Today I’ve got another batch of books that I didn’t review. Life is such that there are lots of great books that I just cannot find the time to read and many other books I’m simply not qualified to review. These books tend to find their way into these round-ups of the ones I received and looked at but for one reason or another just couldn’t review. I list them here in the hopes that at least some of them will be of interest to at least some of you!
Eternal Perspectives by Randy Alcorn. “Pulling from noted authors, scholars, and theologians such as C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Alister McGrath, Martin Luther, Augustine, Max Lucado, Philip Yancey, D. L. Moody, Dallas Willard, and countless others, Eternal Perspectives is the ultimate resource for anyone looking for inspirational quotes and passages on the topic of Heaven.”
God Is Love by Gerald Bray. “This volume is unique from others in that Bray traces the common theme of God’s love through the Bible categorically—from God’s love for himself and his creation to the cross as the ultimate expression of God’s love, among other categories. The centrality of God’s love in Bray’s theology reflects a deep conviction that the Bible shows us God for who he really is.”
Giving Up Gimmicks by Brian Cosby. “When youth groups elevate experience over truth, they drive away the teenagers they hope to attract. Here is a ministry approach, grounded in Christ and patterned after the means of grace, that brings them back.”
Body Broken by Charles Drew. “In this updated and revised version of A Public Faith (NavPress 2000), Drew helps Christians develop practical biblical convictions about critical social and political issues. Distinguishing between moral principle and political strategy, Body Broken equips believers to maintain the unity of the church while building their political activism upon a thoughtful and biblical foundation. Drew helps Christians of all political persuasions understand how to practice servanthood, cooperation, and integrity in today’s public square.”
The Joy of Calvinism by Greg Forster. “Real Calvinism is all about joy. But too often the defenders of Calvinism explain it only in highly technical, formulaic, and negative terms. As a result, most people today don’t understand what ‘Calvinism’ really is. They’re robbed—in whole or in part—of the everyday experience of devotional joy that a robust and well-formed Calvinistic piety always produces.”
The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon by Steven Lawson. “With a foundational commitment to the Bible, Spurgeon fearlessly taught the doctrines of grace and tirelessly held forth the free offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. In short, he was a firm believer in the truth of the gospel and the power of the gospel to save. The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon is a passionate call for all Christians to follow Spurgeon in maintaining the proper balance between divine sovereignty in salvation and fiery passion in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
What the Bible Means to Me by Catherine MacKenzie. “In this book 44 people summarise what the Bible means to them. The bus driver and the theologian; the missionary and the midwife; the army chaplain and the artist. … Contributors include J. I. Packer, Alec Motyer, Colin Buchanan, Douglas Kelly, Dale Ralph Davis, Fiona Castle, Helen Roseveare, Iain D. Campbell, Richard Bewes, Rico Tice and Harry Reader.”
Picking Up the Pieces by Lou Priolo. “If you are hurting after a broken relationship, here is much-needed counsel and biblical guidance to lead you away from heartache and into a healthier, happier, and holier relationship with Christ.”
Jonah by Colin Smith. “Here is a pastor reading the book of Jonah and finding a preacher who wants settled ministry, not challenges; who wants to see his enemies crushed, not converted; who longs for God’s grace in his own life, but not in the lives of others; who knows how to speak God’s words with faithfulness, but who wants to see only the component of judgment worked out in reality; a preacher who is angry and who wants God to be angry too; a man who wallows in self-pity and hates it when God exposes that self-pity for the idolatrous arrogance it is. It is not difficult to see the relevance of such portraits in our own day” (D. A. Carson).
Loving Well (Even If You Haven’t Been) by William Smith. “You want to love your family, neighbors, and coworkers. But all too often something goes wrong, and you find yourself tearing down the relationships you wanted to build. … William P. Smith explains that destructive relationship patterns no longer need to control you. Experiencing God’s love will change you, so you can trade your bad relationship habits for real love. “
The Call to Wonder by R. C. Sproul Jr. “R. C. Sproul Jr. explores in depth what it means to accept Jesus’ invitation to practice childlike faith. As the father of eight children, R. C. Sproul Jr. watches how his own children approach every day, buoyed by trust, hope, and joy.”
