Books Worth Reading | Updated Booklist!

Check out what Grace Church Pastors are reading this spring! The booklist can be found on the right sidebar of the blog underneath "What We Are Reading". Click on the book links for a short book synopsis and comment below to tell us what you think!

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | What is the Mission of the Church

Review of What is the Mission of theChurch? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom and the Great Commission, by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert.

DeYoung and Gilbert are correct when they assert in their chapter one title that “mission” is a common word in desperate need of careful definition. The mission of the church has come to hold a variety of meanings, even among those who would include themselves within the camp of evangelicalism.

Some would orient the mission of the church toward the building of God’s kingdom. That, in turn, begs some careful definition. Just what is the kingdom of God and how should Christians begin building that kingdom? The authors define it as “The Redemptive Reign of God over His People,” where the reference to “His People” defines those who are part of the kingdom. They carefully point out that, in the here and now, His kingdom is not geographic and, therefore, His kingdom cannot be built or expanded by “planting trees or delivering hot meals to the homeless. Sometimes people talk as if by renovating a city park or turning a housing slum into affordable, livable apartments, we are extending God’s reign….” (p. 121) However, when defined properly (as I believe the authors have), this would affirm that the kingdom can only be built by adding new believers to the kingdom and, through discipleship, nurturing those believers toward greater and deeper submission to the King.

Others believe the church’s calling is to move society toward the pursuit of social justice. In doing so, those voices seem to assert that since much social injustice continues to exist, that provides proof that the church is not doing enough. In chapter six, the authors review twelve Old and New Testament passages to distill common themes related to what the Bible might be saying about the poor and disadvantaged. Their common themes, simply put, are: “no fraud, no favoritism, help the weak, freely give as we have abundantly received.” (p. 171)  The authors bring some clarity to the issue of social justice which is so nebulously understood.  

They point out that, “for many Christians, social justice encompasses everything from hunger relief to combating sex trafficking to reducing carbon emissions.” (180) By contrast, the authors opt for a definition of social justice that describes it as “a process in which people are treated fairly…. The goal is not forced redistribution [of resources], for no one distributed the resources in the first place, and no one is wise enough to allocate them for the good of all. Justice, in this vision, is upheld through the rule of law, a fair court system, and equitable treatment of persons regardless of natural diversity.” (181-182)  The reader will note the absence of the church’s active responsibility within such a concept of social justice.

Recent voices have argued that it is the mission of the church to seek shalom for this life. As they speak of this, they have in mind such things as the promotion of affordable health care, the repair of housing slums, the funding of disease research, the planting of trees, and so forth.  Such appeals arise from a timeless application of Jeremiah 29:7 where the Israelites were told to “seek the welfare [the slalom] of the city.” 

Theologically, these voices assert that “Christ’s death began a process of cosmic redemption in which we are called to participate,” or that “Christ’s shed blood began a restorative work affecting the eternal things of heaven as well as the here and now events on earth” in which “Christians are called to partner” so that we may be “conduits for him to bring healing to earth and it’s residents.” (pp. 206-7, quoting Jonathan Merritt and Gabe Lyons)  DeYoung and Gilbert adequately clarify the difference between Christians seeking the well-being of the society where they live, and Christians seeking to inaugurate a kind of utopia which we should not expect until God Himself establishes the New Heavens and New Earth. It is the responsibility of individual Christians to seek the well-being of those who exist in their moral proximity, but it is not the mission of the organism known as the local church to sacrifice more primary efforts so that they can seek shalom in this world.

In this book, DeYoung and Gilbert present and exegetically defend their belief that the mission of the church is summarized in five biblical passages, commonly known as the Great Commission passages. That is, they contend that the church has been sent into the world to witness to Jesus by proclaiming the gospel, and to make disciples of all the nations by means of teaching them all that Christ has commanded.

The local church’s resources are limited. When she decides to do one thing (or several things devoted to one main purpose), then there will be some things she will not do.  Thus, the main thing must be kept the main thing, or alternative things will detract from the accomplishment of the main thing.  The local church’s main thing is to obey the Great Commission. DeYoung and Gilbert leave no room for doubt about that.

-Ken Bickel, Community Groups Pastor, Downtown

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Comforts from the Cross

Many people talk about “preaching the gospel to yourself” and while most Christians know “what” the gospel is, many don’t know how it applies to them after they come to faith.  Believing the gospel is not just a one and done event; the gospel that saved us is the same gospel that changes us is the same gospel that sustains us.  And so we must preach the truths of the gospel to ourselves every day.

In her book, Comforts From The Cross, author Elyse Fitzpatrick tackles very real, common struggles such as guilt, shame, despair, anger, bitterness, and hurt and addresses them with the truths of the gospel.  She does not offer mere Christian platitudes or trite phrases that sound great but are void of any power.  Instead, Fitzpatrick shows how the deep theological truth of the gospel is important to every believer, and how these truths actually help believers move out of patterns of guilt, shame, fear, despair, bitterness and the like. 

Each “chapter” is two to three pages long and serves as a very accessible, easy to read thirty-one day devotional book.  Each day, Fitzpatrick delves into the struggles common to all, using personal applications and stories and then discusses the theological truth that applies.  By doing so, she shows readers how the gospel is applicable to their hurts, to their fears, and to their insecurities. She leads readers straight to the cross and helps them learn how to shepherd their own souls with the hope of the gospel.

The gospel convicts us in our sin, encourages us in our despair, comforts us in our suffering, and provides us hope in our weariness.  Fitzpatrick understands this and provides these truths in a way that is accessible to all – whether non-believer, new believer, or one who has followed Jesus for many years, there is much encouragement to be found within the pages of this book. 

-Chrystie Cole, 

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | A Place of Healing

It is really hard to find a really helpful book on the topic of suffering.  I mean there are some good books out there that are theologically strong but that really don’t connect with the reader on the heart level.  A Place of Healing touches on suffering in reality.  Joni Eareckson Tada knows suffering.  A Place of Healing is the story of suffering told from a woman who has suffered for most of her life as a quadriplegic as a result of a horrific accident.  It isn’t just the story of what she has faced and how she has been able to endure, but it is a re-evaluation of the whole issue of suffering in her life as she now begins to face new challenges in suffering.

The book begins with a recap of where Joni had been in her journey of suffering and some of what God has taught her along the way.  This is mainly just to get the reader up to speed in case they don’t know her story, but the story quickly jumps from past suffering to present suffering.  As Joni gets older, not only is she still facing the challenges of paralysis, but out of nowhere has come some excruciating and constant pain.  Joni tells how she had learned to deal with the suffering of paralysis but now is having to relearn what it means to follow Jesus in suffering.  Part of that re-learning is involving temptation to bitterness and despair and how to hold on daily.  Joni tells it like it is for her with little held back.   

This book is not only helpful on a “story” level.  Joni does a great job of relating her story on an emotional level.  But it also expounds on some very difficult theological topics weaved amidst the storylines.  This is the essence of what theology should be, both orthodox and practically relevant to our lives.  Joni offers her perspective on divine healing, God’s purposes, and what it means to live with joy.

There are a few items to note about A Place of Healing.  The first is that it is an emotional tale of suffering, which can be hard to take at times.  Second, is that it is not intended to be an in-depth theological treatise on suffering.  If you are looking to find a textbook on the Goodness of God and His role in our suffering you might want to look elsewhere.  But even though that is true, this book is not all fluff when it comes to theology.  Overall I would recommend the reading of this book. Whether you are currently facing your own suffering or are wanting to help others who suffer, I believe you will find this a valuable and moving resource for you.

-Patrick Shealy, Community Groups Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Who Is This Man?

Who Is This Man? The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus is the most recent book written by John Ortberg, who is the pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California.  He is the bestselling author of many other books such as The Life You’ve Always Wanted and If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.

Who Is This Man? is a book about Jesus without looking directly at him.  It’s more like looking at Jesus by using your peripheral vision.  The focus of this book is the impact Jesus has had on the world and how it has never been the same because of him.  Most people, including Christians, have no idea how much we live in a Jesus-imprinted world. 

“On the day after Jesus' death, it looked as if whatever small mark he left on the world would rapidly disappear.  Instead, his impact on human history has been unparalleled.  After his disappearance on earth, the days of his unusual influence began…Rightly seen, this effect on past and current history will cause any thoughtful person- apart from their religious ideas about Christianity- to ask, ‘Who was this man?’”"  (pg. 11)

Ortberg gives examples of tangible issues that Jesus has imprinted throughout the centuries including art, architecture and literature.  He also shows that the way certain groups of people have been treated has been revolutionized.  For example, children didn’t usually get named until the eighth day and up until then there was a chance they would be killed or left to die of exposure- especially if the child was deformed or of the un-preferred gender.  This began to change because Jesus’ followers remembered how he valued children. 

Who Is This Man? also shows how Jesus affected intangible issues such as leadership, government, how to treat your enemies, the world’s view of qualities like humility and many others.  We even get a glimpse of Jesus’ effect on death through the practice of burial in cemeteries (a word which means “sleeping place” hinting at the hope of resurrection) and crosses that mark them (which are reminders of the death of Jesus). 

Ortberg writes in a style that is easily accessible for those who have not read much extra-Biblical material about Jesus, yet is insightful enough to challenge the thinking of those who have done copious amounts of reading about Jesus.  He combines quotes and examples of Jesus’ impact throughout history along with the contemporary results.

In Mark 10 the scribes asked Jesus which commandment is the most important of all and Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength."  But Jesus added one more aspect of our humanity with which we are to love God- our minds.  What does that mean?  That means we need to think about him often, deeply and from a variety of perspectives.  This is what I think the strength of this book is: it causes us to think about Jesus from a perspective we may have never considered before.

There are over 1,500 books about Jesus published each year (which in itself is another example of Jesus’ continuing impact on this world) which can lead any person wondering where to go next?  Ortberg’s book is a good place to start.

-Chris Curtis, Golden Strip Campus Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Simply Jesus

Simply Jesus is a recent book written by author and scholar Nicholas Thomas Wright, a former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England.  Among his many lectures and papers, some of his 50 books include Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope, Scripture and the Authority of God, and After You Believe. 

The hallmarks of Wright’s writings include evocative imagery, a charming British wit, and a passion for making history vivid to the reader.  There are various other strengths.  Nevertheless, these are a few of the many I’ve come to enjoy.

Simply Jesus certainly has some wonderfully sharp features to it.  I considered Tom’s presentation of the context of the debates of Jesus’ identity to be accessible and interesting.  He uses an extended metaphor of the “perfect storm” to describe Israel’s Messianic expectation, Rome’s empirical power, and YHWH’s sovereign actions as three winds which came crashing together producing the Man, Messiah, and Incarnate God: Jesus of Nazareth.  This is simply masterful.  It’s so basic, but it makes the history of the first century really stand forth.  This is noteworthy, because it’s within those pages that you experience Jesus walking.  I found myself confronted with such a personal Person. 

Wright helped me rediscover Jesus not only as a human being from history, but also as a living and knowable person.  In contrast to say, John Eldridge’s Beautiful Outlaw, the historical and the personal can and should come together as we encounter the Lord.  Thankfully, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John hold together a transcendent and immanent God right there in the human being Jesus.  He does not give in to the temptation to make the point of the gospels the portrait that Jesus was a ‘regular Joe’.  And he does not make Jesus into such a wispy philosopher that he makes no sense to normal people on the street.

Nether of those constructs satisfy.  So, Wright opened the pages of the Bible to reveal a King more worthy of my allegiance and worship than I had previously imagined.  But I may be attributing too much to him; it was probably just the Holy Spirit’s use of him as a tool.  Nonetheless, I was glad to be helped.

However, Wright also has patterns, which emerge in his writings that I would call ‘strategic weaknesses’, because his omissions or emphasis are purposeful; yet, they are nonetheless imbalances that can mislead people into error.  Particularly, when it comes to the nature of propitiation by substitution, I get frustrated.  These are observations that other critics have made on his previous books Simply Christian and Jesus and the Victory of God.  Like any writer or theologian, you cannot say everything-all-at-once.  Additionally, if you are going to make an imprint you have to pick and choose the features of the mold.

I do think that for a man of brilliance like Bishop Wright, he could pull off this balance if he wanted to.  It’s disappointing that he chooses not to.  Admittedly, he is “turning up the loud speakers” of other themes in order to counter-balance what most people emphasize.  However, “Exhausting the powers of evil” is also exhausting the wrath of Creator.  It is possible for these two essential pieces to unite in the victory of Jesus’ death.  This would be my biggest critique of our brother N.T. Wright and the book, Simply Jesus. 

If you have not read this book, I recommend that you do.  I believe that Wright shatters some unbiblical categories that a lot of Christians have on Jesus.  But readers beware: Wright’s views on Jesus’ self-understanding are controversial and he has been highly criticized for his perspective on Paul’s theology of justification.  But I do not think that these structural doctrines hinder their robust foundational doctrines of Jesus’ divinity or of justification by grace through faith.  While I don’t think Wright is right about everything, he has a valuable voice in our generation on the nature and work of our Lord Jesus the Christ.

-Ryan Donell, Minister to High School Students & Families

What We Are Reading

You may or may not have noticed before, but there is a lot going on in the sidebar to the right.  And one thing that is changing on a regular basis is What We Are Reading.  You'll see the name of the book and the name of the pastor who is reading the book in parentheses. Sometimes the books end up in a Books Worth Reading Wednesday post where you can find out just what our pastors thought of their latest read.  But, if you click on the links, you'll be taken to Google Books where the book is summarized, rated and reviewed by other readers.
Our current What We Are Reading list...

Surprised by Joy (Bill White)

The Meaning of Marriage (Scott Freeman)

Simply Jesus (Ryan Donell)

Forever (Dan Dather)

Radical (Chris McGowan)

What Is the Mission of the Church?

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Foreign to Familiar

In her book, Foreign to Familiar, Sarah Lanier paints some broad stoke cultural differences that can be helpful to anyone engaging a different culture. This very simple read is helpful in giving some basic guidelines for navigating on foreign soil.

Each chapter of the book explores some major differences between what she calls hot climate and cold climate cultures. Although she boldly admits that there are exceptions to the rules, Sarah shows how most cultures fit nicely into her categories. For example, hot climate cultures (Nicaragua, Mexico, Africa, etc.) tend to be more relationship based while cold climate cultures (North America, Northern Europe, Israel, etc.) are more task oriented. Knowing and understanding such a basic distinction can help us avoid some common cultural blunders as we are trying to connect in different environments. Other chapters describe the differences in terms of direct versus indirect communication, individualism versus group identity, inclusion versus privacy, etc. In each chapter she does a nice job of giving personal examples of misunderstandings that could easily be avoided by and better understanding of the cultural distinctives.

This short book (130 small pages) is a good first step to understanding some of the common cultural differences that exist in various countries around the world. And although the categories are wide sweeping generalizations, they do provide a framework to help understand some basic differences. We recommend this book for anyone who plans on going on a short-term Culturally Engaged trip in the coming years.

-Grace Church staff

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | The Next Story

It's hard to imagine that just over 150 years ago, people could travel no faster than the Ancient Greeks because the horse was the fastest thing around until the locomotive was invented.  Back then, news traveled no faster than it did in the time of Jesus.  Now, Wikipedia has become the go to source for information.  Everyone is reachable by mobile phone anywhere, at any time.  We live in a constant state of information... and distraction.  In his book, The Next Story:  Life and Faith after the DigitalExplosion, Tim Challies takes a look at how the digital explosion has impacted the way we think, function and live.  

Challies, a prominent Christian author and blogger, really has feet in both the worlds of theology and technology.  He builds a biblical case that technology is a good thing.  He says that it was created by God and argues it is the only thing that separates us from abject misery in a fallen world.  He exposes the fact that we largely adopt technology without ever thinking about the theory behind it (Why was this technology created? What is it's purpose?) and the theology of it (How does it impact our relationship with God and others?).  It is a convicting read that will get you thinking about how our changed world has changed us--for better or worse.

-Jim Taylor, Media/Baptism

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Wild Things

When I was a young boy, I loved the classic book by Maurice Sendak, “Where the Wild Things Are.” I couldn’t quite understand why back then, but looking back now I remember that it both scared me and thrilled me at the same time. The wild creatures were scary and the sky was dark, but the idea of adventure and of being a king appealed to me in ways I still can’t fully understand. I often imagined a forest growing in my room and an ocean as far as you could see outside my window... yet I slept with my bed surrounded by stuffed dinosaurs to protect me, just in case it actually came true.

Now that I am grown and have two boys of my own, I am loving another book about wild things. Stephen James and David Thomas, both counselors and fathers of boys, have produced a very practical guide for “understanding the way, the mind, and the heart of a boy” called Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys. Using practical and personal stories, and sound Biblical wisdom combined with current scientific research, the authors will make you laugh, cry, and shout “AMEN!” as they open windows into young masculinity seldom opened.

Part 1, The Way of a Boy, takes you through five developmental seasons of a boy’s life and offers extremely helpful advice on what to expect, how to understand, and what a parent can do to make the most of each of these unique stages. Part 2, The Mind of a Boy, unlocks many secrets of how a boy is wired up by God to be uniquely masculine in how he views and encounters the world around him. Part 3, The Heart of a Boy, addresses the emotional and spiritual needs that all boys have and offers parents some very specific relational direction on how to come alongside their sons. And you won’t want to miss the last section of the book, “Hot Topics”. Here the authors address 17 issues or questions that all parents have and few are willing to traverse. Competition, money, sex, pornography, and ADD are just a few.

My 8-year-old was doing cartwheels in the backyard yesterday and then swinging from a rope onto the branches of our big magnolia tree...all while wearing jeans and no shirt. It was a real life “wild rumpus” to be sure, and for the moment he was King. For anyone who has ever asked, “Is this normal?” as they watch their young boys experience life and grow up, I highly recommend this book as a great resource and guide to the exciting and daunting task of raising boys in our world today.

-Ed Sweeny, Pastor of Children & Families

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | God and Football

With football season here and fall temperatures following, Scott Freeman, Community Groups Pastor, shares with us a book that addresses what many of us struggle with... letting sports get the best of us.

As an avid lifelong sports fan and a former high school baseball coach, I have often struggled with keeping sports in their proper place in my life.  More than once I have lost perspective and allowed athletics to become an idol to me.  I have had to preach to myself that while sports are a gift from God (most of them anyway) and that they are capable of teaching us valuable lessons, they are a small part of God’s creation and cannot become more important to us than the Creator himself!

With this struggle in mind, I was instantly hooked when I picked up a copy of Chad Gibbs’ book God and Football: Faith and Fanatacism in the SEC at Crossway and read the back cover.  Forty-eight hours later I had read the entire book and was ordering copies to send to my dad and every other Christian sports fan that I know.

Gibbs decided to write the book when he recognized that entirely too much of his happiness depended on the outcome of his favorite sports teams.  If his team won on Saturday, the rest of the weekend was glorious.  If they lost, his family knew to tread lightly around him and that nothing could redeem the next few days.  In the book, Gibbs travels to each of the twelve Southeastern Conference schools for a football game during the 2009 season.  He spends each game day with Christian fans and also connects with a number of Christian campus organizations (FCA, Campus Crusade, RUF, etc.) to get their take on whether their fanaticism for their team crosses the line and becomes idolatry.  He then attends church with the same fans on Sunday and makes some hilarious (and at times convicting) observations.

• Would we paint our chests and faces out of excitement for God?
• Why do churches plan events around the football schedule, but the SEC doesn’t need to call the First Baptist Church of Athens or First Methodist of Gainesville before making out its schedule each year? 
• Why do a few hundred people slide in the back door at the last minute for church services, but tens of thousands show up hours and hours before kickoff to tailgate?    

As Gibbs discusses each of his 12 weekend experiences, he gives readers a very entertaining story, that I would wholeheartedly recommend, while also summarizing each chapter with some great theological truths.

-Scott Freeman, Community Groups Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Paul

Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free by F.F. Bruce is everything you ever wanted to know about Paul, and maybe more! You will want to have your Bible nearby whether you are just reading it or using it as a resource. This book makes Acts come alive and could be used when studying any of Paul's epistles. It is a great resource for pastors and Bible students as a clear and chronological reading of Paul's life. It was the required text for one of my seminary classes but I have re-read many sections of it ever since.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is the author’s ability to present Paul as a real person instead of just a legendary Bible character. The author puts you right in Paul’s shoes in the challenges he faced. It takes you from the beginning of Paul's life (as Saul) and his fierce opposition to the new Christian faith (“the Way”) all the way to his imprisonments and death, with an emphasis on his theology and some of the situations that influenced his writing style.

Some of the topics are: The rise of Rome, the Jews under foreign rule, the history of the early church, political/theological battles between the Pharisee and the Sadducees, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the afterlife, development of the early Christian theology, the Gentile problem, and the rapid expansion of the church.

Again…this is more of a resource book than a casual read. The valuable insight and background it gives turns the legendary apostle into a broken man, in a broken world, who needed Jesus just like we do. Paul is the ‘chief of sinners’ whose life and ministry can inspire us to trust Christ for grace, forgiveness, and to use any of us for His glory.

Dan Dather, Community Groups Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Radical Disciple

John Stott’s last book of his life, The Radical Disciple, is an extremely thought provoking book for the person who claims to be a follower of Christ.  In it, he summarizes some of what he learned during his life about what it means to be a “radical” follower of Jesus.  His basic premise is simply this; to follow Jesus is to let him direct the agenda of our lives.  He proposes that there are several areas of our lives where we neglect to do this.  The book challenges the reader on many levels.  Stott goes much deeper than the normal “discipleship” books, which tell the reader a list of things to do like read your bible, pray, go to church, etc.  Instead, rather than give the reader a “to do” list, Stott explores “eight serious yet often neglected aspects of Christian Discipleship.”  These eight aspects include: nonconformity, christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death.  Each aspect is given a chapter in the book.

Although there were a few comments and sections of the book that I had trouble seeing eye-to-eye with Stott, he at least challenged the “status quo” in those areas of my life.  The challenging sections for me included the chapters on taking care of creation and simple living.  Even though I think Stott went further than I would in these areas, I feel I have been propelled to grow by being challenged by him.  I think the reader will be challenged as well.  I often think very little about environmental issues and have sometimes made fun of “tree huggers” but this book has challenged my irresponsibility in that area with a renewed spiritual perspective.

Stott’s admonitions are desperately needed in our times.  Many churches are filled with people who have made professions of faith but have made no move toward maturity in Christ.  Stott’s chapters on Maturity, Christlikeness, and Non-conformity rattle such notions of complacency in the faith.  His chapter on Balance was one of the best chapters of the book.  In this chapter, Stott details three “couplets” of ends of the scale that encompass the duties of a disciple of Christ.  These couplets are Individual Discipleship and Corporate Fellowship, Work and Worship, and Pilgrimage and Citizenship.  Stott says that a Christian must be both pursuing Christ individually but be vitally connected with others.  The second couplet is that we live out our faith in all areas of life.  There is no separation of our work and worship.  Third, Stott stresses that we are to be intentionally and strategically plugged into our world and culture but at the same time living and hoping for our heavenly home.  In each couplet, Stott calls the reader to balance, not forgetting either side.

Although I do feel that Stott has drifted into a little “political correctness” in a few areas, I believe that the discerning reader can benefit greatly from reading this book.  Stott will truly challenge you to quit living a passive Christian life and be a “Radical Disciple” of Christ.

-Patrick Shealy, Community Groups Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Bonhoeffer

I remember reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in college.  It was a fascinating read that opened my eyes to the different ways that we “cheapen” grace by claiming Christ without actually truly following him.  That particular book gave an overview of Bonhoeffer’s life and showed how he lived out his faith through standing up for Jews in the middle of the Nazi regime, but it proved to be only a small taste.

I recently read Eric Metaxes’ biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and it opened my eyes to how deeply he followed Jesus in every area of his life, despite the consequences.  During the years that led up to World War II, Bonhoeffer was one of the few that saw the Nazi regime for what it truly was.  Germany had suffered greatly from the defeat of World War I and the consequences it faced as a result.  As Hitler rose to power, he leveraged the people’s pride as Germans to accomplish his own motives.  When the Nazi government took over the national German church, most leaders just fell in line.  Even when the Nazi leaders revealed their anti-semitism, most of the church’s leaders remained silent, but not Bonhoeffer.  Not only did Dietrich understand the gospel, he knew that based on the claim that Christ had on his life there was no other option than to oppose Hitler with every fiber of his being.  As so many of his brothers failed to take a stand and wanted to fight Hitler from the inside, Dietrich stood alone with his convictions as he uttered one of the most memorable lines of the book: “If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.”

This biography is certainly intriguing as you get to read and experience the “spy story” of Bonhoeffer trying to overthrow the Hitler regime, but it is also compelling because you get to see a man live out his faith in an incredibly difficult situation, one which we know will ultimately lead to his death.  He was a pastor and theologian, and actually ran multiple “underground” seminaries because he wanted to equip the leaders of the church, especially to combat the Nazis.  He never hesitated to leverage his influence for the sake of the gospel.  Most of his closest friends even encouraged him to stay in America while the war raged on in Germany, but Bonhoeffer opposed the appeals for safety because he carried the burdens of what was at stake for the church and how the Jews were being persecuted.  He returned to Germany so that he could oppose the Nazis from the front lines, soon after which he was arrested and imprisoned.  His character continued to show in prison as he deprived himself of special privileges because he knew that they would come at a cost to other inmates.  This man was a true example of what a Christ follower looks like.  His hope in Christ was clear, and even just before his execution, one of the guards was quoted as saying: “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer kneeling on the floor, praying fervently to God…so certain that God heard his prayer…I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”

Now that I have read this biography, I understand more of what “The Cost of Discipleship” is about.  It is so clear that to follow Christ in our broken world will require us to die.  It seems like often times these are deaths of selfishness and pride, but we must allow the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer to resonate in our soul and be willing to truly lay down our life for the sake of the gospel just like he did.  May we find courage through his life, and may we follow Christ no matter what the cost.  


-Daniel Moore, Middle School Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | Christian Beliefs

Depending on your background, the words doctrine and theology may conjure up images of a priest in clerical attire, or perhaps a seminary school.  The truth is, these words refer to something every person who considers themselves a Christian should be involved in, the study of God’s Word.  Several of the books we have recently made available at our Resource Center are aimed at helping you take a deeper look at different Biblical topics.  Christian Beliefs, subtitled 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem explores topics like the authority and sufficiency of the Bible, the Trinity, Sin, Salvation (topics we include in our Foundational Doctrine at Grace) as well as other topics such as prayer, Christ’s return, and heaven (topics that fit into our Structural Doctrine).

Christian Beliefs is a condensed version of Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine (which itself is a condensed version of Systematic Theology).  While Grudem states that his goal in this book was to make these areas of doctrine understandable to those who are new believers, I would recommend this book more to those who already have a good working understanding of the Gospel and how to apply it to your life (A Gospel Primer for Christians comes to mind).  As you continue to grow in your faith and understanding of the Gospel, you should begin to dig into other Biblical topics, as they give you a richer understanding of God and His story of redemption for us.  For example, understanding what it means to be adopted into God’s family brings immense joy and humility as you begin to realize just how undeserving you are of the blessing and glory God intends for you.  Learning more about Christ’s return and the end times should produce in you both excitement, and a longing to reach others with the good news of Jesus.

One thing to note is that different people have widely differing viewpoints on some areas of doctrine (election, Christ’s return & final judgement, for example).  While the Bible is authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient for knowing God as He intended us to, it does not speak exhaustively about every topic or  question we may have.  It is important not to take a strong doctrinal stance on areas that are not necessarily spelled out completely in Scripture.  We do not want to add or take away from God’s word.  As you explore areas of doctrine in this book, or any, the goal should be to grow in your understanding of God, not to form a hard stance on something God has not.  Learning to live with humility in the tension of hard areas of Doctrine is important for all Christians.

Doctrine is one of the topics we touch on at our Discovery class, and if you have not participated in one of the classes, I’d encourage you to come to the next one at your campus.  You can find out more at http://www.gracechurchsc.org/whats-going-on/getting-connected/

- Chris McGowan, Connecting Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | You Can Change

There are a lot of books in print that present a "method" on how you can change behavior. You Can Change by Tim Chester is not one of those books. Instead this is a book that can help you experience real life change that is neither pietistic or moralistic. You Can Change seeks to guide the reader to real change by focusing on the sinful motives of our hearts and the power to change those motives that is found only in the gospel.

Chester points out that real life change comes, not by focusing primarily on the behavior, but on the heart. He then directs the reader to experience heart change by looking to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not merely a book about changing behavior but a book on discipleship.

This book offers hope by helping you understand yourself and the way you can change in a way that offers great hope that is centered in the gospel. Each chapter of  the book begins by asking some key questions about you and your heart and then Chester addresses what you found. Each chapter builds upon the previous chapter's theological framework that is gospel centered. The book is theologically rich and practical.

To sum it all up, this book offers real hope for change in a very practical and theologically sound way.

-Patrick Shealy, Community Groups Pastor

Books Worth Reading Wednesday | What Did You Expect

Paul Tripp is the Teaching Pastor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and is also a Professor of Pastoral Life and Care at the Redeemer Seminary in Dallas. His previous books (How People Change, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands and many others) focus on the hope the gospel gives us as we face the uncertainty of a broken world. In his most recent work, What Did You Expect, Tripp focuses on marriage and the problems many marriages face when not equipped with the grace of the gospel.

Tripp compares our culture's dating process to that of a used car salesman. We spend months and months trying to impress our potential spouse all the while emphasizing our good traits and trying to hide our flaws. Several weeks after the wedding, many newlyweds claim, "This isn't the same person I married!" Tripp contends that it IS the same person you married, it just isn't the same person you dated.

Tripp explains that when a broken sinner joins another broken sinner in marriage, it is extremely unrealistic to expect perfection. Sin causes us to dehumanize our spouse. Instead of being the objects of our affection, our spouse becomes either a vehicle to help us get what we want or an obstacle in the way of what we want. Tripp suggests that in order to correct this way of thinking, we must "hold our marriages up in front of the most accurate mirror ever made, the Bible."

When marriage is viewed through the lens of the gospel, it can dramatically change our expectations. Tripp questions the ideal that marriage was created for our happiness. While happiness will often be a byproduct of a successful marriage, Tripp suggests that the true purpose of marriage is to make us more like Christ by...

1. teaching us to give grace to others.
2. teaching us to forgive.
3. teaching us to trust.
4. teaching us to appreciate differences in others.

Whether you are in a satisfying marriage or frustrated and just about ready to give up, whether you have been married for a few months or a few decades, Tripp says early in the book that, "whatever your marriage is now, it can be better." This is the core idea of this book and is an encouraging goal for all married couples.

-Scott Freeman, Community Groups Pastor

 
Disclosure: Grace Church has not received any compensation for writing this post. Grace Church has no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. Grace Church is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”