The Gospel Commission, Recovering God’s Strategy for Making Disciples, by Michael Horton (Grand Rapids: Baker Books: 2011), 316 pp. paper $16.99.
Previously, Horton has written extensively on the central message of Christianity, Christ and the gospel. In Christless Christianity and The Gospel-Driven Life Horton challenged the diluted messages increasingly replacing biblical teachings and focused on what the Scriptures actually proclaim. In this sequel, Horton turns to the central mission of the church and demonstrates how “mission […]
Worship: The Ultimate Priority, by John MacArthur (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012), pp. 192, cloth $14.99
John MacArthur’s new book is a rewrite of his classic from thirty years ago. Though evangelical worship has degenerated further since then, he did not have to change much of the text; no doubt, due to its solid biblical basis to begin with. More importantly, his theme that a believer’s whole life should be an […]
What Is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom and the Great Commission by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), pp. 283, paper $10.00
The authors contend that determining the mission of the church “is the most confusing, most discussed, most energizing, and most potentially divisive issue in the evangelical church today” (p. 25). Scot McKnight claims that recent interest in social justice, or what he calls missional “represents the biggest shift in evangelicalism in the last century” (p. […]
New Evangelicalism by Paul Smith. Costa Mesa: Calvary Publishing, 2011, 215 pp. paper $12.00
Paul Smith is one of the original founders and leaders of the Calvary Chapel Movement, in my opinion the most doctrinally sound and biblically oriented of the charismatic/Pentecostal organizations. In this book Smith is not bashful about presenting his and Calvary Chapel’s theological distinctives which include: the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, salvation by faith […]
Whatever Happened to the Gospel by David Nicholas. Bloomington, IN: Crossbooks, 2010. 148 pp. paper $13.95.
David Nicholas, longtime pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Florida, is concerned about how the gospel is presented, especially in pastoral preaching. He calls his approach the Bad News/Good News and insists that both must be presented clearly, and in detail, in every sermon. The author’s gospel presentation is clear and biblical. He […]
Worship in Song, A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship, by Scott Aniol, Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2009. 281 pp. paper, $17.99.
Scott Aniol, who serves as the executive director of Religious Affections Ministries, writes this book for two reasons: first, to distinguish between secular music, that might be appropriate for everyday use, and sacred music, especially in the context of the church gathered; second, “Newer generations are increasingly rejecting conventional arguments for a conservative music philosophy.” […]
The Glory Due His Name: What God Says About Worship by Gary Reimers. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2009. 100 pp. $9.95
The Glory Due His Name by Gary Reimers is a welcome addition to the Bob Jones University Seminary “Biblical Discernment for Difficult Issues” series. Gary Reimers is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, and a professor of theology at Bob Jones University Seminary. Reimers teaches worship theology to both undergraduate ministerial […]
Perspectives on Family Ministry–3 Views edited by Timothy Paul Jones
For decades throughout North America the emphasis in youth ministry has been on numbers, excitement and fun. But more and more church leaders have come to recognize that such an emphasis does not develop disciples. As a result the current conversation centers on how we must structure our ministries so that our children grow up […]
Family Integraded Church by J. Mark Fox
I believe this book is mistitled. Rather than a detailed study of how to structure and run a family-integrated local church, Fox has given us a chronicle of the history and philosophy of the church he has pastored for 18 years. To be sure, one of the key components of Antioch Community Church is the […]
Transitioning by Dan Southerland
Transitioning has been a popular book since the beginning of the 21st century, detailing how a church can transition from a traditional to a purpose-driven model and thus experience phenomenal growth and success (p. 151). Transitioning is a simplified version of Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Church with a heavy dose of Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God […]