2 comments about On Holy Ground: A Daily Devotional.

1. In this book, I read about the life-changing journeys of 12 biblical characters to learn how they met the Lord, and how I can do the same. I could really feel the presence of God as I read every daily devotional, I often caught myself reading the next few days devotions, just so I could continue in my devotion time with God.



2. I had been able to borrow this book last year for about 1 month. My life was dull and I was oblivious to the fact that I had left God out of my life when I really needed to seek him. This book has been an eyeopener and the answer to my prayers for me and my family. Thank you Dr. Stanley for putting these parts of the Bible into a daily devotional that my family and I can apply to our daily lives. Just reading the Bible isn't enough. Being able to apply each one of Gods' teachings to everyday living is just what is needed.

5 comments about Forgotten Spurgeon.

1. This is truly a great work on Spurgeon.
   
   It is by no means trying to give a complete look at his life, but rather is focused at highlighting a few key controversies and aspects of his life that are often obscured in modern analysis of Spurgeon. That is the stated goal of the book, and it suceeds at this.
   
   Even though it is limited in scope, as I have mentioned, it still does a pretty good job at painting a picture of Spurgeon as a whole.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is fairly short and is an enjoyable read with many quotes from Spurgeon's sermons.



2. The main thing Iain Murray believes is forgotten about Spurgeon is his Calvinism. That however can be considered a liability or a great benefit. It is sometimes forgotten that Spurgeon was a convinced believer in the Evangelical Gospel as articulated by Calvin, the Puritans and many others. Murray ask us to see his public ministry, his revivals and his controversies through this important lens.
   
   In doing so Murray also explores a number of ministry issues of the modern day and makes a preferred present path clear based on the examples of Spurgeon. His early chapters about Spurgeon's revivals and preaching of the Gospel and interaction with Arminianism come with applications to the present practice of preaching, and these, as well as the other chapters, read with Murray's own strange blend of academic information, historical facts, hagiography and devotional octane.
   
   My honest evaluation is that the book has a lot to commend it, including an exploration of parts of Spurgeon's life discussed in few other places; including copious quotations from the pen of Spurgeon himself.
   
   The liability is simply the dryness that creeps into the prose at points. Murray's thorough historical mind bored me at times and made me hunt for a considerable number of great nuggets amidst a sometimes laborious text. I found the latter chapters more of a labor than the first chapters. The first 113 pages I found mostly easy to read, and after that some of the chapters were a labor, especially those on the Down-Grade controversy, though even these chapters have some good parts sprinkled throughout.
   
   It is a good and useful book, but not in any sense essential.



3. "The Forgotten Spurgeon" is not so much a comprehensive biography of Charles Spurgeon as it is a description of the major challenges Spurgeon faced as a preacher of the Gospel.
   
   The 3 main challenges mentioned in the book are:
   
   1. 1850s - Diluted evangelicalism and resistance of churches and press of the era - Churches were more concerned about maintaining a "pleasant" sort of Gospel that does not really challenge hearers.
   2. 1860s - Calvinism vs. Arminianism - the challenge of the two extremes of God foreordaining who would and would not be saved and the possibility of losing one's own personal salvation.
   3. Late 1880s - Early 1890s - Down Grade Controversy - The Gospel and Churches were in danger of being watered down by heresy.
   
   Murray describes how Spurgeon confronted these controversies which eventually led to his persecution and opposition by ministers, the press, and other sources. Interestingly, doesn't this sound familiar to what true Gospel preachers and believers around the world experience today? Just food for thought!
   
   Again, "The Forgotten Spurgeon" is not a true biography like the excellent biography Murray produced on Jonathan Edwards. Instead, the title deals more with the controversies Spurgeon faced during his ministry.
   
   Still, an interesting and informative read. Recommended.



4. My good friend, a while back, let me borrow this book, as well as another Murray book on Spurgeon, Surgeon V. Hyper-Calvanism. After finishing that book, I was sold, both on Murray's writing, and on my interest in this 19th century preacher. However, it must be stated, in my opinion, The Forgotten Spurgeon is the weaker of the two books.
   
   Early in this book, Murray makes it clear that this is not an adequate biography, but more like a character study of Charles Spurgeon. Murray looks at the major controversies surrounding Spurgeon's ministry to help to illustrate the kind of man he was, and what kind of theology he held. Reading the pages, it's difficult to believe a so well balanced person existed. He seemed supremely committed to scripture, not necessarily to a theological camp.
   
   Spurgeon is referred to as the `last of the puritans.' He came right at the `end' of the reign of Calvanism in the church and contended passionately for its preeminence. Spurgeon saw many pitfalls and dangers in the rise of liberal theology and Arminianism; in fact, many of those predictions of danger have indeed found their way into the church.
   
   Spurgeon's life is fascinating, inspiring and offers many, many great lessons for the church today. Murray does a good job of communicating many of those lessons and painting a picture that's easy for us to learn from. Unfortunately for myself, it often seemed perhaps more dry than it needed to. During a short series of chapters discussing the `Down-Grade Controversy' it became incredibly difficult for me to keep awake. Constant accounting for denominational discrepancies is a tiresome thing to read, however it still ended with, I believe, an important lesson from Spurgeon.
   
   The Baptist Union at the time was becoming more liberal with its theology, which to Spurgeon, foreshadowed some grave consequences (again, many of which have come to fruition). However, even at the risk of standing completely alone, Spurgeon remained with his conscience. He did not budge from what he believed Scripture to say; he saw loyalty to God and scripture to be the only right loyalty.
   
   All-in-all, I wouldn't recommend the book to a completely casual reader; it requires some set of understood ideas. It will also likely require some level of commitment to get through as some parts seem drudging and hard to follow. If you're interested in Spurgeon or even the grassroots of many of today's major controversies and issues in the church, this book has lots of great information with a usually great articulation.



5. Charles Spurgeon is quoted today in all types of corridors within Christendom. Various statements from within his poetic, powerful, and Christ-centered sermons are lauded by Arminians and Calvinists alike. As a result many today wonder if Spurgeon was a type of third party theologian, devoid of doctrinal controversy and strong theological conviction. Ian Murray aims to bring to light some of the specifics of Spurgeon's life and ministry that have been strangely overlooked:
   
   "The only way to deal with Spurgeon's theology is to accept it or forget it: the latter is what I believe has largely happened in the 20th century. And Spurgeon without his theology is about as distorted as the cheap china figures of Spurgeon which were offered for sale by charlatans more than a century ago."
   
   In The Forgotten Spurgeon Murray interacts with Spurgeon's thought and teaching. The overt aim is not biographical; however, the historical contexts from which these various scenarios arise cannot be avoided. What follows is an informative and interesting survey of one of history's most impactful ministries.
   
   The book is centered on three major controversies in Spurgeon's ministry.
   
   The first was during Spurgeon's younger years and centered upon his dealing with a diluted gospel message. Spurgeon's Calvinism sparked outrage among the religious as they had thought such theology was already laid to rest. His popularity only served to fuel this controversy.
   
   The second controversy sprang forth from a sermon that he did on Baptismal Regeneration in 1864. This resulted in a prolonged debate on matters outside of just the role of baptism with respect to salvation.
   
   Finally, Spurgeon encountered, in his later years, what was called the Down-Grade movement. This effort to dilute the gospel of its heavenly distinctiveness served to consume the elder Spurgeon until his death at age 57.
   
   The truth of the matter is that Spurgeon was embroiled in controversy from the day he began preaching. His messages were biblical and so therefore theological. This, along with his corresponding popularity, caused a significant reaction by those around him. The Forgotten Spurgeon is a helpful book in restating the record and helping us to see Spurgeon as more than a happy, soul-winning, quote machine. He was a pastor, a preacher, an ambassador for Christ, and so therefore, a defender of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5 comments about How to Preach without Notes.

1. This is a recommended text of a family member. This was recommended as a good text to use in writing both sermons and research papers. This is a pretty good text. It comes from the old school method of training Preachers. It does a good job with basic Sermonoloy and Homelitics.



2. This is a short but powerful book on the creation of sermons. The reader learns about different types of sermons, the source material for sermons, the mechanics of studying for a sermon, how to create a filing system for sermon preparation, the different appeals of sermons, 16 sermons, and much more.
   
   As a layman who gets the opportunity to speak and preach regularly this book has helped to give me teaching a training since I did not go to seminary. If you want to learn basic homiletics and read some example sermons then this is the book for you.



3. Kohler's marvelous book has been my main guide to building expository sermons since I purchased my copy in 1970. The following chapter titles are indicative of its impressive contents: The Scriptural Conception of Preaching, The Primary of Expository Preaching, The Advantages of Preaching without Notes, Homiletical Devices, The Steps to Preparing an Expository Sermon, The Analysis of the Scripture Passage, The Heart of the Sermon. Structural Components, The Way to Note Free Preaching, The Way to Perennial Freshness, The Basic Appeals of Biblical Preaching, The Minister's Vocabulary, and The Systematic Filing of Materials. A minister who uses Kohler's book to guide him in building expository sermons from the Word of God will experience an ever growing power in the pulpit.



4. The book has great contents especially the first half, because the author deals with the dynamics of preaching. I guess he says that preaching is good only when the pulpit affects the pews. I agree, I would not want to hear preaching if the speaker had no point to get across in the power of God.



5. Though a good resource for sermon preparation, I found little on how to preach without notes. The book should have been entitled "how to develop a sermon". I felt the title betrayed the contents of the book. If you are looking for a source on sermon prepartion, this is a good one. It gives little, however, on how to actually preach without notes.

5 comments about 20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid To Touch.

1. Tony Campolo is right on the money. People who criticize him do not want to hear that their sins are just as repulsive to God as homosexuality. Dr. Campolo talks about other subjects such as women ministers,public schools, should Christians kill, and is it OK to be rich?

   As far as homosexuality and AIDS. Dr. Campolo states that homosexualility is no worse than any other sin, especially the sin of adultery. To say AIDS is a special punishment from God for homosexuality disgraces the character of God. As Tony Campolo says if God uses illness to punish sin then we will ALL be in the hospital. Dr. Campolo urges Christians to reach out to the homosexual community and the people with AIDS with love.

   Another topic was women ministers. He felt it was hypocritical to allow women to be ministers over seas but deny them the right to be ordained ministers in this country. Dr. Campolo states that there are many women with very strong ministries. DR. Campolo states that the passasge in scripture in which Paul says women should be quite in church was a reference to women who would use the church to speak out against their husbands. Also, Greco-Roman society was highly male dominate, therefore having women ministers may prevent people from joining the church. This is not the situation today.

   Another controversial issue is pulling the plug on terminally ill patients. Dr.Compolo staes that it wrong to keep the body alive my artificial means. One such case are people that are declared brain dead. When the brain stops functioning the body stops functioning.These people are only kept alive by machines. Another case are people who are only kept alive by machines that are fully conscious. Dr. Campolo tells of a wife of a friend who had a disease that made some of her vital organs inoperative. She was in extreme pain and the pain medicine was not working. Without modern medicine she would have died anyway. He is not saying modern medicine is bad, but if these machines are the only thing that is keeping people alive,who are in extreme pain, at a great expense then these machines should be turned off and let nature take its course. He does not condone mercy killing or euthanasia. Dr. campolo is saying that when the body ceases to function naturally and the body is kept alive artificially then the patient and the patient's family has the right to turn of the machines.

   I agree with Tony Campolo. Conservative Christians do not like to hear that they are equal sinners to homosexuals. Their sin is also mentioned in the Bible and is equally offensive to God. Tony Campolo is asking people to reach out to others with love and without judgement.




2. While I do not agree with all of the author's opinions, I found the book to be insightful and thought-provoking. This book is NOT the same old same old. No. The author has original thoughts on almost every subject covered, and after reading the book and after careful, meditative reflection I have changed my opinions in a couple of areas.
   
   On Homosexuality: Dr. Campolo DOES agree that the Bible maintains that homosexuality is a sin. He is clear. But he believes that someone with a homosexual orientation can refrain from engaging in sinful acts and be acceptable to God and a good Christian. Is this any different than someone with a bad temper submitting himself to God and striving to exercise self-control? Many of today's churches are accepting of remarriage after divorce (something that Jesus addressed)yet hold homosexuals in contempt (a subject that Jesus did not address). They protest in the streets against state recognized homosexual marriages without thinking twice (or even once) about divorce and remarriage. Is it any wonder why homosexuals think we hate them? Perhaps Romans 5:8 is missing in some of our Bibles.



3. Regardless of one's opinion of Tony Campolo, one has to admit Campolo is not afraid to speak his mind.
   
   In "20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid To Touch", Campolo takes on some of the most difficult issues confronting contemporary Christianity.
   
   Some of the issues addressed from the chapter titles include "Are Evangelicals Too Pro-Israel" and "Where Does A Single Woman Over 30 Go To Get Rid Of Loneliness?"
   
   Some of Campolo's comments are insightful such as those realizing that singleness is as ordained of God as marriage.
   
   Other comments reveal a serious misunderstanding as to the fundamental nature of human nature.
   
   In the chapter dealing with homosexuality, Campolo suggests that Evangelicals grant a blessing to celibate gays living together.
   
   But humanly speaking, will any relationship between romantically attracted adults living under the same roof remain celibate for long?
   
   Even among Christians, one reason for disinterest in the church is its failure to address the concerns the day.
   
   If nothing else, even despite his errors, Campolo's text should spark interesting Sunday school debates or riveting rejoinders from the pulpit.
   
   by Frederick Meekins



4. Tony Campolo is right on the money. People who criticize him do not want to hear that their sins are just as repulsive to God as homosexuality. Dr. Campolo talks about other subjects such as women ministers,public schools, should Christians kill, and is it OK to be rich?
   As far as homosexuality and AIDS. Dr. Campolo states that homosexualility is no worse than any other sin, especially the sin of adultery. To say AIDS is a special punishment from God for homosexuality disgraces the character of God. As Tony Campolo says if God uses illness to punish sin then we will ALL be in the hospital. Dr. Campolo urges Christians to reach out to the homosexual community and the people with AIDS with love.
   
   Another topic was women ministers. He felt it was hypocritical to allow women to be ministers over seas but deny them the right to be ordained ministers in this country. Dr. Campolo states that there are many women with very strong ministries. DR. Campolo states that the passasge in scripture in which Paul says women should be quite in church was a reference to women who would use the church to speak out against their husbands. Also, Greco-Roman society was highly male dominate, therefore having women ministers may prevent people from joining the church. This is not the situation today.
   
   Another controversial issue is pulling the plug on terminally ill patients. Dr.Compolo staes that it wrong to keep the body alive my artificial means. One such case are people that are declared brain dead. When the brain stops functioning the body stops functioning.These people are only kept alive by machines. Another case are people who are only kept alive by machines that are fully conscious. Dr. Campolo tells of a wife of a friend who had a disease that made some of her vital organs inoperative. She was in extreme pain and the pain medicine was not working. Without modern medicine she would have died anyway. He is not saying modern medicine is bad, but if these machines are the only thing that is keeping people alive,who are in extreme pain, at a great expense then these machines should be turned off and let nature take its course. He does not condone mercy killing or euthanasia. Dr. campolo is saying that when the body ceases to function naturally and the body is kept alive artificially then the patient and the patient's family has the right to turn of the machines.
   
   I agree with Tony Campolo. Conservative Christians do not like to hear that they are equal sinners to homosexuals. Their sin is also mentioned in the Bible and is equally offensive to God. Tony Campolo is asking people to reach out to others with love and without judgement.
   
   There are a few issues I do not agree with but generally I support what he says
   
   
   



5. This book was insightful, but most of it was just Campolo's opinions with very little evidence to back his claims. It is very thought provoking, and I would recommend it as he has some interesting logic applied to many subjects that are ignored in the Christian community. While I agree with most of it, there are a couple areas I have that are of some concern.
   
   1. This book was written in 1988. The studies he used to back his reasons that women should stay at home with their children are now out of date. We know now that they are true, but only under very specific circumstances where the parents show little involvement and/or the daycare is not a very good one. There are better, more modern studies that show a complex relationship between the welfare of a child, daycare, and parental involvement. I also found this chapter to be very rambly and not very well reasoned. He basically says education prepares a woman for a career, nobody supports her, fathers should take a more active role, oh, well. Stay home anyways. He also talks about a biological connection of which there is no proof. This, however, was the worst chapter.
   
   2.A couple more of the chapters, such as the one about single women over 30, he basically says there is a problem and the church should do more, but he does not offer any real, good solutions. (He has them, but they are kind of flimsy.) I don't think he should have included a chapter in a book that he didn't have any solid ideas for. If he only talked about 10 or 15 "hot potatoes" and had some really good insight on those, it would have been a better book.
   
   I really like Campolo as a speaker. I am going to read another one of his books and give him another chance. Like I said, it was a thought provoking book, but don't expect greatness.

3 comments about Further Still: A Collection of Poetry and Vignettes (Moore, Beth).

1. You can't go past Beth Moore for her candid writing which is so refreshing. She doesn't tell us what to do from a lofty ground above us, but shares her struggles and insights, inviting us to learn from that.
   
   I am on a quest to purchase all her books as she has never failed me yet.
   
   She inspires, encourages, entertains, reminds and gently reprimands through her excellent writing.



2. This book is a wonderful continuation of Things Pondered. Beth Moore never fails to make me laugh and cry all at the same time. This book would make a terrific gift.



3. This collection of Beth Moore's poetry is great. I bought two and gave them as gifts at a Women's retreat. They were loved by all.

5 comments about Don't Just Stand There, Pray Something: The Incredible Power of Intercessory Prayer.

1. Ron Dunn has made such a tremendous compilation of truth from scripture and through what was his own amazing journey, on the power of the praying Believer. As a Christian who struggles with this topic often it has been a much needed, simple to read, breath of fresh air. I recommend this book to everyone, not just those like myself who struggle with prayer. Again, it is very easy to read and understand.



2. I happened on this book when I was dealing with a particularly bad patch in my life and it gave me the courage to pray and have faith that things can change, and they did!. The book isn't "preachy" at all, but is lively and enjoyable. I was saddened to hear of Mr. Dunn's passing a few years ago. He certainly made an impact on my life through his work.



3. This book is phenomenal. I've read a lot of books - GOOD books - about prayer. This tops the list. Ronald Dunn lays out prayer principles in a logical way that is easy to understand and to follow, and which has a solid foundation in the Word of God. He writes in a way that makes it easy to believe that prayer is real and works, AND that anyone can do it. He shows throughout the book that God want us to pray, but He also wants to answer us. Many people forget about that second half of the equation. He gives us reasons why we should pray - about anything and everything - and why God not only wants it but requires it of us before He will move in a specific situation.
   
   This book will be instrumental to anyone who wishes to grow in their relationship with God and in their prayer life. I've already read it three times and found new nuggets of wisdom and understanding each time. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have - and grow in - an effective prayer ministry.



4. This IS a great book. I've read books on prayer...good books, but this focuses on intercessory prayer. I checked this out of my church library, but have to have my own copy so I can highlight, etc. I can't add anything else. The other reviewers have said it all.



5. This book has been so helpful to my prayer life. It has broadened my understanding, deepened my respect, and aided in the fruitfulness of my prayer life. I believe prayer is foundational to our relationship with the body of Christ and Jesus as our Lord. Reading this book has been like spending time with a wise elder who desires to assist the walk of fellow brothers and sisters. I can't recommend this book highly enough. God bless.

5 comments about Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership.

1. Mark Dever is a man of passion for the truth of Scripture. His book 9 MARKS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH is well worth reading for every disciple of Jesus. His website www.9marks.org is a great resource for churches that desire to be Spirit-led instead of market-driven as many churches in the United States are today. This book will aid in that search as well.
   
   The book explores what the Bible says about leadership in the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles. Dever shows how the early church was elder led rather than the Western model of one single pastor (Senior Pastor, Lead Pastor, etc.) leading the Church. Dever shows how this model best fits into Scripture and further will better serve the Church and help safeguard the Church from becoming a one-man show.
   
   The positives of this book are that Dever is passionate that every teaching be based on the Word of God (1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 2:1). He rightly believes that the Bible must guide us into how God wants His Church to be set up. He further stays true to the Bible in regard to the role of elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). He correctly shows that the Apostles established the churches around the Lordship of Jesus as the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:15-20) and that the elders were to be simply one of the brethren and not over the brethren (1 Peter 5:1-5).
   
   The only negative I have of the book is that while the book focused on the biblical role of elders, it failed to show that the modern pastorate has no basis in Scripture. Elders were the pastors (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Peter 5:1-4). There was no division between the two roles that I see in the New Testament. Further, Dever should have built a strong case that the modern pastorate robs God of His glory with its titles and positions of power rather than biblical leadership that reflects servanthood and humility like our King (Matthew 20:20-28; John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:1-11).
   
   Overall this is a solid book on church leadership and I highly recommend it.



2. Phil Newton, Pastor of South Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, has provided the church with an exceptional study on the biblical basis, historical background, and practical outworking of eldership in congregational church settings. Many books have been written on elders in recent years - Alexander Strauch's Biblical Eldership and Gene Getz' Elders and Leaders being among the best - but the unique contribution of Newton's book is its grounding in baptistic church polity. Newton explores the implementation of elders in Baptist churches, not Brethren or Bible churches (the respective denominational backgrounds of Strauch and Getz). For pastors in Baptist churches, this will make Elders in Congregational Life an excellent and especially helpful companion to these other two helpful studies.
   
   Newton divides his book into three parts. Part one, "Why Elders?" begins by answering "Why Baptist Elders Is Not an Oxymoron" (chapter one). The author here explores elder plurality in both American and English Baptist history, with numerous brief quotations from historic Baptist confessions and church leaders. His conclusion is the same as John Piper's whom he quotes: "The least we can say from this historical survey of Baptist Confessions is that it is false to say that the eldership is unbaptistic. On the contrary, the eldership is more baptistic than its absence, and its disappearance is a modern phenomenon that parallels other developments in doctrine that make its disappearance questionable at best."
   
   Chapter two, "Elders in the New Testament", covers ground that will be familiar to students of Scripture, especially those who have read other books on elders. The three biblical terms applied to elders (presbuteros, episkopos, poimen) are discussed in their Scriptural contexts. A case is made for the plurality of elders. And the duties and responsibilities of elders are described under the fourfold list of doctrine, discipline, direction, and distinction in modeling the Christian life.
   
   The third chapter addresses "Character and Congregationalism," giving special emphasis to the biblical qualifications for elders, the need for both elders and deacons, and how a plural eldership should function within a congregational church.
   
   Part two, "Three Key Biblical Texts", is more expository and sermonic in nature with three chapters which deal with Acts 20:17-31 (Chapter Four: "A Model for Our Times), Hebrews 13:17-19 (Chapter Five: "Elders and Congregation in Concert"), and 1 Peter 5:1-1-5 (Chapter Six: "Spiritual Leaders for God's Flock"). The chapters not only teach the biblical basis for eldership, but also apply biblical exhortations to both pastors/elders and congregations. A key paragraph from chapter six, which summarizes well the Baptist/congregational view of eldership presented in this book, reads: "We [the church Newton pastors] differ from our friends in the Presbyterian General Assembly and Bible Churches who put final authority in the hands of the local session of elders or submit to a presbytery outside of the local church. In contract, the final authority on matters of our church life resides in the congregation. But the functioning of a purely congregational system is both unwieldy and lacking biblical support. Instead, the establishment of a body of elders to serve in day-to-day leadership in spiritual matters, serving at the pleasure of the congregation, enables us to maintain both the traditional distinctive of congregational life and the clearly biblical structure of elders" (97).
   
   Part three of the book, "From Theory to Practice," is especially valuable in providing practical and tangible steps for transitioning a more "traditional" church polity to eldership. Chapter seven, "Thinking About Transition to Eldership," begins the discussion with appropriate cautions about transitioning and then spotlights three churches as case studies in which this transition has been made: First Baptist Church of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, under the leadership of Jeff Noblit, Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D. C., under the leadership of Mark Dever, and Newton's own church in Memphis.
   
   Chapter eight then asks "Can it Be Done?" answering with a resounding yes - and then showing the way. The transitioning process is broken down into three phases: the evaluation phase, the presentation phase, and the implementation phase. Each of these phases is then broken down into smaller steps. During the evaluation phase, the pastor must assess (the current leadership and polity of the church), study (the Scriptures - with a leadership group), probe (give members of this team assignments, don't just spoon-feed), and summarize (the group's conclusions for the whole church). Then comes the presentation phase, which will involve exposition (of Scripture to the entire congregation, with careful and patient teaching on the biblical basis for eldership), discussion (with the members of the congregation, giving them ample opportunity to both comprehend and buy into the vision for change), and heavy emphasis on qualifications. Finally, the implementation phase is reached, involving prayer, screening of potential candidates, ordaining elders to service, involving those elders in leadership, and reviewing the biblical teaching on elders on an annual basis.
   
   Finally, chapter nine, "Putting It All Together", addresses the nitty-gritty concerns of how the elders' authority works, what role the "senior pastor" has, the concept of "ruling" elders, the question of church staff members as elders, the relationship between elders and deacons, the conducting of elders' meetings and congregational meetings, and elders' terms of service and dismissal. The final pages of the book acknowledge that some readers will not be persuaded that the view of eldership presented in this book is correct. And a helpful exhortation is joined with that acknowledgement: "Whatever type of leadership structure you embrace, by all means determine to raise the standards for leaders to match the biblical requirements. Failure of leaders to meet those requirements is the greatest deficiency in church leadership!" (153) Adding to the book's usefulness is a foreword by Mark Dever, thorough notes and documentation of the sources used in the book, a two page bibliography for further reading on elders (with numerous links to on-line resources), a Scripture index, and a subject index.
   
   As a pastor who is in the midst of leading a Baptist church through the transition to the kind of Baptistic and congregational eldership as described in this book, I found Newton's book helpful and encouraging. His exegesis of Scripture is solid, and much in line with some of the other resources already available. But especially valuable are his reflections on how to make the transition from a more traditional form to eldership. He is honest enough to acknowledge the challenges he and his own church faced, which give the book a flavor of realism often missing from books on church leadership that present neatly packaged plug-in-and-play models that are much easier to sell than implement. But best of all, Newton's presentation is really nothing more than clear biblical instruction.



3. Mr.Newton offers a scholarly defence of the agrgument for plurality of eldership in the church.His arguments are backed by strong Boblical cross references and historical as well as pragmatic evidence.



4. An important look at the Biblical model of a plurility of elders within the contest of a congregational government. Often missed and seldom faithfully followed today. Complete with some practical how-to suggestions. Highly recommended.



5. Elders in Congregational Life is a must read for any pastor or concerned lay person who is in a protestant church thinking about church government. Newton does a superb job of laying out the biblical position for a plurality of elders and then he gives practical insight into how one goes about the process! This is pure gold for a young pastor at an established church, or a more seasoned minister thinking through what the bible says about church polity. Buy multiple copies and give them away to people in your church!

4 comments about Heart of the Problem: How to Stop Coping and Find the Cure for Your Struggles.

1. Do you want to learn how to cope with a problom or would you rather find a solution to your problem? If you are searchng for real answers on how to live in this very busy and hectic world you need to read this book. Dr. Brandt will give you wonderful insights on how we can live life to the fullest.



2. This book is great in cutting through all of the psychobabble, helping us get to "The Heart of the Problem", and discovering God's powerful life-changing solutions from the Bible. This book is not secular psychotherapy with a thin veneer of scripture, it is scripturally based from the beginning. I use it as a workbook for those I counsel with great success. I have never heard anything but praise for this book from anyone who has used it. It is worth far more than the current price!



3. Apart from the Bible, this workbook is the best tool available to show people how to know Christ and how to live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit. It teaches people what sin is and how to deal with it. I have used this book for 20+ years with individuals and groups and it is the best tool I have found to help people live the victorious Christian life.



4. When a person first starts through this workbook there is a temptation to think that it's mostly about Henry Brandt and his advice. However, careful and thoughtful study, coupled with the workbook questions and activities by Kerry Skinner, can bring about realization and permanent changes in the reader's life. I believe this book is carefully written and the stories and scripture can be used by the Spirit to expose area(s) of our life that require repentance and not just relief. I have personally found this book to be a very effective help when dealing with a difficult situation.

No comments about Witness to the Truth.

5 comments about Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. This book was about a big part of our United States History. It was about Civil Rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was a big Civil Rights activist in the 1960's. I learned quite a bit about Martin Luther Kings's life that I did not know before I had read this book.
   Martin Luther King was one of the most important people of our country's history. He fought for African-Americans Civil Rights. He was a very determined man, who was alwyas put into jail numerous times for his "peaceful protests". He had given several speeches as well. The author of this book is Stephen B. Oates. He is a good writer, who has written 16 books.He has also won many literary prizes such as the Christopher Award. This book is very well written. He clearly tells the story as if he had experienced it. His strenghts include: Getting actual quotes from the people that were important in this time, having pictures of Mr. King and others, and having footnotes that explained the story more in depth. I can not think of many weaknesses that he has. However, the book was long but I did not expect it to be short due to the importance of the topic. I would reccomend this book to many people. The reason why is because it tells you in depth stories about Martin Luther King Jr. and his life, but it does have profanity and innappropriate content for young children. All in all, this was a very good biography and taught me many things.



2. Stephen Oates writes a masterful biography of one of the pivotal figures of the twentieth century. Today we view Martin Luther King Jr. as a saint, and a model of what the human spirit can achieve. In his day, he was viewed by many in the South with fear, hatred and loathing.

   It is easy to view this situation in hindsight, and assume that everyone was just ignorant. Oates writes of the complex history, the battles within and outside "the movement" and how divided the nation was at the time. Oates also does not shirk away from many of Martin Luther King's personal weaknesses. In this sense, he humanizes the great leader, instead of canonizes him.

   In the end, I am left with three conclusions:
   1 - Martin Luther King Jr. indeed found a way to overcome hatred with love, and in doing so helped America avoid a race war.
   2 - The message of civil rights was both religeous and personal. Despite today's views of the right being the party of religeon, in his day the southern liberal movement was galvanized in the church.
   3 - Despite this, he was a flawed individual. His human weakness does not diminish his accomplishment.

   The book is not light reading. Read it. Let it soak in. And comprehend.




3. As a student activist during my college years, I was introduced to this book by one of many mentors. They said that this was a detailed account of how Dr. King and his soldiers pushed forward their agenda for change in America. It was more than that. It was a powerful testament of the conviction of Dr. King and the gameplan for dealing with racist America. He did not work alone but his analysis of each situation proved to be very timely and accurate. Later on, of course, his effectiveness lost a little of its punch but you can not change the success that came from his branch of the Movement. Stephen Oates so elequently noted the techniques and strategies used during the turbulant sixties. It gave me information on how to handle the media, the powers that be, other members of my allies and prepare for possible backstabbers. That was my reason for reading the book. However, I got SSSOOO much more.
   
   Martin Luther King Jr. was a revolutionary. His faith in God was the driving force behind in nonviolent stance. His studies of Gandhi and Martin Luther further solidified his position. Destined for greatness from the time of his birth, MLK was always preparing himself (and being prepared) for that big moment. He was intelligent, charismatic and thorough in approach to segregation. A family man, a minister, a scholar and an activist. This book is a good starting point for not just learning about King but understanding him. He IS (not was) bigger than "I Have A Dream", bigger than boycotts, bigger than nonviolence. Thanks to Oates and this masterpiece, he can be celebrated for what he was, an instrument of change and the Prince of Peace.



4. For many of us, the Civil Rights era happened when we were too young to understand. This is a good overview of the man and his times. Many people who were just names before, became people to me.
   
   Although, I believe King made some serious mistakes, I understand for the first time why he should have a national holiday. I had no idea he was such an impressive person. Keep in mind, this book was written by a serious historian; not just someone who wished to canonize King.



5. MLK was indeed a brilliant man. I first purchased this book while in college. My Social Science prof was allowing us to debate whether or not MLK's birthday should be a national holiday. I chimed in with "aw, what'd he do besides march and give speeches?" The prof looked at me and very quietly said "He changed the country." That got me wondering .... how'd he do that? What did he change?
   
   After reading the book i was forever changed. The book did not gloss over his human frailties. On the contrary, it's a frank portrait of MLK the man, not MLK the angel. His human frailties can never diminish his extraordinary achievements in that most noble of professions- leadership.
   
   Ghandi gave his nation the gift of enduring equality. Lincoln gave his nation the gift of civil peace. MLK gave his nation both.
   
   Let the trumpet sound!