Quick-Fire Book Reviews

When God Builds a Church

Bob Russell

Howard Publishing, 2000 (292 pages)

I read this book as I prepared some ideas for sermons for 2011. I had read this book several years ago, but thought it needed to be read again.

Russell, the “senior pastor” of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, wrote this book as a way to show that growing a congregation isn’t just about some gimmicky method or the latest fad. At the time this book was written, Southeast had about 13,000 in weekly attendance.

The book features 10 principles that are as simple as “worship,” “evangelism,” and “fellowship.” While these are old principles, they still work.

To me, the best parts of this book are two chapters. First, the first principle Russell speaks about is “truth.” While I don’t agree with everything Southeast teaches, Russell makes it clear that they will not stray from the core doctrines of their church. In a time when far too many are doing just that, this is refreshing to read.

However, the reason I highly recommend this book is because of the fourth principle, “excellence.” Russell makes it clear that, not only are people looking for excellence, true service to God demands it. We cannot “half-do” Christianity and expect people to be drawn to it. Leaders need to make this a part of all they do.

This is an easily read book. While you won’t agree with everything in it (considering it speaks often of choirs and bands, as just one example), the overall principles in this book are timeless and need to be reinforced.

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Why Men Hate Going to Church

David Murrow

Thomas Nelson, 2005 (248 pages)

We often speak about how there are more women in the typical congregation than men. Some of that is due to women living longer, but that is not all that plays into this dynamic. Murrow tries to present several reasons why men of all ages simply do not want to attend church.

I was excited to read this book, but I found myself slightly disappointed. The reason is simple: Murrow makes a great argument near the beginning of the book that congregations cater to women more than men, but then he basically says the same thing over and over throughout the pages of the remaining chapters.

That said, I think this book is worth your time. If you read it with an honest mind, you will see that nearly every congregation is “guilty” (for lack of a better term) of falling into some of these traits. The one that hit me the most was that we often simply do not challenge people enough, and men want a challenge! As a congregation starts and begins to grow, men are involved because there are all sorts of tough decisions to be made and long-range challenges to be addressed. However, as time goes on, we get comfortable and stop meeting big challenges. Men, then, are not as interested.

I would recommend this book for elders and preachers. Even if you don’t like to read, you can get the gist of this book from the first few pages, and that is a good start.

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Sheet Music

Dr. Kevin Leman

Tyndale, 2003–reprinted in 2008 (276 pages)

I won’t comment much on this book, because the subject matter is intimate in nature, but I do highly recommend this book. Dr. Leman’s book is subtitled, “Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage,” and the book is worth your time.

Written in a style that is both informative and fun, Dr. Leman helps husbands and wives see common problems in this area of marriage, and helps them know how to address them.

Again, we have several younger readers to this blog, so I will avoid being specific in this review, but I would recommend this book to any married couple. You may not agree with every page, but the overall message of the book is very clear and well written.

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Death to the BCS

Dan Wetzel, Josh Peter, and Jeff Passan

Gotham Books, 2010 (195 pages)

Yes, I do read books other than those that deal with the Bible, money, and family!

If you are a college football fan, this is a must-read. Whether or not you like the BCS, which decides college football’s national championship, you will learn from this book. It is far more than a rant, and the book is deeply researched. It is clear and concise in dismissing the “stories” (to use a mild term) we are fed about this system.

The only drawback to this book is that it seems as though it was rushed to be published. I noticed a handful of spelling errors throughout the pages. While not many, it seemed to be a case of meeting a deadline more than waiting a few weeks to edit one more time.

Other than that, this is a fun read about a controversial subject that you will enjoy.

Oh, and I agree…the BCS needs to be killed off!