Book Review – Persuasive Preaching: A Biblical and Practical Guide to the Effective Use of Persuasion by R. Larry Overstreet

This book is the ripe and delicious fruit of a well-crafted presentation of the need, value and practice of persuasive preaching. While it clearly is written for those who preach or studying to preach, I am sure it will be of immense value to anyone who is teaching the gospel in other modes.

Part of the well-crafted presentation is the structure of the book itself. There is both a one page Contents in Brief and a multipage contents in full that reminds me of many Puritan books I have read (e.g. Precious Remedies Against Satan’s devices  by Thomas Brooks– Banner of Truth edition). The conclusion to each chapter does a nice job of not only summarizing the chapter concisely, but tying the progression of the case he is making for persuasive preaching together.

Besides the many examples of different theories of persuasion in classical literature, he provides many biblical examples of those types. He adds the distinctively Christian element of dependence on the Holy Spirit for effectiveness of the sermon.

In Part 1 Overstreet discusses issues facing persuasive preaching, doing a nice job of setting the cultural context for the need of persuasive preaching today.

Five chapters in Part 2 do an excellent job of laying out the biblical support for persuasive preaching.

Structuring persuasive messages is the topic of Part 3. In the chapter detailing Motivated Sequence, I could not help but think of some of the methods taught today by Decker Communications (http://decker.com/) which I have used quite effectively in persuasive speeches.  The chapter on Cause Effect also sounded familiar. It reminded by of the Fallen Condition Focus mentioned in Brian Chapell’s book on Christ Centered Preaching which is an approach used much by the preacher at the church I attend and has proven fruitful in convicting and converting people, producing a very active congregation where most members are exercising their spiritual gifts in outreach to the community. This call to action is one of the major objectives of persuasive preaching.  This section also includes chapters on the cause-effect and refutation structured sermons.

Part 4 is a useful discussion of the pertinent applications in persuasive speaking, discussing persuasion verses manipulation, The Holy Spirit in Preaching and The Invitation.

In the Epilogue is a discussion of four speeches of Mosses in Deuteronomy illustrating his Pastor’s heart and his means of persuasion illustrating the principles outlined in the book.

The Appendixes contain helpful analysis of Greek words and a sample sermon.

I received this resource for free from Weaver Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review – The Foundation of Communion with God: The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen. Edited and introduced by Ryan M. McGraw

Ryan McGraw has done readers of religious books a great service in making John Owen more accessible to modern readers. He joins the ranks of at least two others who have successfully done this: R. J. K. Law and Kris Lundgaard.

This book is part of Reformation Heritage Books’ Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series which aims to address the shallowness and trivialization of God characteristic of evangelicalism today. This series presents lives of notable Christian with select passages from their works.

“Owen”, says series editor Ryan McGraw, “can show us how to know by experience what it means to be Reformed.”  This is important, as Reformed theology is not always recognized as placing a high value and emphasis on the role of Doctrine in informing our practical lives.  Through the use of selected parts of eight of John Owen’s writings, editor Ryan McGraw shows how Owen “wonderfully teaches us the practical outworking of the Reformed doctrines of Scripture and of God through the themes of public worship and the Trinity.”

I found the book helpfully organized. It begins with an historical introduction sketching Owen’s life – particularly where it influenced his views of worship and piety. The readings that follow are organized around three themes: Knowing God as Triune, Heaven-Mindedness and Apostasy, and Covenant and Church. The book ends with three appendices: Reading Owen, Owen’s Works by Year, and Books About Owen.

There is much to commend the book. The editor has updated some of the language of Owen and most importantly, added some paragraph markers making the flow of thought a little easier. The selections do serve as a nice introduction to Owen’s writings, as they are usually less than three pages.

The one thing that would have made the book more useful, is to include in Appendix C a third category of books about Owen. Adding an “Abridged or Paraphrased” category to the “Popular” and “Scholarly” categories already present would give timid Owen readers some better choices and encouragements to tackle Owen.  R. J. K. Law has written at least four very good and quite readable abridged and made easy to read books by Owen, including some quoted in this book.  Kris Lundgaard has also written two excellent books that unashamedly draw heavily on Owen. I have read his “The Enemy Within” but I know he also has written “Through the Looking Glass: Reflections on Christ That Change Us” which draws on Owen’s “The Glory of Christ.”

Here is a suggested sequence for the reader who has never read John Owen.  Read Kris Lundgaard’s “The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About The Power and Defeat of Sin”, then read McGraw’s “The Foundation of Communion With God”. By then Owen will be a favorite food and you will have the motivation to tackle R. J. K. Law’ or perhaps Owen himself.

I received this resource for free from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Music Album Review - His Kids United Christmas Vol 1

Even this 66 year old grandfather can find some things to like about this album. There is a nice mix of old carols with music and tempo I like, but also a really nice variety of music styles, some quite contemporary, that I find appropriate for the happy celebratory time that Christmas is. The mix of songs is aimed at children 5-14 years old, but really has something for everyone.

I like the saxophone in “All I Have to Give”. It fits so well, like the violin and viola in "Ashokan Farewell"  played in Ken Burn's PBS Civil War Series. 

I am not a fan of rap, but found some of the rap in “Light of Christmas” I liked and thought it was interspersed quite appropriately among the melody lines. Because it contains a nice range of music styles and mix of old and new music, along with four well done original songs, I would not mind listening to this album with my grandkids.

Here is the track list:

1. Here We Come A-Caroling (Wassail Song)
2. Light Up The World (feat. Jovany Javier)
3. Jingle Bell Rock
4. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
5. All I Have To Give
6. Light of Christmas
7. Jingle Bells
8. No Better Holiday
9. Away In A Manger
10. Christmas Time Is Here
11. I Hope This Gets To You
12. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

You can hear a sample track here

Review - Your Life With Christ by Rebecca Manley Pippert

LIVE is a 5 session DVD course with participant workbook intended to help new Christians, non-Christians and confused Christians start and mature in the Christian life. This material is part of 3 sequenced courses with the titles LIVE, GROW and KNOW. The sessions on the DVD are downloadable from the web using the key provided in the DVD case. The download is not intuitive, as you must right click on the video stream to ‘save video as’ in order to download it.

A Leader’s Guide (downloadable) is helpful in organizing either a 90 minute or 60 minute class. It gives a good summary of the theme of each session. The session titles are:

1.       How Do I Know It is Real? (based on John 20:19-31)
2.       What is the Good News? (based on John 3:1-18)
3.       Is It Worth IT?  (based on Luke 9:18-36)
4.       A Time For Commitment? (based on Acts 9:1-19)
5.       New Life in Christ. (based on John 15:1-13)

About two-thirds of each session is devoted to bible study and discussion. The DVD is shown 3 times during the session, with the suggested sequence as follows

•          Social Time
•          DVD - Introduction
•          Read Historical Context section of guide
•          Bible Study
•          Live What You Learn – a series of questions to help you connect with the bible lesson
•          DVD – Following Jesus – Becky Pippert talks about the main themes
•          DVD – Real Stories – People sharing the story of how they came to Christ or stories of the Christian life
•          Praying Together.

The Participant Guide has a section called ‘Going Deeper’ which is a fairly good section for use in between sessions, but not required for the study itself.  The Leader’s Guide would be a lot more useful if it had suggested answers to the questions in the Participant Guide. There are some useful resources for each session listed in the back of the Participant Guide.

I think the course would be useful for the stated participants, but its value will depend a great deal on the discussion leader and his/her ability to answer the questions in the guidebook.

I received this resource for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review - Can I Really Trust The Bible: And other questions about Scripture, truth and how God speaks

This book is for either the person who trusts the Bible and can’t explain why or for the person who doesn’t trust the Bible and can explain why.  The book contains a clearly laid out, well-orchestrated line of thought with clear examples.

For the first person, this book provides a nice framework for thinking about the reliability of the bible.  It claims to be God’s word (2 chapters), it seems to be God’s word (2 chapters) and it proves to be God’s word (1 chapter).  Using this skeleton to frame the answer to the question raised in the book title, a believer is able to remember and explain to an unbeliever why the Bible is reliable and trustworthy.

The person who doubts the Bible is trustworthy likely has one or two reasons why. Is this case it is fairly easy to search through the book and find the reasons addressed. The author has put many of the common reasons people give for not trusting the Bible, in sidebars.

 

While the book is very short (a small book with 81 pages), it really is substantial and fairly complete. I especially liked the section that explained why the Old Testament books and New Testament books are not in chronological order.  I don’t ever remember reading such a clear and concise explanation.

Even if you already trust the Bible, this book is worth reading. It is a wonderful, short, concise and accessible introduction to the Bible and it’s reliability.  It is one of those books that has explanations worth memorizing and meditating upon.  If you were to read only one book on this topic, this is it.

I received this book free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review - A Vine-Ripened Life: Spiritual Fruitfulness through Abiding in Christ by Stanley Gale

A Vine Ripened Life is a welcome addition to what is often only a mystical explanation of what it means to ‘abide in Christ’. It is a clear explanation of what it means to not only abide in Christ, but to bear abundant fruit.

One of the most useful sections of Stanley Gale’s new book is found in Chapter 1 where he details the essence of abiding with Christ.  “Freedom from bondage to sin for development of the fruit of the Spirit is forged by union with Christ” says Stanley Gale. And that fruit is formed in reliance on the Holy Spirit who is now at work in you, as you focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ by spending time in his word, in prayer, and in fellowship with the Saints.

In this reviewer’s experience, the topic of our union with Christ is often presented as only an objective reality. John Calvin once wrote "We must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us....All that he possesses is nothing to us until we grow into one body with him" (Institutes, III.i.1).     In A Vine-Ripened Life, Stanley Gale makes it clear how abiding in Christ makes it possible to experience the subjective side of the reality of our union with Christ, bearing mature, abundant fruit that manifest itself in a distinctively Christian character.

In chapter 2 Stanley Gale talks of the discipline of the Father and how not to make light of it. He spells out how to recognize it, value it and heed it.

Using personal stories and many biblical references, the fruit of the Spirit is detailed in chapters 3-11. There is an additional chapter on humility and the book ends with a very helpful chapter on grace.

I’ve read other books on Abiding in Christ, including Andrew Murray’s classic work. In comparison, I find this book easier to relate to and more engaging.  I’ve marked this book up so much – I need to purchase one to give away!

I received this book for free from Shepherd Press via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review - healed at last: separating Biblical Truth From Myth by Scott Blackwell

Unknowingly perhaps an author makes his book much more useful than the purpose for which he writes.  And that is what makes this book so valuable even if you are not particularly interested in the age old debate about whether God heals miraculously today or not.

 

I found the book helpful in illustrating the usefulness of Biblical Theology over Systematic Theology, where the bible’s storyline of redemption affects the way we understand how to answer the question of miraculous healing.  In a carefully orchestrated way, Blackwell lays out the story of God’s redeeming a people that provides the appropriate context for answering the question.   The setting is cosmological rather than the American culture of individualism.

His section on Basic bible boundaries and rules provides a very helpful reminder that he will approach the answer to this question using careful exegisis, hermeneutics and homiletics. He even tells us in plain language what these terms mean.

In a loving way he makes clear the difference between Pentecostal/charismatic and reformed evangelical thought on this issue and addresses the difference.

In answering this much debated question Blackwell is to clear about underlying assumptions, makes clear the context for answering the question, makes clear what bias he has, elaborates on relevant personal experience and makes clear the methodology for arriving at an answer.

Near the end Blackwell says:

“ My hope is that this small book might encourage … those who undergo great personal struggles, and help them recapture and redirect their focus so that they might once again testify that God’s grace is perfectly sufficient and his power made perfect, even through our weakness”

This he has done by reminding us our hope is ultimately on the sovereignty of God and the work on our behalf of Christ on the cross and the certainty of our salvation that will be complete at the last day.  The book ends with that great quote from 1 Peter 1:3-9.