Pastor's Library

The Gospel Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World
Michael Horton, Baker Books, 2009, ISBN 9780801013195, 266 pages, $19.99, hardcover.

Today’s Church seems to have it all: the hottest trends, the best outreaches, music and film, etc. In spite of all this, real fruit is harder than ever to find, and Christians seem to jump from one scheme to another looking for “successful” ministry.

Michael Horton, the J. Gresham Machen professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, diagnoses the problem, pointing out that the Church is missing one key element without which nothing else matters: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

The first half of Horton’s book is devoted to reminding churches and individuals of the key tenets of the Gospel. He expertly defends the nature of Christ’s message as “good news”, that is, something that must be proclaimed (as opposed to the law, the essence of which is hardwired into the human condition), and points to God and His glory as the origin and focus of the Body.

He goes on to describe the shortfalls of the Church when the Gospel is absent and spends the second half of the book painting a picture of what a truly Gospel-saturated church should look like and pursue. Horton sums up his theme in the message of Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” He urges believers to grasp that the Gospel is Christ’s proclamation of His kingdom—a reality unto itself with its own culture—and not simply a mandate for an alternative subculture. The Gospel-driven life is one influenced from the inside out, not the outside in.

As an academic, Horton pulls from his broad experience to make his case, crafting metaphors and referencing theologians from every era of Christianity to show that his argument is the same message that the Church has always been built upon. Still, he is very readable, coming across not as a lecturer but as a wise friend who offers advice we dare not ignore.

Justin Lonas

Target: All/Church Leaders
Type: Christianity and Culture
Take: Recommended

Deep Preaching: Creating Sermons that Go Beyond the Superficial
J. Kent Edwards, B & H Publisher, 2009, ISBN 9780805446951, 197 pages, $19.99, softcover.

Pastors and teachers of God’s Word often need encouragement that what they do is a vital and inspired task of ministry. Preaching in a media-saturated, postmodern culture is no easy task; the temptation to “phone it in” on Sunday is very real, and, thanks to the internet, easier than ever to succumb to successfully.

In Deep Preaching Edwards, professor of preaching and leadership at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University), sets out to provide that encouragement. He reminds pastors of their calling and urges them to rededicate themselves the faithful study, prayer, and compassion for their listeners that are the building blocks of meaningful exposition.

He begins by recapping some of the challenges faced by today’s pastor, and proceeds to counter the overwhelming opposition to preaching with several poignant theological, historical, and pragmatic reasons for “holding forth the word of life.” Edwards points out that preaching is essentially the incarnation of God’s revealed message for each generation, and brings up individuals from different periods of history who have impacted their world by faithful preaching.

From this foundation, Edwards goes on to offer much practical advice from his experience as a pastor and professor on how to go from simply delivering a sermon to profoundly proclaiming the Word. He places particular emphasis on “closet work”, that is, the time spent behind closed doors in prayerful preparation, as the crucial discipline of preaching.

Countless books on preaching have been produced, and Edwards is neither the first nor the best author to articulate the solid principles he advocates. His “professorship” comes through in that the book seems geared toward a younger generation of pastors with illustrations from popular culture, a particular challenge to postmodern ideas of truth and work ethic, and a generally conversational approach to the subject. His message, however, is clear and timeless. It’s something we all need to hear over and over again, and Edwards is to be commended for translating it into the language of the next generation of leaders.

Justin Lonas

Target: Pastors
Type: Preaching
Take: Recommended

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture
Adam S. McHugh, 2009, InterVarsity Press, ISBN 9780830837021, 222 pages, $17.00, softcover.

Adam McHugh says, “Many introverted Christians struggle with how to find a balance between their own natural tendencies and evangelical perspectives on community and evangelism. A subtle…message that says God is most pleased with extroversion.”

In Introverts in the Church, McHugh addresses an issue that affects every pastor—how to appreciate, acknowledge, and cultivate the unique spiritual gifts of both introverts and extroverts in the Body. However, the book largely deals with the misrepresentation that introverts have been given, as McHugh is a self-proclaimed introvert himself.

He claims there are many unmerited labels introverts are often given such as “social rejects”, “reclusive”, or “misanthropes”. McHugh talks about his own struggles in the ministry trying to live up to extroverted pastoral expectations. When he first began in the ministry he felt being an ideal pastor meant you were “gregarious, able to quickly turn friends into strangers… surrounded by eager church members, percolating with warmth.” He loved preaching but dreaded fumbling through the “meet and greet” after every service because crowds tended to drain his energy.

In addition to his own experiences and referencing other introverts who have been subtly shunned in our extroverted evangelical society, McHugh digs into tough issues such as how introverts can still fulfill the Great Commission (i.e.-how does one “witness” when confrontational conversation saps all their energy?) and be involved in community life though they need to recharge by spending time alone. 

His book is a mixture of biblically-grounded psychology, examples from Scripture, personal anecdotes, and practical advice on how to reach out to introverts as well as what to do if you’re the introvert in ministry. His goal is to show that introverts and extroverts alike have a place in the Church despite how they handle relationships and process information. To help reiterate this goal, the back of the book features questions for discussion and reflection for each chapter.

Rachel Lonas

Target: Pastors/Church Leaders
Type: Psychology/Ministry
Take: Recommended

Pulpit Helps Magazine, a ministry of AMG International, was a monthly publication which ran from 1975-2009. Founded by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Pulpit Helps was dedicated to the mission of equipping pastors, Bible teachers, and students of the Word for preaching, teaching, and living God's Truth. Each month, Pulpit Helps provided sermon starters, bulletin inserts, illustrations and quality articles on preaching, counseling, Christian living, and more. The ministry goals of Pulpit Helps continue today in the form of Disciple Magazine online.