Book Reviews 4-25-18
The Christ of the Empty Tomb
By: James Montgomery Boice
Jews had prayed for him, hoped for him, and looked for him for generations. But now the one who had said he was the Messiah was dead, killed by the very ones who had for so long anticipated his coming. For his disciples, three years of following Christ seemed to end in despair.
And then they found the empty tomb.
The Messiah was alive!
Every year, James Boice wanted to get across to his congregation, in a fresh and relevant way, the impact of the discovery of that empty tomb. He made it his goal to surprise and excite his hearers every time they heard him preach about it. His sermons on this topic form the basis of this book — one that will revive your own excitement for the significance of Jesus’ victorious resurrection from the dead.
The Christ of the Empty Tomb presents the resurrection as a non-negotiable fact of history — ably refuting arguments against it, explaining apparent discrepancies, and focusing your thoughts on the real reason for the Easter celebration: our justification and deliverance.
Preac
hing The Cross
By: Mark Dever, J.Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler., J.J. Mhaney
Proclaiming the gospel is without a doubt the most important task of pastoral ministry, yet often other, seemingly more urgent activities obscure it. From time to time all pastors and preachers need to be reminded of the primacy of the gospel.
Preaching the Cross does just this. It is a call to expository, gospel-centered preaching as the center of pastoral ministry. This volume showcases an unprecedented combination of pastors representing a variety of evangelical traditions. Though they differ on some secondary points of church practice, they all enthusiastically celebrate the centrality of the cross of Christ-keeping the main thing the main thing. That message every reader can take away from this book and adopt in his pastoral ministry.
Authors Mark Dever, J. Ligon Ducan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., and C. J. Mahaney are joined by colleagues John MacArthur, John Piper, and R. C. Sproul in calling pastors to pursue gospel-saturated, preaching-centered ministries.
The Gospel Call and True Conversion
By: Paul Washer
The apostle Paul gave the gospel the first place in his preaching, endeavored with all his might to proclaim it clearly, and even went so far as to pronounce a curse upon all those who would pervert its truth. Yet how sad it is that many, even among those considering themselves evangelicals, have reduced the gospel message to a few trite statements to be repeated, and view conversion as a mere human decision. In The Gospel Call and True Conversion, Paul Washer challenges such easy believism as he examines the real meaning of things like faith, repentance, and receiving Christ. He also deals extensively with the effects of saving grace that God promises in the new covenant; namely, the creation of new hearts and new people.
Table of Contents:
Series Preface
PART ONE: The Gospel Call
1. A Call to Repentance
2. A Call to Faith
3. Believe and Confess
4. Receiving Christ
5. Christ at Heart’s Door
PART TWO: New Hearts and the Nature of True Conversion
6. The Great Motive and End of Salvation
7. The Author of Salvation
8. Separation and Cleansing
9. A New Heart
10. The Effectual Spirit
PART THREE: New People and the Nature of True Conversion
11. The Glory of the New Covenant
12. The Making of New People
13. The Christian’s Sure Knowledge of God
14. The Heart and Way of God’s People
15. The Everlasting Covenant
16. God’s Goodness to His People