Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category

In every generation, there are some Christian books that become classics. Their topic is urgent, author compelling, and content enriching—if not profound. These book’s reception far outstrips every expectation, and its effects ripple throughout the church.

Due to its timeliness and topic, Baptists and the Bible made a unique and needed contribution to the church—especially in the context of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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Recently I enjoyed preaching the Speak the Truth in Love Conference, hosted by Founders Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. The speakers engaged topics on gender, sexuality, marriage, and religious liberty. The conference speakers were strong, and the sessions most helpful.

While at the conference, I enjoyed visiting with my friend Denny Burk, and talking through his recent book, Transforming Homosexuality: What the Bible Says about Sexual Orientation and Change. Our conversation prompted me to read Transforming Homosexuality, and I’d encourage you to do the same. Read more

William Manchester stands as one of the 20th century’s most renowned authors and biographers. His enduring biographies on Winston Churchill, Douglas MacArthur, and John F. Kennedy are moving reads, and absolutely captivating from start to finish. But it is one of Manchester’s lesser-known works, A World Lit Only By Fire, that might be his most fascinating. Read more

Martyn Lloyd-Jones was one of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century. He pastored the Westminster Chapel in the heart of London for nearly three decades. His pulpit radiated the truth around the world, making him one of the most influential ministers on the planet by the end of his ministry.

Iain Murray’s two-volume biography of Lloyd-Jones remains the gold-standard work on the Doctor. At nearly 1,300 pages, it is a massive treatise, meticulously documenting the great man’s life and ministry.

I worked through Murray’s two-volume biography years ago, but understand why some find it a bit intimidating. That is why I was glad to see Lloyd-Jones’ grandson, Christopher Catherwood, complement Murray’s biography with his new Martyn Lloyd-Jones: His Life and Reflection for the 21st Century. Read more

While beginning to sense God’s call to ministry, in February of 1998 I joined a car full of college-age men aspiring to the ministry, and we traveled north from Mobile, AL, on Interstate 65 to attend the Conger Lectures on Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham.

Friends described that year’s lecturer as the “John MacArthur of the North.” I would soon get to hear him in person. His name was John Piper.

While at Beeson, I grabbed a copy of Piper’s, The Supremacy of God in Preaching. I devoured it, marking up every page. I’ve reread it every few years, and now, in the 25th year since its initial publication, it deserves renewed attention. Read more