Church Membership
Jonathan Leeman
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“There are a few people who say that church membership is necessary, and a few who say that it’s optional. But the majority of Christian folk, I assume, are somewhere in between. They have a vague sense that Christians should be involved in the local church. But they would also say it’s not the most important thing in the world, so we shouldn’t make too big a deal about it. If Christians spend several years hoping from church to church, or if they decide to attend one church indefinitely without joining, that’s okay, too” (Page 18)
Jonathan Leeman’s book is not so much an attempt to persuade membership sceptics about the value of joining a church, but to convince those on the fence of the joy of joining with brothers and sisters in committed, gospel fellowship.
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The book is 120 pages long.
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I’ve been a church member (in a few different places) since after I was baptised at 13, yet I still found this introductory book very helpful. I didn’t necessarily learn anything new, but I was reminded afresh of the beauty of the privilege and duty there is in belonging to the local body of Christ.
Perhaps you’ve been a church member for years – I would recommend this book to remind you of the truths you already know, so that you may continue on in service of the Lord.
Or maybe you’ve never considered it or never got around to it. If so, this book will enthuse you and give you a vision of the joys that lie in store when we do as the Bible commands and join a local church.
And if you’re still sceptical about whether the Bible teaches church membership, it might just persuade you!
Jonathan Leeman is a prolific writer and is always engaging and easy to follow, so the 120 or so pages fly by.
Disentangled
Jo Johnson
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Feelings are God given. We are created in his image and likeness, and he has created us with a range of emotions. As we read the gospels, we see Jesus experiencing joy, frustration, anger and sorrow, amongst other emotions. He is our Great High Priest who is ‘able to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.’ (Hebrews 14:15)
Therein lies the need for this book. We are sinful. We sometimes struggle with our emotions. Sometimes they blindside us and we feel pain caused by something that happened long ago, that we thought we had forgotten about. Sometimes a passing comment can leave us questioning ourselves and others.
Some of us feel our feelings deeply, whilst others bumble along on a more even keel. Regardless, all of us have an inner thought life. Our thoughts and feelings motivate our actions. Jo Johnson asks us to pause and consider whether as Christians we are tempted to look inwards and downwards, allowing sin to rule our thoughts, feelings and actions or to look upwards and outwards, seeing the freedom that Jesus has bought for us at the cross and seeking to serve others as a result.
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The book is 144 pages long and split into two parts. Part one contains four chapters and part two contains five chapters. Each chapter is about 10 - 15 pages long.
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For anyone struggling with their mental health, this book is a welcome salve, pairing clinical psychology with a biblical perspective. But, all of us can become more aware of why we react in certain ways. Each chapter is followed by an opportunity to bring God’s word to bear on our lives, time to pray and a suggestion of a song to listen to. This is a book for anyone wanting to understand themselves better so that they can love God, others, and maybe even themselves, more.
The Surprising Genius of Jesus
Peter J Williams
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What words come to mind when you think of Jesus – perhaps Saviour, Teacher, or Compassionate. Perhaps one of the words that we don’t often think is “Genius”. But in this helpful book, that’s exactly what Peter Williams wants us to see.
Taking the Parable of the Prodigal Son as his starting point, he goes on to demonstrate the incredible mind of our Saviour as he challenged the beliefs and teachings of the scribes and Pharisees of his day. He challenges those who contest whether Jesus told these parable and digs deep into the Old Testament to show surprising and illuminating links to what has gone before.
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The book is 113 pages long.
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This book is packed full of wisdom and helps us as 21st century disciples to connect the parables to our own day to help us as we seek to live for Jesus. A thought-provoking book which does what all good Christian books should do – as it helps us to understand more about Jesus, so it spurs us on to worship.
When Children Walk Away from Jesus
Paul Mallard
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As Christian parents, we all long to see our children come to the Lord, confessing their sins and coming to know him as their Saviour. We long to see them baptised, growing in their faith and persevering to the end.
And we praise God that some do. Every son and daughter who is saved is a reason to praise God and to rejoice. But what if our children don’t come to faith or what if they walk away from the faith they once professed?
It’s a deeply personal and painful question to answer. We may wonder if it’s our faut – if only we did things differently. Perhaps they live a lifestyle which is contrary to Scripture, and we wonder how we should relate to them?
In this short, deeply pastoral and practical book, Paul Mallard shares wisdom, comfort and hope on these and many associated questions out of his four decades of ministry experience.
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The book is 160 pages long.
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Although this is a book written for parents of prodigals, it’s not only them who will benefit as it will help us as we care and pray for one another as a church.
Each chapter is concise and to the point and ends with some practical discussion questions to help readers think through these matters. Highly recommended.