Book Review: “Jesus is _________________.” by Judah Smith

I’ll be honest. There are four reasons why I wasn’t expecting much out of this book: (1) The title and subtitle. The blank in the title kind of scared me. Does this mean he is going to promote Jesus as whatever you want/need Him to be? And the subtitle? “Find a New Way to Be Human”? I don’t think people need a find a new way to be human; I think people need to be saved! (2) I looked at Judah’s picture on the back and googled his name and saw a couple of other pictures of him and my first impression is that he was one of those “cool” hipster pastors who spent more time contemplating his wardrobe than meditating on God’s truths. (3) Foreword by Bubba Watson, 2012 Masters Champion. I prefer “Foreword by J. I. Packer” if that tells you anything. I tend to roll my eyes at a pro athlete endorsing a book on Christology. (4) Based on the above, and probably throw in a little bit of my impression of the colorful design of the book, and I was fully expecting something shallow and surface-level.

I was wrong. I was completely caught off guard by the power of this book. Sure, there were times when I wished Smith would have provided a little more theological precision and clarity, especially regarding the depravity of man. But that didn’t keep me from drinking in the fresh and clear ways in which Smith communicated the love and grace of God. 1st John 4:16 says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” In this book, Judah Smith has certainly helped train my eye on God’s love for me.

If you are someone who wasn’t ever loved well, or if you were raised in an environment which was legalistic and rigid, filled with rules, or if you simply struggle to believe that God could truly love someone who has sinned so much, I urge you to get this book and soak in it’s refreshing message. Here are some examples of Gospel-centered statements that can help liberate you to enjoy God’s love:

“Even in our darkest moments of sin and self-centeredness, God still loves us.” – p. 46

“Our righteousness doesn’t depend on our present performance but on Jesus’s finished performance.” – p. 68

“God isn’t just willing to forgive sinners – he is passionate about it.” – p. 73

“God is just as pleased with us as he is with his Son.” – p. 76

“If we have faith in Jesus and his work on the cross, then we are as righteous right now as we ever need to be. We can’t add to it, and we can’t take away from it.” – p. 101

These are just a few of the many gems found in “Jesus is ___________.”

BTW, I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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January Reading Summary

Here are the books I read in January along with some thoughts regarding each:

Portrait of Integrity: The Life of Ray C. Stedman by Mark S. Mitchell - In this short bio, Mark Mitchell covers the basics of Stedman’s background and life of ministry. Verdict: so-so.

Johann Sebastian Bach by Rick Marschall (e-book) -  Rick Marschall presents Bach as a true believer who dedicated his immense musical genius to the glory of God. Caution: A little bit heavy on musical terms; although I’m no longer a musician, I have a background of musical training and still struggled with a lot of the musical jargon. Verdict: pretty good.

Every Bush is Burning by Brandon Clements (e-book) – Interesting novel; Clements breaks the barrier between author and reader with the writer speaking directly to the reader throughout the story…the theology behind this novel is clearly young, restless, and reformed. Verdict: pretty good.

A Habitual Sight of Him: The Christ-Centered Piety of Thomas Goodwin, edited by Joel W. Beeke and Mark Jones) - I’ve been hoping to increase my reading of the Puritans and this short book looked like a good devotional tool as well. There were some great insights, but over all it was surprisingly dull and hum drum. Verdict: disappointing.

Family Worship by Joel R. Beeke - This little volume packs a powerful punch of conviction regarding the neglected practice of family-based worship. I finished it with a new resolve to do better, by God’s grace. Beeke backs up his ideas and assertions with explicit and implicit teaching of Scripture. Verdict: very good.

Developing a Healthy Prayer Life by James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke – I used this devotionally after my daily Bible reading. The 31 meditations are about 3 pages each and were warm, instructive, challenging, and comforting. Perhaps the best compliment is that at the close of each chapter I usually went straight to prayer. I hope to read through this little gem again someday in the same fashion. Verdict: great.

Summary of month of January…Maybe this year is the year I finally reach my annual goal of reading 52 books! I’m off to a great start. Part of it is that I’ve read some small books (around 100-150 pages). Three of the books I read this past month were affiliated with Joel R. Beeke (1 he wrote, 1 he he co-wrote, and 1 he co-edited). I had never read anything by him prior. Except for the Goodwin book he co-edited, I am impressed. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. In fact, I have another of his books waiting in the queue.

What about you? What have you read lately?

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Recommended Summer Reading ’12

If you are looking for some ideas for summer reading, here’s the titles I recommended to our congregation this summer:

 

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Book Review: Family-Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, Jr.

I don’t recall when I first heard of Voddie Baucham but we did have the privilege of seeing him live at the Desiring God National Conference in Minneapolis back in 2006. During that same timeframe I called him and talked with him about twenty-five minutes. He was gracious and I recall our conversation went very well. What I cannot recall is why I called him in the first place!

I started reading his first book, The Ever-Loving Truth, but did not finish it, which is nothing new in my world. This book, Family-Driven Faith, which I purchased through the Amazon Kindle Store and read over three devices (my iPad, my iPhone, and my wife’s Kindle Fire), was more engaging to me because of my interest in the subject matter. Two areas of interest drove me to read this book: (1) how to do a better job as the spiritual leader of my home and (2) how to more effectively lead our church to equip parents in discipling their children. Family-Driven Faith is the only book I have ever read that that I can recall addresses these two issues, and Baucham does so boldly and directly.

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Recommended Books on the Family

This morning in my message I recommended several books on the family (click on the book to go to a link where you can purchase the book):

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Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven by Rory Noland

Rory Noland could pass for a retired race jockey; he is probably 135 lbs. dripping wet. A soft-spoken and unassuming personality, Rory is also one of greatest minds on worship in America today. Through attending Harvest University, I’ve had the privilege of sitting under Rory in several sessions over the last few years and have gleaned much about leading God’s people in corporate worship. So, almost needless to say, my expectations were pretty high when I picked up his latest book on the subject. He did not disappoint. Especially insightful was the section on training your congregation to pursue “heroic deference” when it comes to worship styles and preferences. Good stuff. I also got a copy for Ryan and he has been working his way through it as well; I look forward to our discussions.

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Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

A few years ago I enjoyed Gladwell’s first offering, Tipping Point. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time standing in bookstores reading selected portions of his third book, Outliers. But although I knew the thesis of Blink and although it has been sitting on my home bookshelf for maybe a year or so, it took me awhile to get around to picking it up and having a go at it. Delay no more. I picked it up yesterday and finished it today. I’m not surprised I read it this quickly. Gladwell is a captivating writer, seeming to be able to mine some of the greatest stories that advance the theory underlying his book.

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A Look at Life From a Deer Stand by Steve Chapman

Steve Chapman is an artist: he sings, he writes songs, he draws, and he writes books. He is also a die hard deer hunter with keen spiritual insights. Even though I have yet to go on my first deer hunt (and am dying to go!) I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his hunting adventures and how he’s able to see parallels into his spiritual life.

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Hipster Christianity by Brett McCracken

Brett McCracken definitely has his finger on the pulse of hipster Christianity. I really enjoyed this because the subject is something that is very relevant to me as a pastor. The pressure to be “cool” in order to attract a crowd has been the trend for some time now in American evangelicalism.  McCracken describes hipster Christianity, dissects hipster Christianity, and develops his vision of how genuine, counter-cultural, biblical Christianity will always be cool to those it is reaching. But being cool for cool’s sake is non-productive.

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God and Football by Chad Gibbs

A few years ago, Warren St. John wrote a book about Alabama football fanaticism titled, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer. Do you remember those little charts in Christian bookstores that would help you find a holy alternative to the secular bands you loved but felt so guilty about? Example…”If you like Run-D.M.C., try D. C. Talk.” Well, that’s exactly what is going on here. If you liked Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, but don’t want all the cursing and references to alcohol, then here’s the Christian alternative. Gibbs should send royalty checks to St. John. The only problem is his stories aren’t as good. I will say this, Gibbs is a really funny guy. In fact, he’s funny enough I’d definitely pick up another book of his, provided it’s on sale for $4 on the clearance shelf like this one was. Seriously, his comedic skills are what kept me turning the pages.

What disappointed me most was the lack of depth regarding the balancing faith and football theme. He only skims the surface. He confesses his addiction, make that obsession, to Auburn football, and takes the time to throw in a few guilty comments here and there, interviews fellow fans who struggle with this tension, even briefly describes attending church services in each of the cities visited. But the subtitle is deceptive; this is really a book about the SEC football fanaticism, not about faith.

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