Category: Worldview

A worldview is a broad conceptual synthesis that forms one’s perspective on the whole of reality. The term is sometimes used as the equivalent of philosophy of life, world outlook, ideology, or creed.

Book Review: What is The Mission of The Church? By Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert

Balanced Because It’s Biblical In What It Says About The Mission of the Church

As a pastor for over twenty years you see a lot of fads come and go in the way churches seek to make an impact in our communities and culture.  I have never met a pastor (worth his salt) who didn’t want to be pleasing to God and make a difference for the sake of Christ in his community and culture. However, I have become more and more concerned as I see pastors watering down the message of the gospel; focusing more on programs than on the message of the gospel; and being influenced more by the culture, than influencing culture with the message of the Bible. Therefore, I wholeheartedly endorse and applaud this latest offering on the “mission” of the church because I think it is an excellent treatment of the relevant biblical passages and how they bear on the issues we are facing in the 21st century on what the mission/purpose of the church should be. It is missional and Biblical; truthful and loving without compromise; theologically profound and culturally relevant.

Without giving away the mission of the church as defined and defended in this book, I can say that DeYoung and Gilbert do a fantastic job of discussing issues like helping the poor, economics and social justice, the Kingdom, the gospel, and how a church can make an impact on the world without sacrificing the truth and absolutes.

The strengths of this book lie in its simplicity and clarity, exposition and insightful interpretation of the Scriptures, and it’s very clear explanation and application of the gospel as revealed in the 66 books of the Bible. I recommend this book especially for pastor’s young and old, leadership teams of churches, missionaries, and Christians who want to know how they can be purposefully a part of the only organization of which the “gates of hell will not prevail.”

At the end of the day – this book is highly recommended because the author’s build a great case for how to be biblically focused, God-centered, and culturally penetrating without sacrificing the most important truths and main story line of the Bible – the centrality of Jesus Christ as Lord and King to whom is all praise, glory and honor forever.

Book Review: Max on Life by Max Lucado

In this resource, popular pastor and writer, Max Lucado responds to some of the letters he has received from people pursuing answers to some of life’s more important questions. Max answers close to two hundred practical questions based on these letters. The questions along with his subsequent answers – supported by the Scriptures – are handled in the following categories:

 1) Hope: God, Grace, and “Why am I here?” – pages 1-36.

2) Hurt: Conflicts, Calamities, and “Why me?” – pages 37-74.

3) Help: Prayer, Scripture, and “Why church?” – pages 75-118.

4) Him/Her: Sex, Romance, and “Any chance of a second chance?” – pages 119-150.

5) Home: Diapers, Disagreements, and “Any hope for prodigals?” – pages 151-176.

6) Haves/Have-Nots: Work, Money, and “Where’s the lifeline?”  – pages 177-196.

7) Hereafter: Cemeteries, Heaven, Hell, and “Who goes where?” – pages 197-230.

8) Addendum: The Write Suff – helpful and brief advice on: how to write, when to write, who can publish, who can edit. – pages 231-235.

9) Notes – pages 236-238.

10) Topical Index – a helpful index for quick access to the topics addressed in the book beginning with “abortion” and ending with “worship.” – pages 239-245.

Overall, the answers to the questions are gracious, practical, clear, and concise. I’m sure I will consult his answers again as they come up in my own ministries of counseling and life coaching. I think his book is definitely worth having and consulting – especially for new believers in Christ.

I think Max does an adequate job in his answers to these questions, but Max represents what I would deem a “Generic Christianity.” I would prefer to see the questions answered within the framework of a robust Biblical Theology with Christ at the center. I would love to see Tim Keller or D.A. Carson write a book answering the same questions. For those who would prefer a more Theological approach (considering Biblical and Systematic Theology) to frequently asked questions I would recommend R.C. Sproul’s, “Now That’s a Good Question” as a much better resource with more depth of insight into the Christo-centric emphasis of the Scriptures and their connection to life in the 21st century.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Fight Of Our Lives by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn

The Big Elephant in Our Country

William Bennett and Seth Leibsohn bravely tackle the big elephant in our country that most people brush aside, are ignorant of, and simply refuse to talk about. The subtitle of the book is “Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam.” This book provides a myriad of facts from history, the Koran and the Bible, and recent events to show the danger that radical Islam poses to our country and the world.

In a balanced and objective manner the author’s do an excellent job of presenting a lot of helpful information in showing that we can’t just stand back and do nothing while Islam presents itself as a “peaceful religion” when it’s own teachings, history, and current events show otherwise. Many of the spokesmen for Islam employ doublespeak with reference to the dark realities of Islam. The authors alert us to the methods they employ and that we need to call evil – evil when we read it, hear it, or see it.

If I could make every American read this book I would. I wish we didn’t have to deal with radical Islam, but we do. We need to remember 9/11 and do our homework and be smart in preventing something much worse. I didn’t enjoy the book – or the subject matter. However, I learned a lot more than I knew about Islam, and how to be proactive and informed in preventing the downfall of our great nation – at least to the advancement of Islam anyway! It all starts with being educated and informed about the truth. We need to know the truth if we are going to respond to the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”