Category: Book Recommendations

Bob’s Best Books of 2011

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

Once again, it is time for my list of the top books I read or reviewed this past year. It’s always hard to limit my choices, and 2011 was no exception. There were many great books that I was blessed to read, but in the end the following titles rise to the top. They are the very best books I read and/or reviewed in 2011.

Bob’s 10 Best:

Best “Theology” book — Waiting for the Land: The Story Line of the Pentateuch by Arie C. Leder (P & R Publishing). My love affair with the Pentateuch was rekindled with this evocative book. Yes, it’s strange using the term “evocative” of a theology book, but that description fits. Leder unpacked the Pentateuch in such a sweeping manner that he drew you in to its powerful and majestic themes of redemption and the promised hope. He also made the connections between the church’s experience now and Israel’s experience then. I thoroughly enjoyed this relatively short book. I’ll be going back to it again and again as I continue studying the Pentateuch. Read my review for more on this book.

Best “Missions & Church Life” book — Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism edited by Collin Hansen and Andrew Naselli (Zondervan). This book was one that I was eagerly awaiting for much of 2011. When I got my copy, I devoured it. It certainly lived up to my expectations. The book is a fascinating conversation about the state of Evangelicalism, and where and how both Fundamentalism and Post-Conservatism fit in. The conversation was charitable and thought-provoking, and the book will encourage more intentional thought on questions such as, “Just how together can we be for the Gospel?” And also, “What really is at stake with post-conservatism?” Of particular note to many of my readers, is the fact that a fundamentalist leader was asked to contribute to this book. Kevin Bauder did a masterful job at introducing the idea of fundamentalism to wider evangelical readers. He also laid forth his vision of a renewed and purged fundamentalism and what the future could hold if the movement reforms. For more on this book, see this book excerpt. My review is forthcoming.

Best “Childrens & Family” book — Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson (Crossway). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It lived up to the high endorsements from Tullian Tchividjian and others. The authors remind us that there are no perfect parents or fool-proof parenting methods. We all need grace, and we need to introduce our kids to Jesus, first and foremost. Most intriguingly, they explore what it means to parent in a distinctively Christian way. For more on this book, check out two book excerpts (here and here). My review is forthcoming.

Honorable Mention — The Quest for Comfort: The Story of The Heidelberg Catechism by William Boekestein (Reformation Heritage). I am not aware of many kids books that tell the story behind the Heidelberg Catechism; so the story itself will be new to most children. The tale is engaging and the artwork has an older feel to it and will also draw young minds in. I thought the idea of telling the story behind the men who brought us one of the most enduring Reformation era documents, in a kids story format, was ingenious. The book lived up to my expectations and has me hoping to get Boekestein’s other books in this genre. Read my review for more on this book.

Best “Fiction” book — The Constantine Codex by Paul L. Maier (Tyndale House). I hadn’t read Maier’s earlier books in the “Skeleton in God’s Closet” series, but that didn’t pose any problem in appreciating this story fully. I had heard that Maier’s archaeological fiction was riveting. This book did not disappoint. For theology geeks like me, who have studied textual criticism and the Biblical languages, the book has an added appeal in that the main character is an expert on ancient manuscripts and early Christianity. The storyline is almost over the top, with the discovery of manuscript discoveries that Dan Wallace can only dream about, but the tale manages to stay believable. This was a book I couldn’t put down. Read my review for more on this book.

Honorable Mention — Taken (The Quest for Truth Series, book 1) by Brock Eastman (P & R Publishing). With this being Eastman’s first book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I ended up being very impressed by this story which is part science-fiction, part fantasy. Rather than being an overt allegory or an obviously Christianized fiction work, this tale tells a story well and draws the reader in to a tale that ultimately has intersections with the Truth. The book is geared more for young adults, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’m eager for the next installment of this series, and hope to sample some of the other books that Eastman has published recently, too. Read my review for more on this book.

Best “General Christian Interest” book — Upside: Surprising Good News About the State of Our World by Bradley Wright (Bethany House). I was intrigued by the premise of this book from the start. And Wright sure did deliver. The book exposes a secret: our world is dramatically improving on many fronts. Health, life-expectancy, income levels, literacy, and even crime and the environment have all seen incredible improvements over the last 30 years and more. Wright calls the church to task for not celebrating and recognizing this fact. We need to stop enjoying how bad everything is and worrying about how much worse it will get. Instead, we should actually thank God for some of the amazing things He has done lately. Read my review for more on this book.

Best “Christian Living” book — Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill (Zondervan). This book by Wesley Hill truly altered my thinking on an important subject. I still remain absolutely convinced that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong. But I now am much more sympathetic to people struggling with same-sex attractions than I was before. In our culture, such people are encouraged to go all out and live it up as a homosexual. Wesley Hill a committed Christian and Bible College grad, has struggled his entire life with same-sex attractions. He has remained celibate and is committed to following Christ wholeheartedly. But his story is one that the Church needs to hear. Can we learn to have the same compassion toward those who struggle with same-sex attraction as we do with those who struggle with extramarital heterosexual attractions? And will we stand against the sin rather than those caught up in it? Read my review for more on this book.

Best “Church History & Biography” book — A Visual History of the King James Bible by Donald L. Brake (Baker Books). This was perhaps my favorite book of the year. I’ve always been intrigued by the history of the English Bible, and with the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible, I’ve been reading lots of books commemorating the KJB. This book tops them all. It is a visual feast, chuck full of fascinating pictures of manuscripts, old Bibles and more. My video review tries to do the book justice.

Best “Commentary & Reference” book — The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook edited by J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays (Baker Books). This may be the best single volume resource on the entire Bible available. It certainly is the most visually stunning: beautiful, full-color photographs of Bible places, manuscripts, and artifacts, detailed charts and maps abound. Each book of the Bible is summarized and the handbook is filled with fascinating and helpful articles by leading evangelical scholars. With this book, I tried my hand at another video review.

All the Rest:

In 2011, I reviewed 42 books or DVDs — bringing the total of my book and media reviews to 115 from more than 30 different publishers. You can see all my reviews listed here. For my previous “Bob’s Best” lists, see below.

Additionally, if you are an avid reader, you may want to follow my reviews or friend me on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Special Sale on “The Gospel Story Bible”

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Westminster Bookstore is offering 65% off on an exciting new title from New Growth Press: The Gospel Story Bible: Finding Jesus in the Old and New Testament by Marty Machowski. This could be the perfect Christmas gift for families with young children. And it’s only $9.99 now through Wednesday.

You can preview the entire book for free here. Included below are some of the many endorsements for this new book.

“For over five years Marty Machowski’s products have been a mainstay in our children’s ministry, which serves approximately 600 kids per week. We have seen great spiritual fruit from its use in a wide variety of age groups (preschool to fifth grade) and class sizes (10 kids to 200). We love how every product points children back to the most important message of the Bible — God’s plan of salvation through the atoning life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” – Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church author of Dug Down Deep

“Marty Machowski gets the gospel and knows how to transfer it to kids in a way that delights the soul and engages the mind. The Gospel Story Bible is a treasure for parents of young children. But it’s not just for children, Marty traces the gospel through the Bible with crystal clarity and traction for all ages. Few pastors I know are this skilled in making the glories of Scripture so accessible in narrative form. It’s a must buy.” – Dave Harvey, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of When Sinners Say “I Do” and Rescuing Ambition

“More good news for parents (and grandparents)! Marty Machowski has once again delivered an excellent resource to help us lead children spiritually. The Gospel Story Bible explains the storyline of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation in 156 chapters, with vivid illustrations and thoughtful discussion questions for each reading. I fully anticipate that as you read this to your children (or grandchildren), you will be amazed together at the grace of God revealed in Scripture.” – C.J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of The Cross Centered Life

“If you want your children to grow up loving the Bible, then introduce them to The Gospel Story Bible. Here you have a simple, readable, understandable, and engaging account of 156 of the most powerful stories in the Bible. Every story is of manageable size, and even the most energetic child will be able to remain attentive for an entire story. In fact, you may be pleasantly surprised that your children will want to hear more than one story. The most important feature of the book is that Pastor Machowski sees the gospel in every story! Listen to how his book opens: ‘God’s gospel story starts at the very beginning’! I assure you that it doesn’t end there. The gospel permeates every chapter of this book. I highly recommend it.” – Nancy E. Ganz, Author of Herein is Love: A Commentary Series for Children on Genesis – Numbers

“I could speak at length about how much I recommend Marty Machowski’s books to churches – and indeed I do, along with books from a long list of other authors. But Marty’s resources for families and children also appear on a far shorter list that places them in a more significant category for me: they are books that I actually use in my home. Again Marty has provided us with a God-centered, Scripture-grounded, gospel-driven resource that orients the minds of children toward the wondrous works of God.” – Timothy Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Family Ministry, Southern Seminary; editor of The Journal of Family Ministry.

~cross-posted from my team book blog, CrossFocusedReviews.com

The Gospel Grid: Living the Gospel-Centered Life

~ Bob Hayton

Last night we just started going through The Gospel-Centered Life by Bob Thune and Will Walker (New Growth Press & World Harvest Mission, 2011) in the college-aged small group at our church. I was struck once again at the beautiful way this curriculum describes living the Gospel-Centered Life.

I’m going to provide an excerpt here from the first lesson (the entire first lesson is available as a sample .pdf), along with the graphic you see to the right. How are we doing on making the Gospel grow in significance to us? I find these thoughts both liberating and challenging.

Many Christians live with a truncated view of the gospel. We see the gospel as the “door,” the way in, the entrance point into God’s kingdom. But the gospel is so much more! It is not just the door, but the path we are to walk every day of the Christian life. It is not just the means of our salvation, but the means of our transformation. It is not simply deliverance from sin’s penalty, but release from sin’s power. The gospel is what makes us right with God (justification) and it is also what frees us to delight in God (sanctification). The gospel changes everything!

The following model [see image above] has been helpful to many people in thinking about the gospel and its implications. This diagram does not say everything that could be said about the gospel, but it does serve as a helpful visual illustration of how the gospel works.

The starting point of the Christian life (conversion) comes when I first become aware of the gap between God’s holiness and my sinfulness. When I am converted, I trust and hope in Jesus, who has done what I could never do: He has bridged the gap between my sinfulness and God’s holiness. He has taken God’s holy wrath toward my sin upon himself.

At the point of conversion, however, I have a very limited view of God’s holiness and of my sin. The more I grow in my Christian life, the more I grow in my awareness of God’s holiness and of my flesh and sinfulness. As I read the Bible, experience the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and live in community with other people, the extent of God’s greatness and the extent of my sin become increasingly clear and vivid. It is not that God is becoming more holy or that I am becoming more sinful. But my awareness of both is growing. I am increasingly seeing God as He actually is (Isa. 55:8–9) and myself as I actually am (Jer. 17:9–10).

As my understanding of my sin and of God’s holiness grows, something else also grows: my appreciation and love for Jesus. His mediation, His sacrifice, His righteousness, and His gracious work on my behalf become increasingly sweet and powerful to me. The cross looms larger and more central in my life as I rejoice in the Savior who died upon it.

–Excerpted from the sample copy of Lesson One from The Gospel Centered Life.

Learn more about The Gospel Centered Life at World Harvest Mission’s product detail page. You can purchase a the curriculum at the links below.

Leader’s Guide: Westminster Bookstore, ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from World Harvest Mission or New Growth Press.

Participant’s Guide: Westminster Bookstore, ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from World Harvest Mission or New Growth Press.

Free PDF Download of “The Gospel Centered Life” Curriculum

~ Bob Hayton

Westminster Bookstore has a great deal on a fantastic resource for Sunday Schools and small groups: The Gospel Centered Life. I am already planning on using this curriculum for our college-aged class this Fall at our church. It is an excellent resource from World Harvest Mission.

The message is life-changing and very much in the flavor of some of the Gospel meditations that Tim Keller brings. I’m looking forward to using this with our young people.

For the next two days you can get a Leader’s edition as a free pdf download from Westminster Bookstore. Just click here for the download. The print copy (I have one) from New Growth Press is really sharp and well done. You’ll love this book.

Click the image above for more details on this special offer.

Book Release: “The Shooting Salvationist” by David R. Stokes

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

Today, is the official launch of an exciting new book about Pastor J. Frank Norris of Fort Worth, Texas. David R. Stokes, columnist and a pastor himself, gives us The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America.

I just recently finished reading a pre-release copy of this book, and was captivated by the intricacies of this story. Norris is perhaps the most infamous fundamentalist leader of all, and as the book details, was the focus of perhaps the murder trial of the decade in the 1920s. The entire nation was riveted for months as front-page news detailed the story of a Texas pastor shooting an unarmed man in his office.

The book traces Norris’ career as well as the history of Fort Worth and Texas as a whole in the 1920s. It was the age of newspapers on every corner — and Norris had his own paper with a nation-wide circulation — was just giving way to the radio — and Norris was a radio pioneer too, with an audience reputed to be in the millions. The 1920s saw the Ku Klux Klan as still a powerful force in politics and city life, and Norris was more closely connected with the KKK and its mission than one would guess.

The book is written well, and the story of the trial reads like a novel. The picture painted of J. Frank Norris seems even-handed and true to life, and the author stops short of judging him. It’s a fascinating look into the mind of the legend that J. Frank Norris became.

I don’t want to launch into my full review quite yet. For now, I want to encourage you to check out the book, and consider purchasing a copy today to help it rise in the rankings and become an Amazon bestseller. It’s published by Steer Forth Press and distributed by Random House. I’d encourage you to purchase a copy from Amazon, but you can buy it direct through Random House or Steer Forth Press.

Learn more about the book at TheShootingSalvationist.com or the book’s Facebook page. And enjoy the 8 minute video clip below of author David Stokes discussing his vision for the book.


A Conversation with David R. Stokes from David Stokes on Vimeo.