Book Review: Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms

Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms is my book of the year (for whatever that is worth). I’ve read or perused many of Packer’s books but this book condenses much of what he’s written over his lifetime and includes some personal history that puts it all in perspective. Unless the reader has read everything Packer has written, this book will be a valuable and insightful tool. In clear concise fashion Storms lays out Packer’s thoughts and beliefs on many, if not all, areas of the Christian life. It behooves us all to read, learn and apply these teachings.

In a world full of books on how to live and enjoy the Christian life, this one stands out. Storms delves deeply into Packer’s writings on numerous subjects extensively. Topics include atonement, holiness, indwelling sin, Holy Spirit, prayer and the will of God to point out a few. Packer, like many of us, began his spiritual journey under false teaching. Through a lifetime of learning and then writing he has shared much with us to correct our own deficiencies. In this work Storms has admirably complied some of the best.

It’s difficult to be precise on what most benefited me. Perhaps the chapters on prayer, suffering, and theocentricity left me both struggling and joyful.  I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to scour the pages and glean the best from Packer. 

The “on the Christian Life” series from Crossway is simply marvelous. If you have not started reading any of these I would suggest doing so now. They are a fascinating look into the lives of many well-known Christians that have blazed the trail for us. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain the valuable knowledge they gained.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.   

Is the church letting you down or are you letting the church down?

It has been often stated that the number one reason people leave the church is due to a feeling that the church failed to meet their needs. - Pastor Brian Moss




Pastor Brian Moss has an excellent post on why people leave a church. His reasons are often true and heart breaking. His second point strikes a chord with me:

There are so many people who join our churches but never invest in relationships. They simply attend services. They treat the church like an IN-N-OUT burger joint – get my food and get out quickly. But sooner or later life happens, and when their world starts coming apart they have no relational safety net. They suddenly expect “the pastor” to “be there for them,” like he’s a spiritual Aladdin. Just rub the lamp and *poof*, there he is! But that’s not even the biblical calling of pastors. According to Ephesians 4:12, pastors are called to equip the members to be the hands and feet of Jesus. God designed the church to be a community of connected Christians, not a collection of customers waiting to be served. We tell our people, “If you join this church, but never develop any friendships here, we promise we will let you down.”

Disconnected people disconnect.

Maybe we should all take some time to consider if we are the problem - are we letting our church down?

You can read the entire post here.


 

Bridges & Piper

Two of my living heroes of the faith in one video, John Piper and Jerry Bridges. It just doesn't get any better.

Book Review: The Search for God and Guinness

If you like beer, especially stout, and history, you’re going to like Stephen Mansfield’s latest work, The Search for God and Guinness. Mansfield tells the story of the Guinness family and how many of its foremost leaders took their Christian faith seriously. So serious that they not only made Guinness the number one selling stout but also used their wealth to help the poor and needy. Moreover, they made the Guinness brewery an outstanding place to work even by today’s standards.

Mansfield, who researched the Guinness family well, does a wonderful job drawing us in to the Guinness family and detailing many of their contributions to society and indeed the world. This is not a book, however, if you’re looking for brewing techniques or beer marketing strategies. Rather, it’s a trip through history beginning before the days of Arthur Guinness and his successful brewery all the way to the present. Most of all, we see the faith, generosity, and social conscience that was so much a part of many of their lives. The family legacy was handed down father to son for two centuries, sometimes to the unwilling. Yet, the Guinness name prevailed and the company prospered and often did so in difficult circumstances. Not all of the family history was rosy either for we also learn a bit about the black sheep in the line that squandered their family money and were a disappointment. And the reader will see how two world wars caused sales to plummet but with the appropriate postwar changes, the company rebounded and came to be what it is today.

This is certainly an entertaining read. It’s not technical but rather informative. As a beer lover and Christian myself, I wish there had been more detail about their Christian beliefs. With the exception of Henry Guinness who became a notable preacher, this detail is lacking. Perhaps there was not enough to document.

Overall, this is a fine read and I eagerly recommend it, especially as you sit and devour it with a tall Guinness at your side.

It Costs Nothing and is Worth Nothing

There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which costs nothing and is worth nothing. - J.C. Ryle