Christian Living Resources Book Reviews
Book Title - Relationships: A Mess Worth Making.
Tim Lane and Paul Tripp, New Growth Press.
It’s hard to say ‘if you only read one book this year, read this one’. It’s hard to say because it is only half way into the year and who knows what other gems will show up! But, at this point I can sincerely say that this book is one of the best I have read on how to live out and apply gospel principles in our relationships with other people. And I would say, ‘if you only read two books a year make this one of them.’
I have heard it from other ministers and I have seen it myself, in my own life and in the lives of many Christians...sometimes we just have a hard time knowing how to live out the realities of the gospel in our relationships with others. We get the basics of the Christian faith; we understand and believe the vital teachings of our faith and have an ongoing personal relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; we worship regularly and pray and read our Bible and serve God’s people in some capacity. But when it comes to having good healthy relationships with other people we falter and stumble along and wonder why it seems so hard to love others as we are called to do.
This clearly written and easily understood book is like getting a new pair of glasses and being able to see things much more clearly than before. Listen to several quotes:
‘You can’t take the gospel seriously and not take your relationships seriously’.
‘Your relationships will take you beyond the boundaries of your normal strength.’
‘God chooses to surround us with people who are different from us because he knows it will promote his purpose.’
There are about a dozen people in the church who are currently reading their way through this book in small groups or on their own. I have almost finished a study/discussion guide as a help to work your way through it. It would be great for your Growth Group to consider using, or just to read through on your own. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask me.
Good reading.
Pastor Dale
Book Title - When People Are Big and God is small
Dr Ed Welch
As you might know by now, Dr Ed Welch is one of our 2 speakers at Fire on the Mountain this July. Below is a brief review of one of his books to help you get acquainted with his way of applying the scriptures to our every day life.
When I started this book I wondered how it would have much relevance to me. The title was catching and I was interested in looking a little closer at this subject to see if I could benefit from it. Little did I know that it would begin opening up areas of my own life that needed the gentle but firm hand of God to work on. That was about 10 years ago. I find that I continue to reflect on the things first brought to my attention in this book. It has been a real eye opener for me as a Christian seeking to continue to grow in the faith.
A brief quote from the beginning of chapter 2 will give you a taste for some of the issues that Dr Welch unpacks in the course of the book.
‘Scripture gives three basic reasons why we fear other people, and we will look at each one of them in turn.
1. We fear people because they can expose and humiliate us.
2. We fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us.
3. We fear people because they can attack, oppress, or threaten us.
These three reasons have one thing in common: they see people as “bigger” (that is more powerful and significant) than God, and, out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.’ P23
I would encourage you to spend some time with this book. Read it slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and see what God might do in you as you grow in your trust in him. See the Christian Living Resource room for a copy.
Pastor Dale