The Friday Nighters like to read books and from time to time, I like to share  book recommendations. You can look at those books on this page.

Today I wanted to highlight a great little book called Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach To Finding God’s Will, written by Kevin DeYoung. I was given this book by pastor/blogger/good guy Justin Buzzard and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

DeYoung (who is senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan) tackles a question that plagues Christians often: “How do I know what God’s will is for my life?”  DeYoung takes the refreshing stance that hyper-spiritual approaches to finding God’s will don’t work. Instead the author counsels Christians to settle down, make choices, and do the hard work of seeing those choices through.

DeYoung accurately points out that Christians like to tinker with everything: church, relationships, jobs, etc. Consequently, they worry that they might not be in God’s perfect will for their lives and often make radical life shifts to hopefully get “back on course with God’s will.” Or—even worse—they don’t do anything, waiting for clear, direct, unmistakable direction from God.

This was a great read; it was brief, biblical, and often humorous. I am glad to recommend it, particularly for young readers in the teens/early 20’s, but the subject matter applies to all ages.

You can also hear a talk that Kevin DeYoung gave on this subject here (mp3).

Also, here’s an interview that the Vitamin Z blog did with DeYoung regarding this book.

Last week, Pastor Mark spent alot of time talking about the deep joy that can be experienced by Christians, even in the midst of great trial and pain. One man that communicated those truths very well was Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), a Welsh pastor and author.  Below are two of his books on the subject of the unspeakable joy spoken of in 1 Peter 1:8.

Spiritual Depressions: It’s Causes & Cure- This book is deeply significant in my life and I am sure that I will return to it many times.

This enduring collection of twenty-one sermons by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, each originally delivered at Westminster Chapel in London, carefully and compassionately analyzes an undeniable feature of modern society from which Christians have not escaped—spiritual depression.

“Christian people,” writes Lloyd-Jones, “too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give this appearance of unhappiness and of lack of freedom and absence of joy. There is no question at all but that this is the main reason why large numbers of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity.”

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Joy Unspeakable- Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the assertion of John the Baptist that Jeus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The result is a classic call to submit afresh to the Spirit for power, purity and assurance, while keeping our heads in the face of pitfalls that might distract or ensnare us.

ESV Study Bible

This week marks the release of the ESV Study Bible, a wonderful resource for deepening ones understanding of Scripture.

The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way—to understand the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with 2,752 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources.

Created by an outstanding team of 95 evangelical Christian scholars and teachers, the ESV Study Bible presents completely new study notes, maps, illustrations, charts, timelines, articles, and introductions. Altogether the ESV Study Bible comprises 2 million words of Bible text, insightful explanation, teaching, and reference material—equivalent to a 20-volume Bible resource library all contained in one volume.

Primary Features

• 2 million words of Bible text and insightful teaching in 2,752 pages.
• 20,000 notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
• Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.
• 200-plus charts—offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
• Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color throughout the Bible.
• 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
• 40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.

Goal and Vision

The goal and vision of the ESV Study Bible is, first and foremost, to honor the Lord—in terms of the excellence, beauty, and accuracy of its content and design; and in terms of helping people come to a deeper understanding of the Bible, of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Crossway is a not-for-profit publishing ministry and all receipts from the ESV Study Bible go directly toward the support of this ministry goal around the world.

To learn much more about the ESV Study Bible, visit www.esvstudybible.org. If you are interested in purchasing one, WTS Books has really good prices on them.

During the sermon The Little Foxes last week, Pastor Mark Driscoll made a few book recommendations. Here are links to those books and a few others that I would also recommend.

God, Marriage, and Family- Andreas J. Kostenberger

Sacred Marriage- Gary Thomas

Love That Lasts- Gary & Betsy Ricucci

When Sinners Say “I Do”- Dave Harvey (You can also get this one as an audio book)

Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God- CJ Mahaney

Feminine Appeal- Carolyn Mahaney

Happy reading!

Real people. Real sin. Transformed lives. A compilation of heartfelt letters written from a pastor to his people that explains Jesus’ work on the cross. 

Death by Love is a unique book on the cross of Jesus Christ. While many books debate the finer points of the doctrine of the atonement, what is often lost are the real-life implications of Jesus’ death on the cross for those who have sinned and have been sinned against. Written in the form of pastoral letters, Death by Love outlines the twelve primary effects of Jesus’ death on the cross and connects each to the life of a different individual. 

Driscoll, one of America’s most influential pastors, and Breshears, a respected theologian, help readers understand, appreciate, and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross in a way that will transform their lives. Both deeply theological and intensely practical, this book shows how everyone can find hope through the death of Jesus Christ.

You can also read a chapter, watch an intro video and learn more at the Death By Love website or on their Facebook page .

Last night I mentioned a book on John chapter 17 by a pastor named Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The book is called The Assurance of our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own. Google Books has almost the entire 672 page book online that you can read for free or you can purchase it from our favorite online bookstore, WTS Books.

Here’s the description from WTS Books:

In John 17, Jesus prays for His disciples and all believers. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws out the timeless truths of this passage by looking at why and what Christ prayed and unfolding the majestic themes of our assurance of salvation, our union with God and other believers, and His loving care for us. This renowned preacher also explores the process of sanctification and living godly lives in the world. Specific and practical, he shows how we can respond to the very personal way in which the Spirit helps us live as new creatures in Christ.

Here’s a few more resources regarding worship and idolatry from author Dr. Harold Best.

Dr. Harold Best Homepage- articles, bio, etc.

Books

Unceasing Worship- Harold Best- Widely respected as one of the foremost thinkers and practitioners in his field, Best explores the full scope of worship as continuous outpouring in all settings and contexts. With careful exposition and eloquent analysis, Best casts a holistic vision for worship that transcends narrow discussions of musical style or congregational preference.

Audio/Video

Continuous Worship: Is “Worship” the Only Word for Worship?- audio/video

Continuous Worship: Jesus the Sole Mediator of Worship and the Helplessness of Music- audio/video

The Arts in Worship: Can’t Art Just Be Art?

Art For The Church; Art From The Church, Art Facing The Church

What Creative People Can Learn From The Creation

Last week we watched the sermon What Makes Jesus Superior To Other Saviors? That message was part of the Vintage Jesus sermon series that Mark Driscoll preached in the fall of 2006. If you are interested in accessing the content from the other sermons in the series, click on the links below:

10.08.06 – Is Jesus the Only God?
10.15.06 – How human was Jesus?
10.22.06 – What did Jesus accomplish on the cross?
10.29.06 – Did Jesus rise from death?
11.05.06 – Where is Jesus today?
11.12.06 – What will Jesus do upon His return?
11.19.06 – Why should we worship Jesus?
11.26.06 – What makes Jesus superior to other saviors?
12.03.06 – How did people know Jesus was coming?
12.10.06 – Why did Jesus come to earth?
12.17.06 – Why did Jesus’ mom need to be a virgin?
12.24.06 – What difference has Jesus made in history?

Also, you may be interested in reading book Vintage Jesus that Mark wrote with Dr. Gerry Breshears, which you can find in our Books We Recommend section.

During the first sermon (Trinity: God Is) in the Mars Hill Church series Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, Pastor Mark Driscoll took some time to address a book called The Shack. Here is a clip of what Mark said:

Tim Challies, a popular Christian blogger has also posted a couple helpful reviews of the book. You can find his shorter initial review here or download a more in-depth review here.

While this may seem to be a lot of excitement over a work of fiction, it’s important for Christians to pursue truth about God because what we believe about God drives how we live our lives. The glowing reviews of The Shack online and from people that I have talked to underscore this fact.