Tag: Sanctification

Book Review: Honest to God by Bill Hybels

Great Guide for Head, Heart and Hands Christianity

One of the things I have been convinced of about Christianity for a long time is that people have strengths primarily in either their intellect, or are action oriented, but few are able to balance their Christian lives in the area of their mind, emotions, and activity for the sake of Christ.

I read this book over twenty years ago, and re-read it again in my forties – and after being a pastor and life-coach for the past twenty plus years – I still think this is the best introduction to living a balanced Christian life available. I think the reason Bill Hybels will finish well (and we can finish well) is because of the responsibility he takes in seriously working out (not “for” – Philippians 2:12-13) his salvation with the help of the Holy Spirit by God’s grace. In this book Bill Hybels gives the practical ways that he, and we can balance our lives through various spiritual disciplines.

Bill Hybels gets a lot of flack from a lot of people in the Christian community for a lot of reasons (I think mainly, because a lot of pastors are jealous of him) – but I think he has proven over many years of ministry that he is teachable, and humble, and by God’s grace will finish well.

In this book Hybels gives practical ways to balance the head, heart, and hands aspects of living out the Christian life. I think the most helpful chapters are:

Chapter 2 – He talks about how to pray, journal, and evaluate your life in the light of God’s Word strategically and intentionally.

Chapter 8 – On how to deal biblically and authentically with the emotions – the heart.

Chapter 13 – In this chapter Hybels writes about the importance of keeping physically fit and how the body is God’s temple.

My only regret (at the writing of this review, June 2011) is that this book is out of print. I sure hope and pray that it will be revised in the near future, so other believers can learn how to practically balance their head, heart, and hands for the glory of God.

Book Review: Christ Formed In You by Brian Hedges

Justification and Sanctification in Harmony

 Brian Hedges’ first book is a clear presentation of the gospel and how the gospel impacts our salvation and the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. The organization of the book and the combination of biblical exegesis, quotes from God-centered writers of the past and present, and some very good illustrations combine to make this a book that is really a reference work that one can use again and again on the topics in the three major sections of the book:

Part 1: The Foundations for Personal Change – All five chapters in this section are related to how the gospel powerfully changes us to conform us to the image of Christ.

Part 2: The Pattern of Personal Change – Focuses on four key areas of growth in the Christian life – Holiness, Dying to Sin, Understanding and Applying Grace, and the Quest for Joy.

Part 3: The Means of Personal Change – Three chapters on “how” to become more like Christ – Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines; Preparing for and the purposes of suffering; and living out the Christian faith in the context of community.

The book also has a very extensive section of helpful notes, a general index, and a Scripture index.

I think this is an especially good book for young believers or Christians that would like to see the interplay of the gospel with reference to what saves us, and how we walk in that salvation. I think what would make this book more helpful is a study guide or application questions at the end of each chapter. I think this book could easily be used and very beneficial for a small group, and even for a membership class – because it covers many of the essential teachings related to becoming a disciple of Jesus.

Shepherd Press provided a free copy of this book for my honest review.

Book Review: When Being Good, Isn’t Good Enough by Steve Brown

All of *Steve Brown’s books contain great illustrations, stories, quotes, and make you laugh and sometimes cry. He has the ability (as few do) to make reformed theology fun.

This book is no exception. I think that Chapter 2 “The Music of Freedom” (a marvelous parable on sanctification) is worth the price of the book. Brown writes this book to help stave off the legalism that is so prevalent among Christians. He writes this book to articulate this thesis: “Obedience doesn’t lead to freedom. Freedom leads to obedience. If that is backwards you lose both your freedom and eventually your obedience.”

The number one reason to read this book is that it will encourage you. It will fill you with practical principles from God’s Word that will help you tap into the glorious riches you already have in Christ.

*Steve Brown is a radio broadcaster, seminary professor and author. He previously served as a pastor for over twenty-five years and now devotes much of his time to the radio broadcast, Key Life.

With such varied experience and unique perspective on life, Steve is an original. He refuses to be a “guru,” doesn’t want to be anyone’s mother and gives, in his teaching, the freedom to think. Overall, Steve has become known for his refreshing and practical Biblical applications.

Steve serves as Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry at Reformed Theological Seminary. He sits on the board of the National Religious Broadcasters and Harvest USA. Traveling extensively, Steve is a much-in-demand speaker.

Steve is the author of numerous books including A Scandalous Freedom, What Was I Thinking? and Approaching God. His articles appear in such magazines and journals as Leadership, Decision, Plain Truth and Today’s Christian Woman.

Book Review: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

The “Missing Link” in Christian Discipleship

Pete Scazzero (the pastor of a thriving church in New York) writes a very transparent and yet helpful account of how Christians have a tendency to neglect two areas of their lives: the emotions, and the realities of generational sin. He begins the book by demonstrating how devastating this can be in relationships, and how this affects the corporate health of the body of Christ. What this does ultimately is it creates a “false peace” that deals only with symptoms and not the causes of what makes for unhealthy relationships.

I think this book is must reading for all Christians, especially church leaders (pastors, teachers, small group leaders, etc.) because I think most interpersonal relationships, marriages, families, and thus churches live in this reality Scazzero calls “false peace.” In the book he gives various examples from his life, and others lives – as well as many biblical examples of how to identify these real emotional and sinful tendencies, and how to correct them through the biblical disciplines.

For example – I have discipled numerous men over the years (as a pastor and professional life coach) who know the Bible well, but their relationships are a mess. Sometimes they have a ton of repressed anger inside, or are trying to “make up” for the approval they never received at home, or they have an incurable “lust” problem, etc. Ultimately, all these “realities” are typically below the surface in the discipleship process – and never dealt with. We give people more verses; more lists of dos and don’ts, and continue to live in this realm of false peace.

Scazzero builds a great case in the book for identifying personal and generational sin, and gives excellent tools for grappling with, and overcoming these areas of sin with the help of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. I can’t recommend this book (and the workbook that goes with it) highly enough. I think if Christians and churches (he’s also written a book called the Emotionally Healthy Church with a workbook that goes with it) want to really become healthy and rid the false peace and barriers that have been built up over time, you can’t do any better than to read and work through this book.

My wife and I have read this book and gone through the workbook at least four times, and it has been absolutely life transforming. Along with R.C. Sproul’s the “Holiness of God,” and Peter Kreeft’s (“Heaven: The Heart’s Deepest Longing”) and Randy Alcorn’s books on Heaven – this book has radically changed my thinking and behavior – and has helped me repent of, and deal with sin in my life in a way that few books have helped me to do. I think every Christian should read this book more than once and go through the workbook with another person, or several people (small groups are ideal – especially if they are a close knit small group).

As a pastor and church leader for many years I also recommend that staff’s, elders, and ministry teams go through this book and the Workbook based on this book for healthier teams that will radically benefit the body of Christ for good. If I could give this a higher rating than a five I would – this book is one of the greatest gifts of God’s grace I’ve received – it has helped me in all of my relationships – with God, other believers, and those who have yet to believe – and taken me to a deeper level in all these relationships than I ever thought possible.

 

*Peter Scazzero is the Founder and Senior Lead Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell (MDiv) and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin in marriage and family), he is also the author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Nelson, 2006), The Emotionally Healthy Church: Expanded (Zondervan, 2010), and Begin the Journey with the Daily Office (WCA, 2009). Pete has been married to his best friend, Geri, and together they have four daughters – Maria, Christy, Faith and Eva. He loves libraries, bookstores, and the printed page — on almost any topic. Basketball, hiking and the outdoors (thanks to Geri), laughter, Italian opera, history, and great meals with family, are among his greatest joys. Pete and Geri are co-founders of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.