Category: Recommended

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“Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters” by Joshua Harris

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

Author: Joshua Harris
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Format: hardcover
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 241
ISBN: 9781601421517
Stars: 5 of 5

In today’s world, doctrine and orthodoxy get a bad rap. Many sincere Christians assume studying doctrine is primarily a waste of time. Doctrine usually leads to cold and dead religion, or else it promotes a divisive and bitter spirit that splits churches and wounds people. What really matters is one’s personal relationship with God, and his love for fellow believers.

Joshua Harris would have agreed with this basic sentiment at one time. Dug Down Deep is the story of how he came to realize how important and even life-changing the study of the Bible’s doctrine really can be. Harris invites the reader along as he explains what the basic doctrines (or teachings) of the Bible are and illustrates the impact they have had in his own spiritual walk.

Harris writes in a refreshing, open manner. He lets you into his life even sharing some of the dark secrets of his past. He shares the story of his father Gregg’s conversion to Christ, as well as his own journey from a seeker-sensitive church youth group to being pastoral intern to C.J. Mahaney.

The book’s readability helps it to communicate so effectively when Harris explains such doctrines as the sovereignty of God, sinfulness of man, substitutionary atonement, and the gospel of God’s grace. It is the books focus on grace which most dramatically stands out. This is what drew Harris to the joy of knowing Bible doctrine, and it is worth quoting him at some length on this point.

…it was this message of the gospel of grace for which C.J. Reserved his greatest passion. Most preachers and zealous Christians I knew got fired up over what we needed to do for God. But C.J.’s greatest passion was reserved for exulting in what God had done for us. He loved to preach about the Cross and how Christ died in our place, as our substitute.

For someone who had practically been born into church, I found this surprisingly new. The deeper I delved into Christian doctrine, the more I saw that the good news of salvation by grace alone in Jesus, who died for sin””the gospel””was the main message of the whole Bible.

I suppose it might seem completely obvious that this is the center of the Christian faith, and yet it felt new to me. I began to see orthodoxy as the treasuring of the truths that point to Jesus and his saving work. Doctrine was the living story of what Jesus did for us and what it means…. (pg. 27)

As you can see, Harris’ own story provides the perfect backdrop for illustrating how important it is to learn Bible doctrine. Harris argues that we need to dig down deep in order to build our lives on the rock of the solid Biblical teaching of Christ.

This book will introduce the young Christian to the glory of orthodox Christian doctrine. It will also encourage those who do know doctrine, to aim for a humble orthodoxy and see how such knowledge should fuel love and service for others. Dug Down Deep will be an easy read for anyone, but it packs a punch. It will challenge you to make sure you are building on a sure foundation. I recommend this book highly.

Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of churches. A gifted speaker with a passion for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Chruch. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.
Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Waterbrook Multnomah.

“Once an Arafat Man” by Tass Saada

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life is a fascinating read. As the title indicates, this is a true story of a former Fatah fighter. Tass Saada was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza strip. His parents left their land in Israel at the encouragement of the neighboring Muslim countries. After the failure of the 1948 war, they (with many others) were displaced. He grew up in Saudi Arabia and later Qatar.

Saada, like many young frustrated Palestinians, grew to respect Yasir Arafat and his rhetoric about Palestinians standing up for their rights. He fled from his home and joined the movement in its infancy. As a teenager he became a sniper and fought in many terrorist skirmishes.

Eventually his father’s influence brought him back out of the Fatah, just before Black September’s chaos, and he wound up ultimately in America. There for many years he succeeded in business and lived the American dream, with its money, prestige and also its sinful vices. Then he met Jesus, and the rest is history!

His story of conversion is amazing, and the transformation in his life and family is dramatic. God had his hand on this man and eventually he became the founder of Hope for Ishmael a non-profit organization that aims to reconcile Jews and Muslims, and that also aids the many Palestinians caught in the crossfire of the Middle-East conflict. God took Tass from being a one-time chauffeur to Arafat, and allowed him to share the Gospel with the Muslim leader in the final years of his life.

Saada’s story is a celebration of God’s grace. Along the way, Saada has some wise Gospel words to speak about the Middle-East conflict. He finds the Bible’s honorable treatment of Hagar and Ishmael to have special significance in our understanding of this conflict. He also stresses God’s promise in Ez. 47: 21-23 that “the aliens [foreigners] who have settled among you and who have children… along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.” (NIV)

His story will also challenge you to see God’s hand at work in your own life. This book will open your heart to the suffering of the Middle-East and give hope! I highly recommend this quick read. May Jesus be exalted in the Middle East!

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Tyndale House.

Christianity Today Interviews John Sailhammer re: His Book The Meaning of the Pentateuch (IVP)

~ Bob Hayton

John Sailhammer’s new book The Meaning of the Pentateuch continues to garner publicity. I was blessed with a copy of this important book (thanks IVP), and will be reviewing it in a few months (it’s 610 pages long!!).

Christianity Today‘s Collin Hansen recently interviewed Prof. Sailhammer about his new book. I’ve included the first question and answer below (HT: Justin Taylor). Be sure to read the whole interview.

How do you explain the meaning of the Pentateuch to evangelicals who revere these foundational books but do not see their relevance?

Experience has taught me that we really have to want to understand the meaning of the Pentateuch before we see its relevance for our lives. I’ve been fortunate to have students who have kept me looking for answers about the meaning and relevance of this book. The old theologians used to speak of “the love for Scripture” as a sign of true faith in Christ. They would say, “We should read the Old Testament as if it were written with the blood of Christ.” For them, the Old Testament and the Pentateuch in particular was a Christian book, a book about Christ. For most evangelical Christians today it is a book about archaeology and ancient history.

Here we have to be careful because, to be sure, the Old Testament is about ancient history. But that is not its meaning. Its meaning is Christ. Saying that also calls for a great deal of caution. In my book, I take the view that the whole of the Pentateuch is about Christ, but that doesn’t mean that Christ is in the whole Pentateuch. Finding Christ in the Pentateuch means learning to see him when he is there rather than trying to see when he is not there. I like to tell my students that we don’t need to spiritualize the Old Testament to find Christ, but we do need to read it with spiritual eyes.

I have a good friend who likes to chide me by saying you don’t need “exegesis” to find Christ in the Old Testament. All we need is some “extra Jesus.” I wrote my book in part to show my friend and others like him that serious scholarship leads one to find Christ in the Old Testament because he is really there. The author of the Pentateuch put him there when he wrote the book. I’ve found that if you show someone that Christ is really there in the Pentateuch and the Old Testament, they will come back to see more””not merely because they have come to revere the Pentateuch as a foundational book, but more importantly because they want to see more of Jesus.

The introduction of the book is available online. I recently posted a quote from his introduction (which will make you really want to read the book!). You can pick up a copy of the book at Amazon.com, or support a Christian bookstore with your purchase: Westminster Bookstore or Monergism Books.

Don’t Forget the Gospel This New Year’s

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

Some of you have made New Year’s resolutions. Others have resolved to make one soon! And if you haven’t made one this year, you have other years. We all think there is wisdom in setting our mind to something and trying to achieve it.

I’m all for this kind of determination and hard-work. The problem comes when we set “spiritual” resolutions, or resolutions about our Christian life. This can lead to a confidence in the flesh for growth in our sanctification. It can lead to an unhealthy reliance on our selves for Christian growth. And ultimately, it strikes at the place of the Gospel in our lives.

I won’t speak more about this, now. Rather, I’ll point you to a great article I just found that hits on this very thing. It’s two years old now, but it still deserves a careful reading. I hope it will challenge you as it did me. Make sure your hope is in the Gospel this year, and not self-made resolutions!

Here’s the link: go over and read “Resolution-Driven vs. Gospel-Driven Living” from the Gospel-Driven Blog.

Bob’s Best Books of 2009

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

In 2009, I’ve been blessed to review 29 (make that 28, see below*) books. From these books, I wanted to list my favorites. Rather than give a top 10, which so many others have done, I thought I’d list the best book from several different categories. With some honorable mentions thrown in, I list the best 9 books of 2009.

I want to also take this opportunity to thank the 20+ publishers who have provided books for me to review here. I also owe huge thanks to my readers. Thanks to you all, my site reached over 128,000 hits this year! I aim to keep offering quality content on my blog beyond book reviews, and I pray my site has been a blessing to some of you this year in your Christian walk.

Without further ado, here are Bob’s Best Books of 2009.

Best “Christian Life” book — A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (NavPress). This is more than a challenging book on prayer. It’s an encouraging read that will inspire you to pray more. Best book I read all year, hand’s down.

Honorable mention — Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World edited by C.J. Mahaney (Crossway). Worldliness is the scourge of the modern church. This book steers clear of legalism as it addresses this important topic. You will be blessed by this extended application of 1 Jn. 2:15 “Love not the world”.

Best “Devotional” book — Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter by Nancy Guthrie (Crossway). This book collects 25 excellent readings on the importance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The selections are from great authors past and present, and will do much to stir your soul.

Best “Theology” Book — Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures by Dennis Johnson (P & R Publishing). This book should be required reading for all pastoral theology majors. Everything from biblical hermeneutics, biblical theology, the history of bible interpretation and preaching, and how the Old Testament and the New Testament are unified is covered. The best part comes when the author illustrates his method of finding Christ in all the Scriptures through several sample OT and NT texts. This book will make the Bible come alive as never before.

Honorable mention — The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: Responding to New Challenges to Biblical Authority by G.K. Beale (Crossway). While the discussion gets somewhat technical, the topic is important. Beale ably responds to Peter Enns’ stretching of the definition of “inerrancy”. Beale demonstrates how scholarship can interact with ancient near-Eastern studies, and yet remain faithful to a robust evangelical view of Scripture. Beale’s points are worth considering as the challenges must be faced by all students of Scripture. I particularly enjoyed Beale’s treatment of the cosmic temple theme as developed throughout Scripture. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

Best “Family” book — What He Must Be If He Wants to Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham Jr. (Crossway). This book is insightful and refreshing. In a humorous way, it handles sensitive and all-important topics. It’s perfect for parents, or young adults thinking through how best to find a mate.

Best “Reference” book — New Testament Text and Translation Commentary by Philip W. Comfort (Tyndale House). This handy tool discusses almost every textual variant that impacts translations. The variants are listed in canonical order, and the chief Greek manuscripts, Greek texts and key English Bibles are listed as supporting or following the various readings. Difficult variants are discussed at length in a layman-friendly, straightforward style.

Best “Commentary” — Reformed Expository Commentary: James by Daniel M. Doriani (P & R Publishing). This commentary is truly a joy to read. Written by a pastor-scholar, the book addresses scholarly concerns even as it pastorally applies the Scripture. This is an accessible commentary which illustrates how to handle the text. James is opened up for the reader, and the light of the gospel shines through. The book captures the right balance, in my view, of scholarship and practicality. Highly recommended.

Honorable Mention — NIV Application Commentary: Joshua by Robert Hubbard Jr. (Zondervan). This commentary was also fun to read. While it is more technical, it doesn’t aim to just inform the reader. It’s goal is to bridge the gap from the ancient world of the text to the modern day, highlighting the text’s contemporary significance. Joshua truly does come alive through this book.

See all the books I’ve reviewed here. Feel free to follow me on Goodreads, too. For information on how you can get books to review on your blog, read this post.

*I have since retabulated my numbers and am considering two small board books for kids to be just 1 book in my count.