Veritas et Lux

Passion in the Pulpit – Jerry Vines and Adam Dooley (2018)

passion Jerry Vines & Adam B. Dooley, Passion in the Pulpit: How to Exegete the Emotion of Scripture (Chicago: Moody Press, 2018), 206 pp.

“If the great things of the Christian faith are rightly understood, they will affect the heart.” When Jonathan Edwards penned these words in 1746, he did not intend to spark controversy. His only desire was to be faithful to the Scriptures. The intersection of the head and the heart is a subject that is of paramount importance. A Christian can stuff his mind with theological gold and remain a religious pauper. According to Edwards, there is no dichotomy between the head and the heart. If the heart isn’t transformed by truth, all is lost.

Jerry Vines and Adam Dooley address the important intersection between the head and the heart in their most recent book. Passion in the Pulpit: How to Exegete the Emotion of Scripture argues that preachers must convey pathos in their preaching. The authors provide a helpful definition of biblical persuasion, namely, “To seek the desired, voluntary response revealed within the Bible’s logos and pathos in an effort to seek the glory of God and the spiritual benefit of an audience.”

The authors strenuously maintain their thesis throughout the book and successfully drive home the point that biblical preacher must, by definition, be passionate preaching. Indeed, as they write, “Capturing the meaning of Scripture without also communicating its heart falls short of the divine mandate to preach the Word.”

Various angles are explored throughout the book which alert readers to the task at hand. Everything from the need for passion, exegetical tools, and persuasive techniques are offered with the ultimate aim of passionately and powerful proclaiming the written Word of God.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

High Impact Teams – Lance Witt

high Lance Witt, High Impact Teams: Where Healthy Meets High Performance (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2018), 298 pp.

High Impact Teams by Lance Witt took me by complete surprise. Each year I read several books on leadership. On first glance, the book seemed a bit bland and appeared to offer very little in terms of practical help. But it only took about fifty pages for the author to warm up. Once the engines were revved up, he never looked back.

Lance Witt is a seasoned pastor who has served on large church staffs, including Saddleback Church. So Witt brings a wealth of experience to the table – and it shows. His insight and wisdom are evident throughout the book.

High Impact Teams is arranged in eight parts. Each part tackles a different facet of leadership and presents a wide range of options for church leaders.

The principles that Witt proposed are supercharged biblical realities that have the power to created high impact teams with optimal results. I commend High Impact Teams and trust that God will use it in a mighty way to encourage pastors and leaders for many years to come.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

When I Am Afraid – Edward T. Welch (2010)

When I Am Afraid by Edward T. Welch is a short book. It is also a very powerful book. The author sets forth his intended goals at the beginning of the book.

You want to hone your spiritual instincts so that you turn to Christ when anxious thoughts arise.
You want to know what Jesus says because when you turn to him in this way his words go deep.
You want to be less fearful and anxious and more content and hopeful.
You want to be more confident that God’s communication to you in the Bible speaks meaningfully to all the struggles of life.

Welch tackles fear and anxiety at the outset. He admits, “to be human is to be afraid.” Therefore, the responsibility of the reader is to recognize and isolate fear and anxiety. He affirms, “So sometimes you will see that your fears mean you are trusting yourself rather than the Lord. But you will always find that fear and worry are opportunities to hear God, to either turn toward him or to keep facing him and grow in trusting him.”

In chapter two, the author continues to focus on the need to trust God. He sets forth some practical principles that point to God’s promise to deliver his people:

We trust in God not because he delivers us from every fearful situation, but because he alone is King.
He will always be with us in fearful situations.
He will deliver his people, but at times his deliverance will be more sophisticated than we can understand.
God will give you grace when you need it.

Chapter three discusses the relationship between fear and money. Welch writes, “When you turn away from securing your own kingdom, which teeters on bankruptcy anyway, you get the true kingdom.”

Chapter four summarizes the fear many people have concerning death. Chapter five contains practical counsel for dealing with the fear of man: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov. 29:25).

Welch goes to the core of the matter in chapter six with a good discussion regarding the promises of God: “God is not passive in his nearness. When God says he is present, it means he is doing something on your behalf. He is giving you manna. He is keeping promises and giving grace when you need it. God is never passive, and certainly he is never powerless.”

Chapter seven makes an appeal to Psalm 46 and leads the reader to the redemptive work of Christ: “With the Cross of Jesus proclaiming that your sins have been paid for, and with his resurrection assuring you that he is now the reigning King, you can trust him for the future and focus on today.”

When I Am Afraid is worth reading. Edward Welch steers readers away from the precipice of selfishness and directs them toward the work of Christ. He clearly articulates the biblical reality that “love expels fear.” Built into the book are a series of thought-provoking questions and space for biblical meditation and response. When I Am Afraid would be best utilized in a small group Bible study or a one on one discipleship.

Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life – Michael Lundy (2018)

Michael S. Lundy, Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 182 pp.

Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life by Michael S. Lundy addresses an important topic that afflicts many people. The vicious tentacles of depression and anxiety threatens to squeeze the life out of unwilling victims. For some, hope and relief seem light years away. Lundy’s book serves as a sort of balm for anyone who seeks solace in the desert of depression and anxiety.

Lundy’s work focuses on the well-known Puritan, Richard Baxter who wrote a great deal about depression and anxiety. Readers are greeted by an introductory essay, penned by Dr. J.I. Packer. Packer provides a helpful context for Baxter by pointing to his plan for discipleship. He notes that three basic perspectives governed the writing of Baxter, namely, 1) the primary of the intellect, 2) the unity of human life before the Lord, and 3) the centrality of eternity.

Michael Lundy includes his own treatment of Baxter and limits his discussion to the topic of depression and anxiety. He refers to depression as a “heart disease,” which in reality is a “broken heart.” Lundy commends the writing of Baxter and encourages readers to prepare their hearts for deep encouragement and challenge:

“Baxter offers no panaceas; he appreciates suffering as intrinsic to this life. Yet, he refuses despair, and demands of his readers – patients and caregivers alike – an optimism grounded in his view of a good and great God, and buttressed by his own very practical advice on how one can give or receive help that reflects love for God and neighbor.”

Finally, the lion’s share of this work includes two chapters straight from the pen of Richard Baxter. Helpful counsel is offered for Christians who battle anxiety and depression. Baxter’s counsel is biblical, practical, thought-provoking, and soul-stirring. Baxter also directs struggling pilgrims to find ultimate relief from depression and anxiety through faith in the promises of God.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Call – Os Guinness

call Os Guinness, The Call (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 247 pp.

Twenty years ago, Os Guinness penned The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Since the release of his timely book, the matter of vocation has been at the center of many lectures and discussions.

Thomas Nelson recently repackaged The Call which is revised, expanded, and included a new preface. Guinness sets forth the thesis early in the book:

“This book is for all who long to find and fulfill the purpose of their lives. It argues that this purpose can be found only when we discover the specific purpose for which we were created and to which we are called … Nothing short of God’s call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose.”

The author develops the theme of calling with great skill and dexterity. He explores calling from a variety of angles and is quick to remind readers that calling is ultimately grounded in God’s purposes for his people. “Calling,” writes Guinness, “is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.”

Guinness dismantles false views of calling and replaces these views with solid and substantial reality: “We are not primarily called to do something or go somewhere; we are called to Someone. We are not called first to special work but to God. The key to answering the call is to be devoted to no one and to nothing above God himself.”

Calling is an immensely helpful book. The principles that Guinness shares are timeless. These transcendent realities helped shape cultures and continue to shape the way people live their lives. “Answering the call is the way to find and fulfill the central purpose of your life,” writes Guinness. Anything less is tantamount to idolatry.

I commend Calling without reservation and trust that many will be strengthened by this work that is destined to become a classic.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Preacher’s Catechism – Lewis Allen (2018)

allen Allen Lewis, The Preacher’s Catechism (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 216 pp.

I am a big fan of catechisms. So when I learned about The Preacher’s Catechism by Lewis Allen, I was intrigued. Actually, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. Little did I know that this powerful little book would break me and convict me. It would mold and challenge me. It would encourage and edify me. The Preacher’s Catechism is remarkable in a myriad of ways, a few of which I will briefly describe below.

The Preacher’s Catechism is a book targeted to preachers. While some may consider this narrow target audience as ill-conceived, this strategy works well and helps accomplish the ultimate ends of the author.

Three convictions govern this book, which are set forth in the opening pages:

The church needs preachers who last and thrive.
Preachers must understand how preaching works, and how their souls work.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is an outstanding resource for the heart needs of every preacher.

With the governing convictions in place, Allen Lewis determines to utilize the pattern of the Westminster Shorter Catechism by targeting specific questions and answers to preachers. The book is arranged in four parts:

Part 1: The Glory of God and the Greatness of Preaching

Part 2: Jesus for Preachers

Part 3: Loving the Word

Part 4: Preaching with Conviction

Summarizing the essence of The Preacher’s Catechism is an impossible task. But at its very heart is a series of gospel-centered challenges and soul-stirring encouragements. This work is like a theological battering ram that is designed to crush pride, self-sufficiency, false motives and deeds of the flesh. But make no mistake. The author does not intend to merely convict preachers; his ultimate aim is to encourage them. Once the feeble scaffolding of the flesh is sufficiently toppled, the author winsomely directs the attention of preachers to the cross. “Listeners need to know that the preacher is contented in his God and rejoicing in his Savior,” writes Allen. He continues, “When our lives as preachers are filled with a sense of amazement about the grace that is ours in Christ, others start asking questions about that grace and seeking it for themselves.”

To call The Preacher’s Catechism a success would be a profound understatement. For this book captures what is truly important about pastoral ministry. It is a vivid reminder to keep the main thing the main thing. It serves preachers by admonishing them and encouraging them. But in the final analysis, it leads preachers back to the cross. It graciously beckons them to not only preach Christ crucified but to cherish the old rugged cross and lay claim to the saving benefits that Christ wrought for his elect.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

When I Am Afraid – Edward T. Welch (2010)

When I Am Afraid by Edward T. Welch is a short book. It is also a very powerful book. The author sets forth his intended goals at the beginning of the book.

You want to hone your spiritual instincts so that you turn to Christ when anxious thoughts arise.
You want to know what Jesus says because when you turn to him in this way his words go deep.
You want to be less fearful and anxious and more content and hopeful.
You want to be more confident that God’s communication to you in the Bible speaks meaningfully to all the struggles of life.

In chapter two, the author continues to focus on the need to trust God. He sets forth some practical principles that point to God’s promise to deliver his people:

We trust in God not because he delivers us from every fearful situation, but because he alone is King.
He will always be with us in fearful situations.
He will deliver his people, but at times his deliverance will be more sophisticated than we can understand.
God will give you grace when you need it.

Chapter three discusses the relationship between fear and money. Welch writes, “When you turn away from securing your own kingdom, which teeters on bankruptcy anyway, you get the true kingdom.”

Light in a Dark Place: The Doctrine of Scripture – John Feinberg

light John S. Feinberg, Light in a Dark Place (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 799pp.

Many issues have come to the forefront for Christians in recent years. However, I cannot think of an issue of greater importance than our view of the Word of God. This crucial matter is addressed by John Feinberg in his recent work, Light in a Dark Place: The Doctrine of Scripture. This is the latest installment in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series, which is also edited by Dr. Feinberg.

The Doctrine of Scripture (or Bibliology) is one of the branches of systematic theology and is the starting place for anyone who desires a thorough look at sacred Scripture. Indeed, our doctrine of Scripture frames our whole approach to the Christian life.

John Feinberg clearly and comprehensively outlines what Scripture, theology, and reason teach about the Word of God. He discusses in great detail the usual themes that occur in the study of Bibliology, including revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, authority, canonicity, illumination, perspicuity, sufficiency, and preservation. Each of these themes is subjected to careful study and analysis. Feinberg is meticulous in his approach and holds views that are Reformational, conservative, and informed by church history.

No stone is left unturned here. Light in a Dark Place is a massive piece of literature. Weighing in at nearly 800 pages, readers who desire an in-depth look at Bibliology will not be disappointed. Like the other volumes in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series, Feinberg’s work educates, encourages, and helps equip the next generation with the unshakeable, authoritative Word of God.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Dangerous Good – Kenny Luck

luck Kenny Luck, Dangerous Good: The Coming Revolution of Men Who Care (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2018), 195 pp.

Dangerous Good: The Coming Revolution of Men Who Care by Kenny Luck is directed at Christian men who want to make a difference. It is a short book that contains ten powerful lessons which are designed to push men in the right direction. These lessons are prompted and informed by Scripture, which runs against the cultural grain in every instance. For instance, Luck makes this lament early on: “Don’t take your masculine identity too seriously, or people will label you as narrow-minded, intolerant, or just stupid.” This lie is confronted and challenged throughout the book.

The author is concerned about shaping men whose hearts are completely sold out to God. To accomplish this end, Kenny Luck sends readers to the Word of God and invites them to participate in a revolution. This revolution is nothing less than the kingdom of God that is already/not yet.

Dangerous Good is an encouraging and informative book. Christian men who take Kenny Luck’s counsel to heart will not only be better off – they will find themselves are the center of a revolution of men who care.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Caring for One Another – Edward T. Welch

art of care Edward T. Welch, Caring for One Another (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2018), 71 pp.

Each Christmas, like most families, we gather around the Christmas tree. After telling the story of the birth of Jesus and celebrating his incarnation, we open presents. When I was a child, I remember gravitating toward the big presents. After all, bigger is better. “The bigger the package, the better the present,” I reasoned in my seven-year-old mind.

Sometimes people approach books with the same mentality. “How could a small book influence anyone’s life?” So goes the conventional mentality. But consider, one of the greatest speeches in American history was the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. But this short speech only contains 272 words. The Declaration of Independence only has 1,458 words. Clearly, bigger is not always better. Indeed, these two documents help forge the history of America!

Edward T. Welch’s newest book is no exception. Caring for One Another is an exceedingly short book. The book is compromised of a mere 71 pages. But like the Gettysburg Address and the Declaration of Independence, this book packs a powerful punch.

Dr. Welch describes eight ways to cultivate meaningful relationships. Each lesson begins with a biblical principle. The principle is explored and expanded and practical suggestions are offered that are specifically designed to care for the needs of people. Finally, the author includes helpful questions at the close of each chapter for personal and group discussion.

Caring for One Another is a small book with a big message. The central message is the gospel of Jesus Christ which fuels willing souls and equips them for a lifetime of ministry.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.