New Books–November 2012

Complete New Book List

November 2012

Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, by Tullian Tchividjian. One reviewer says: “For the last three years I have watched my 8-year old daughter suffer with cancer. The Why and How of suffering have been of little value to my family and me. The truth of the Who and of grace, so wonderfully presented in this book, has been our life and only hope. ”

Mistakes Leaders Make, by Dave Kraft. You don’t have to learn this the hard way.

Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory: The Piety of Samuel and Sarah Pearce, edited and introduced by Michael A.G. Haykin (Classics of Reformed Spirituality). Samuel Pearce, an 18^th century English pastor, was described by his biographer Andrew Fuller as “another Brainerd”. Pearce was a friend of William Carey and played a key role in the early days of the English Missionary Society. He died at the age of 33, but in the eyes of many of his contemporaries, he condensed a lifetime of holy and joyful ministry into a single decade. His marriage to Sarah Hopkins was one of deep love, and excerpts from their letters and writings reveal their rich spiritual lives and living piety.

The Christian Lover: The Sweetness of Love and Marriage in the Letters of Believers, by Michael A.G. Haykin with Victoria J. Haykin. Letters from significant relationships from church history, from courtship to marriage proposals to last words before dying.

Inerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization, by Vern Sheridan Poythress. Reconciling the four Gospel accounts, each of which are unique, with a belief in inerrancy.

Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples, by Francis Chan with Mark Beuving.You were made to make disciples.

Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy, edited by Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles. Romans 9:18 says “so then He has mercy on whomever He wills”. This book is a defense of the Biblical affirmation of God’s sovereign choice in election.

Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction, by Jonathan T. Pennington. Richard Bauckham says that the author “skillfully distills what matters most for the task of reading the Gospels wisely. He is especially concerned that we read the Gospels in ways that are appropriate for the sort of texts they are”. What comes across is a powerful sense that the Gospels are not only historical but also life-changing.

Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, by Craig Groeschel. Letting go of the toxic sins that are holding you back. The author shines a light on those dark, secret corners of our spiritual lives that we would probably rather just ignore. In order to be holy and transformed into the image of Jesus, we all need a regular detox by letting His light shine into our darkness.

Setting Our Sights on Heaven: Why It’s Hard and Why It’s Worth It, by Paul D. Wolfe (published by Banner of Truth). Brings out the Bible’s teaching about heaven, addressing the various factors that tend to push heaven out of our minds and the gospel remedies that help us push it back to where it belongs.

Miracles: A Journalist Looks at Modern-Day Experiences of God’s Power, by Tim Stafford, Senior Writer for Christianity Today. You believe God can still do miracles, but how do you know which stories are true?

The Creedal Imperative, by Carl R. Trueman. The role of confessions and creeds is the subject of debate within evangelicalism today, with many calling for a return to Christianity’s ancient roots. Trueman advocates a balanced approach, offers an analysis of why creeds and confessions are necessary, how they have developed over time, and how they can function in the church of today and tomorrow.

Gospel Deeps: Reveling in the Excellencies of Christ, by Jared C. Wilson. Seeing and savoring the astonishing things God has done in and through Christ.

Creature of the Word: The Jesus Centered Church, by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, and Eric Geiger. The Reformers viewed the gospel as not one thing among many in the life of a church, but rather the means by which the Church exists. When the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God’s people, the Church becomes a “Creature of the Word”. She understands, embraces, and lives the reality of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection in more than her doctrinal statement. This book lays out that concept, and examines the rich, Scripture-based beauty of a Jesus-centered church.

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters, by Albert Mohler.

The Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, by Nancy Guthrie (Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament #2).

Jesus and the Jewish Festivals, by Gary M Burge. Uncover the ancient culture. Discover the hidden meanings.

So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore: An Unexpected Journey, by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman. What would you do if you met someone you thought might be one of Jesus’ original disciples—still living in the 21^st century? That is Jake’s dilemma as he meets a man who talks of Jesus as if he had known him, and whose way of living challenges everything Jake had previously known. This book is a fictional journal that chronicles 13 conversations between Jake and his newfound friend, and how those conversations turned Jake’s world upside down.

Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged, edited by John Piper and David Mathis. This is no ordinary missions book. From astronomy to exegesis, from apologetics to the Global South, from being missional at home to employing our resources in the global cause, this book aims to breathe fresh missionary fire into a new generation.

COMMENTARIES: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, by Andrew E. Hill (Tyndale OT Commentaries); Colossians and Philemon, by David W. Pao (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the NT).

ADULT FICTION: Full Disclosure, by Dee Henderson; The Breath of Dawn, by Kristen Heitzmann; The Bridge, by Karen Kingsbury.