Book Review: The Church Being Radical Together

I have enjoyed reading the straight-forward and "to the point" writings of David Platt. In fact, in light of moving to a new ministry, I have just re-read, "Radical Together". In this follow-up to his book "Radical", that was directed at individuals, he takes aim at the place where these individuals gather, the local church.

He seeks to answer this one question, "How can we in the church best unleash the people of God in the Spirit of God with the Word of God for the glory of God in the world?" He acknowledges that the local church can "actually prevent God's people from accomplishing God's purpose." From there he looks at six big ideas that are essential for us, as a local church, if we are to really accomplish what God intends for us to do.

The six ideas are these:
1. The worst enemy of Christians is good things in the church.
2. The gospel that saves us from work saves us to work.
3. The Word does the work.
4. Building the right church depends on using all the wrong people.
5. We are living - and longing - for the end of the world.
6. We are selfless followers of a self-centered God.

Through personal stories from his own life and his church, he sheds light on all that would distract us from being the people of God in this world. He reminds us of very familiar sections of the Scriptures that clearly call us to a seemingly radical lifestyle in our present-day American culture. Therein is a challenge to much of what you and I have been doing in our churches. This book is one that should be read and reflected on often by those in church leadership positions. I believe that God intended us to impact this world for Him and that demands that we be "Radical Together".

Note - for full disclosure - I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: Finding The Real You

I have been a fan of Mark Batterson since I picked up his first book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I enjoy his straightforward style of writing that makes it seem like he is sitting across from you at a table having a one-on-one conversation. Based on his other books, I was excited to open up Soulprint and see where the conversation would lead…and I was not disappointed.

In Soulprint, he begins and ends with this thought, “There has never been and never will be anyone else like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you”.  Through each chapter the reader is taken on a journey of self-discovery. You will be encouraged to find your “soulprint” by looking at your life through the eyes of God. Using the example of the life of David in the Old Testament, Mark points out how God directed David to fulfill his destiny and, in the process, shows us how we can learn those same lessons. Each chapter is full of insightful thoughts on David’s life, as well as challenging and sometimes uncomfortable comments on how we live our lives today.

Soulprint is an excellent, easy read that will challenge you to examine your life in a bigger, God-sized view. I would consider this a must-read for everyone that is looking to have their life make an impact for God in their sphere of influence. Through your own self-discovery, you will see how uniquely God has made you, so that you can live your life to the fullest and honor and worship the God Who made you!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.