April Arrivals to the Resource Center

Schaeffer on the Christian Life (2013) - William Edgar

Crossway, 206 pages

ISBN 9781433531392

The Intolerance of Tolerance (2012) - D.A. Carson

Eerdmans, 186 pages

ISBN 9780802869401

Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (2011) - Kenneth E. Bailey

IVP, 560 pages

ISBN 9780830839346

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry (2013) - John Piper

B&H Books, 306 pages

ISBN 9781433678820

Why Cities Matter: To God, the Culture, and the Church (2013) - Stephen T. Um & Justin Buzzard

Crossway, 175 pages

ISBN 9781433532894

Choosing a Bible: Understanding Bible Translation Differences (2005) - Leland Ryken

Crossway, 32 pages

ISBN  9781581347302

Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus (2012) - Jonathan Leeman

Crossway, 142 pages

ISBN 9781433532375

Daniel: Trusting the True Hero (2011) - Sean Michael Lucas

Christian Focus, 141 pages

ISBN 9781845507329

Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die (2006) - John Piper

Crossway, 125 pages

ISBN 9781581347883

Galatians for You (2013) - Timothy Keller

The Good Book Company, 199 pages

ISBN 9781908762573

Mid-March Arrivals to the Resource Center

Look for these books coming to the Resource Center soon: (All copy from book cover wraps)

Church for the Fatherless: A Ministry Model for Society's Most Pressing Problem (2012) - Mark E. Strong

When planting his church, Mark Strong realized that 15 of 20 core leaders, whether they were in their 20s or 60s, white or black, had grown up without an active father figure in their lives. And he determined to make a difference in the lives of the next generation. 

The church is uniquely positioned to minister to the fatherless, both within its own community and in society at large. Strong shows how churches can reveal a true picture of God as loving Father through mentoring both children and dads, meeting the practical needs of children, and much more. By embedding key values into your congregational culture, your church can become a church for the fatherless. 

Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration and Mission (2012) - J.D. Payne

In Strangers Next Door, J.D. Payne introduces the phenomenon of human migration and explores how the church can embrace it in light of the mission of God. As many of the least-reached people groups continue to migrate to Western countries, churches have unprecedented opportunities to freely share the gospel.

Payne provides practical guidelines for developing cross-cultural ministries and a global strategy for mission. He highlights examples of churches and organizations attempting to reach, partner with and send migrants to minister to their own communities. Discover how you can be a global witness in your own neighborhood. 

Community is Messy: The Perils and Promises of Small Group Ministry (2012) - Heather Zempel

Heather Zempel oversees the community life at a multisite church in Washington, D.C., a challenging population with one of the highest relocation rates in the United States. And yet under her leadership, National Community Church has become a model for creative, dynamic, deep small group ministry. 

Drawing from her background as an environmental engineer, Zempel demonstrates the dynamics of faith in community. Read this book and discover fresh insights into how we can support one another's unique paths to maturity in Christ while maintaining cohesion as a community and blessing the world around us. 

Coming Soon to the Resource Center

Well, I didn't exactly plan for this to be Paul David Tripp Week here at Looking Outside the Doors, but I guess it just happened that way.... :) 

Anyway, here are a few books to look for next time you're in the Resource Center: 

Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry - Paul David Tripp

After traveling the globe and speaking to thousands of churches worldwide, Paul David Tripp has discovered a serious problem within pastoral culture. He is not only concerned about the spiritual life of the pastor, but also with the very community of people that trains him, calls him, relates to him, and restores him if necessary.   

Dangerous Calling reveals the truth that the culture surrounding our pastors is spiritually unhealthy - an environment that actively undermines the well-being and efficacy of our church leaders and thus the entire church body. 

Here is a book that both diagnoses and offers cures for issues that impact every member and church leader, and gives solid strategies for fighting the all-important war that rages in our churches today.

The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness - Kevin De Young

The hole in our holiness is that we don’t seem to care much about holiness. Or, at the very least, we don’t understand it.... This is a book for those of us who are ready to take holiness seriously, ready to be more like Jesus, ready to live in light of the grace that produces godliness. This is a book about God’s power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.

The Explicit Gospel - Matt Chandler 

Even if you go to church, it doesn’t mean that you are being exposed (or exposing others) to the gospel explicitly. Sure, most people talk about Jesus, and about being good and avoiding bad, but the gospel message simply isn’t there - at least not in its specificity and its fullness.

Inspired by the needs of both the over-churched and the unchurched, and bolstered by the common neglect of the explicit gospel within Christianity, popular pastor Matt Chandler writes this punchy treatise to remind us what is of first and utmost importance - the gospel.

What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage - Paul David Tripp

Everyone’s marriage morphs into something they didn’t intend it to be. At some point you need something sturdier than romance. You need something deeper than shared interests and mutual attraction. You need changed expectations, you need radical commitments, and, most importantly, you need grace. 

Sexual Sanity for Men (2012) - David White

Sexual Sanity for Men: Re-Creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture (2012) - David White

New Growth Press, 248 pages

Trade paperback, ISBN 9781936768998

Most books that deal with the topic of sexual sin in the lives of men seek to do so in practical ways, often giving tips on how to avoid temptation, what to do when you find yourself tempted, etc. Well-intentioned as they are, the problem with such books is that they’re ultimately works-based. “Here are some steps you can take, here’s what you can do.” Some of the advice from such books may be valid and even somewhat helpful, but in many cases, the authors and publishers ignore the root problem. 

White shows the reader that the real key to sexual sanity is not in following a process or working through a list of steps, but rather in clinging to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ’s power is the only way true sexual sanity - or really any victory over any sin - can be achieved. Make no mistake, this is a spiritual battle that affects all men (me included).  

The book is divided into four sections totaling 14 chapters or, as White recommends, 14 weeks of daily readings. The daily readings are only a few pages long with three or four questions for reflection each day. Some readers will want to follow White’s reading schedule. At the risk of becoming somewhat overwhelmed, others may want to read the book in larger chunks. 

Each reading is filled with Scripture, which is absolutely necessary, as White constantly reinforces the relationship of redemptive history to men’s struggles with sexual sin. Several reviewers have complained that the book doesn’t offer enough practical advice, not enough “dos and don’ts.” Yet White states over and over, 

“Genuine obedience only flows when we know that Jesus is the only one worth living for. We obey with joyful abandon only when our greatest joy and pleasure is satisfying him.” 

And we need constant reminders that nothing compares to a redemptive relationship with Christ:

“Think about it: Any object of your lust only mirrors in ridiculously puny ways the glory of our Creator. We lust because we catch a glimpse of God’s beauty in his creation, and then settle for worshipping that dim reflection instead of the real thing.” 

Is there anything negative to say about the book? Well, the cover is pretty hideous... But you’ll want to focus on what’s on the inside of the book. And speaking of the book, you might have a difficult time finding it. Right now, Amazon is offering only the eBook. You can find the book here at the Westminster Bookstore and (very soon) at the church Resource Center. 

Highest recommendation. 

Coming Soon to the Resource Center

Here are just a few of the books coming soon to the church Resource Center (All copy from book cover wraps):

Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest - Edward T. Welch

“Worriers are false prophets - that insight alone was worth the price of the book, but far, far more awaits the wise reader who explores this brilliant book by Ed Welch. Ed tells our story of fear and worry with compelling honesty and depth. But even more, he invites us to see how our loyal God refuses to abandon us in our fear; instead, he allows our fear to reveal our fragility and desperate need for his presence. I was not only informed and moved by this book, I was invited to worship. This is not merely a book about fear; it is an invitation to a transformed view of God.” - Dan B. Allender, President and Professor of Counseling, Mars Hill Graduate School

Christian Confidence: An Introduction to Defending the Faith - Chris Sinkinson

Philosophy, archaeology and science are hot topics in Christian circles, perplexing many believers about how these issues relate to faith. Fortunately for us, Chris Sinkinson has investigated these areas and gathered historical Christian perspective. The result is this accessible introduction to apologetics, which enlightens minds and inspires confidence. Christian Confidence is a one-stop shop for anyone desiring to engage thoughtfully and persuasively in the difficult conversations surrounding faith in the twenty-first century. 

Green Leaves for Later Years: The Spiritual Path of Wisdom - Emilie Griffin

Emilie Griffin, author, teacher, spiritual director, writes in her seventy-fifth year. In these pages she reflects on the beauty and the difficulty of aging. Pain mingles with gratitude. With her we learn again how to draw close to the Lord who longs to guide us through. Ideal for both individuals and discussion groups, each chapter ends with reflection questions and a prayer. Discover a spirituality that will sustain you in the later years. 

More New Arrivals for Mid-January

Coming soon to the church Resource Center (All copy taken from book jacket/cover wraps):

Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work - Timothy Keller

With deep insight and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about our work. In fact, the Christian view of work - that we work to serve others, not ourselves - can provide the foundation of a thriving, professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship - not just self-interest.

Why Business Matters to God - Jeff Van Duzer

This book explores the nature and meaning of doing business and finds it calls for much more than most think. Jeff Van Duzer presents a profoundly Christian approach that integrates biblical studies with the disciplines of business and economics. Looking beyond the place of ethical principles and the character of the individual, Van Duzer displays a vision of business that contributes to the very purposes of God.

Meditation and Communion with God: Contemplating Scripture in an Age of Distraction - John Jefferson Davis

John Jefferson Davis helps us recover the practice of meditation on Scripture as he explores the biblical and theological foundations rooted in the arrival of “the age to come” in Jesus Christ. Davis gives us fresh and practical guidance on removing the obstacles that block our fellowship with God and listening to Scripture in ways that can enrich our worship, faith, hope and love.

Glimpses of a Greater Glory: A Devotional through the Storyline of the Bible - David H. Kim

“Many books are now coming out on ‘faith and work’ - but I know of none like this. David Kim gives us a way to reflect on our vocations and our lives in light of the gospel and the Word - in prayer before the face of God. There is deep theology here but it is not a textbook, but rather a devotional guide. Unique - I recommend it!” 

- Tim Keller, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

New Arrivals

Here are four books coming into the SPEP Resource Center soon (all text comes from each book's cover wraps):

This Ordinary Adventure: Settling Down Without Settling - Christine Jeske and Adam Jeske

In This Ordinary Adventure, Adam and Christine Jeske mine their experiences, from riding motorcycles across Africa to dicing celery in Wisconsin, in search of the God who is always present, changing each day with potential. In reading about their wrestling, you'll see your life - your ruts and routines, your frustrations and exhilarations - through different eyes. Maybe settling down doesn't have to mean you settle for anything less than Amazing Days. 

The Bible Questions: Shedding Light on the World's Most Important Book - Hal Seed

In The Bible Questions, Hal Seed demystifies the Bible's origins, giving insight into how it came about, why it's organized the way it is and what the various parts point to as a whole. Read The Bible Questions and come away with a new appreciation for the Bible's true mystery, never hidden but wild beyond belief: that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for us. 

Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith - Michael Reeves

In this lively book, we find an introduction to Christianity and the Christian life that is from start to finish rooted in our triune God - Father, Son and Spirit. Not only do we understand the person and work of Christ through the Trinity, but also prayer, the church and every aspect of our faith.

With wit and clarity, Reeves draws from church history down to the present referencing a wide range of notable teachers and preachers. Here is a rich and enjoyable portrayal of the basic beliefs of Christianity that opens up the profound and life-changing truths of our faith.

Short-Term Mission: An Ethnography of Christian Travel Narrative and Experience - Brian M. Howell

Anthropologist Brian Howell explores the narrative shape of short-term mission (STM). Drawing on the anthropology of tourism and pilgrimage, he shows how STM combines these elements with Christian purposes of mission to create its own distinct narrative..... He discerns how participants remember and interpret their experiences, unpacking the implications for how North American churches understand mission, grapple with poverty and relate to the larger global church.