JRF's #42 - Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

This is the book that started a movement in the church local and global to call God's people back to orthodoxy and orthopraxy in the area of adoption, both earthly and heavenly.

I have no doubt that I will look back at the end of my life and see this book as one of the most influential I read.  You may think that you only need to read this book if you are considering adoption.  You would be wrong.

While the entire book is wonderful, I believe the most helpful portion is not the practical wisdom given about earthly adoption.  It is the more foundational section at the beginning about the theology of adoption and its implications for God's children.  After reading this section I share Moore's conviction that the doctrine of adoption has been severely neglected in the modern church.

This book has been amply reviewed by both Mark and Ron here and here.  Seeing these men strive to be faithful to the truths the Gospel as laid out in this book over the past few years has been a great encouragement to me.

This book will change you and change how you see your Heavenly Father.  Read it.

Ron’s #27: Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper

John Piper writes the collection of 30 short essays addressing topics affecting pastors today. Some of them are excellent (“Brothers, Read Christian Biography”; “Brothers, Fight for Your Life”), and some of them are duds (“Brothers, Pray for our Seminaries”). They all capture what we love about John Piper: creative insight, Scripture-based, and passionate pleas pointing us to Christ.

We read this book for our leadership meetings at church this year, taking one chapter to read and discuss. I enjoyed that way of reading this book.

My copy is well underlined, and I’m sure to return to it in the future.

I’m embarrassed to say that the part that I’ll always remember from this book is the fact that the Puritan Richard Sibbes was referred to as “The Sweet Dropper.” Piper never elaborates on why he is called that, or what that even means.

Pure gold.

Ron's #14-20 (I'm back...sort of)

In my third year of reading a book a week, I stumbled. As we adopted our second son in May, I decided that I couldn’t keep up with the reading and writing that this project demands. I’m still reading as much as I can, but it is not as much as I used to or would like. For you who have two or more children, please assure me that I’ll read again! I’m behind, but I’m still trying. Here is a wrap-up of the books I’ve read but have not reviewed. I hope to give longer reviews on upcoming books.

#14: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This was my first time reading this classic. Here is John's review from this site.

#15: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I read this again as I taught through it a second time this year. A wonderful novel with lots to discuss. Here is my former review.

#16: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

I read this Puritan classic as a devotional in the morning. A needed reminder for me to be content in all things.

#17: A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

Read Mark’s excellent review here. I agree that this was one of my best reads so far this year. It’s a must-read.

#18: A Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf

Abortion is not a merely topic over which political parties divide; it is murdering the innocent. The church cannot sit and do nothing about this. Klusendorf outlines important topics to use to think and discuss this pivotal issue. Here is Mark’s review.

#19: The Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips

Check out my friend Dave Steele’s review of this book about God’s call to manhood.

#20: Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson

A great overview of how the Gospel must wake us up from our slumber. We must go beyond merely walking an aisle and coasting throughout our Christian life. If you are like me, chances are you could use this book.

Ron’s #11: Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Here is an excellent primer of Christian theology for the neophyte or the long-time believer. Whoever thinks that theology is dull and stodgy needs to read this work to see that studying the doctrines of God is rich, encouraging, and beautiful.

Read this sometime soon, either alone or with a study group. You will be glad that you did.

I included this book as one of my top ten suggestions to building a Christian library. See the list here.

Ron’s #10: Reckless Abandon by David Sitton

“I conclude that ‘losing my life’ for the gospel is literally impossible because my years on this earth are worth far less than the value of the eternal gospel.”

This sums up well David Sitton’s approach to both missions and to the gospel. Leaving Texas as a young man to the jungles of Papua New Guinea, David brings the gospel of Jesus to those who haven’t heard. He abandons all for something of far greater worth.

Reckless Abandon satisfies in giving a glimpse of what a radical life yields, as well as reading how God moves throughout the world. This is an encouraging book to read.

Ron’s #47: Spectacular Sins by John Piper

Have you ever asked God why he allows evil in the world? Why is Satan allowed to reign?

For those familiar with John Piper’s writing, you already know that all of his books explore how God does all things for his glory. This book takes that same theme to look how even the evil in the world is used to glorify Jesus Christ in some way, without God being culpable for that sin. God is so big and glorious that all things work for good in some mysterious way.

Piper mainly looks at key evils in the Bible: Satan’s fall, Adam’s disobedience, the tower of Babel, Joseph’s casting off by his brothers into slavery, Israel asking for an earthly king, Satan entering Judas, and the murder of Jesus. As a commentary, this book is an excellent tool at showing unity of Scripture, and pointing all things to Jesus.

I do feel that the book stopped too soon, as I would have liked to see how Piper would handle how the sins and evils of the world today are “spectacular sins.” He alludes to it in his excellent introduction (in my opinion, the strongest section of the book). Our church services today pamper us away from pain and suffering, as if those cannot be used of God for His glory.

Consider this book as a powerful beginning to this difficult and important problem.