Skip to main content

Review: Grown-Up Faith

Thomas Nelson, 2019
For many seekers and growing Christians, there is the feeling of spiritual stagnancy. Why am I not growing, even if I am doing all of the right things? For this reason, Kevin Myers writes his new book, Grown-Up Faith: The Bigger Picture for a Better Life. Myers, the lead pastor at 12Stone Church (the largest Wesleyan church in the United States), argues that faith cannot occur without spiritual maturity. For Myers, many Christians are caught in an immature spirituality, which causes them to miss the picture on a full, Christ-centered life.

Myers' book is structured around 11 questions which he claims are questions that all people at all times, whether religious or not, are asking. Such questions include: Is life an accident? Are heaven and hell real? What does it mean to be forgiven? Myers walks through each question and suggests that the story of the Bible answers these questions. He presents a narrative view of Scripture that he believes holds the key to spiritual growth. Each chapter includes action items and Bible readings to be completed prior to the next chapter.

This book is designed for new and/or growing believers with little biblical knowledge. It is popular theology rather than scholarly writing. Nonetheless, Myers' evangelical message would appeal to a large readership interested in learning the basics of Christian spirituality. Most of his points are theologically coherent and readable. This book, however, would not be of much substance for seminarians, pastors, and those with sufficient biblical/theological knowledge. Grown-Up Faith would be excellent for individual devotional reading, mentoring, discipleship, and small groups.

(A complimentary review copy was given in exchange for an honest review.)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Product Review: LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle

Overview When adventure strikes, the right bag makes all the difference. Too often, however, luggage bags are either large, ponderous suitcases or small, flimsy duffle bags. I have traveled to Central and South America multiple times with terribly large suitcases. It added extra complication to my trip—especially lugging the bag up the steps! This is the problem which LL Bean seeks to rectify in the LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle. With a 137-liter capacity, this duffel is able to hold the items of the biggest pack-rat while being easy to transport. It features a telescoping handle, smooth-gliding wheels, and cinch straps. Specifications Capacity: Approx. 8,350 cu. in., 137 L.  Weight: 9 lb. 3 oz.  Dimensions: 17"H x 34"W x 15"D.  Highlights This bag is sturdy. Not only is it capable of holding many items, but it is incredibly durable. It has a reinforced nylon bottom and a thick plastic frame so that the bag does not sag or become weak....

Review: NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

A revised version of the previously published NIV Zondervan Study Bible,  the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible  (Zondervan, 2018) represents the best of biblical scholarship in a compact study Bible. It introduces Biblical Theology (BT), a discipline that is intended for readers to weave individual books and stories into a larger metanarrative that reveals God's redemptive plan through the entire Bible. To that end, this study Bible includes articles introducing BT and articles on theological matters. While the emphasis of this Bible may appeal to a more Reformed/covenantal audience, the contributors span a variety of theological traditions and are respected authorities within their discipline. The verse-by-verse notes—over 20,000—are insightful and suitable for determining the historical, literary, and cultural background of the text with a view to responsible interpretation of Scripture. There are in-text cross references, a concordance, maps, and useful charts. Each bo...

Review: Behind The Scenes Of The Old Testament

The biblical drama was situated among a highly complex sociological, political, and geographic backdrop. In particular, the world of the Old Testament was a critical time for human civilization—yet most readers of the Bible tend to imagine that Israel alone was the sole nation on the scene. While most OT surveys identify cultural issues within particular sections of the text, or provide a cursory introduction to the ancient Near East in an opening chapter, Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Baker Academic, 2018) provides a comprehensive entry point into the ancient world in the time of the OT. This authoritative tome brings together contributions from the world’s leading biblical and archaeological scholars to offer a variety of articles on OT background issues. It is divided into three parts. The first, “Elements of the Drama,” includes the stage (historical geography), the set and props (archaeology), the scripts (extra-biblical li...