Category: Growth

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Character Growth Teens

11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without

Leonard Sweet, among other things is a theologian, a church historian, and a pastor. In this book, he presents theological insights in a practical, easy to read, and encouraging manner.

The author’s focus in this book is the importance of not just relationships in our lives, but relationships in the context of companionship and spiritual growth. If we want to grow well as a disciple, we need to realize that we need some “indispensable relationships” in our lives. In this book he lists what he sees as 11 essential relationships. Each of these relationships is illustrated based on a biblical character.

What does he see as the 11 essential relationships? In his own words …

WHO’S YOUR NATHAN: You Need an Editor

WHO’S YOUR JONATHAN: You Need a True Friend

WHO’S YOUR JETHRO: You Need a Butt-Kicker

WHO’S YOUR TIMOTHY: You Need an Heir

WHO’S YOUR BARNABAS: You Need an Encourager

WHO’S YOUR PETER/PAUL: You Need a Yoda

WHO’S YOUR DEBORAH: You Need a Back-Coverer

WHO’S YOUR ZACCHAEUS: You Need a Reject

WHO’S YOUR RHODA: You Need a “Little One”

WHO ARE YOUR VIPS: You Need a Lydia and Lazarus, Rich and Poor

WHERE’S YOUR JERUSALEM: You Need a Place

THE INVISIBLE 12TH: You Need the Paraclete

What I find helpful is that as Sweet discusses each relationship, he illustrates widely from the Bible, as well as from historical stories, classic and contemporary literature, and everyday real-life examples and issues. His illustrations connect on many different levels.

He makes clear that putting theory to practice requires commitment, authenticity, and can be painful. But he also makes clear of the great benefits. And for each chapter, he provides many challenging questions for deeper Bible study as well as personal reflection.

If you want to grow as a disciple this is a book worth reading and reflecting on.

The real meaning of life is not a journey question or an arrival question. It’s a relationship question. Your journey and your destination are both important, but neither is possible without an answer to this prior question: Who do you have with you?

Leonard Sweet

Reviewed by Paul Long

Categories
Devotional Growth Sermon Teens

Do not be true to yourself: countercultural advice for the rest of your life

I like Kevin DeYoung. His preaching is versatile and he is able to adjust his sermons to Christians of different maturity levels and different age groups. He has written a number of short books which are easy to pick up and quick to read. Who doesn’t like short books? It gives you a sense of achievement in finishing a book quick! While his short books can be short (he writes longer books too), they are by no means shallow or unchallenging.

I picked up “Do not be true to yourself: countercultural advice for the rest of your life” because well, the title grabbed me! In an age when the world keeps telling you to “be true to yourself”, “follow your own passion” and so on, “do not be true to yourself” is a rather counter-intuitive piece of advice, but hey, anything that goes against the grain of the world can’t be wrong, can it?

This book is easy to pick up, because it is based on sermons that DeYoung preached to students and graduates at baccalaureate and commencement services. Therefore the 5 sermon adaptation in this book is written and targeted to teens and young adults. One look at the headings and it will give you an idea of what this book is about: “Don’t be true to yourself”, “Choose for yourselves”, “The first day of the next chapter of your life”, “Two ways to live” and “Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and the Kingdom of God”. This book is about choices you make while you are young. Make the right choices while you are young and you can enjoy God for longer while on earth. The book has an Ecclesiastes 12:1 ring to it: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them'”

It’s only 56 pages, and you can easily read the book in one reading – what an achievement! It is very easy to understand, and you will take away something practical in every single one of the five short chapters. It’s a good reminder of how Jesus commands those who are His disciples to live on earth. A quote from the book: “You should not be true to yourself, unless you have died to your old self and your new self is raised with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly places.” Good stuff!

Reviewed by Jin Wan

Categories
Commentary Growth Sermon

Romans (14 Volume Set)

If a preacher faithfully preached the entire book of Romans once a week, every single week, how long would it take for him to finish preaching? If you’re Martyn Lloyd-Jones, it’ll take you 13 years. This man of God – one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, one whom I consider a 20th century Christian Puritan – faithfully preached every single Wednesday, for 13 years on the book of Romans.

These 14 books are based on all his preaching on Romans, but has been adapted and personally edited by Lloyd-Jones to suit reading. When I bought the full set of 14 books, I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish reading the set. But when I got started and felt the depth of the gospel of God Himself through Lloyd-Jones’ blessed preaching, I really couldn’t stop.

Here’s the thing about Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ preaching. He is utterly faithful in his exposition. He plumbs the depths and riches of every verse in Romans to its uttermost depth, but he remains faithful and will not “fill in the blanks” in areas where Scripture has intentionally left blank. The depth of his preaching unearths things you never thought about in Scripture, while the faithfulness of his preaching makes it trustworthy. If you have listened to the recordings of his sermons (I highly recommend you do on https://www.mljtrust.org/), when you read these books, you would feel as if he’s still preaching “live” to you.

Here are some quotes from the books:

“The devil cannot prevent any of us from becoming Christians, but he often does succeed in making us miserable Christians.”
– Romans: Exposition of Chapter 1

“Are you a Christian? This is how you discover the answer. Have you ceased altogether to look at yourself or to yourself, in every possible way? And are you looking only and entirely and utterly to the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and what He has done on your behalf?”
– Romans: Exposition of Chapter 3:20 – 4:25

“We must not only assert the truth; we must attack the evil and the false; we must ‘prove’ our truth and demonstrate it; and that can only be done by means of a negative. State the truth, consider the objections, answer them, and so you establish the truth yet more firmly. This is the method of the Apostle himself.”
– Romans: Exposition of Chapter 8:17-39

These are powerful books and the Holy Spirit still works through Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ exposition of Romans. These 14 books will help you realise who God really is, who you really are, and how God really relates to His people whom He has chosen and saved. Read them and weep, rejoice, love, anticipate and rest.

Reviewed by Jin Wan

Categories
Children Devotional Growth

The Gospel Made Clear to Children

Sometimes, even as Christians, we underestimate children’s ability to comprehend the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet wasn’t it our Lord Jesus himself who said, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”? Some may interpret this to mean our gospel needs to be dumbed down into meaninglessness, but of course, we know that’s a lie. After all the gospel is the full content of God’s good news of salvation for mankind. Enter Jennifer Adams’ “The Gospel Made Clear to Children”.

What’s the purpose of this book? In Adams’ own words, she “wrote this book to explain God’s love to children as it is manifested in the gospel of Christ. It is written for parents to read aloud to younger children (elementary) and for older children (youth) to work through independently” What I find utterly amazing about this book is that, it is full of biblical doctrine fully backed by Scripture, yet it is explained in an utterly plain and simple manner so that both children and adults understand the rich content of the gospel of God!

The beauty of this book is that it doesn’t water down the gospel just because it is meant for kids. This means it lays out the whole gospel – from the easiest to read bits to the most difficult to accept bits. Adams’ lays it out as it is, and in doing so, glorifies God and teaches kids what it really means to be loved by God and living for God as a result. Here’s an excerpt:

“Jesus said that many who are first will be last, and the last, first. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. The greatest will be a servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be a slave, just as Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Does this teaching sound too hard? It is hard, but the price of not following Jesus is one we cannot afford. Jesus said that we are to do whatever we must to avoid sin. Jesus said not to fear man who can kill the body, but to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”

“The Gospel made Clear to Children”, Jennifer Adams

If you’re an adult, don’t scoff at this book as a mere children’s book. It’s not. As an adult myself, I found myself learning some new and some deep things about the gospel of God. It’s truly refreshing to have a book like this. Leave a legacy and teach your children to love God with all their heart and soul and mind and might. Awesome book.

Review by: Jin Wan

Categories
Growth Teens

Thoughts for Young Men

JC Ryle is one of my favourite all time authors – he writes so clearly and simply, making this book perfect for people young and old. And it’s such a tiny book of less than 100 pages, that young people are more likely to read. In this book, JC Ryle provides godly, powerful yet simple advice for young Christian men and women alike. As I read it, I was surprised at how immediately relevant every pearl of wisdom was. He warns young people of dangers in life, he exhorts young people to living a holy life, he encourages young people to steadfastly walk with God.

Here are just a few excerpts from this book:

“For one thing, there is the painful fact that there are few young men anywhere who seem to be Christians.”

“Never be ashamed of being a learner: Jesus was one at twelve years; when He was found in the temple, He was ‘sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46).”

“It is only when self is nothing and Christ is all our confidence, it is only then that we shall do great exploits.”

“Hell itself is truth known too late. Be wise in time. What youth sows, old age must reap. Do not give the most precious season of your life to that which will not comfort you in the latter days of your life.”

It’s amazing how someone who wrote these gems 100+ years ago, is not only so relevant, but it feels like it was written by someone today! It shows that times haven’t changed for humanity, and we need the same light and salvation of God. This will make a great gift to others too.

Review by: Jin Wan