Yes, hot off the press, Josh McDowell has a new book coming out on Nov 22nd. You can pre-order here: amzn.to/3C0nb5c
 
Josh McDowell, the master of Evidentialism, teams up with Thomas Williams for a new type of book that tries to reason with the modern reader that God must exist. Unlike McDowell’s other books, this one isn’t meant to be a handbook for the Christian apologist. It seems more apt to use it in a small “seekers” group, as discussion questions are provided at the end of each chapter (I don’t know if this is a feature in the final version of the book).
 
The introductory chapter is a very lengthy and needless attempt to show the history of how we arrived at our ridiculous postmodern state of godlessness, through the Reformation, Enlightenment, and the Modern era. However, its assessment of today’s conflict between Secularism and Christianity is accurate. It’s apparent that the intended audience for this book are non-Christians faced with the stark reality of the Transcendent but don’t know how to approach it logically. 
 
Part 1 makes a strong argument that truth is not relative. The evidence is that all of humanity has an intrinsic desire for purpose and meaning. Uncharacteristic of “classic McDowell,” he draws the reader into an Absolutist worldview using Presuppositional apologetics. Observable reality shows us that we live in a world bound by various standards that were not subjectively invented by humanity. Even musical standards of harmony and dissonance were not invented by Music Theory, merely discovered and explored. Again, although the nomenclature of “2+2=4” was invented, the mathematical reality existed before man. Our existing reality is so consistent in its adherence to these absolutes, that “subjective truth” will always conflict with the experience of reality. Who or what created these standards which were uninfluenced by humans? In a similar vein, morality is not natural nor can it be a product of nature. Universal morality is proof of the supernatural God. 
 
Part 2 is an attack on Naturalism, from the Big Bang to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Hundreds of books have already been written on this popular Christian Apologetics topic. However, the authors do a good job of summarizing what we know and what we don’t know, casting doubt on what people hold to be settled science. There is not enough empirical evidence in itself to declare either Naturalism or Christianity as proven fact. Both require faith and reason. Faith is blind without reason, but reason has no direction without faith. Thus, faith and reason must necessarily go hand in hand to discover and ascertain truth.
 
I think it is here that the authors have disconnected with the audience. They haven’t proven decisively that postmodernism is futile in its search for real meaning, but their strategy is to move on and attack the vestiges of Naturalism that some postmodernists hold onto. Their mistake is to assume that postmodernists are Naturalists. The only reason some of them hold onto Evolution Theory is because they deny the alternative – Theism. However, a majority of postmodernists are turning to Pantheism or Panentheism. This is not the 20th century.
 
In Part 3, the argument seems like: without God, life has no meaning. Life should have meaning. Therefore God exists. Although this is a disappointingly weak argument, Naturalism offers even less. The only thing Naturalism posits is the dreary pointlessness of anything and everything: there is no purpose; just atoms bouncing around. Beauty and love have meaning only in light of God’s existence, and science can test neither of these.
 
Essentially, this book is a philosophical tirade against postmodernism. The last chapter is a beautiful and logical presentation of the gospel. It proves its purpose as a conversation with the postmodern unbeliever. Unlike classic Evidentialism, it feels like a J.P. Moreland book. It's worth reading. I recommend it.

I would like to thank Tyndale Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

​We all believe that the 10 Commandments still apply, even today, in the age of the New Covenant. Of course, not for salvation, since we are saved by faith. But “Thou shalt not commit murder,” “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” even “Thou shalt not covet” is relevant today (while the eating of lobsters or wearing of polyester is not). And yet, we consider the Fourth Commandment as unimportant. Oh, we don’t disagree with it, and we’ll even defend it against the pagans. But just as we don’t send someone to jail for lying, we’ll quickly look the other way when anyone breaks the Fourth Commandment: “Thou shalt keep the Sabbath Day holy.”
 
Robert Morris’ new book (which comes out today), Take the Day Off argues quite effectively the importance of obeying this command. This is not another typical book on how we all need rest or how to find rest in an increasingly busy world. He does touch upon those two topics, but this book is about the theological implications and how obeying or disobeying affects us personally. Morris is also such a prolific writer that it feels like you’re having a conversation with him at the pulpit instead of listening in on a theological seminar.
 
Morris is not a strict Sabbatarian (like the Seventh Day Adventists), but he believes in taking out a literal one day out of the week to rest and fellowship with God, and it doesn’t have to be on a Sunday, either. This is by far the best book I’ve read on the Sabbath. It is highly Biblical (unlike many self-help type books on Christian resting) and highly practical (unlike many theological books on the 10 Commandments covering the Sabbath). In addition, Max Lucado's foreward is also awesome!
 
If you find yourself too busy to read a book, stop what you’re doing and order it right now and read this book. It will be your first step to obeying the Forgotten Commandment.

I would like to thank FaithWords Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

by Michael Hare. You know how a math nerd likes a book of intricate math problems or a chess enthusiast likes a book of chess strategies, or a word nerd loves solving cross-word puzzles? This book is kind of like that, or all of those. In addition to great principles and strategies for solving church problems, this book is full of real life examples, or problems that need to be solved. It's like a ministry puzzle book for ministry nerds. Some of the problems, I smile, because I remember going through them, and solving them in similar ways. Other problems remind me that the playing field is huge, as intricate as the people involved. Unlike math, each problem is unique, based on history, culture, personalities, intergroup fighting, intragroup fighting, intrapersonal, etc, and there are multiple solutions.
 
Here's a small exerpt:
The board recommended a congregational meeting for resolving a controversial issue. It started out okay, but then several people started talking at the same time, then it came to yelling at each other. Others joined in, and it got pretty ugly. Within a month, the church split and about a third of the congregation went down the street and started a new church.
 
Sadly, this example is all too common, so there are actually many books that address church conflict. This book, in my opinion is the best one. It has great principles for solving any church conflict, including a workbook section to work on your specific issues at church. I recommend this book for anyone in fulltime church ministry. A necessary book for any senior pastor or executive pastor.

I would like to thank Moody Publishers for an advance copy of the book.

would be better without all those stories.
 
I don't agree that all 9 are common beliefs. For example, although I know some Christians who cannot forgive themselves, I don't think it's common that many Christians believe that God cannot forgive them. Here's a few points that were presented in the book.
 
1: God won't give me more than I can handle
All of life is more than we can handle; we need God's help to handle it.
Yes, God gives you more than you can handle. It's actually, God won't give you more than He can handle.
 
3: God just wants me to be happy.
This is a weak chapter. He pretty much says God wants us to have joy, there's a difference. OK then, is it "God just wants me to have joy?" That's also a lie. There's a greater purpose than just having joy. Life isn't about me. I was hoping he would approach the lie in this way, but he doesn't.
 
5: Follow your heart
Don't follow your heart. Follow God.
 
9: Believe in Yourself
Yes, I admit it's a common lie, even among Christians. But I think every true disciple can defeat this lie of the self-esteem movement.
 
 Moderately recommended.

​I would like to thank Multnomah Publishers for an advance copy of this book:

the work of John Piper and the greatness of Apostle Paul. Without an appreciation of both, this book will fall flat. On the other hand, you will see how deeply indebted Piper is to Paul’s life and writings, how they shaped his theology and the greatest theological discoveries of his life. We wouldn’t have “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him” without Apostle Paul.
 
Piper gets really personal in this book. It’s not about teaching people something new. It’s about sharing his personal journey in relation to how the teachings in Paul’s writings helped him, including his personal struggles with his cancer, habitual sins, or racism.
 
This book is definitely not his best, in structure or eloquence, but still Piper-esque.
 
Moderately recommended.

​I would like to thank Crossway Books for an advance copy of this book:

of Sardis. This criticism is only valid if the book was indeed meant only to be a theological commentary. Instead, this is more of a sermon.
 
It is not MacArthur's intention to "turn this country back to God." Rather, it's to turn the church back to God. He is definitely not a post-millennialist, although there used to be a strong tendency for such in his dispensational theology. In essence, he's saying, "Stop trying to change the world and make it a better place. Instead, be the church." He unpacks God's message to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation to show what it means to be the church.
 
I expected a moral tirade and a desperate call to repentance. Instead, he just presents the Word as it is, and let the message convict the reader, or not. He doesn't slap the reader to attention. Almost unemotionally, he explains, like a commentary, what Jesus demands from his church and the consequences of disobedience. The subtitle of the book is Christ's Call to Reform the Church, not "John MacArthur's Call." He doesn't go off on his own criticism of what the church is now and all the things that need to change. He rarely says, "The church has to..." Actually, he rarely addresses the Church at all. He lets Christ speak for Himself, as he soundly exposits the passages in Revelation like a commentator. I wished he would speak out more, because he has clout, and people would listen to him, and he does so behind the pulpit and other venues, but in this book MacArthur is just a messenger. It's not his personal call to the church based on his convictions and observations.
 
However, it is in the final chapter that we actually get what we were looking for when we picked up this book - John MacArthur's assessment, criticism, and call to reform the church. I wished that he started off with this chapter, because that's what we really want to read, not a commentary on Revelation. But then, it would be seen as a just a personal message, from a mere man, albeit a respected and proven pastor. By putting this chapter at the end, it serves as a culminating warning that summarizes and puts into today's context the rebukes of Jesus from Revelation. It's hard to disagree with the man, when he's simply mimicking the words of our Lord (although I do disagree with a few of his generalizations).
 
It's a must-read for anyone who even vaguely recognizes that there's something terribly wrong with the Church today. At least, read the last chapter.

​I would like to thank Moody Publishers for an advance copy of this book:

​Not his best work, but Max Lucado's newest book Unshakable Hope is classic Max Lucado (comes out next month Aug 7). Unlike his other works, there's more exposition and less poetry. But you won't be disappointed; his writing style is still superb.
 
He starts off each chapter with a specific promise from Scripture. As expected, each chapter can stand on its own, but the overarching theme is that God keeps his promises, and that gives us hope. He unsuccessfully keeps trying to push the "we are people of the Promise" theme, as if to inspire us, but I don't think it works. Nice try, though. It may have worked if he devoted a poetic chapter to it first, a tear-jerker.

All in all, Max Lucado does it again. Good work, but nothing that really stands out from his other works.
​

There are thousands of Christian books out there, and half of them suck! But there are still hundreds of good Christian books, so where do you start?

small churches are great, or that big churches suck. He’s not trying to grow small churches into bigger ones. ​
 
There’s nothing wrong with a church being small, and he’s not saying it’s better or more intimate. And churches that suck can be big or small. He’s simply saying: You can be a great small church, and this is how you do it. He defines the “greatness” of a church, the health, not measured by growth, but measured by effectiveness. In addition, he doesn’t believe in the mantra, “If a church is healthy, it will naturally grow bigger.”
 
Although much of my ministry experience has been in big churches, I am aware that 90% of churches out there are easily categorized as under 250 (small church). However, I’ve realized that most conferences out there come from a big church point of view. From vision statements to game ideas, they are sourced from “successful” churches, i.e. “big” churches. There are unique challenges in a small church and particular issues that come up. But those are not specifically addressed, just a typical footnote I’ve heard so often “you may have to modify these ideas to fit your particular church context.”
 
From experience, those conference ideas from big churches actually work in every big church, regardless of denomination, tradition, or region, with very little modification. However, two small churches in the same area, in the same denomination, can be vastly different, needing vastly different strategies to work for change and discipleship. When those conference ideas and values need to be vastly modified, then you need a different type of conference. or a book.
 
Karl Vater’s insights and advice are very practical, coming from his experience of pastoring a small church for many years. After being discouraged many times that the church growth methods weren’t working for his church, he switched gears and perspective about the purpose of his church (and The Church). He realized it was possible, and very probable, that some small churches are healthy churches. But why?
 
Some parts of the book seem quite typical, e.g., give people a heads up before you start changing things. But he also writes about things that are not so obvious, and others that are surprising. For example, he says that not every small church needs a small groups ministry; that’s more a big church necessity. And if you’re creating a small groups program because you actually sense a need, not because the “experts” say you need one, then use your instincts. You may know more about implementing small groups at your church than the small group “experts” who don’t know the unique characteristics of your church. And if you can’t find someone else who will be trained to lead the small groups ministry, then forget about it, because you shouldn’t lead one yourself (burn out).
 
Also, churches less than 250 in attendance don’t really need mission or vision statements. The book also points out that “vision-casting” is done very megachurch style, and in a very Old Testament fashion, like Moses (the pastor) directing the people. It made me realize I was taking the ever-popular vision-casting verse out of context “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Prov 29:18), and the only time most of us quote from the KJV.
 
Before doing new things, get rid of the old things. We have limited space. not just physically, but also emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. Before creating new programs, make space for it, or see if the “closet” is big enough. Either revamp ineffective programs or close it down.
 
Yeah, really good insight that I haven’t read elsewhere. Plus, he gets to the point. I’ve noticed an upward trend in new Christian books of 2018: the author starts off each chapter with a long story or two. This book doesn’t do that. He acknowledges that small church pastors are way too busy to read books for enjoyment, so he gets to the point and writes matter-of-fact.
 
Actually, this book has little value for pastors working in megachurches. However, for those in small churches, it will serve mostly as an encouragement, and as a side, some helpful tips on making your church strong and effective. Well worth the read!