I love to read. By God’s grace I am a pretty fast reader; I usually read a couple books each week. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

What’s Your Worldview: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions by James Anderson. Anderson had managed to something increasingly rare in the publishing world: write something utterly unique. As the back cover explains, “Cast in the mold of a classic ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ story, What’s Your Worldview? will guide you toward intellectually satisfying answers to life’s biggest questions – equipping you to think carefully about not only what you believe but why you believe it and how it impacts the rest of your life.” The approach is innovative and satisfyingly simple; the entire book comes in at just over 80 pages. Part 3 on “Worldviews” is where Anderson really shines. He gives specific attention to 21 different worldviews and then expertly pokes holes in all that stand against the Christian worldview. A great tool for Christians and non-Christians alike.

Spiritual Warfare: A Balanced & Biblical Perspective by Brian Borgman and Rob Ventura. There is no shortage of books on spiritual warfare available today, just a shortage of good books on spiritual warfare. A couple of years ago I read a highly reviewed book on the topic and was stunned to find only two scant references to Ephesians 6:10-20 (the longest treatment of the topic in all Scripture!) in the whole book. Thankfully Borgman and Ventura give us a sane and clear treatment of the Christian’s warfare in this aptly titled book. In thirteen chapters the authors explain Paul’s classic teaching in Ephesians 6 with lucidity and warmth. The book isn’t profound like Powlison’s or pointed like Leahy’s, but it is a mighty fine introduction to an always pressing topic.

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church by John Miller. When an author writes a book from his personal experience he treads on water marked, “Risky Business,” for it’s oh so easy to universalize experience: i.e. “This happened to me and it happens to all of you in the same way.” For that reason I am often reticent to read these volumes. Outrowing the Ingrown Church is one such book that navigates the tricky waters of experience with aplomb. This is because Miller’s experience in leading an ingrown church unto missionary focus serves to simply illustrate clear biblical truth. I deeply appreciate Miller’s discussion on the pastor as “pacesetter,” his focus on preaching and prayer, and his emphasis on the necessity of gospel zeal. If your church is ingrown, this book will chart a path toward more faithful mission. If your church isn’t ingrown, this book will help keep you on the course of faithful evangelism.

The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God’s Mandate in Our Time edited by Chuck Lawless and Adam Greenway. In 2009 president Johnny Hunt appointed a Great Commission Task Force which would examine how Southern Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission. The Great Commission Resurgence explores the decline of the SBC and proposes solutions for a new generation. I found the historical analysis to be most intriguing, especially Nathan Finn’s work in charting the Great Commission’s emphasis through the SBC’s history. As with all edited volumes, the quality of chapters varies quite a bit, but on the whole the work is solid. The only real perplexing part was David Allen’s unnecessary preoccupation with the dangers of particular redemption in his chapter on preaching. But for those familiar with Allen, this should be no surprise. Admittedly an intramural book, GCR is a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation on the future of the SBC.

24 Hours by Greg Iles. I grabbed this book largely based on reviews praising Iles for an unusual depth of characterization and complexity of plot. After reading 24 Hours, to such reviews I must say, “Balderdash!” This book is inanely predictable and humorous in its attempt to pass off an overused formula as novel. The bad guys seem, to me at least, stunningly similar to Milton and Small in Of Mice and Men and the supposed thrills are, well, supposed. If you see this book at the library or book store, just move along.

I love to read. By God’s grace I am a pretty fast reader; I usually read a couple books each week. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

Looking Unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose. My introduction to Ambrose’s classic work first came through Meet the Puritans, where Beeke and Pederson called it, “A classic of Christ-centered divinity.” Then Mark Jones suggested that I consider Ambrose’s Christology for my master’s thesis and I knew I should buy the book. After a few years of collecting dust in my study, I finally grabbed to book, dusted off the pages, and sat down to feast. And what a feast it was! Taking Hebrews 12:2 as his starting point, Ambrose lifts Christ up and simply stares at His glory. He says “looking [unto Jesus] is comprehensive of knowing, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, and enjoying” Him. The work meditates deeply on the person and work of Christ considering everything from His eternity, to His generation, to His birth, death, and second coming. Chapter 2 in Book 4 is typical of Ambrose’s approach: he defines what it means to see Jesus”carrying on the great work of our salvation in His intercession” and then goes on to show how to consider, desire, hope, believe, have joy, pray to, and conform to Jesus in this respect. Only Owen The Glory of Christ or Goodwin’s The Heart of Christ can top this Christological summit.

The Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs by Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert. It’s been quite a while since I read a book and immediately thought, “I need to get this into as many hands as possible.” The Gospel at Work is one such book. I wholeheartedly concur with Dever when he says, “I want to make this a basic staple in my discipling.” The book is largely built around two primary pitfalls one can have in approaching work:

On the one hand, we can let our job become an idol. Our work can become the primary object of our passions, our energy, and our love. We end up worshiping our job. On the other hand, we can slip into being idle in our work. When we fail to see God’s purposes in our work, we don’t really care must about it. We fail to give any attention to it, or we despise it and generally neglect our responsibility to serve as if we are serving the Lord. (18)

Traeger and Gilbert swiftly show how faith in Christ answers both of these pitfalls, and I am grateful they did it without succumbing to standard “gospel-centered” cliches. They are spot on when they say, “Ultimately the evidence of the gospel in our lives at work is not so much in the things we do but in the freedom we enjoy in the midst of our work” (57). Filled with an uncanny amount of clarity and practicality, I wouldn’t be surprised if this proves to be one of my favorite books in 2014. I’ve already bought several copies to add to our church’s bookshelf.

Dead Eye by Mark Greaney. Dead Eye is the fourth, and latest, installment in Greaney’s “Gray Man Series.” I wondered aloud after reading book three if it was possible for Greaney to offer up more than a one-dimensional thrill ride. I think I would say, after reading this one, “Yes, but barely. Maybe he can provide a 1.5-deminsional thrill ride.” Whatever that is. Dead Eye finds Court Gentry doing battle with a “singleton” (think lone ranger) who needs to save the Gray Man in order to destroy him – let the reader understand. Greaney wrapped up one substantial plot thread while leaving another one dangling oh so close. Less bloated with unbelievable action scenes and possessing more textured character development than other books in the series, Dead Eye gives hope for what’s to come. I believe the next book in the series is slated for release in late 2015.

The Three C’s by Mark Stone. My dad just published a book on career enrichment based on his journey from one career to another back in 2009. The burden of the book is to provide a primer on “how to build, enhance, and protect your career. This plan of action – characterizing, connecting, and communicating – is not the best plan. It is not the only plan. It is just a proven plan.” And, I would add, a commonsense plan. I am really not a part of the book’s target audience as a pastor, but the principles are simple enough to have broad application.