Book Reviews

You can always expect clear, very practical advice from Kevin Leman. Sometimes psychologists’ theories are so speculative, they lack any practical value. And because they are so dependent on theories about childhood trauma or other intangible factors, they are...

We should strive to make every action all day long a little act of fellowship with God.

D. Richard Ferguson’s review of Gone in an Instant: Losing My Son Loving His Killer by Tammy Horvath

Most people think forgiveness is when you choose not to harbor bitterness, anger, or resentment and not to harbor thoughts about the person's wrongs. Mackintosh argues that forgiveness goes farther than that. Forgiveness is the restoration of the broken relationship....

D. Richard Ferguson’s Review of Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption by L. Michael Morales

This is the most fascinating book I’ve read in a very long time.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars Many of Tozer’s points in this book seem to come from his own speculation rather than from Scripture. Nevertheless, many of the points that do come from Scripture are profound and rich, making the small amount of time required to read this book...

My rating: 2 of 5 stars I’m not sure I would recommend the beginning of this book. In an effort to relate to the struggles men face, Gallagher describes various sexual sins in ways that could potentially increase temptation in the minds of men who struggle with lust....

My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is worth reading for the hostage negotiation stories alone. Easily. A very entertaining and interesting read.Beyond that, Voss does a great job in the purpose of the book, which is to teach negotiation skills. Another plus that made...

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A classic work on how to kill sin by the Spirit based on Romans 8:13. Synopsis A sin is “mortified” (killed) by a habitual weakening of it, constant fighting against it (understanding the danger and the ways it tends to get success against you)...

My rating: 5 of 5 stars The purpose of this book was to take the principles in Desiring God and the Pleasures of God and show how they can be applied in a practical way in day to day Christian living – overcoming anxiety, pride, shame, impatience, covetousness,...

My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is what Mounce calls a “baby Greek” course. The object is to teach enough Greek to enable the average Christian to be a much better interpreter of Scripture and to understand the scholarly commentaries. The main difference between baby...

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve read a few Bible survey books and this is the only one I’ve ever read that was actually interesting reading. This book is very interesting reading and hard to put down. Baylis not only does a great job summarizing the message of each book...

Very edifying book. It opened my eyes to some areas of ingratitude and entitlement in my heart that I had no idea were there, especially in the area of being thankful for God's gifts after they have been taken away. My only complaint is on the section of how to be...

Paul David’s book defines gratitude in the secular sense. In the introduction, David says you should be thankful “to your own curiosity about this book’s contents.” When I read that statement, I searched the entire electronic version of the book for the word “God.” Zero occurrences. I would suggest it is impossible to write a book on the Christian concept of gratitude without ever using the word “God.”

My rating: 4 of 5 stars John Own is considered by many to be among the most profound of the puritan writers, and this work was written at the end of his life. He is also known to be among the most difficult writers to read. This book does not disappoint on either...

My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is designed to be read over the course of 3 months. Each day there is a list of Scriptures that are placed into the second person so they address God. So, for example, Galatians 3:21 goes from “Are the promises opposed to God’s law?...

My rating: 3 of 5 stars I found this book to be extremely helpful in thinking through the concept of mentoring. Most people have kind of a narrow concept of mentoring. This book broadens the per spective, describing seven different kinds of mentoring that range from...

My rating: 5 of 5 stars Paul Tripp is the brother of Tedd Tripp (author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart), and so it’s not surprise that his approach is very similar. Age of Opportunity takes the principle of shepherding the heart and applies it to raising teenagers....

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I found this book very helpful. It’s much more engaging and readable and less textbook-like than The Exemplary Husband. The Exemplary Husband is a great overview of what Scripture says to husbands. This book is not nearly as comprehensive, but...

My rating: 4 of 5 stars This little gift-book could be read in one sitting, and there are some very good insights. Chapter 4 on how to discover pride in your heart I found especially helpful – very convicting. There are many questionable interpretations in this book,...

My rating: 3 of 5 stars This volume was written as a companion volume for Shanks earlier work, Life in the Son, which defends the view that true believers can fall away. Shank’s treatment of election is thorough and well-researched, as he interacts extensively with...

My rating: 2 of 5 stars These reflections I found slightly helpful in thinking through these Psalms, but mostly Wirt just uses each phrase in the psalm as a springboard to discuss the topic of that phrase. I lost interest in the book about 2/3 of the way through.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars This important book is a masterful exposition of all the major passages in Scripture on eldership. Strauch’s exegesis is accurate and comprehensive, and his writing is edifying and motivating. Strauch has marshaled the most powerful argument...

My rating: 4 of 5 stars John MacArthur is one of the key leaders in the Church worldwide today. This book is mostly a summary of what he learned about leadership in his study of 2 Corinthians and in his experience as a church leader over the past 50+ years. He briefly...

My rating: 3 of 5 stars The first half of the book is about God’s general calling on all believers, summarizing the concept of calling in Scripture. The second half is about the calling to pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry is not a ministry of high rank, but rather...

My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Thesis The central idea of this book is that men have three desires that should be pursued: to fight a battle, to live an adventure, and to rescue a beauty (pp.9-14). I agree with much of what Eldredge says about these three God-given...