Product Reviews
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The Bookends of the Christian Life (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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Anything by Jerry Bridges is worth reading. This is a fantastic book. The "bookends" illustration is brilliant. This book has the potential to build a framework in our minds that will help us believe the Gospel and rely on the Spirit's power. I highly recommend it. |
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Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is an extremely helpful and needed book. I've never heard anyone say these kind of things before.
Basically, the point of the book is that sin and evil (no matter how spectacular) exist ultimately for the glory of Christ. Sin and evil serve God's purposes to make much of Jesus Christ. All things exist for Jesus Christ, including sin. God did not just know that sin would exist, He ordained it in order to fulfill His purposes.
Piper does a fantastic job of proving this Biblically. He leaves no doubt that this is the consistent teaching of God's Word.
Piper's aim is a pastoral one. He seeks to help us to be strong and stable whenever we face spectacular sin and evil in our lives.
He says, "I am writing this book to build a vision of God into our lives that will not let us down in the worst of times" (p. 14). |
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Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ (Puritan Paperbacks) (Paperback)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is a great little meditation on John 6:37. Basically, Bunyan takes this verse a word at a time and draws out implications and observations.
He meditates on:
-the extent of the gift ("all").
-the Person giving the gift ("the Father").
-the importance of the word "giveth" (implies election).
-the Father's intent in giving (in order to save).
-the Son's reception of the gift ("shall come").
-what it means to "come to Christ."
-the importance of the words "to me," "him," "cometh," "in no wise," and "to cast out."
The second half of this book is devoted to pondering 3 of his 8 observations about this verse. He devotes some effort to application.
Bunyan concludes the book like a good Puritan, pleading with sinners to see in Christ beauty worth coming to.
I would highly recommend slowing reading through this book. |
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Growing Up Christian: Have You Taken Ownership of Your Relationship With God?
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This book is a much needed meditation on the unique dangers and blessings of being raised around such precious truth.
Think about it: The blessings of being raised in church are obvious. But the dangers are serious. It is a human tendency to grow disconnected from things that are familiar. Church kids have the huge temptation to neglect these precious truths that they have heard a thousand times.
Karl Graustein serves these church kids well by helping them understand their situation and giving them wise counsel in their fight of faith. Parents, you've got to get this book into the hands of your teenagers. |
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Humility: True Greatness (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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Get this book now. Very few books have helped me as much as this one. The practical suggestions in section 3 are alone worth 10 million dollars. |
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The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin (Paperback)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is a wonderful and rich meditation on the battle against sin. Lundgaard serves us well by laying out the battle plan of the enemy and the power of the gospel. Each chapter contains “questions for reflection” at the end. These questions alone are worth the price of the book because they are well-crafted and penetrating. Here is a book worthy to be studied and treasured in our pursuit of sanctification! |
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The Gospel According to John (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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The best commentary on the Gospel of John. |
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Judges-Ruth (New American Commentary) (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on May 5, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is THE best resource on Ruth. I cannot speak for the Judges portion of this commentary, but the Ruth exposition is second to none. This is the most thorough and clear commentary on Ruth I read, and it is wonderfully Christ-centered! |
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A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love (Paperback)
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By J. Childers on June 6, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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It doesn't get any more helpful than this. If you are serious about preaching the gospel to yourself, this is a must read. Vincent serves us well by pointing us to the benefits of reminding ourselves of the gospel. Consider this a tool to help you in the pursuit to set your mind on things above. |
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One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God (Paperback)
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By J. Childers on June 6, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is a truly great book. Who doesn't want to develop a passion for the beauty of God? Sam Storms helps us by lifting our eyes upward and outward. |
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Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on October 10, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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Tim Keller's newest book is a winner. Counterfeit Gods is a helpful book that addresses an issue most helpful to our sanctification. This book is a great introduction to the subject of idolatry and a helpful resource for identifying the idols of our hearts.
The best aspect of this book is Keller's relentless focus on Christ as our only hope. This is a gospel-saturated book. And, Keller expounds the Scripture in order to expose our idols. Each chapter is a reflection on God's Word that ultimately leads to revealing the glory of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ (Paperback)
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By J. Childers on October 10, 2009
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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This is one of the best new books I've read. This is a good and helpful book that should find a place on your reading list very soon. Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson team up to expose the power of the Cross in helping ourselves and others grow in grace.
They write, "When we lose the centrality of the cross, Christianity morphs into a religion of self-improvement and becomes about us, about our accomplishments, and about getting our act together."
In this book you will find solid Biblical exposition, helpful illustrations, gripping case studies, nitty gritty application, and rich gospel content. If the gospel of Jesus Christ has become stale and boring, you need this book. The authors remind us again and again how Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension relate to everything in our lives.
Get and read this book. You won't be disappointed. |
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Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters (Hardcover)
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By J. Childers on January 1, 2010
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(Christ Baptist Church / Senior Pastor / NC)
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Basically, Dug Down Deep is a defense of theology. Harris argues that the knowledge of God and His Word is essential to growing in the Christian life. He says, "We're either building our lives on the reality of what God is truly like and what he's about, or we're basing our lives on our own imagination and misconceptions" (p. 11).
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