Mike Reeves’ new book, The Good God, from Paternoster, is exactly what the doctor ordered for the church today.  And not one of those miserable doctors that prescribes some yucky fluid in a plastic bottle.  I mean one of those doctors that suggests a break in the sun and a feast of good food to help you feel better from all that ails you.  The church today needs to bask in the sun and feast on the truth offered so gloriously and accessibly in this little book.

Mike introduces the reader to the God who is loving, giving, overflowing, relational.  With his light and accessible manner, Mike shares a profound taster of just how good God is.  Clearly Mike loves God and it shows throughout.  Some books on the Trinity can come across as a technical manual of heresies to avoid.  Others as an exercise in premeditated obfuscation.  This little book sizzles with energy, addresses the issues with clear insight rather than excessive technicality, and stirs the reader’s heart to worship, to delight, and sometimes even to laugh in sheer joy.

Mike’s biblical references scattered throughout don’t come across as a defensive attempt to prove a point, nor as a theological citation method that distracts the reader.  Rather they subconsciously stir the reader to want to get back into the Bible and see this good God afresh.  As you’d expect from a Reeves book, there are also enjoyable windows into church history as key voices from folks famous, and not so, pop up to share a thought along the way.

The book is shaped, well, um, trinitarianly.  An introductory chapter invites the reader into the pre-creation love relationship that is the Trinity.  Then the book looks at creation, redemption and the Christian life (as in, Father, Son, Spirit, although brick walls can’t be built between the roles of each in each chapter).  The book closes with a chapter that asks who among the gods is like you, O LORD?  I won’t give away the end of the book by sharing Mike’s answer, but I know if you start, you’ll want to read to the end anyway!

I will say this though, the advance of anti-theist “new atheism” gets a clear response in the final chapter.  Oh, and for one final twist, just when you feel like there’s nothing left to add, he also addresses three of the big issues that Christians sometimes throw out in opposition to an emphasis on God’s loving relationality. Superb.

This book is a must read and a must share.  As you read it you will think of others you wish would read it – from atheists to strident single-author-reading Christians. But most of all, I think you will be thankful that you read it. I am genuinely excited about how God will use this book in the years ahead!

To pre-order your copy in the UK, click here or the book image above.  Note – the book will be released in the USA later in 2012 by IVP under the title, Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith.

Is There a Doctor in the House?  An Insider’s Story and Advice on Becoming a Biblical Scholar, 2011, Zondervan.

I picked up this little book thinking it would only appeal to my interest in academia, but found it to be of value to all involved in Bible handling – students, preachers, teachers, scholars.

The label “scholar” gets thrown around a little too easily.  If one person in the church is starting to learn biblical Greek, they get labelled a scholar.  They may  barely even be a student yet!  In this book, Witherington reflects on his experiences as a student, pastor, teacher and writing scholar.  His manner is winsome, his sometimes amusing experiences shine through, and his insight helps the reader to see just what is involved in being truly earnest about God’s Word.

He begins with an excellent illustrated guide to a PhD, before explaining his own experiences getting a PhD in Durham in the 1970′s.  It is great to read of his exposure to such scholars as C.K. Barrett, C.E.B. Cranfield, T.H.L. Parker, etc.

Even if you don’t care to understand the differences between the British and American doctoral systems, the book quickly moves into a survey of the necessary fields of study required of biblical scholars.  While brief and maintaining momentum, these chapters give helpful insight into language study, historical/cultural background study, literary sensitivity, as well as integrating biblical research into theological and ethical studies.

The latter chapters address the necessary subject areas of research and writing, hermeneutics, key skills in lecturing and teaching, as well as the character issues that can easily get lost in the mix.  The book ends with a brief survey of the sacrifices involved (not just for the scholar, but also for the spouse), and a resounding, “I would do it all again!” from a man delighted by the privilege of his study, his career, his vocation.

I interact with folks who hold to a kind of self-taught piety.  They have their library of 66 and the Holy Spirit and consider themselves to be un-credentialed scholars.  Maybe some are, in some way.  But where their attitude becomes derisory toward academic biblical scholarship, I do get concerned.  This book should be required reading for all who care to sit in judgment over the academy, as well as those fascinated by it.

Most of all, this book graciously raises the bar on our commitment to really doing the work involved in handling the Bible well, and offering the fruit of that study to others in ministry.

(If you are in the UK, click here to go to the book on Amazon.)

Lit! – A Christian Guide to Reading Books

This book is a thoroughly enjoyable pithy little promo for the right kind of reading.  The first half of the book lays a theological foundation for books and reading.  The second half offers nine dynamite chapters of practical wisdom to help the motivated reader become a real reader.

When we commit ourselves to literature rather than a superficial spinning through surface hype, we find a richness of personal enlightenment that is truly of God.  Reinke doesn’t advocate an only-Christian book approach to reading, but he does clearly recognize two categories of books in the world.  The Bible.  And everything else.

The book engages with what to read, as well as how to read.  It addresses issues of conscience, of priorities, of benefits.  And it does it all in an engaging energetic manner that makes you want to keep reading, and pick up something else, something good, to read at the same time (if only that were possible!)

Should we read non-Christian books?  Absolutely – at least, the best of them, if we already have a well-formed biblical worldview (which I think he assumes too easily and most readers would also assume naively).   In fact, Reinke gives biblical examples of reading non-biblical authors as well as a couple of giants from church history on the subject.

Actually, with a passionate commitment to reading like Reinke, we are having to leave behind over 10,000 books for every one that we choose.  So we need to choose well, read discerningly, and benefit as fully as possible.

I’ve been struck many times by how many people do not read wisely.  “I can’t buy another book until I’ve finished the last one I started . . . three years ago!”  Bad logic.  Preachers need to be reading and we can’t afford to get log-jammed by a bothersome book.

Randy Alcorn writes of Lit! : “Seldom have I enjoyed a book more than this one.”  I concur.  Hence I read it in a day.  I think your ministry would be blessed if you enjoyed it too.

(If you are in the UK, click here to buy book.)

I would agree with their definition of exegesis as “the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning.”  But surely the following step, thinking about the significance and potential impact of the passage in contemporary terms should be called application?  And hermeneutics?  Well, that refers to the guidelines that enable both exegesis and application to be done effectively.

This is especially important for preachers (and then, by extension, to all believers).  As I wrote on here some years ago:

The difference between a true expository sermon and an interesting biblical lecture is often the speaker’s awareness of sermonic purpose. As Bryan Chappell wrote (Christ-Centered Preaching, p52) “Without the ‘so what?’ we preach to a ‘who cares?’” In his own way Haddon Robinson has put it like this, “Preaching can be like delivering a baby, or like delivering a missile – in one your goal is to just get it out, but in the other your goal is to hit the target!”

Perhaps the problem goes deeper though. While it is true that we must think through the purpose for a sermon before preaching it, there seems to be an issue at an earlier stage in the process. Are we saying that it is possible to study a passage, but not follow through and consider its application? Hermeneutical purists argue about whether application is a part of the hermeneutical process.Yet as preachers our concern is not academic wrangling, but bringing the Word of God into the lives of His people, by the power of His Spirit, to see His purposes worked out. May we never fall into the trap of studying a passage, determining the author’s intended meaning, but failing to consider the contemporary application of that passage in our own lives.

Perhaps a lack of application in the pulpit is the fruit of a lack of application in personal study. The implications are frightening.

The writer is a media ecologist – that is, one who studies the effects of the change of media forms on the culture.  Taking his title from two books in the 1960’s on the growing inability of students to read and write, this book focuses on why the present state of preaching is so dire.

The first part of the book sets out his evidence for his claim that preaching is ordinarily poor.  While admitting freely that his first line of evidence is merely anecdotal, I found the presentation of evidence hard to argue with (not that I’m inclined to argue since my experience largely reflects the author’s).  Yet Gordon’s evidence is not merely subjective.  He goes to some pains to make clear that there are some objective measures of sermon quality that can be used to identify problem preaching.  It is too common to hear “that is just your opinion” if a sermon is ever questioned or critiqued.

The author’s argument culminates with the almost total absence of the annual review, not missing in any other profession, but indicative that all sides know there is an issue.  Gordon doesn’t blame seminaries for this state of affairs.  In his perspective they haven’t changed, but the calibre of incoming student certainly has.  What has changed?  Because of the change in media forms, Johnny is no longer able to read, nor write, nor discern the significant, and hence he can’t preach either.

True preaching requires close examination and study of a quality text, something non-readers have no experience of today.  People don’t study classical languages.  They don’t read literature.  They aren’t equipped to really study a text.   People read for content, but don’t learn to look at how a text communicates.

True preaching requires careful composition.  But people don’t write letters anymore.  They talk on the phone. Instead of careful composition, we live in a day of easy and cheap talk.

True preaching requires a sensibility of the significant.  But the only way to watch hours of television is to turn off such sensibility, so most do.

A once-common sensibility (close reading of texts) is now uncommon, and a once-common activity (composition) is now comparatively rare.  A once-common daily occurrence (face-to-face communication allowing us to “read” the unstated feelings of another) has been replaced by telephone conversation in which visual feedback is absent.  A once-common sensibility, the capacity to distinguish the significant from the insignificant, is becoming rare.  For a minister today to preach a basic average sermon by early-twentieth-century standards would require a lifestyle that is significantly countercultural.

The book is not solely concerned with capacity to study and compose.  The fourth chapter looks at the content of sermons and gives a fine rebuttal of four contemporary approaches – moralism, how-to, introspection and “so-called culture wars” . . . helpful content that I will come back to in other posts.

At certain points I would suggest that the author’s view of Christian preaching is a little narrow.  There is more to an inherently relational faith than merely submitting our will to God’s will.  Perhaps the Bible text, if read carefully, might present the heart of God such that our hearts might be changed in response.

Nevertheless, even taken on the author’s terms, the book’s message is important and needs to be considered.  All of us live in a fast-paced world that simply doesn’t allow for careful reading of God’s heart in His Word.  Perhaps it is time we were more counter-cultural in order to be able to read the text well.

Thankfully, T. David Gordon is still alive and serving the church through his teaching and writing.  We should be grateful for this little gem of a book.  Buy this book, perhaps even pass on a copy to someone else!

(If you are in the UK, click here to buy.)

This is the time of year when people summarize and review the year that is coming to a close.  So I decided to do that.  At least for me it is good to look back over a year’s worth of posting on this site.  According to my stats, the top post continues to be one from back in 2007 on Sermon Titles, followed by another golden oldie on Preaching Psalms. Actually it is hard to review stats for 2010 since most people read the posts as they sit on the Home page.  So I came up with the very arbitrary standard of checking which posts received the most comments (which could mean they were the worst posts, of course!)  So here are the results . . .

In fifth place, with five comments – There were several posts with no pattern to tie them together.  One on a big theme on the blog this year; preaching the text, not just preaching from a text.  The rest had more to do with the preacher outside of the pulpit, the space the preacher needs to work in, what new preachers need, and something on the pressing on of the preacher because I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels wiped out after ministering at times.

In fourth place, with six comments – Most of these posts related to sermon preparation.  How long should a preaching text be? Then a pair of posts pointing to the dangers of fanciful interpretation (part 2) – a common problem it seems! And in this technological age, can facebook be used in preparation?  Before preaching the preacher has to decide whether or not to project the text, and then after preaching, where should the preacher stand?

In third place, with seven comments – Just two posts hit seven comments . . . both reflecting particular passions of mine.  One focusing on the need for good preaching, the other concerned with helping people trust their Bibles!

In second place, with eight comments – This was a post I suspected would get some interaction as I wrote it.  Provocatively titled Preach more than Truth!

In first place, with twelve comments - Surprisingly this was a post about preaching and note-takers, although if I think about it, I think it tweaked the tail of a few self-confessed note-takers!

I won’t mention the thirteen posts with four comments, but I should mention that these numbers could be wrong if people go back and add comments!

Couple more points of review:

Longest Series in 2010? This was the series on Preaching and Story (part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5)

First Audio linked to in 2010 – This was an interview with Mike Reeves on Table Talk, all about preaching.

New Development in 2010 – Every other week I now post on the Cor Deo blog.  Incidentally, if you haven’t liked Cor Deo on Facebook, or signed up for email updates, please do!

And finally, for what it’s worth and to finish the review . . .

My favourite posts in 2010 – I particularly enjoyed writing two posts this year, one an analogy from the preaching of a new phone, the other a reflection on a sermon that didn’t quite work.

Thanks for visiting the site in 2010, and Happy New Year!

One person mentioned the need for accurate and precise word choice, rather than lots of filler words and verbal pauses.  Absolutely.  If you spoke on behalf of the government you wouldn’t arrive with a, umm, you know, imprecise kind of, you know, message.  How much more when you speak as an ambassador of heaven?

Another mentioned the need for common language.  After all, despite what some may think, Jesus spoke in common language.  The New Testament was written in common Greek.  We need to communicate with the people who are listening to us.

Related to this is the importance of your motivation in word choice.  One brother mentioned the temptation to try to look well educated by choosing erudite terminology.  I stumbled across a great quote in Briscoe’s book, something like, “if you are consistently shooting over the target, this is not an indication of your superior ammunition, but proof that you can’t aim properly.”  Fantastic.

Dave McClellan is a graduate of Grace College and Denver Seminary, as well as having a PhD in Rhetoric & Communication from Duquesne University. He is the pastor of The Chapel at Tinkers Creek.

What if there were a different way to prepare and to preach? What if we have learned preaching in a primarily literacy-based worldview? What if preaching were really an oral form of communication – not just in delivery, but in every respect? What if there were a genuinely oral homiletic? Preach By Ear leans heavily on Walter Ong’s work in respect to orality and literacy. Since the massive changes wrought by the printing press, we have gained so much. But Dave McClellan suggests we may have lost much as well.

He argues compellingly that preaching is intended to be genuinely from the preacher, rather than an external, arms length, process. Yet the effect of literacy is to separate thought from the person. Hence so much of today’s preaching is prepared via book study that is held at arms length, then delivered leaning on notes that keep the sermon separate from the preacher and completed before the event of delivery. McClellan suggests that while preaching has moved back and forth on the orality-literacy scale through the centuries, the 20th century saw the most extreme move to the literacy end of the scale ever.Homiletics was separated from rhetoric and the approach we are familiar with is not as balanced and effective as we may think it is.

As well as leaning Walter Ong, McClellan also looks to Quintillian for rhetorical input. The DVD’s contain a 7-part series of presentations, with each part ranging from 15-25 minutes in length (the final part – “homework” – is a bit longer).  On the one hand the full series is necessarily brief and lacking in the extra background and footnotes that a book might offer (as well as more worked examples to help the viewer see how Preaching By Ear can be genuinely expositional in practice). On the other hand, the series didn’t need to be any longer (it is up to the viewer to apply the lessons learned in a way that handles the text well).  It achieves its purpose of introducing an alternative approach to preaching and sermon preparation well. It may make you want to pursue aspects of the subject further, or simply start getting experience with this different approach.

This double DVD set is very well produced and enjoyable to watch. While it is not exactly “Hollywood” in production quality, it goes well above and beyond a video of a seminar.  The quality of production is clear in the clips available on the website – see below.  Anyay, in the 7-part series on the DVDs, Dave McClellan lays a foundation for an orality-based approach to preaching and then offers some instruction. The first three parts present the concept of orality and literacy, a theology of orality and a brief (but interesting) history of preaching. The next three parts are concerned with preparing the preacher, preparing the message and delivery. The final part offers a series of practical suggestions to help the viewer become better prepared for genuinely oral preaching.

I would encourage you to get hold of this DVD set and ponder its content. Perhaps you’re already kind of thinking this way. Perhaps you’re at the opposite end of the scale. Wherever you are at in your preaching, I think it would be worth adding Preach By Ear to the mix.

By the way, during July the DVD’s are on sale for 50% of the normal price. To see preview clips and order the DVD set, please go to PreachByEar.Com

A decade ago I took a class on mentoring and had to read Howard Hendricks (As Iron Sharpens Iron) and Ted Engstrom (The Fine Art of Mentoring) among other books.  They convinced me of the critical importance of this subject.  From my experience in life and ministry, and my observation of both, I am increasingly convinced of the importance of mentoring.

This is not a preaching book, nor is it a book written for preachers.  However, if leadership is influence, and if preachers are leaders, then we must consider the issue of mentoring.  What a tragedy for so many preachers to pour their lives into preaching (for the sake of others), yet never to invest their lives directly into other individuals.  While I might be pushed to agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones that preaching is the highest calling, I would suggest that mentoring is the heart of Biblical ministry.

Ted Engstrom and Ron Jenson teamed up to write The Making of a Mentor. While not setting out to write an endless list of “how-to’s,” they have included a lot of practical and helpful advice in this short book.  However, the focus is on the kind of person who will mentor effectively.  It is a book of personal testimony combined with a description of godly maturity that will lead to effective personal investment in the lives of others.

They begin with testimony of their own mentoring experience, demonstrating a chain of mentoring down through four “generations” of mentorees.  This includes two friend to friend relationships, and one father to son relationship.  I suspect some British readers may find the vulnerability and willingness to talk about themselves uncomfortable, but I feel this is a great start to the book.  It is a contemporary demonstration of Paul’s self-giving in 1Thess.2 – a passage to which they return repeatedly throughout the book.

The bulk of the book works through nine characteristics of influential mentors, each chapter combining testimony with biblical support and finishing with helpful responses from a variety of Christian leaders in various fields.  (I enjoyed noticing people I’ve known at seminary and elsewhere . . . perhaps you’ll know some of them too?)

To pique your interest, the nine characteristics considered are encouragement, self-discipline, gentleness, affection, communication, honesty (vulnerability), servanthood, godliness and confrontation.

I won’t share more detail here, but I would encourage you to get this book and prayerfully read through it.  The summary of main points in the appendix is very helpful, the tone is encouraging and the content is often inspiring.

I’d love to encourage more preachers to mentor other preachers, but also remember the greater number of people (non-preachers) ready to be mentored simply by you, a more mature believer.  I remember hearing Howard Hendricks describe how meeting with a group of five men every week over a period of time meant so much to him.  He said something like, “if I die today, I die satisfied because of those men!” What about you?  What about me?  Will we die satisfied because of life-on-life investment in key individuals?

Published in 2006 by Paternoster.

I partially reviewed this book several weeks ago.  Please take a look at that “pre-review” (click here).  My opinion of the book has not changed as I’ve finished it.  It is creative, insightful, humorous, challenging and helpful.  There are small moments where you may find it annoying, but better to provoke reaction than to leave no mark at all!

To be honest the third section, on the history of preaching, was decent and helpful, but perhaps not quite as good as I’d hoped for.  Nevertheless, it is worth reading.  The final section, on the life of the preacher, is excellent.  Although somewhat scattered with a feel of “mopping up” the bits that were left over, these chapters were nevertheless worth the price of the book.

I have heard that this book is hard to get hold of in the USA.  If that is the case, then it is a real shame.  Even if you need to order the book from a UK seller on Amazon marketplace, I would encourage you to do so (I order books from the US this way at times, and have never had a problem).

A lot of book about preaching tend to say the same thing again.  This one doesn’t.