Every so often...

Every so often there comes a book release that I eagerly anticipate. So was the case for the ESV Study Bible, so will be the case for Joshua Harris' new book to be released next year and so has been the case in recent weeks for Why We Love The Church. Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck did such a supereb job on their book Why We're Not Emergent, clearly outlining the dangers of the Emergent Church movement. When I heard they were teaming up for another book, I couldn't help but be excited. Last week their book hit shelves, and I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival in the next week or so. Needless to say, this book will be added to my summer reading list. However, in the mean time, Tim Challies' has a great review on the book and I encourage you all to read it and highly consider investing in the book yourself.

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Suffering in Relation to God's Church

So often we get in this rut where we feel that we should not be the ones to suffer. We continuously ask ourselves questions like, "Why is this happening to me?" and "Why do I have to be the one that always suffers." Tim Challies has a great post in regards to Ligon Duncan's new book, Does Grace Grow Best in Winter? In his post, Challies writes:

So I guess this is something we ought to keep in mind in those times that God calls us to suffer. Our suffering is not pointless; it is not meaningless. At least in part, our suffering is mandated by God so we can strengthen and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ so that they, and we, may strive toward Christian maturity. “Your suffering does not just belong to you. You are members of a body. Your suffering is for the body’s maturity as much as it is for yours. Your suffering is there to build up the church of Christ. It is there for the people of God to be given faith and hope and confidence in the hour of their trials. Your suffering is also the body’s suffering because one of God’s purposes in suffering is the maturity of the whole church.”

During times of great suffering, where we may feel helpless and alone, we must rely on the God, His Truth and His perfect and pleasing will. We must recognize the reality that our suffering could be causing a wider impact to glorify God in the lives of others, even though we might not be able to fully comprehend or see it.

Read Challies' whole post here.

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Why We Love The Church

Here is a great sample from Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck's new book Why We Love The Church. I am very excited about this book and look VERY forward to reading it. Their last book, Why We're Not Emergent, was one of the best books I've ever read and perhaps the best book I've read on the subject of the Emergent Church. Kevin's blog shares this excerpt from one of Ted's chapters:

Church isn’t a magic pill that you take, that punches your ticket for heaven. Nor is it a glorified social/country club you attend to be around people who talk/think/look/act like you do. It’s a place to go each week to hear the Word of God spoken, taught, and affirmed. It’s a place to sing praises to our God, even if those songs do sometimes feel a bit awkward. It’s a place to serve others. It’s a place to be challenged. Sometimes you’ll feel uncomfortable with those challenges, because sometimes your life will need to change. This has been the case with me.

Read the whole excerpt Kevin offers here.

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Just Do Something

Tim Challies reviews Kevin DeYoung's book entitled Just Do Something. In his review he writes:

The author who seeks to add something to this genre is entering into a very crowded field and is going to need a unique angle. Kevin DeYoung takes on this challenge and succeeds admirably, crafting a short but powerful book that really packs a punch. His unique angle is reflected in the title: Just Do Something! “My goal,” he says, “is not as much to tell you how to hear God’s voice in making decisions as it is to hear God telling you to get off the long road to nowhere and finally make a decision, get a job, and perhaps, get married.”

I purchased this book last week and am eagerly anticipating its arrival tomorrow. A great subject by a great author, I believe that this book is going to be a must buy and a must read for those who constantly question what God's will is.

Read more of Challies' review here.
Read the forward by Joshua Harris here.

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Book Recommendation for College Students

Jonathan Morrow has a new book out entitled, Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey. J.P. Moreland writes regarding this book:

Wow! What a book!! Quite frankly, this is the book I’ve been waiting for the last forty years to give to college students. It is the single best volume I have ever read for preparing students for how to follow Jesus and flourish as his disciple in college. Welcome to College is very readable, the chapters are short yet filled with content, it covers apologetic, biblical, social and moral issues, and it provides critical information that is right to the point. Every parent with a child in or going to college should read this book. Adults should give it as a high school graduation present to every young believer they know. Youth directors need to know the content of this book and recommend it widely. And parachurch ministries like Campus Crusade, InterVarsity, and Navigators should make this a top priority for all staff and students to study. Morrow is to be thanked for writing Welcome to College for such a time as this.

Something we, as college students, might want to consider investing in.

For more information on the book or the author, you can visit the author's website.

HT: JT

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