Author: jimmyreagan

Does It Take A Village To Raise A Child?

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village to raise a childWell, does it? Surely you remember the hullabaloo that Hillary Clinton raised when she told us that “It takes a village to raise a child ” in the 1990s? Christians rightfully protested because we knew that she meant only that government had preference over parents in decisions regarding the lives of children. That is absurd in the extreme.

On the other hand, think of that village again. Do any of us really raise our children alone? Would we really want to? We predominantly raise them, but not exclusively. On further examination, that was the Lord’s plan all along. A book I’m reading (and will review very soon) really got me thinking.

The Lord always intended that we live in community with each other. Adam was unfulfilled alone and needed community. That has always been the plan really. Jesus lived that way when He showed us what life on Earth was supposed to look like. To top it off, the Lord gave us the local church. Wouldn’t you call that a community lifestyle? Read Acts 4 again if you just can’t remember.

There was a time when community was key to our lives in America. It wasn’t too long ago (if you must know, I’m 42) that I was a boy growing up in Happy Hollow down in the Smoky Mountains and knew every single one of the hundred or so people living in that little community. I couldn’t have done anything too bad because any one of them would have called my parents and told them.  I suspect  that is actually a very good thing. I wouldn’t have wanted to be embarrassed in front of all of them! Sadly, in most communities that is not what it once was.

The question is, do we still have that sense of community in our churches? That surely is one of the reasons the Lord designed it the way He did. It should be true that all there are on my side and want to see me raise my children for the Lord. They probably will have my back and let me know if my children get out of hand. It should work that way.

I realize that you may know of a few super-critical church members that ever wait to lambaste your children. Just remember that they are wrong and that doesn’t make the design wrong. Plus you may know some who you could never explain that, perhaps, something about their children needs to be brought to their attention. They are the type who as we were standing around glowing embers would be offended by you suggesting that their child burning the church to the ground was not exactly a good deed! Still, a community designed around the unity we have in Christ is what it is meant to be.

If parenting weren’t hard enough, many forgo this wonderful help. The issue really goes far beyond parenting. You and I need community too. We need encouragement and accountability. We have built into us this need of others. Were this not true, we Christians would be even more pathetic than we are at reaching the world for Christ.

We need the village to share our journeys, to lift each other up, to carry each other when we are weak, and to take away the nagging loneliness that is all around us. Be yourself, but embrace the village–most especially that community called the local church.

Are You Stuck In The Old Testament?

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Many of us do it. We live an Old Testament existence in a world of New Testament promises. I guess Law will always appeal to our flesh more than Grace. So we go along mistaking the physical lesson of the Old Testament for the spiritual truth of the New Testament.

Recently, there it was in my Bible reading. In Joshua 5 there was a lesson I found thrilling. Here were the Children of Israel freshly arrived in the Promised Land, and after the drama of the Jordan crossing, the Lord’s first order of business was the practice of circumcision. They had carried it out years before in Egypt, but over the years of wandering they had neglected it.

Well, we are supposed to look at OT stories with NT light, right? The circumcision that the Lord is really after is circumcision of heart. So many times we neglect it and it is urgent that we put it in practice again. Just think of the pain of carrying out that call to circumcision! I understand that “sharp knives” of Joshua’s day were flint stones. I don’t want to be too graphic, but I would dread it! Any surgery with stones instead of modern day knives would terrify me.  So, I suppose even at the cost of discomfort we must do the work the Lord seeks in our hearts. In verse 9 we were even told that “This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.” He never said it until the events of this chapter. This we need and in verses 13-15 the Lord came. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

These lessons get by us too easily. We’d rather pull out the stones of flint than do real heart surgery. We’ll inflict the pain of body and leave our souls at ease.

We become consumed with the object lessons. We prefer the tangible, outward things over the spiritual, inward things. Since this lacks spiritual power, we turn on each other and watch for the pool of blood and listen for the screams.  We are always ready to point out everyone’s failure as if circumcision could tell us all of our hearts. Our conclusions miss the point and hurt others, as well as ourselves. Need I remind you that Jesus has come through in the interim between Joshua and us?

Perhaps we find the pain exhilarating. Perhaps we enjoy it more if we see others suffering with us. I don’t know. We inspect the circumcision, so to speak, while the Lord says you are seeing the object itself as the lesson and missing the point. But we can see the circumcision and we can prove we did it. We can never prove what is in our hearts. We settle for what we can impress others with while being indifferent to what might please the Lord. We live the Old Testament as if the Lord had no greater revelation in the New Testament to share. Pretty ridiculous, wouldn’t you agree?

If I saw the point I’d pray for my heart and yours. I’d listen carefully as the Lord spoke to me and encourage you to do the same. But I’d leave the stones of flint to your own consideration and ask you to keep them away from me. Live the Old Testament if you please and I’ll keep my mouth shut. As for me, though, I’m rather fond of the New Testament.

Leading On Empty–Personal Observations and a Book Review

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old gas pumpAre you out of gas? Is your tank dry? Yet the road ahead of you goes out beyond the farthest horizon? While this could happen to anyone, what about if you are in the ministry? You are slowing down while the need in God’s work is ever growing. I am now convinced that this is a common problem, perhaps inevitable for those of us who want to give our all.

I’ve read, I’ve studied, and for a season of last year, I felt it! My love of the ministry never wavered. I never stopped loving preaching passionately, yet I felt a weariness. I didn’t quite understand it. I never stopped, but the engine wasn’t running as well. My gentle Lord worked in a variety of ways to help me. He is faithful! 

Among those things He used was this book, Leading On Empty by Wayne Cordeiro. It was during a conversation with a friend  where we were each throwing out book titles that we had read or heard about, that he mentioned this book. Strangely, I didn’t even think I needed the book at the time but was intrigued when he said he had heard of some prominent pastors who were rescued to some degree by this book.

Frankly, I’m not ashamed to speak of this in my life. If far better men than me have faced it, why shouldn’t I? Life has taught me, anyway, that I am far from the strongest person. I see more clearly than ever that I am just going along, held in His hands, and living on His grace. Because of that grace, we need not live on and on with an empty tank.

So I can review this book on more than a theoretical level. Sometimes a book is worth three times more at a certain season of your life than at any other. It might not be your need at this time. On the other hand, it might be soon. I recommend every pastor, and really any leader, have this book on the shelf. For perspective,  I read over half of this book at a tough time for me, and then read the other half later when things were so much better for me. I can recommend it from both angles.

Mr. Cordeiro, a pastor of a thriving, large church, hit bottom. He simply had nothing left to give. He tells his story –warts and all. But as you read, you know he writes with a distinct measure of authority.  He shows how at times Elijah, Moses, Jeremiah, and David lived this too. “Burnout”, being overwhelmed, or out of gas–call it what you will, but it is a real danger, particularly for pastors. As easy as pastoring looks to many, the weight of souls is a load like no other.

He shows statistics for how widely pervasive this issue really is among pastors. He explains the concept of strength being perfected in weakness. He shows how the long-term stress of this leads to depression. He shows how people like Spurgeon suffered here. He sounds the alarm of early warning signs.

His biggest suggestion is solitary refinement– stopping, listening, being quiet. He suggests we divide our lives into what only we can do versus what others can do. We often work where others could while neglecting that 5% that only we can do. My personal life, my family, my Bible time–here are things that only I can do.

His chapter on “Finding the Still Waters” is on target. He also wants us to remove the stigma that is so often put on rest. Our resources of physical strength are obviously limited so we must carefully develop a strategy. Rest, he says, is not a sin, but a responsibility. We see the principle in the weekly Sabbath and in the land resting every 7 years in ancient Israel.

He focuses on being in our Bible and shares this acronym to get more:

SOAP

S = Scripture

O= Observation

A = Application (Never stop without it)

P = Prayer

He pushes taking a sabbatical. That is a little beyond most of us financially, and he finally confesses it. Still, work refreshment into your life. His idea of a Personal Retreat Day is worthwhile too. The last few chapters focus on these kinds of practical things.

This book can make a difference.

leading_on_empty

Desiring God–A Book Review For The Christian Who Seeks Joy

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desiring godCan we make sense of satisfaction or real joy? It’s one life’s most common questions. Answers for most people are rather less common. I’m interested in knowing, aren’t you? Here’s a book to show us the way.

The subtitle of “Meditations of a Christian Hedonist” tells you what a unique writing John Piper presents to us in this revised edition published by Multnomah. It’s interesting that he has to answer for his writings 25 years later when life had opportunity to test his theories. I found it a real challenge to my Christian life. He goes against so much conventional wisdom, but really discusses the subject with a Bible ever in his hands.

Don’t let the term “Christian Hedonist” turn you off. He certainly isn’t suggesting that you throw your life away in a pointless pursuit of worldly pleasures. Quite the opposite, he simply believes that life’s greatest joy comes from seeking joy in God. He further proves that this is exactly what the Lord enjoys from us. As he says, “This is a serious book about being happy in God.” We all want to be happy and this truly is the only way. This works beautifully in that: “We get the mercy; He gets the glory. We get the happiness in Him; He gets the honor from us.”

He tweaks the famous confession to “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”  I think he makes a powerful case that the Bible actually teaches this very thing. His chapter on the “The Happiness of God” is hard to refute. Apparently, in the last 25 years several have tried.

Mr. Piper weaves his premise through many of the most important aspects of the Christianity. Happiness in God is all through the warp and woof of our Christian experience in conversion, worship, love, and prayer. It gets especially interesting and life-altering when he speaks on things like money, missions, and suffering. Our modern-day Christianity comes out of those chapters bloodied but perhaps that is fair as this same modern Christianity has slaughtered our happiness on many occasions!

You simply must read this book. There’s not much Calvinism to work around if you are more of a whosoever-will man like I am. I read each chapter so much more slowly than usual. There was so much to think about, so much heart-searching demanded, but I assure you that you will be glad you took the time to read it. I can see myself referring to it again and again in the years ahead.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Good Mood, Bad Mood–Answers On The Subject Of Depression

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moodFinally a book that settles the matter of what a Christian should think about depression. I’ve always had trouble arriving at a firm conviction as there is so much conflicting information making the rounds. Charles Hodges is both a doctor and a Christian and has carefully researched the subject in this volume published by Shepherd Press.

Don’t panic. Whatever he has to say, he says compassionately. He never has a “just-get-right-with-God” attitude! Still, he demands that the subject be looked at both from the point of verifiable medical fact and the Bible. What could be more fair?

He discusses what we have probably all noticed–an amazing number of people now have a diagnosis of having depression. He explains how a so-called “chemical imbalance” in the brain is a theory that has never been proven at any level. He further explains that diseases that have legitimate diagnosis capabilities have a clear pathology (structural and functional cellular changes) that you can see. In depression, or a chemical imbalance, there is no such pathology.

There are, however, several ailments that have mood changes as a symptom and he suggests you check these out if you think you are depressed. (He lists them in an appendix). If this is not the case, then likely you are sad. He beautifully shows how our Creator made sadness as an emotion in us to deal with life and drive us to God. Though we may not respond properly, it can help us. Unfortunately, “depression” as a medical diagnosis can be a label that short circuits the process our Creator designed. We quit seeking–we stop at our label instead of the arms of our God.

He tackles the issue of so many not only having this diagnosis, but being prescribed anti-depressants as well. Beyond having their own side effects and dangers, these medicines have little success according to studies. Placebos (sugar pills) and no medicine at all have better results in patients!

He takes Bible characters like Hannah and shows how they would have gotten a “depression” diagnosis. Their real problem was normal sadness and in being driven to God they got real relief. He really puts the Bible to good uses in later chapters!

The last few chapters tackle Bipolar Disorder. It used to be called Manic Depression. He proves it is a rare but real disorder. There are now a wave of people getting a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. This is because they came up with Bipolar Disorder II that has a weak criteria that really can’t be verified and now we are giving away a false label and hurting people in the process.

He writes in a way that we can all understand. If you want to know what I think on the subject of depression now, just read this book. As individuals who will have sadness, worse moods and feel depressed, this book is a real help. Were it fall to us to help someone we think acts depressed this book is an indispensable guide. I give it the highest recommendation.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Addendum

I had a fine Christian lady write me and pointed out a few things to me so I want to clarify and share what I told her.

Here’s a few things the book said that I didn’t say clearly enough:
1. He says 90% of people labeled depressed are only sad, which means 10% do have  real medical issues.
2. He says some do feel better with anti-depressants (but some get better with placebos and some with nothing).
3. He says to talk to the doctor before you change your medicine (I SHOULD HAVE TOO).
4. He never writes in a way that treats depression as something to be ashamed of and I agree. It is something to deal with and try to figure out.
This kind lady also recommends that we remember that this is just one Christian doctor and we should read others. She recommends Donald P. Hall- “Breaking Through Depression: A Medical and Spiritual Approach to Emotional Wholeness” and Tim LaHaye’s “How to Win Over Depression”. It is good to read widely!
I made it sound like this book has the final say on the subject and that is a little strong!
I suggest we use this information to encourage and not discourage! Suicide and other such things mean we should be cautious in what we say.I still think this is a great book!

Parenting On Your Knees– Book Review

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parenting kneesDo you have preschool children? Then this volume by Vicki Tiede and published by Pix-N-Pens could be a real help to you. I review this book from the perspective of a pastor and parent with 2 preschool children and 4 beyond it. So I have had some time and opportunity to try various ideas and both fail and succeed at parenting in this age group. My assessment is that this book could both really help a new parent or help tweak a more experienced one. It’s so easy to fail at being diligent and to need a reminder. You will get that and some new ideas as well here.

The book aims at providing “prayers and practical guidance for the preschool years.” It is broken down into the subjects of character that should most appeal to us: self-control, responsibility, respect, honesty, conscience, etc. That is the proper beginning place.

From there it turns to even more practical subjects concerning development and social skills. Finally, it ends where most parents want to begin: behavior! Mrs. Tiede has the proper order. Still, her advise here is creative and sensible. There are things we simply must deal with if we love our children.

The book fortunately doesn’t talk down to us and has a real spiritual tone. Every chapter ends in a suggested prayer.

The only drawbacks that I could see are that, strangely, spanking is not really discussed either in a positive or negative manner, or at all really. This book, I guess, offers other creative options to either replace or supplement spanking depending on you point of view. The author is a mother and so the mother’s perspective shines a little stronger. Still, I find it helpful.

God bless on raising those little gifts from God!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Books On The Study Of Bibliology (The Doctrine Of The Bible)

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Bible picThis doctrine has lived in the battleground for years. This was, of course, always  true, but since the 1920s it has reached epic proportions in the struggle between God and Satan. Were I the Devil, I too, would focus on destroying trust in God’s Word. Without that trust, how could you ever know what God really has to say to us? Then why pursue what could never be known? You see why this study is essential to Christianity itself?

There are many great books that help with the key to this doctrine: the inspiration of Scripture. Here are some that I find to be the most helpful.

1. Theopneustia-The Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scripture by L. Gaussen

This book had such a strong influence on later volumes that held to a full inspiration of Scripture. Heavy perhaps, but so accurate in sharing the biblical position. A real classic.

2. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by B. B. Warfield

Perhaps the most well-known volume of all on the subject. It has graced the shelves of most conservative pastors since written. It would be a boon to the cause of Christ if more pastors read it today. Somewhat scholarly in tone, but worth mastering.

3. Our God-Breathed Book–The Bible by John R. Rice

 I read this 20 years ago and it really helped me. It makes a very understandable case for an inerrant, infallible Bible. He really wrote with passion. He was criticized by scholars for having a position they labeled as “mechanical dictation”, but what he wrote really corresponds to what the Bible says. The last part of the volume was about translation and his position has made this book fall from favor with independent Baptists, but the bulk of the book is fine no matter where you fall on the translation issue. You might enjoy the 2 volumes he compiled on the subject, The Sword Book of Treasures and A Coffer of Jewels, as well.

4. The Savior and the Scriptures by Robert Lightner

He makes a powerful case for inerrancy in a shorter volume. Not as deep as some volumes but very helpful. Teachers and preachers will especially enjoy his contribution.

5. The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Rene Pache

If you need to teach this subject, you will find this volume very accessible and helpful. I recommend it.

Other volumes of note:

You might like Inspiration of Holy Scripture by Robert Haldane as it makes a strong case (look for the beautiful Klock & Klock volume now out of print). Has God Spoken? by Hank Hanegraaff is written in a popular style. Here’s some others I consulted in varying degrees: The Story of the Bible by Frederic Kenyon, Thy Word Is Truth by Edward J. Young, The Old Testament in the New by S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., All About The Bible by Sidney Collett  (Different), The Battle For the Bible by Harold Lindsell, Inspiration and Interpretation edited by John Walvoord, and God’s Inerrant Word by John Warwick Montegomery.

Canonicity


1. The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce

So very helpful. I couldn’t agree with every conclusion but much insight is gained in reading this volume.

2. Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible by R. Laird Harris

Extremely helpful and so I highly recommend this volume.

Also look for:

How We Got Our Bible by Neil Lightfoot, General Introduction to the Old Testament by William Henry Green, and How We Got Our Bible by W. H. Griffith Thomas.

English Translation

I am a Received Text man and recommend The Identity of the New Testament Text by Wilbur Pickering. I really enjoyed Burgeon’s Warnings on the Revision by D. A. Waite. I’d love to secure Dean Burgon’s writings some day. You might enjoy A Brief History of English Bible Translations by Laurence Vance.

I must say a word about some unhelpful pro-KJV writings floating around that have done the KJV and the TR (Textus Receptus) more harm than anything out there. Never use nonsense to prove a point when you actually have logical points. The racist, cruel writings of Peter Ruckman as well as the dishonest scholarship of Gail Riplinger are an embarrassment to all independent Baptists. We have much better. As I often do, I read from the other side to fully hammer out my position. The King James Only Controversy by James White and The King James Version Debate by D. A. Carson, both warm-hearted believers whose writings I have enjoyed at other times, wrote calmly, though I personally wasn’t persuaded by the minority text position they espoused. I still think that a majority of manuscripts is the best checks and balances to combat error in the text and so I follow the TR myself. Plus what God’s people have believed to be God’s Word for centuries carries much weight to my mind.

I pray you enjoy studying this great doctrine on the Book we can build our lives on! 

RELATED BLOG POST:

Books on Studying the Bible

The Master’s Hand–Guest Blogger David Wagner

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What Happened to Me When I Yielded Myself to the Masters Hand

By David Wagner

[I am so glad to have David guest blog for Reagan Review. Here is a man who was a pastor and now lives a very challenging disability. His perspective is helpful as we think about disability and the church. Here is his moving story…]

I am a special person, and it is not because I am disabled. I am special because God chose me to be His son. In accepting His Sonship I also accepted His will for my life. To be honest I would not have chosen the life I now live if I had been given the opportunity. God in His amazing wisdom took a simple pastor of mountain people, and transformed him into a tool meet for the Masters use.

I began serving God in 9th grade working on the buses of Shawnee Baptist Church. For seven years I visited and picked up intercity kids for Church. In my final year of Bible College I was approached to take over New Hope Baptist Church in Kentucky. Over the next seven years God would build me to be a Pastor that He wanted me to be. There were many times when food and diapers were the earnest prayer request. God however was teaching me to be dependent on him.

At the end of those seven years I began to show signs of a disorder that my mom had called Dystonia. Preaching and teaching 4+ times a week and working a full time job began to take its toll. God was moving my heart back home to Beth Haven Baptist Church in Michigan. As long as I was able I wrote the S.S. material for the Elementary classes, and taught the College-age class. My form of Dystonia causes violent muscle movement for 45 minutes to 4 hours. The men of the church were gracious and helped me out of the service when that happened.

Soon the attacks became every service. I talked to my doctor, and found out that they would only get worse. I asked my Pastor to come over, and talk with me. I had to quit it all. I even had to quit going to church. I am blessed to have a Pastor with God’s heart. He understood and encouraged me to live my Christian life from home.

A life of disability is a life of losing things. I lost my job. I lost my ability to drive. I lost mobility. I became dependent on others for many things. For some people, watching me live in pain was too much, and I lost their company. Losing things for me is the hardest part of disability.

The one thing I had not lost was that fact that I was still His son. I also was still a pastor, and God had work for me to do. God had a gift for me. His gift was disability. I would live the life of someone with chronic illness, and He would give me an insight to be a blessing to others who had chronic illness. I have been blessed to publish a book, preach in several states, and talk to people that I would have never had opportunity without disability.

I am not saying you can not be a help to people with chronic illness unless you have it. What God did for me was give me the gift of disability, and the heart to help others. This is my ministry. One of the early lessons that God taught me comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9,10:  “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

It did not happen overnight, but I began to learn a valuable truth. The grace of God becomes more evident in our lives as we need it. The more we realize that we are weak and He is strong; the more His grace fills our lives. When we come to the place when we realize that the infirmities in our lives are truly His gifts His power can rest upon us. So we are strongest as a Christian when we realize that, (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We can only accomplish His will with His strength.

God has firmly let me know that it is not in His will to heal me. My prayer is not for healing, but to be used for His glory. For only by Him using me will my life have value. You may not be experiencing chronic illness. My wife likes to tell people, “Our struggles are obvious, and yours may not be. However God uses different trials to make us who he wants us to be.”

So I close with this. Only by yielding to the Master’s hand will your life have eternal value. The trials of today are but for a moment. How we deal with our trials will have eternal significance.

Forever, In His Service.

David Wagner

(David is a regular contributor on Partners For Gospel. Look for his articles there).

Suffering Well by Paul Grimmond

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suffering well   The title seems almost an oxymoron as suffering “well” strikes most of us as an unreal concept. On the other hand, if our Lord made it such a key component of our lives, it simply must be a good thing. So to read something along the lines of this book by Mr. Grimmond and published by Matthias Media should be on our agenda on occasion. We simply must get some sort of handle on something that is going to define our lives on some level.  This volume sheds light, light we really need.

This book comes from a different angle than many I’ve seen. One clue is in the sub-title: “The predictable surprise of Christian suffering.” It is part of Christian experience. While he discusses personal or general suffering, the focus of the book is clearly on suffering as a Christian. There are many fine books on general suffering (for example, the writings of Joni Erickson Tada),but far fewer on suffering because you are a Christian.

Mr. Grimmond does well in tying suffering to the larger picture in the chapter on “But why?” I appreciated this comment on the Lord: “God is not an evil young boy pulling the wings off flies. He did not make the world so he could revel in sadistic pleasure. But in some profound way (and here there are many mysteries), suffering is at the very heart of God’s plan to create a perfect world and to glorify himself through his Son.”  Well said, don’t you think?

As the book proceeds he draws out clearly from Scripture that “all Christians, without exception, must suffer.” He explains how the New Testament so changes the emphasis and that we should note it. Job and others discuss the suffering in life while Jesus and Paul focused on suffering as a Christian. I believe that both are needed for a balanced Christian perspective.

He explains that persecution is more than dying at the stake. In our culture it’s the many compromises that come in family or work that risk real persecution. An awareness is key here that this too is what the Bible is talking about. Take note of his explaining the value of Hebrews 12 on this subject.

He further explains that our goal is to be godly in the suffering the Lord allows into out lives. Then there is the value of God being so real at these times. Yes, these book has real value.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Loving The Church by John Crotts

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lovingchurchHow’s this for a timely subject? Not only is the world writing off church, but more and more professing Christians are. This book by Mr. Crotts and published by Shepherd Press enters the fray to stop the bleeding. Christians ought to face his arguments head on. There is simply no doubt that the Lord meant for the local church to be part of every Christian’s life.

Mr. Crotts writes with a pastor’s sensitivity and persuasion. Having pastored since 1995, he likely has had plenty of time to consider these things. He wisely divides his manuscript into two halves: 1) What is God’s family?, and 2) How you fit into God’s family.

He uses a story of a group of people with varying attitudes about the church gathering at a coffee shop to discuss the topic. That’s a somewhat novel approach that some will like and some will not. Even if you don’t like it, it really doesn’t distract from the more theological discussion.

He hits upon the idea that deep down we all know we should go to church. I couldn’t agree more! He admits that many churches have given people a “bad church” experience and churches have such a variety of ways to fail. Whether it be theologically or either extreme of entertainment centered to reach people or extremely harsh on the other hand, there are many options. In some churches the people are off while in others the pastor might be. In a few, they might both be. In other words, church bashing is an easy sport to play.

From there Mr. Crotts lays out the Scriptural case for church. I agreed with his analysis on most every point. He even touches hot-button issues like church discipline, but writes with restraint and care.

He concludes with a plea for us to make church a priority in our lives and families. All in all, a worthy contribution.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.