When it comes to Bible study, the English speaking church is truly blessed with a glut of materials. And Bible study helps come in almost every shape and size: simple books with application for laymen, heavy tomes with detailed exegesis of the Greek for scholars, and everything in between. In the God’s Word For You series from The Good Book Company, we find a unique balance. Each book in the series is attractively designed and emphasizes that the book aims to unveil God’s Word for the ordinary reader. The books aim to help believers read the Biblical text, grow in grace as they learn to feed on God’s Word, and also to equip Bible study leaders and various church teachers with a helpful analysis of the text with an eye to application.
Timothy Keller, one of my favorite authors, gives us a gospel-centered look at the book of Judges, in Judges For You. I was repeatedly struck by how applicable the stories in Judges are to the church today. Keller avoids an allegorical reading of the text just as much as he shuns a scholastic handling of it. He sees the Messiah in the types found in Judges, and points out how Judges always leaves us looking for a better king, a better judge, a more complete savior. There is a transition from the entire tribe of Judah fighting for Israel in the first chapters, to the solitary savior, Samson at the end. In every way Christ is the greater David, who fulfills Judges expectation in ways that David, whose story follows on the heels of Judges, never could.
Keller has an eye to challenging aspects of the text for today’s readers. He provides an appendix for how to handle the concept of “holy war” in Scripture. And he purposefully points out how Israel’s common sin of idolatry relates to similar idolatrous sins we find in today’s culture and even in the church. Each chapter includes two sets of discussion questions, and can be broken into two lessons if needed.
I listened to the christianaudio version of this book, and it worked well as a devotional read on the way to and from work each day. The chapters build on each other but can be read individually. The narration at first was hard to adjust to. The reader, Maurice England, has a strong southern drawl, and his accent was distracting at first. Perhaps it was more distracting because it contrasts so sharply with Tim Keller’s voice which I was imagining in my head when listening to the book. In time, the narration grew on me and I warmed up to England’s voice. I also own the hardback book, and notice that there are only a few things you miss out on with the audio-book. There is one big map in the appendix, as well as a couple diagrams which are not in the audio-book. Additionally, the audio-book does not attempt to include the glossary feature of the book (words in gray font in the text are defined in the glossary at the back of the book).
I highly recommend this series, and am looking forward to picking up additional titles. If each is as gospel-focused as this title, the series will be a boon to the church.
SPECIAL: From now through the end of February, you can pick up any of the books in this series from christianaudio at a 50% discount.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by ChristianAudio.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.
Book Details:
• Author: Kevin DeYoung
• Category: General Christian Interest
• Book Publisher: Crossway (2013)
• Page Count: 128
• Audio Publisher: christianaudio (2013)
• Audio Length: 3 hours
• Read by: Adam Verner
• Format: audiobook
• ISBN: 9781433533389
• List Price: $11.99
• Rating: Highly Recommended
Blurbs:
“A great book for the stressed-out. DeYoung shows that Jesus was busy and Christians should be busy discipling nations, parenting children, and bearing burdens. He rightly differentiates that from ‘crazy busy,’ a frenzied trying to please some and control others—and he shows how biblical rhythms and trust in God’s providence can keep us sane. Also a great book for parents who live in a Kindergarchy, over-programming their children: DeYoung says let them play, because it’s not easy either to ruin them or to assure their success.”
—Marvin Olasky, Editor in Chief, World News Group
“Busy, hectic lives are the bane of the modern world. This book is not profound; rather it simply offers a lot of that most unfashionable commodity—common sense. DeYoung exposes the nature of busyness, the various ways in which it deludes us, and offers some basic advice on what to do about it. A fine, short book which deserves a wide readership.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary
Overview:
DeYoung tackles the problem of busyness head on, not as an outside critic, but as one enmeshed in all of the mess that our modern world’s busyness brings. The book covers all angles of its topic from a Christian perspective. DeYoung opens up and shares a look at his own hectic life throughout the book. He shows the dangers of being “crazy busy” and tries to get to the heart of the issue. Why do we allow ourselves to get so busy? It could be pride or panic, a desire to protect our kids or an over-distraction by our electronic devices. Whatever it is, it detracts us from the one thing we must do — make time for Jesus. And while busyness can be bad, it is also something we should expect as followers of Christ. There are things we should be doing — but in proper perspective, priority and order.
Quotable:
“For too many of us, the hustle and bustle of electronic activity is a sad expression of a deeper acedia [or sloth]. We feel busy, but not with a hobby or recreation or play. We are busy with busyness. Rather than figure out what to do with our spare minutes and hours, we are content to swim in the shallows and pass our time with passing the time. How many of us, growing too accustomed to the acedia of our age, feel this strange mix of busyness and lifelessness? We are always engaged with our thumbs, but rarely engaged with our thoughts. We keep downloading information, but rarely get down into the depths of our hearts. That’s acedia—purposelessness disguised as constant commotion.” (p. 82)
Evaluation:
DeYoung’s analysis is helpful and hopeful. He doesn’t promise ten simple steps to cure busyness, but he has done his homework. There are loads of practical pointers and a lot of sane advice. But as a pastor, he takes us beneath the surface problem of busyness to where the real problems lie. As a soul-physician, he cuts with a sharp point — more often than not hitting too close for my comfort. His writing style is engaging and open, humorous and insightful, yet simple and direct. The audiobook I listened to was clear and non-distracting. The format servers for a great use of my commute time, and the nature of the book lent itself well to listening in bite-size chunks to and from work each day.
Recommendation:
This book is a necessary balm for the ills of modern culture. If you find yourself “crazy busy” you really owe it to yourself to carve some time out for this book. If you’re as busy as me, you’ll appreciate the audio version. The book will not wow you with inaccessible and profound wisdom, but it may slap you in the face with common sense realism and a dose of healthy spiritual advice. I highly recommend this book and think it will make a great addition to any New Year’s “to read” list.
To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain, was the first book I’ve read by Matt Chandler. Chandler is a young pastor in Dallas who faced a scary ordeal with a brain tumor, but whose testimony shone through even the darkest days of suffering. Chandler is connected with the Acts 29 church planting network and the Gospel Coalition. I jumped at the chance to read this book, thinking he would open up to some of his own struggles at death’s door. I didn’t find that, but I did find a lot of excellent teaching in a helpful, accessible style.
The book is a Bible study on the book of Philippians, and a masterful one at that. Chandler draws you in to the text, fleshes out helpful context by describing Paul’s mission to Philippi and at one point sketching the entire life story of the Apostle Paul. Chandler can paint a picture well, and he also has a pulse on where the average church attender is, spiritually. His book challenges and woos, it focuses on the Gospel and attacks any kind of legalism, yet he is inviting and encouraging too. He shares a lot of stories, many of his own life and family, but only once does he briefly touch on his struggle with cancer. But that aside, the book is an excellent treatment of perhaps the most loved epistle of Paul.
The Christian Audio version of the book plays nicely, although I missed hearing Chandler’s voice do the reading. Having heard him in person and listened to an mp3 online, his distinctive voice would make the title even more appealing. But the reading is done very well, and easy to listen to. I enjoyed To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain as I drove back and forth to work, and it made for an excellent devotional time as I prepared for my day. In any format, this would make for a great devotional read. The message of Philippians will challenge you to live a joyful, confident Christian life, that doesn’t shrink from declaring the gospel and living a sacrificial life for Christ’s glory, whether we live or die.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by ChristianAudio.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.
Book Details:
• Author: Jeff Goins
• Category: Christian Living
• Book Publisher: Moody Publishers (2013)
• Format: audiobook
• Page Count: 176
• Audio Length: 3.8 hours
• Audio Publisher: Christian Audio
• Read by: the author, Jeff Goins
• ISBN#: 9781610457798
• List Price: $12.98
• Rating: Recommended
Review:
In an age of fast food, instant downloads and on-the-go internet, we are an impatient people. Whether it is the check-out line or the next stage of life, we can’t wait until the next bit thing. Christians have the itch as much as the next guy or girl. And American evangelicalism’s emphasis on spiritual crises and “decisions for Christ” keeps us looking for the next break through or longing for the day when we’ll finally have arrived. Jeff Goins points out that our perspective is flawed. Instead of looking ahead with anticipation or behind with regret, we need to be sure and live our life appreciating all of the moments in-between.
His latest book, The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing fleshes out what it means to wait, and how in every season of life, behind our disappointments and joys, living for Christ involves trusting Him for the small moments where most of our life actually happens. The book is as much Goins’ life story (so far) as it is a detailed study on the subject of waiting. The story is well-written, at times intimate, and always thought-provoking. Ultimately the author succeeds in making much of the in-between.
Listening to the Christian Audio version of the book, I appreciated that it was the author himself, who read the book. As the story surrounded the author’s own escapades, you felt like you got to know him by the end of it. His reading was as smooth and polished as his writing style. Approachable and inviting, humorous at times and above all, real. This is an inspirational read that might just spark a life-transformation — of the smaller, more enduring “in-between” kind.
The book’s biggest fault is by some people’s measure a strength. He appeals to a wide audience through his sparing use of Scripture. This isn’t a Bible study or devotional read, yet it is spiritual and moving all the same. His lesson rings true to Scripture and is worth a hearing.
If you’re looking for a quick yet inspirational read, and if you’re trying to find hope in the midst of disappointment or confusion, this book is for you. Life doesn’t always turn out like we wished or thought it would. But that is what makes it worth living, and what causes us to trust our Lord all the more. Pick up The In-Between, you’ll be glad you did.
Author Info: Jeff Goins was born and raised outside of Chicago. After graduating from Illinois College, he spent a year on the road with a band and was once recognized on the streets of Taipei. An author, speaker, and writing coach, Jeff’s work has been featured on some of the largest blogs in the world. He lives in Franklin, TN with his family. You can find him online at: www.goinswriter.com.
Book Details:
• Authors: Steven Collins and Latayne Scott
• Category: Biblical Archeology
• Book Publisher: Howard Books (2013)
• Format: audiobook
• Page Count: 352
• Audio Length: 9.2 hours
• Audio Publisher: Mission Audio / Christian Audio
• Read by: Sean Runnette
• ISBN#: 9781610457057
• List Price: $24.98
• Rating: Must Read
Review:
Any book with the title Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City promises to be a sensational read. But a book about discovering the biblical city of Sodom must surely be just another crackpot’s wild theory, right? Wrong. Dr. Steven Collins is a veteran archaeologist and he has plenty to say against the crackpots and misguided adventurers whose escapades in the Middle East pose as archaeological discoveries. And while his claim that Sodom has been found is controversial, he does his best not to be overly sensational and claim more than the evidence warrants. Collins is not without his skeptics, but the case he builds, I believe, is painstakingly thorough, and in the end convincing.
I listened to an audio version of this book, read by Sean Runnette, available at ChristianAudio.com. And even without pictures and maps, I was enthralled by the tale. Collins, with the help of co-writer Latayne Scott, a professional writer, uses a variety of literary techniques to make a nearly decade-long project of digging holes in the sand sound interesting and engaging. He walks us through a day in a typical dig, describing the personality types and theological motives (or lack thereof) that people bring to such an undertaking. He uses flashback and personal anecdote, and then puts on his teacher’s hat as he assembles facts about archaeology, dating, and the history of the Levant (the archaeological term for Palestine).
I was struck by Collins’ faith, and how he is unashamed to use the Bible as a source alongside other ancient Near Eastern texts, in his scientific method. And with the Bible being the sole historical record of the city of Sodom, Collins surveys in detail the various aspects of the Biblical record and applies that to his research. His attention to the text with its many geographical details, ultimately is what convinces me that Tall el Hammam in modern-day Jordan, is the site of the biblical Sodom.
Collins makes a convincing argument that Sodom and its sister city Gomorrah was located on the Kikkar, a plain near the Jordan river just to the north of the Dead Sea. And while he doesn’t find mysterious sulfur balls of the kind that lead to wild tales of supposed discovery, he does find an area bereft of any human civilization for 700 years after a sudden fiery end to what was a prominent culture.
There are problems and puzzling sides to his story, however. He defends a date which will not fit with an early date for the Exodus. Anyone familiar with OT evangelical theology should know that the question of dating the Exodus is not as simple as it may seem. Collins dates the fall of Sodom to around 1650 B.C. Now with some work, his date could fit with a late date for the Exodus, as accepted by many scholars. However his own advocacy of a middle date for the Exodus, based on historical synchronisms with the text makes the problem even thornier for Collins himself. In the context of his grappling with the chronology of his finds, he makes what I believe is an important observation. And in this particular case, I believe he may well be right.
Geography trumps chronology when you’re dealing with the ancient Near East and the Bible. That’s because there are a lot of variations in Near Eastern chronologies–with high, middle, and low versions that can vary thirty to fifty years at given points…. By comparison, geography is quite static. With few exceptions, it doesn’t move around…. Again, we begin with the text, and that’s how, using all the geographical markers in the story of Abraham, you invariably find Sodom located in the Kikkar of the Jordan, because that’s what Abraham and Lot saw when they were dividing the land between them. (pg. 130)
He goes on to argue for honorific or symbolic numbers when it comes to the age of the patriarchs, but he also presents alternative views which could reconcile the dating with his find. He argues in the end that we cannot take the Bible “only literally” but must read it “authentically.”
Whether one agrees with his take on biblical chronology or not, you will have to grapple with the impressive geographical evidence that Collins marshals from the text. It is clear that he respects and listens to the Bible’s text, and this very fact makes him a target of liberal scholars for his audacity to believe the Bible’s record could be true. By the end of the book it is clear that Collins isn’t out to make friends but to pursue the truth, and he believes his work has provided concrete evidence bolstering the belief that the Bible’s account of the destruction of Sodom is grounded in historical truth.
Collins explains why others have not looked for Sodom in this locale. It is chiefly due to theories that Sodom was under the Dead Sea or to be found on its southern shores. Ultimately these theories were based less on evidence than on unsubstantiated educated guesses from earlier and still renowned biblical archaeologists. Further data has contradicted the assumption that Sodom was in the barren wasteland of the southern Dead Sea – which was never (during the time of the Biblical Sodom) an Edenic paradise that was to woo Lot to pitch his tent there. And the fact that the Dead Sea is at its lowest depth in the last four thousand years, argues against the idea that the cities are to be found in its depths.
The book ends with the most exciting find of all: pottery shards that are superheated to glass on one side, yet are perfectly normal pottery on the other. The conclusion of experts is that the shards were super heated and then cooled far too rapidly than would be expected by any typical human furnace or heating method known in ancient times. Extensive, independent research compares this to molten sand left over after nuclear experiments and the green glass found in the desert at times due to meteoric events. The best physical explanation is a meteor that burned up in the atmosphere leaving no crater, but still sending a fireball to earth (as in a documented case in Sieberia in the early 1900s). This may very well be concrete proof that the story of Sodom’s fiery demise as recounted in the Bible is true.
Collins hesitates to say more than what science can affirm, but he holds the biblical record to be true by faith. Along the way he presents an excellent example of how to hold true to Scripture and yet still seek to pursue a path of valid scientific inquiry.
The book reads well–mystery and history interwoven with the science of archaeology. It will interest amateur archaeologists and bible geeks, as well as history buffs. It can be understood by high schoolers as well and may spark an interest in biblical archaeology in younger readers.
The audio quality on the ChristianAudio.com recording was superb. Downloading the book in any format is a breeze. And the narrator does an excellent job keeping the story fresh and alive, rather than dull and boring. And kudos to him for pronouncing all the difficult words with ease. A simple search at Amazon will supply many of the charts and maps that are missing in the audio book experience. I am sure you’ll find the audio book as much fun as the hardback version. Of course, like me, you may be enticed to purchase both versions after listening to the audio reading of the book.
Author Info: Dr. Steven Collins is Executive Curator of the Museum of Archaeology and Biblical History, Dean of the College of Archaeology and Biblical History at Trinity Southwest University, and Visiting Professor of Archaeology at Veritas Evangelical Seminary.
Dr. Latayne C. Scott is the author of fourteen published books, including The Mormon Mirage.
When it comes to Bible study, the English speaking church is truly blessed with a glut of materials. And Bible study helps come in almost every shape and size: simple books with application for laymen, heavy tomes with detailed exegesis of the Greek for scholars, and everything in between. In the God’s Word For You series from The Good Book Company, we find a unique balance. Each book in the series is attractively designed and emphasizes that the book aims to unveil God’s Word for the ordinary reader. The books aim to help believers read the Biblical text, grow in grace as they learn to feed on God’s Word, and also to equip Bible study leaders and various church teachers with a helpful analysis of the text with an eye to application.
