Book Reviews

Posted: 3/30/07

Book Reviews

10 Things Every Minister Needs to Know by Ronnie Floyd (New Leaf Press)

Ronnie Floyd states there is nothing like it in the entire world. He is speaking of serving in vocational ministry. In this small, but very readable, book, Floyd recounts the life lessons he has learned in more than 30 years as a pastor.

He asserts the book is for ministers of all ages and in all seasons of life. Yet he is convinced these 10 lessons transcend vocational ministry and touch other worlds as well—life, business and influence.

I would recommend the book highly to any believer, not just ministers. Floyd gives practical advice to all believers in all walks of life. He discusses the importance of being over doing. He also discusses the importance of family-building rather than ministry-building, faith, relationships, decision-making and maintaining a proper balance in life. He concludes with wisdom on how to believe God for your future.

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

Each chapter closes with a one-sentence reminder from Scripture that punctuates the topic ad-dressed.

This book shares the very best perspectives, encouragement and solutions, not just for ministers, but for us all. It is an enjoyable and practical book.

Greg Ammons, pastor

First Baptist Church

Garland

The Eleven Commandments by Preston Taylor (Xulon Press)

Even though we see them engraved on buildings and hear controversy regarding them in the news, the actual Ten Commandments are a mystery to most people. One would suspect that in a random survey, few Americans could name more than five of the commandments, even with some prompting.

Preston Taylor has made a bold attempt to place the truth of Scripture into an exciting, readable format with his compelling new work, The Eleven Commandments. In this short volume, he has packed the history, context and application most relevant to the original 10 and has updated them with the overarching comment of Jesus when he was asked about the commandments.

Readers will be drawn through the pages by Taylor’s easy-going style that allows one to leap from the concept on the page into life-changing understanding. Seldom has such power been packed into so few pages!

Jerry Barker, pastor

First Baptist Church

Falfurrias

A Mind for God by James Emery White (IVP Books)

In an extremely well-documented book, James Emery White addresses a key problem Christians face in confronting present-day problems and challenges.

Under the infleunce of secular media’s overwhelming bombardment of information, Christians are being led into a mode of thinking and decision-making that more reflects the world than God, he contends. Possessing modern minds infleunced by moral relativism, autonomous individualism, narcissistic hedonism and reductive naturalism, individuals are facing issues and making decisions without understanding the theological implications.

This form of thinking and decision-making is so prominent because many Christians demand to be “spoon-fed” by church leaders and teachers instead of doing self-study and learning for themselves, White observes. The result is shallow thinking among immature Christians who have few, if any, convictions.

White, president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, offers a solution: In order to have a mind for God, a Christian must develop the attitude of a learner and become involved in reading. To accomplish this, Christians must surround themselves with books and set aside time for reading. Books should include the great volumes that have most shaped history and culture, civilization and science, and politics and economics—books that motivate us to think about the great issues of life.

The greatest book for reading is the Bible, White insists, noting it calls for “complete and utter submission of life and thought.”

Along with tools such as study Bibles, a dictionary and a concordance, the Christian needs to apply the tools of cultural, biblical, historical and theological literacy, which are gained from additional reading.

Study and learning also require time for reflection, which provides insight into the world and its ways.

By seeing the world through the spiritual eyes developed from the study of God’s word, a Christian is able to see the real issues that impact society. Thus, a Christian’s response is now based on the convictions gained from the study of Scriptures—the mind of God—instead of the mind of the secular world.

However, one problem White fails to address is adult and youth illiteracy. With a large percentage of our population functionally illiterate, and many of these being Christians, reading will not help them acquire a mind for God.

Other learning methods are needed, and churches must begin to focus on this task, as well as implementing such methods for their people. (This could make for another good book.)

Randall Scott, pastor

Immanuel Baptist Church

Paris