"Loving Your Adult Children" (Gaye B. Clark)

TITLE: Loving Your Adult Children: The Heartache of Parenting and the Hope of the Gospel
AUTHOR: Gaye B. Clark
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024, (176 pages).

Parenting is a life-long endeavour. Even though the means change over time, the nature of parental love will remain. When the children are dependants, parents take responsibility for them. Once they become adults, the way parents care for them will also have to change. As a parent myself, I often tell my friends that parenting is like flying a kite. When they are young, we hang on tightly when dangerous winds try to blow them off-course. As they grow older, we loosen our grip so that they can learn how to make their own decisions. Eventually, we need to let go of the kite completely as they embark upon the journey of adulthood. As the children become adults, the way parents love them will have to change accordingly. For author Gaye Clark, the primary goal of Christian parenting is to teach children to place their hopes in life on God alone through Jesus's finished work. When the children are young, parents pay and pray for their daily needs. When they become adults and become independent, parents can continue to love them by praying for them. Besides that, Clark shows us even more ways to love them. Putting first things first, if we want our children to have faith in God alone, we need to practice what we are going to preach. The way to love our children is essentially to lead by example. We do this through the practice of faith, repentance, grace, hope, Church, patience, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Self-Control, Peace, and Love.

"Matthew Through OT Eyes" (David B. Capes)

TITLE: Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes
AUTHOR: David B. Capes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2024, (392 pages).
 

Recently, there has been a spate of literature and biblical resources to interpret the Old Testament from New Testament eyes. A key contribution was G.K. Beale's and D.A. Carson's edited collection of articles in "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament." This has helped to spur modern readers to read the Old Testament with greater fervour. Whether it was the prophets or kings, scribes or teachers, disciples or record-keepers, Old Testament or New Testament authors, all were "Old Testament" people.  In fact, the Old Testament Scriptures were the only ones they had. Yet, even today, many think of the Old Testament as outdated and irrelevant, preferring the New Testament texts over the Old Testament. This is partly the fault of the nomenclature where the words "Old" and "New" erroneously shape our perception. That is why some scholars prefer to rename the Bible into "First Testament" and "Second Testament" respectively. At that time, the Scriptures were written in a particular context relevant to the hearers.  Modern readers will need to bridge the ancient and modern contexts. Thankfully with this resource, the work of researchers, scholars, and teachers are made available for us.12` 

"Evangelical Pharisees" (Michael Reeves)

TITLE: Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as Cure for the Church's Hypocrisy
AUTHOR: Michael Reeves
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2023, (128 pages).

During Jesus' time, some of Jesus' harshest criticisms were leveled at the Pharisees and religious leaders. The key reason: Hypocrisy. Jesus uses words like "blind guides," "fools," "leaven," "vipers," "whitewashed tombs," and "hypocrites." If there is any one word that would sum up how Jesus saw the religious establishment then, it would be the latter: Hypocrites. Author Michael Reeves adds to this pot of nouns with "hidden cancer," and points out the three major theological problems with the Pharisees; namely, their approach to Scripture; their understanding of salvation; and their disregard for regeneration. Reeves then introduces the three Rs to correct these three problems: Revelation, Redemption, and Regeneration. Each chapter is then devoted to unpacking each of these Rs. Embedded within these chapters are frequent comparisons of modern evangelicals with the Pharisees of old as well as warnings not to make the study and interpretation of Scripture become an end in itself. We need to gospel to correct our lens of interpretation. We need to get the salvation message clear that we are saved not by works but by grace alone. Each of these Rs parallels the members of the Triune Godhead. The Revelation of the Bible is to be seen in the light of God the Father who graciously reveals Himself to the world through the Word of God. The Redemption according to the Bible is about Christ coming down to earth to rescue us from our sins. The Regeneration aspect refers to the work of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do the will of God. 

"Holy Disruption" (Tracy S. Daub)

TITLE: Holy Disruption: Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark
AUTHOR: Tracy S. Daub
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John-Knox Press, 2022, (100 pages).
 

Advent is just a few weeks away. With lower temperatures and lesser sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, the mood is set for quieter and gloomier weather. The gospels give us various dimensions to the nativity story. Most of our narratives about the birth of Jesus come from the gospel of Matthew and Luke. Instead of birth narratives, John provides us with a theological rendition of the birth of Jesus. Mark does not give us any information about baby Jesus, only some passing information about his mother and his ministry. Herein lies the challenge. How then do we discover Advent in the gospel of Mark? Author Tracy Daub shows us five ways to do just that.

1. Anticipating the Coming of Jesus
2. Peace on Earth in Christ Jesus
3. Belonging to Christ
4. The revelation of the Messiah
5. The Hope of Immanuel: God with Us

Daub starts the Advent preparation early by reflecting on Mark 13, the "little apocalypse" chapter. She unpacks the contexts of the first century and compares them with our existing world.

"The Samaritan Woman's Story" (Caryn A. Reeder)

TITLE: The Samaritan Woman's Story: Reconsidering John 4 After ChurchToo
AUTHOR: Caryn A. Reeder
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (216 pages).
 

One of the many critiques of the Bible is about the patriarchal nature of the ancient culture. Pointing to the unequal status of gender, women throughout biblical history have been painted (or interpreted) in a rather negative light. Many are victims of some male schemes, such as the maidservants of Abraham and Sarah, made to bear children for them. Others include the stories of Dinah, Tamar, Hagar, etc whose lives were either sad or tragic. With the highly male-centric cultural norms at that time, modern readers find it hard to reconcile the stories of women with the biblical truths of grace, fairness, justice, mercy, tolerance, love, etc. The famous story of the adulterous woman exposes a woman to public disgrace while the man (or men!) were nowhere to be found. Wasn't adultery a two-person affair? Why only accuse the woman? Moreover, the Old Testament laws also placed an unfair burden on women as if there was no such thing as sexual equality. Rather than simply accepting the popular cultural narrative of the Bible being sexist against females, biblical scholar Caryn Reeder offers us a new interpretation of the "intersection of women, sex, and sin" as well as an alternative interpretation of the story of the Samaritan woman. 

"No Shortcut to Success" (Matt Rhodes)

TITLE: No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions (9Marks)
AUTHOR: Matt Rhodes
PUBLISHER: Wheaton IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (272 pages).
 

In a quick-fix society, people want fast results and easy solutions. If there are short-cuts, take it. If not, make one. This has unfortunately impacted the philosophy of Christian missions. Thinking that modern methods could spark a quick and easy approach toward missions, many people are looking for ways to bypass traditional approaches by adopting quick-fixes and practices. This has appeared in various forms that seem logical at a superficial level but lack foundations. Author Matt Rhodes gives a critical analysis on the popular shortcuts being adopted in many modern approaches to missions. Some feel that professionalism is to be avoided in favor of relational skills. Others prefer speed or silver bullet strategies. Still there are some who are skeptical of anything too "intellectual" or "academic." The temptations are real. Just hearing about "amazing successes" from anecdotal sources might scupper any attempts to be trained in the traditional ways. Such sources tempt planners with numbers like some success story. Rhodes critiques the Church Planting Movements for their overemphasis on rapid growth instead of biblical shepherding. He questions the notion of a DNA for rapid growth, saying that they prioritize sociology over theology. In a nutshell, such approaches tend to be based on management over biblical principles; numbers over patience; results over means; and human expectations over spiritual movements. 

"Rediscover Church" (Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman)

TITLE: Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential (The Gospel Coalition and 9Marks)
AUTHOR: Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2021, (160 pages).

Why do we need to rediscover Church? Isn't it enough to simply believe and practice our faith daily? With the rise of online church and how many people have become so familiar with watching Church services on YouTube, Zoom, or other online channels, surely we can maintain this new way of doing church? Well, authors Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman disagree. A Christian without a Church is a Christian in trouble. We still need to get back to the meaning of the Church and to live together as a Community in Christ. There are many reasons why believers stay away from Church. The conventional arguments against the church include things like limited authenticity, distasteful politics, politicizing of religion, negative publicity, lack of transparency, irrelevancy, and the age-old accusation: hypocrisy. With covid, this disinclination from physical church gatherings has been accelerated. On top of this electronic distance, there are also those who feel disillusioned about the lack of pastoral care and the inability of their pastors to match up to the charismatic preachers who draw people to their professional online offerings. With such overwhelming cultural disarray surrounding faith and Church, it is no wonder that many people are looking for a reason to go back to Church. This book comes at the right time to answer that very question. There is a need and a future for the Church. What is necessary now is to go back to the essence of what Church is and what it means to be Church in the 21st Century. Hansen and Leeman began with the metaphor of marriage where Christ is the groom while the Church is the bride. If Christ gave himself for the Church, shouldn't that alone speak volumes about the importance of Church? 

"A History of Evangelism in North America" (Thomas P. Johnston)

TITLE: A History of Evangelism in North America
AUTHOR: Thomas P. Johnston
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2021, (352 pages).

What is evangelism like in the past in North America? How could the past shed light on how we could do evangelism in the future? What can we learn about evangelism that we could use today? Scanning the past centuries in North American evangelism efforts, author Thomas Johnston brings together 21 professors to write on "evangelistic movers and shavers" who had influenced the North American cultural landscape. More importantly, it showcases how the Great Commission had been practiced by many in the past. Using a chronological progression, readers will learn about the history of key evangelists from the 18th Century to the 21st century. From Jonathan Edwards to Billy Graham; Bill Bright to John Piper's Reformed movements, the purpose of this book is to provide us a "biographical approach to evangelism," that the practice of evangelism is connected intimately to the personal lives of the evangelists. We learn of how Jonathan Edwards preached so passionately to convert rather than instilling fear. We see how David Brainerd, who lived for only 29 years, dedicated his life to minister to the Native American Indians. His perseverance in spite of great discouragement ought to provide a glimmer of hope for many modern evangelistic efforts. The 18th Century First Awakening was also impacted by the preaching efforts of two persons: George Whitefield and John Wesley. After John Wesley, Francis Asbury was instrumental in spearheading the Methodist movement in North America. While Asbury was not as eloquent as Wesley, he was an organizational genius, showing us that evangelism is more than speaking via the pulpits. In the 19th Century, we read about the Camp Meeting Revival Movement, in particular, in Cane Ridge Church where many churches and Christian communities started praying for revival to be just like Cane Ridge Church. That revival has been hailed as the greatest outpouring of God's Spirit since the first Pentecost in the Early Church. We see the impact of the Bible societies in America, laying the foundations for the Second Great Awakening. In the 20th Century, the key figures include John Mason Peck (and Rock Springs Seminary), Henrietta Mears (and the Sunday School movement), Dawson Trotman (and the Navigators), Billy Graham (and YFC), Bill Bright (and Campus Crusade), James Kennedy (and Evangelism Explosion), the Jesus Movement, and many more. 

"John Through Old Testament Eyes" (Karen H. Jobes)

TITLE: John Through Old Testament Eyes: A Background and Application Commentary
AUTHOR: Karen H. Jobes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2021, (376 pages).

How do we read and interpret the gospel of John? Some recommend that for beginners, it is the best gospel to read first due to the simplicity of language. For theologians, that is not so. The gospel of John has been said to be shallow enough for one to wade in and also deep enough to drown an elephant. Simply put, the language in the fourth gospel is simple but theologically profound.  Many commentaries work on an inductive verse-by-verse format, exegeting the Greek to find out the key meaning of the text. This has been one of the most popular formats because it lets Scripture speak for itself. Other commentaries adopt the deductive format to guide us through themes such as the seven signs, the seven I AM's, and other prominent symbolism mentioned in the gospel. As the gospel contains many Old Testament allusions, why not let the Old Testament guide our reading and interpretation? This is exactly what this new addition to the "Through Old Testament Eyes" series seeks to do. Readers not only get to understand the background of John with new insights from the Old Testament, but they also have a competent Bible Professor who had spent many years marinating in the gospel of John to guide us. The central conviction is that the gospel writer is steeped in Old Testament literature. When we understand the contexts of John, we see the Truth according to what the original author sees. Readers would then be able to appreciate the deeper meaning of the gospel with Old Testament "eyes." From feasts to festivals, rituals to religious teachings, the author's singular concern is to use the Old Testament lens as her interpretive framework. She leaves the literary analysis, the Johannine tradition, the extra exegetical work aside so that she could focus on the parts that relate to the Old Testament and Second Temple Jerusalem. The general framework comprises four key segments:

"Tongue-Tied" (Sara Wenger Shenk)

TITLE: Tongue-tied: Learning the Lost Art of Talking About Faith
AUTHOR: Sara Wenger Shenk
PUBLISHER:  Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2021, (256 pages).

Why are people "tongue-tied" about religion? Probably, it is due to the lack of Evangelism and evangelistic fervor. Maybe, there are many layers of reasons ranging from disinterest to downright persecution. Perhaps, our culture has become increasingly anti-Christian and it is no longer "safe" to just speak about religion. As author Sara Wenger Shenk notes, "faith talk rarely shows up unless we’re at church." We have lost the art of sharing faith in the public arena. We need to recover not just the skills of sharing the gospel, more importantly, we need to bring back the conviction that the Great Commission is what Jesus has called us to do. We need to recover the language of love. Addressed primarily to her peers in North America, Shenk hopes that we will not let any spiritual malaise or apathy make God into our own image. Instead, we are encouraged to intentionally cultivate a "heartfelt, biblically enriched, and morally grounded faith" that will influence others for Christ. 

"Handbook on the Gospels" (Benjamin L. Gladd)

TITLE: Handbook on the Gospels (Handbooks on the New Testament)
AUTHOR: Benjamin L. Gladd
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (464 pages).

This is the third volume of Baker's Handbook series on the New Testament. The first volume deals with Acts and Paul's letters while the second covers Hebrews to Revelation. With space dedicated to just four gospels, author and professor Benjamin Gladd is able to go more in-depth compared to the other two. Some of his basic presuppositions include:

• Seeing the four gospels as unique and complementary to the description of the Life and Person of Jesus Christ;
• The gospel of Mark was written first;
• Two-Source Theory (Mark and Q);
• In the synoptic gospels, Matthew and Luke copied materials from Mark and Q;
• Advice for readers to start with the gospel of Mark.

This handbook locates itself between a detailed verse-by-verse commentary and a birdseye view introductory volume. It is written to enable readers to quickly grasp the essential themes of the gospels without getting bogged down by details and endless footnotes. Written for people ranging from professors of theology to laypersons, it is an easy-to-use reference book. Aimed to be both theological and pastoral, the key feature is to enable faithful understanding of the text with "clarity and accessibility."  Readers get to read the gospels by situating themselves within the context of the first century Jewish, Graeco-Roman culture and life. The framework of the chapters is as follows:

"Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling" (Robert W. Kellemen)

TITLE: Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling
AUTHOR: Robert W. Kellemen
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2020, (272 pages).

For many people, marriage is about love between two persons. For Christians, marriage is indeed about love, but with an additional belief, that marriage is about being united before God. What is marriage from God's perspective? Why must we treat marriage counseling as based on the gospel of grace? Theologically and practically, what does it mean? Unlike books that dish out advice for married couples, this book is about equipping marriage counselors to help married couples. For author and pastor Robert Kellemen, marriage counseling is about helping couples "see their marriage from a larger set of eyes." In fact, he insists that for Christians, it is a no-brainer that marriages are essentially meant to be gospel-centered. So, the author gives us 22 "counseling relational competencies." He suggests that the book be used in a "small group lab setting." For couples, focus not on "solutions" but on "soul-utions." The emphasis is about forming the inner soul. A marriage with transformed inner selves will be gospel-centered. Kellemen tells us the three common approaches to marriage counseling: Family systems; narrative therapy; and solution-focused therapy. All of them have in common the need to understand people; to diagnose the problem; and then to identify the solution needed. Kellemen aims to go a step further than all of these by pointing us to "gospel connection." This is done through facilitating "gospel conversations." 

"John" (Brian Chung, Bryan Ye-Chung, & Jan Johnson)

TITLE: John (Alabaster Guided Meditations)
AUTHOR: Brian Chung, Bryan Ye-Chung, & Jan Johnson
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (116 pages).

This is a whopping eBook with a tonne of illustrations on the gospel of John. Filled with incredibly beautiful photos and pictures of daily life, it brings to life the gospel of John by inviting us in via the spiritual practice of lectio divina. For those who don't know what that is, the authors of this book make use of the classic definition of lectio divina by St John of the Cross: "Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation." The authors expand this by incorporating a 4-step process: Read; Reflect; Respond; and Rest. By pairing photos with the gospel of John, the hope is that it will not only illuminate Scripture in a unique way, but also evoke an inner response within our hearts. That as we read the gospel, the photos will prompt us to reflect on the words and to respond accordingly. This is followed by a gratitude in rest. Each guided meditation not only gives us the steps, it shows us the way to read, to reflect, to respond, and to rest. The reader is never left to figure things out alone.

"Eyewitness to Crucifixion" (Stephen M. Miller)

TITLE: Eyewitness to Crucifixion: The Romans, the Cross, and the Sacrifice of Jesus
AUTHOR: Stephen M. Miller
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: ODB Publishing, 2020, (208 pages).

Christians all over the world regularly proclaim the great reality of the faith: "Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." Author Stephen Miller focuses on three angles of the crucifixion: 1) What the Romans say about crucifixion; 2) What they say about Jesus' crucifixion; and 3) what the Bible says about Jesus' death on the cross. The Bible does not say a lot about the nature and the exacting details of the crucifixion. Thus, the author goes back to several Roman characters to give us an eyewitness account of the terrible nature of the crucifixion. Seneca the Younger calls it the "worst torture of all." Cicero says that crucifixion is almost like killing one's father or brother. Horace lists some of the frivolous reasons used to send people to be crucified. Plutarch talks about criminals being asked to carry the cross enroute to their own execution. There was even a case 250 years before Christ was born where Hannibal the commanding officer of the ship was crucified by his own sailors after leading them to another defeat. Lactantius, advisor to Emperor Constantine teaches Christians not to resist death, even if it means the threat of crucifixion. With a large segment of the book devoted to the description of what crucifixion means to the Roman world, Miller aims to show us the cruelty, the humiliation, the senselessness, and inhumane nature of the execution.

"Mission 3:16" (Paul Borthwick)

TITLE: Mission 3:16: God's One-Verse Invitation to Love the World
AUTHOR: Paul Borthwick
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (176 pages).

Sermons have been preached about it. Conferences have been organized to promote it. Books have been written to describe it. Yet, nothing beats a one-verse definition of the mission of Christ. Arguably the most famous verse in the Bible, we are talking about John 3:16 as that one verse definition of God's mission to love the world. It is the gospel wrapped up in one crisp and concise statement. Author Paul Borthwick calls it Jesus' "Elevator Speech." In order to understand that verse in context, he takes us through chapter three of John's gospel, and points us to the larger picture of God's love. There are themes of "born again," "light," "life," "the world," which all are linked together in John 3:16. God is the initiator and motivated by His love for all the world. His love is so deep that He offered the deepest expression of love, his sacrificing his only Son. The beneficiaries are the world at large, that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life.

"John's Letters: An Exegetical Guide for Preaching and Teaching" (Herbert W. Bateman IV and Aaron C. Peer)

TITLE: John's Letters: An exegetical guide for preaching and teaching (Big Greek Idea)
AUTHOR: Herbert W. Bateman IV and Aaron C. Peer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2018, (448 pages).

Every English Bible translation is in itself an interpretation. Unless one is trained to read the Scriptures in their original language and context, it would be difficult to fully comprehend the Bible merely by using English. The next best thing would be to get closer to the original by learning or gaining more insights from a Greek perspective. This book is one such channel of insight. The "Big Greek Idea Series" is a collection of guides specifically for pastors, professors, and seminary students trying to bridge the gap between the ancient Greek and the modern English culture. This volume focuses on the letters of John; namely the Johannine letters (aka 1, 2, 3 John). The authors suggest this book be used in three ways.: 1) as a grammatical commentary; 2) as an interlinear; and 3) as inspiration for exegetical nuggets.

There are many features in this book. It combines exegesis with thought-for-thought analysis. There is careful unpacking of "transitional and structural markers" to help us keep track of any big ideas within it. There are detailed grammatical explanations that could be too technical for some of us. Getting a grammatical refresher before reading this book would be ideal to ensure seamless reading. Those who are in a rush would benefit from the underlined clauses and words accompanied by explanations. The authors help us pay attention to the syntax. By detailing the grammatical, syntactical, and semantic functions, readers get to do both exegesis as well as hermeneutics and to link them together. The Introduction provides a summary of some of the grammatical terms to be used. It is essential to read this before plunging into the rest of the book. This is the grammatical heavy-lifting that would bring dividends when approaching the rest of the book.

"Faith is For Weak People" (Ray Comfort)

TITLE: Faith Is for Weak People: Responding to the Top 20 Objections to the Gospel
AUTHOR: Ray Comfort
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2019, (224 pages).

Not many Christians actively share the gospel. Some hide behind good works while others succumb to a climate of fear and intimidation. The Bible urges believers to be strong and courageous for if God is for us, who can be against us? Plus, there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out all fear. Why then are people afraid to speak up for God's Word and the salvation of the world? Perhaps, it is due to the hostility surrounding Christianity in society. It might also be linked to people feeling ill equipped to deal with objections, especially those questions that even Christians find it hard to answer. Bible teacher and apologist, Ray Comfort knows it from experience. He makes his point very clear. Some Christians roar like lions on social issues such as corruption, violence, poverty, drug abuse, and so on, but when it comes to the gospel, they squeak like mice. The way of salvation is not through good works but through the gospel of Jesus Christ. More importantly, love overcomes all manner of fear. After making a passionate plea for all believers to advance the gospel, Comfort challenges all to have a ready answer for 20 top objections. I have paraphrased most of them.

"Rogue Saints" (Jerry Herships)

TITLE: Rogue Saints: Spirituality for Good-Hearted Heathens
AUTHOR: Jerry Herships
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2019, (114 pages).

His first book, "Last Call" was about his personal journey from an altar boy in Church to show business, gigs, bars, and various game shows to make ends meet. He returns to the ministry albeit with a difference: going out people who congregate at bars and pubs. He shares his story of "from serving drinks to serving Jesus." In this follow up book, Herships continues by giving us a closer look at what his unconventional ministry looks like. More importantly, he tries to help us find out our big purpose in life through connection and community. He tells stories of people who would be considered "misfits" in many churches. Just knowing that there are people with bigger problems than our complaints about life, will easily put our worries in perspective. In an uninhibited "in the face" manner, the author makes it clear that he does not stand for rules and restrictions about how to do ministry. He even admits to wanting to bash "shitty church." Preferring to let the ends justify the means, he kicks off by reminding us that our starting point for theology should not be "original sin," but "original blessing." We don't start off by thinking how bad we look but how good we have been created. We are created in the image of God. He does several counter-intuitive things such as labeling people as "heathens," choosing unbeliever to be part of his leadership team; even adding in cocktail mix at the end of each chapter. The objective of the book is to help us find a way to serve God through meaningful connections with the community around us, especially in the uncommon places.

"The Church on Mission" (Craig Ott)

TITLE: The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation among All People
AUTHOR: Craig Ott
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019, (160 pages).

What is the mission of the Church? There is a narrow view and a broad view. For the narrow view (or some would prefer to call 'focused view'), some like Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert would say that it is the Great Commission. When that is the case, as far as the Church's mission is concerned, the Great Commission is primary, and everything else is secondary. This perspective is important for any Church that is becoming confused about how their programs and activities work toward a single goal. In the broad view, one might even claim that everything they do will be based on their mission statement. That is usually more theoretical than practical. Many churches have already invested in many ministries that do not translate into such mission purpose. Just like what Stephen Neill once said: "If everything is mission, nothing is mission." That is to say that if we don't have a proper focus, then we are not aiming squarely at anything at all. In other words, if we are too broad, we could become all things to all people making the Church's mission overly diluted with different emphases. Author and professor Craig Ott has looked at a variety of mission definitions and focuses and proposes a new way of understanding the mission of the Church. He puts it as "to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people."  The rest of the book is to look at this central statement from six perspectives.

"Insurgence" (Frank Viola)

TITLE: Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom
AUTHOR: Frank Viola
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018, (448 pages).

The gospel of the kingdom is inherently radical. The early Church is radical in their love and faith. Unfortunately, the modern church have largely lost the necessary conviction and passion of old. What is needed is a renewal of conviction and a revelation of the Kingdom of God. How do we do that? Create an insurgence to reclaim the  gospel of the Kingdom of God. For the grand narrative of the whole Bible is about declaring the Kingdom of God having come and will be coming soon.  In order to do that, we need to clear the decks. We have to distinguish between worldly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. We need to proclaim the Kingdom of God over all else. We need a vision of the beauty of the Kingdom so that we can proclaim with passion our freedom in Christ and glory of God. Author Frank Viola writes in six parts to do just that. The six parts are titled as follows:

1. Three Different Gospels
2. Unveiling the King's Beauty
3. The Gospel of the Kingdom
4. Entering and Enjoying the Kingdom
5. Our Glorious Liberty
6. Advancing the Kingdom