it has an ease of reading that someone who struggles with reading would find easily accessible. Terry has written a truly inspiring book, that shows that God can and wants to use every single one of us for his glory.