G. A. Dietrich

Book Review | “Gospel Centered Discipleship”

G. A. Dietrich — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:19:17 +0000

Is there more to the gospel than the power to save? Jonathan Dodson teaches and believes that people not only need to have the gospel to be saved but also need to the gospel to continue being saved, or rather, need the gospel in their sanctification. In Gospel Centered Discipleship Dodson takes the first part of the book to layout the difference between discipleship and evangelism. The idea is that the gospel is not simply for evangelism but the gospel is for all of life, including discipleship—I heartily agree.

The second part of the book is called “Getting to the Heart” and Dodson addresses the failure of discipleship, the center of discipleship, and then what I felt was the most helpful chapter, the role of the Holy Spirit in discipleship. He says that without the Spirit there can be no holiness. That point is right on and shouldn’t be forgotten. The Spirit is just as much a part of a persons sanctification as is Jesus being a part of redemption—these cannot be separated.

The third part of the book is where Dodson gets practical with applying discipleship and describes the method his church uses in what he calls “Fight Clubs.” These are gatherings of 2-3 guys (or ladies, not mixed though) that get together to fight sin in one another’s lives. In essence they are well defined and crafted accountability groups…fight club just sounds much cooler though. Imagine leaving the house and telling your wife that you’d be back in a bit, you are headed out to fight club. This is a fight club worth talking about! The final chapters of the book address the practical parts of what fight clubs are and are not and what they are intended to do and are not intended to do.

The practical aspects of these fight clubs seem to be beneficial and, according to Dodson, have worked tremendously well in his church in Austin, TX. It would be good for those leading small groups to interact with this material to see if your group might benefit from a fight club mentality.

More resources about gospel centered discipleship are available at Jonathan Dodson’s website, gospelcentereddiscipleship.com.

Experiencing the Spirit’s Power

G. A. Dietrich — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:23:17 +0000

Over the last couple of days I’ve been reading Jonathan Dodson’s new book Gospel Centered Discipleship. The book is simple…almost too simple. The problem is that so many of us have missed the simple connection between the gospel and discipleship.

One of the chapters in the book addresses the role of the Holy Spirit. I was challenged with these practical thoughts for experiencing the power of the Spirit through a relationship with the Spirit, treating the Spirit as a person of the Trinity:

You may need to begin with repentance over your neglect of the Spirit. Confess your sinful-reliance to the Father and the Spirit, asking the Son for forgiveness, and thanking God for the gift of the Spirit.
Make a point of addressing the Spirit throughout the day in ways that reflect his role in your life (understanding, discernment, decision making, power to overcome sin, desire for God, faith in the gospel, etc.)
Memorize and meditate on texts that show you who the Spirit is so that you can get to know him (Ex. 31:3; Num. 27:18; 1 Sam. 16:13; Joel 2:28-29; Acts; Romans 8, 15; 1 Corinthians 2; 2 Corinthians 3; Galatians 3-6).
Rejoice in the gift of the Spirit as a Person who indwells us with power to believe the gospel, glorify, and enjoy God.

Dodson has a website full of resources. Check it out at http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com.

Dave Harvey on His New Book

G. A. Dietrich — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:27:56 +0000

Yesterday I posted a review of Dave Harvey’s new book, Am I Called: The Summons to Pastoral Ministry. Today I found a video of Dave chopping it up Justin Taylor from Crossway. Take a look at the video, it will be a helpful 24 minutes.

HT: JT

Book Review | “Am I Called?”

G. A. Dietrich — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:22:56 +0000

Over the past couple of days I’ve been Tweeting and posting things I’ve been learning from Dave Harvey in his new book, Am I Called? The Summons to Pastoral Ministry. This book has been the best book I’ve read this year and by far the best book I’ve read on the idea of a call to ministry (yes, there are plenty of others).

I think this book has struck me the way it has because I find myself in the situation of aspiring to be an elder (1 Tim 3:1) and trying to discern a call. This is why part one of the book, “Approaching the Call” was helpful.

In part two of the book, “Diagnosing the Call,” Dave works through the call in 6 chapters that ask good questions to help qualify this call:

Are You Godly?
How’s Your Home?
Can You Preach?
Can You Shepherd?
Do You Love the Lost?
Who Agrees?

The answers to those questions are not easy so Dave works through each one in detail. He also points you to others he sees as more qualified than him on certain areas.

I posted earlier on what the gift of leadership looks like and that came from this book as well. Dave Harvey is full of insight and should be considered a valuable source on leadership and church ministry.

What Does the Gift of Leadership Look Like?

G. A. Dietrich — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:15:09 +0000

I’ve been reading through Dave Harvey’s new book, Am I Called?, and I’ve come to Dave asking and answering the question; “What does this gift of leadership look like in pastoral ministry?” He gives the reader 8 things to consider (pg. 138-9):

The “preaching-as-leading” factor: You can establish a preaching diet for the church that sets direction and feeds souls.
The “follow him” factor: People talk about the impact you have on their lives. Other gifted people want to glean from your life.
The “make it happen” factor: When you see a need or a problem, you think solutions and actions.
The “can you see it” factor: You can see the big picture and have confidence for the future. And when you talk to other people, they see it too.
The “order from chaos” factor: You understand the value of planning, organization, and efficiency. Your life doesn’t look like an unmade bed.
The “mobilize the troops” factor: You know the best way to have impact is not to do it all yourself. You love to put people in places where they can be effective and fruitful.
The “learn to lead” factor: You’re not content with what you know. You study in order to grow in understanding.
The “godly ambition” factor: You’re not interested in settling in or shrinking back from challenges. You want to do all you can for the advance of the kingdom of God.

Parking Lot #11

G. A. Dietrich — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:24:28 +0000

No words…no words can explain the thought process of this persons parking.

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Photo credit on this one goes to Derek Twigg.

Book Review | “A Commentary on the Psalms”

G. A. Dietrich — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:27:34 +0000

Ask any Bible teacher out there what the best commentaries on the Psalms are and it is likely you are going to stump them. It isn’t as though there aren’t plenty of commentaries available, it is just that most of them are not always all that helpful or all that exegetically conscience. Now that doesn’t mean there are not exceptions to this generalization, however, it does seem to be the norm.

Enter in Allen P. Ross’ A Commentary on the Psalms: Volume 1 (1-41). In a lot of ways Ross’ work is much more than a commentary. Of the 928 pages in the book nearly 20% of this volume is made of introductory matters. These pages do not detract from the book, however, give it a great introduction! The topics Ross covers include:

The Value of the Psalms
Text and Ancient Versions of the Psalms
Titles and Headings of the Psalms
History of the Interpretation of the Psalms
Interpreting Biblical Poetry
Literary Forms and Functions in the Psalms
Psalms in Worship
Theology of the Psalms
Expositions of the Psalms

These chapters are extremely helpful and valuable and make the purchase of the book worth while, especially the chapters on literary forms and on theology.

Once Ross gets to the individual Psalms themselves he breaks each Psalm chapter down into an introduction looking at the text and textual variants, the composition and context, and an exegetical analysis. From there he moves to a commentary of the text followed then by the message and application of the Psalm. This structure is helpful and is welcomed.

Overall I believe this to be a welcomed addition to the commentaries that already exist on the Psalter. Unfortunately it is only volume 1. We will have to wait for the other volumes.

FTC Rhetoric: I do not receive payment for my book reviews. I do sometimes receive free review and giveaway copies from authors, publishers, and publicists. My first responsibility is to my readers, therefore, I am committed to honest reviews.

Book Review | “40 Questions About the End Times”

G. A. Dietrich — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:00:45 +0000

The 40 Questions and Answers Series from Kregel has been a tremendous help to me. I’ve previously benefited from both 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons by Benjamin Merkle and 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer. Kregel has also published 40 Questions About Christians and the Law by Tom Schreiner. The most recent book in the series though is 40 Questions About the End Times by Eckhard Schnabel.

There are few areas of theology that have attracted more attention than the end times. This is partially because of the difficulty in explaining many prophetic Scripture passages relating to the end times and also the general fascination of wanting to know how the end is all going to work. In this book by Schnabel he gives short, succinct, answers to many of the most common questions raised in end times study. Those questions are:

Part 1: General Questions about the Future
A. The Future of the World
1. When Do the End Times Begin?
2. What Is the Fullness of Time?
3. What Are the Signs of the End (Matt. 24)?
4. When Will the Signs of the End Take Place?
5. What Are the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments (Rev. 6-16)?
6. Should We Understand John’s Visions Literally or Symbolically?
7. When Will the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments Take Place?

B. The Future of the Church
8. Will Christians Live during the Tribulation?
9. Who Are the 144,000 in Revelation 7?
10. Will the Church Disappear in a Rapture to Heaven?
11. Will the Work of the Church Bring about a Period of Faith, Righteousness, Peace, and Prosperity on Earth?

C. The Future of Israel
12. What Are Israel’s Old Testament Promises?
13. Does National Israel Have a Special Destiny?
14. Does the Modern State of Israel Represent Fulfillment of Prophecy?
15. What Is Christian Zionism?
16. Will a Third Temple Be Built in Jerusalem?

Part 2: The Return of Jesus Christ
A. Events before the Return of Jesus
17. What Is the “Abomination of Desolation” in Jesus’ Prophecy?
18. Who Is the “Lawless One” in Paul’s Prophecy?
19. Who Is the Beast in John’s Prophecy?
20. Who Is the Antichrist?
21. What Is the Meaning of the Number 666?
22. Who Is the False Prophet?
23. What Is the Mark of the Beast?
24. Who Is the Great Harlot of Babylon?
25. Who Are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11?
26. Who Are Gog and Magog in Ezekiel?
27. Who Are Gog and Magog in Revelation?
28. What Is the Battle of Armageddon?
29. What Is the Great Earthquake?

B. The Return of Jesus
30. Why Will Jesus Return?
31. How and Where Will Jesus Return?
32. Will Jesus Return Soon?

Part 3: The Millennium and the Last Judgment

A. The Millennium and the New Jerusalem
33. What Is the Millennium?
34. When Will the Millennium Take Place?
35. What Is the New Jerusalem?

B. The Day of Judgment
36. When Will the Day of Judgment Take Place?
37. What Will Happen to Believers on the Day of Judgment?
38. What Will Happen to Unbelievers on the Day of Judgment?

Part 4: Interpreting the End Times
39. How Should We View the Prophecies of Prophecy Writers?
40. Why Should I Care about the End Times?

As far as perspectives goes, Schnabel is writing from a historic, pre-millennial position. He answers this question in chapter 34. In looking to his view on the rapture he shows that he is post-tribulational in chapter 10. As far as I can tell he covers all major questions as it relates to the end times and gives a fair answer. There could be some things that you would disagree with, such as his rapture view, but Schnabel writes charitably and helpfully.

One of the great things about a book organized like this is its accessibility. The chapters do not necessarily build upon one another so the reader can turn directly to the questions that interest them the most. This can be very helpful when trying to wade through 345 pages. From my reading of the book I have no hesitancies in recommending this book to anyone that is interested in a biblical foundation of the end times.

If you are interested in a commentary that will complement this book well please check out Jim Hamilton’s new commentary, Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches.

Book Review | “Meet the Skeptic” by Bill Foster

G. A. Dietrich — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:26:05 +0000

Do you have family members that are skeptical about your faith? What about co-workers? Do you talk about Jesus and people give you the “that is good for you but not me” line? If you answered no to any of those questions one of two things is true; (1) you don’t talk to people or (2) you are lying to yourself. Sharing your faith with family, friends, and co-workers will typically invoke a skeptical response. Bill Foster has given us a great little guide to help with these types of conversations, Meet the Skeptic: A Field Guide to Faith Conversations.

The book is broken up into five primary sections:

The Meet-The-Skeptic-Model Overview
Spiritual Skepticism in a Nutshell
Moral Skepticism in a Nutshell
Scientific Skepticism in a Nutshell
Biblical Skepticism in a Nutshell

One of the more helpful pieces in this book is toward the beginning in a section called “Speak Their Language.” Foster discusses how unhelpful it is to converse with skeptics using technical and theological language. There are words and phrases that are necessary but Foster is helpful in providing a way that you could clarify these words as well.

For example, what does “born again” really mean? When we say “A person must be born again in order to get to heaven” the skeptic hears; “A desperate person needs a mystical or emotional experience in order to gain a sense of purpose.” To clarify what “born again” means will help with their understanding of the term. There are a variety of these terms that Foster helps to clarify for the reader in order that the reader be better prepared for faith conversations.

Along with this book there is also an accompanying leaders guide and workbook. These make this a good curriculum for small group and Sunday School settings. Below are some links to additional sources.

Meet the Skeptics Website | LINK
Meet the Skeptics Workbook | LINK
Meet the Skeptics Leaders Guide | LINK

Check out the trailer for Meet the Skeptics

Books From My Week At T4G

G. A. Dietrich — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:30:46 +0000

Last week was spent in Louisville, KY at Together for the Gospel. What a wonderful week of connecting with great friends from years gone by. I put together a little lunch on Thursday afternoon for Northland alumni and friends of Northland and had over 100 people show up! A picture of this gathering is on Dr. Olson’s Facebook page.

While at the conference we were blessed with some great books! I wanted to post the listing of these books here for a couple of purposes:

To say thank you to the publishers who clearly bend over backward to make these distributions happen.
To show you, the reader, part of the value in attending a conference like this. These books are simply a part of where your registration dollars go.

I went to two different events. The first one was Tuesday morning and called Band of Bloggers. At this event we were given:

On Earth As It Is In Heaven by Wyman Lewis Richardson (Amazon)
Tribal Church: Lead Small, Impact BIG by Steve Stroope (Amazon)
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker (Amazon)
Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith (Amazon)
Who Am I?: Identity in Christ by Jerry Bridges (Amazon)
A Holy Ambition by John Piper (Amazon)
Red Like Blood: Confrontations With Grace by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington (Amazon)
G.O.S.P.E.L. by D.A. Horton (Amazon)
Test, Train, Affirm and Send Into Ministry by Brian Croft (Amazon)
Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary by J.D. Greear (Amazon)
Subversive: Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation by Ed Stetzer (Amazon)
The World We All Want by Tim Chester (Amazon)

Then at Together for the Gospel we were given these:

The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson (Amazon)
Fellowship with God by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (not available online)
Listen Up! by Christopher Ash (Amazon)
Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy (Amazon)
Health, Wealth and Happiness by David Jones and Russell Woodbridge (Amazon)
Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Carl Trueman (Amazon)
Turning to God by David Wells (Amazon)
What Is the Mission of the Church? by Greg Gilbert and Kevin DeYoung (Amazon)
Preaching and Preachers: 40th Anniversary Edition by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Amazon)
How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home by Derek Thomas (Amazon)
The Pleasures of God by John Piper (Amazon)
Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman (Amazon)
The Church: The Gospel Made Visible by Mark Dever (Amazon)
1 Corinthians 1-9: Challenging Church by Mark Dever (The Good Book Company)
A T4G special edition of the HCSB

Then in my weakness I bought two books in their heavily discounted bookstore:

The Intolerance of Tolerance by D. A. Carson (Amazon)
Union with Christ by J. Todd Billings (Amazon)

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