Book Reviews

In a time of economic crisis for many families, a proper view of Christian stewardship is vital. In Jesus and Money (Brazos), New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III offers a helpful survey of what the Bible does and doesn't say about money. The insights in this useful book would offer an excellent foundation for a sermon series or small-group study.

In Worshipping with the Church Fathers (IVP), Christopher A. Hall guides us through a study of baptism, the eucharist, prayer and spiritual discipline using the insights of the ancient church fathers. The book offers valuable insights for worship - corporate and personal - that will be a wonderful resource for pastors and church leaders.

John Ortberg's latest book is The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You (Zondervan). In it Ortberg writes about how to realize the full potential God has placed within you. He provides a spiritual formation assessment tool and an online tool (at Monvee.com) to help readers develop their own spiritual growth plan.

Max Lucado is an effective preacher and a great storyteller. He has written a great deal about Christmas. Here are some of his best:

Sent and Gathered (Baker Academic) by Clayton J. Schmit is subtitled A Worship Manual for the Missional Church. The book explores the various terrains of worship in the global church and offers insights for shaping worship in relationship to the missional focus of the church. Schmit offers an opportunity to see what is taking place in the church's worship in the 21st century.

Churches tend to be places where extroverts--those gregarious, outgoing, people-persons--are prized. So, Adam McHugh has written Introverts in the Church (InterVarsity Press) to encourage his fellow introverts to find their own special place in the life and ministry of the church. He also reminds church leaders to recognize and value the gifts of the introverts in their churches.

In A Case for the Divinity of Jesus (Rowman & Littlefield), attorney Dean L. Overman examines the earliest available records to build a compelling case for the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. He also addresses many of the skeptical questions raised by contemporary authors such as Bart Ehrman and Elaine Pagel.

"About every 50 years, American preaching has a nervous breakdown," asserts Thomas Long in the introduction to his new book Preaching from Memory to Hope (Westminster John Knox). "What happens is that trusted structures and strategies of the pulpit suddenly seem to lose their potency; and worried preachers, their confidence shaken, begin to scramble for the next new thing."

A final volume with a bit of a historical bent is Christian Apologetics Past and Present (Crossway), edited by Willian Edgar and K. Scott Oliphant. Volume I of this two-part anthology recently has been released, covering the years to 1500 A.D. The editors provide helpful introductory material, then present primary source material from writers such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas and others. Church leaders with an interest in apologetics will appreciate this resource.