Title: John (Life Application Bible Studies)
Publisher: Tyndale House, December 2008

This slim study guide features the complete text and study notes from the New Living Translation of the Book of John. I was pleasantly surprised when I first opened the book and realized what a wealth of information it contained. Since John’s Gospel was the first I read after becoming a Christian it has always held a special place in my heart. It has also always been set apart from the “Synoptic Gospels” and can present a variety of challenges in study. The authors of this Bible study did a great job presenting the proper balance of Scripture, interpretation and application. Each of the thirteen chapters in this study each has sections that encourage the reader to reflect on the passage and respond with action. I found this to be the most valuable aspect of the guide considering Bible study is only useful if applied to the student’s life.

Although I didn’t get the opportunity to use this book in a small group setting, I believe it would be of great use for a group of eight to ten people who are looking for the chance to dive into the Gospel of John.

It should be noted that this study guide is a reprint of the guide that can be found in the Life Application Bible (New Living Translation) and is not meant to supplement that text in anyway. After reviewing this guide; however, I am now considering up Life Application Bible to add to my library.

Note: This review was completed as part of the Tyndale Blog Network and a complimentary copy of the guide was provided to me for review. 

Title: Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Should Be
Authors: Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
Publisher: Moody Publishers, 2008

Review: Those that are not familiar with the Emergent movement within the church have not been paying much attention to the book shelves lately. Authors like Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, and Dan Kimball have made the movement a topic of much conversation, and controversy, in the last few years. In a nutshell, the emergent movement argues that the modern church needs remodeled in order to be relevant in the postmodern world we live in. Those within the movement favor a more missional approach to “doing” church. I’ve enjoyed reading some of the books of those authors within the movement and have a genuine affinity for some of them; however, my criticism has always been that, far too often, advocates of the movement seem to throw the baby out with the bath water. In the movement’s zeal to make the church ng relevant, it often goes overboard and abandons the very things that have made the church great. In favoring “right living,” emergents often forget the importance of “right thinking.” I’ve often asked why we can’t have both and have criticized the emergent movement for trying to “escape” the church as we know it.

I realize I have done a poor job of explaining the movement and all the things it has come to stand for, but I will save that for another post. For now, I will simply review the book.

Based on their age and demographics, Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck are two guys that would seem to be ripe for picking by the emergent movement. DeYoung is the pastor if a church across the street from Michigan State University that Kluck happens to attend. This is perhaps the biggest strength of the book. It provides a reaction to the Emergent Movement from both the pulpit and the pew. DeYoung provides an intense scriptural rebuttal while Kluck’s response to the movement seems to come more from the gut. The combination of arguments works splendidly. The authors manage to put words to many of the critiques I have had of the movement and manage to do so in a loving and humble way. Kluck’s chapter on why he doesn’t want a cool pastor and DeYoung’s examination of the seven churches in the Book of Revelations are must reads.

I recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a fan, or member, of the movement. I sincerely hope it serves as an inspiration for those within the Emergent Movement to reign it in a little and return to traditional orthodoxy. I also recommend this book to anyone who may be looking for ways to refute some of the more outlandish claims of the movement.

Highly Recommended

Title: Love & Respect
Author: Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 2004

Review: In this Focus on the Family book, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs makes a very simple proposition; most of the problems between a man and his wife are communication gaps. Furthermore, these divides can be overcome if the couple can embrace the true meaning of Ephesians 5:33, “Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” While this may seem like easy concepts to understand, Dr. Eggerichs explains the common ways men and women fail to grasp them. Using examples from couples that he has counseled, the author covers the wide array of things that can go wrong when a man and his wife fail to employ the wisdom of Ephesians 5:33. In fact, it is these case studies that will strike home with most readers as they will inevitably see a little of themselves in the examples. After examining the common ways couples can fail to show true love and respect to one another,  Dr. Eggerichs provides clear ways for a man and wife to immediately change their ways.

I was grateful for the following on page 76, “[Wives,] When I talk about respecting your husband, I do not mean being a doormat. I do not mean burying your brains, never showing your leadership ability, or never disagreeing in the slightest way. I do not mean that mean that he is superiorand you are inferior in some way. Nor do I want you to ignore your hurts and vulnerabilities.” In that single paragraph, Eggerichs dispells the misinterpretations of Scriptures that have been used in the past to justify the mistreatment of women.

My only quibble with this book is that Eggerichs seems to belabor his points a little. Long after I had a grasp on his theme of unconditional love for women and unconditional respect for men, he was still going on about it. At over 260 pages, I think he could of shaved off about 75 pages with ease. Otherwise, this is an excellent book that I highly recommend for married couples who would like to strengthen their relationship in a Godly manner.

Recommended

Title: Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue
Authors: Philip Johnson and Gus diZerega
Publisher: Lion UK, 2009

Review: This book was actually loaned to me by a Wiccan friend who knew I would enjoy it. The subject matter of the book echoed many of the debates and discussions my friend and I have had and the authors were obviously well informed and knowledgeable regarding their faiths. The book strives to create an atmosphere of “dialogue” rather than “debate,” and achieves that goal well. I thought Johnson represented the Christian viewpoints with love and respect towards his counterpart and that diZerega presented his [Wiccan] thoughts with a great deal of intelligence despite my disagreement with his views.

My biggest complaint regarding this book was in its layout. Each chapter covers a different topic and gives the floor first to diZerega to present the Wiccan vantage point and then to Johnson for a Christian response. In each chapter, Johnson was given the advantage of reading diZerega’s essay before writing while diZerega was never given the same opportunity. In my opinion, this gave Johnson an unfair advantage. However, even with this advantage, Johnson never really blows diZerega out of the water … even though he was given ample opportunity (and ammunition) to do so. Given the polite forum of this discussion, I suppose neither author’s goal was to destroy his counterpart; however,  I still think Johnson played it a little too nice. diZerega seemed far more pointed than Johnson in his critique of Christianity and it is my opinion that Johnson missed several opportunities to point out weaknesses in diZerega’s views.

I did find it interesting that, once again, the Wiccan in question seems to have formulated his opinions of Christianity as a result of a bad experience with Christianity in his younger years. I often find myself wondering if Christians who represent their faith poorly aren’t the chief cause of Wicca’s current popularity.

I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in the subject matter. Due to the flaws in the layout of the book, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is on the cusp of making a decision between the two faiths, but it is interesting and informative.

Title: Real Church: Does It Exist? Can I Find It?
Author: Larry Crabb
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 2009

Review: In Real Church, Larry Crabb confesses a loss of desire to attend church. I believe many of us would admit to the same thing if we were being honest; however, Crabb takes it further. With stunning honesty, Crabb explores his lack of enthusiasm for church as we know it. First, Crabb identifies the different church models that are prevalent today and then explores how each falls short of ideal. Crabb then identifies the qualities that a church should be striving to possess.

I found Real Church to be a refreshing critique of how our western church often misses the mark spiritually. Crabb is able to earn credibility with the reader by honestly admitting his own flaws and short-comings. He writes earnestly of the worldly addictions that are competing with his desire to become more like Jesus. Reading the confessions of a Christian leader in his sixties helped me feel more comfortable with the competing desires in my own heart. By identifying his own needs, Crabb is then able to envision a church that actually meets the needs of its congregation.

Crabb was able to put in words feelings that I’ve often had regarding attending church. Far too often, church leaders are quick to judge and condemn Christians who lack enthusiasm for church. Crabb is able to get past the finger pointing and guilt to actually write something productive. I highly recommend this book for people who are unsatisfied with their church (even if they aren’t sure why). I also believe all church leaders who desire to build an authentic Christian community should read this book carefully. I will be placing Real Church on my must read list.

Highly Recommended