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Tad Thompson. Intentional parenting: Family Discipleship by Design. Adelphi, MD; Cruciform Press, 2011. 108 pp. $9.99.

 

            Little strikes godly terror in the hearts of believing parents more than when they consider the concept of how to faithfully disciple their children. We all know that we are to raise our children in the fear and instruction of the Lord. We all know that we must be wise and disciplined as we try to carry out this task. Yet, when all is said and done, we still need help, and we know that too.

 

            In Intentional Parenting, Tad Thompson, a second-generation pastor, presents helpful, simple, and logical advice for parents who want to raise their children as disciples. As one of the early offerings from Cruciform Press, this work is a fine demonstration of the new publisher’s plan to put forth short, sweet, and scripturally sound books. The book is easy-to-read, engaging, and simply solid theologically.

 

            Thompson addresses the discipleship of the family by looking at several different metaphorical rooms in our homes. So, for example, he points out that our kitchens (symbolic of our source of spiritual food) must have pantries stocked with sound, biblical doctrine. Thompson then offers parents some very clear yet invaluable categories of theological truth that every parent should have settled, stocking their spiritual shelves so-to-speak. Similarly, Thompson uses the living rooms of our homes to symbolize different spheres of day-to-day life in which we formally and informally teach our children to follow Christ.

 

            I’ve read many parenting books. Very few are as biblically solid throughout as this one. Thompson clearly presents theological concepts in an accurate and readable way. Whether he is writing about God’s sovereignty or the atonement, Thompson speaks with clarity and accuracy. While I am sure that there are things that I would say differently in my own presentation, I cannot recall a point where Thompson made me cringe with his words, and that is saying something.

 

            I also will laud Thompson’s powerful reminders to parents that we have a serious job to do. He calls us to family devotions, but not in any sort of cookie-cutter approach. He calls us to live our faith before our children. Thompson argues that our children will love Jesus like they see us loving Jesus. If our religion is forced, legalistic, and empty, that will be magnified in our kids. If our love for Jesus is genuine and our worship of the Savior vibrant, such will often be the case with our children as well.

 

            I could say much more, but it simply is not necessary. Thompson has written a good book. This would be a very helpful resource for a small group Bible study or just for a few men or women who want to read the book together and grow stronger in how they raise their kids. No, this is not a guide on how to determine a kid’s allowance or an argument on spanking vs. timeout. Instead, this work is a call for parents to live as Christians with their kids to help them to love the Savior too. The questions at the end of each chapter spur thought and discussion. Simply put, I would recommend that you, if you are a parent, take a look at Intentional Parenting to see if it might be helpful to you or someone you know.

 

** Disclosure: Cruciform Press sent me a free PDF copy of this book for review purposes. The publisher asked only for an honest and thoughtful review, and did not influence the content of this review in any way.

John R. W. Stott. The Radical Disciple. IVP Books, 2010. 144 pp. $10.20.

 

                                    John Stott is a name that has been well known in Christian ministry and teaching for many, many years. In The Radical Disciple, Stott addresses eight aspects of our Christian lives that he believes need to be more strongly emphasized in Christian living. These aspects include:

 

1. Non-conformity

2. Christlikeness

3. Maturity

4. Creation-care

5. Simplicity

6. Balance

7. Dependence

8. Death

 

Positives

 

            Stott writes with a clarity and eloquence that are not often present in our more modern, more breezy works. His use of language is solid, making the pages of this book fly by.

 

            Stott’s handling of the Christian’s need for maturity, non-conformity, suffering, and dependence especially resonated with me. Stott, writing in his late eighties, expresses a very mature, very God-honoring understanding of death, suffering, and dependence upon others.

 

Negatives

 

            While I enjoyed this work in general, the middle chapters of this book were not as helpful. Stott’s calls for creation care and simplicity, while important calls in general, were not his best argued points. The author parrots the popular environmental issues of global warming, ozone layer protection, and population growth without seeming to question the findings of secular scientists. Similarly, in the chapter ron simplicity, Stott rightly argues for our need to simplify our lives in order to be able to give more, but does not offer much by way of practical help to accomplish this.

 

Conclusion

 

            The Radical Disciple has some very important lessons for Christians to hear. In some places, Stott brings forth real gems of thought. In others, however, his ideas are not as inspiring.

 

Audio

 

            I received a free download of this book as part of Christian Audio’s reviewers program. The audio version, read by Grover Gardner, is simply excellent, meeting Christian Audio’s clearly high standards.

Stephen Altrogge. The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding Contentment on Your Side of the Fence. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. 144 PP. $12.99.

 

            The apostle Paul told the Philippian church that he had discovered how to be content in all circumstances (Phil 4:11-12). How many of God’s children today lack Paul’s testimony? For so many of us, we want, we grumble, we wine, we complain, we become embittered as we show our lack of being content. Yet, if we were asked, we would all rather be happy than miserable and we would all generally admit that God is good. So, what can we do to battle for the kind of contentment that Paul claimed?

 

            In The Greener Grass Conspiracy, ‘Stephen Altrogge looks with his readers at multiple aspects of living the contented Christian life. Altrogge writes with a winsome yet penetrating style. Paragraphs of this book will bring a laugh to the reader. Other places in the book will bring the sweet encouragement of God’s grace to light. Still other spots will cast a dagger of conviction directly into the soft spots of our idolatrous desires.

 

            As Altrogge opens his look at biblical contentment, he starts with our God. God has created this world for himself, for his glory. All people exist for the person of God, not the other way round. Altrogge rightly shows us that our discontent stems from our failure to see that God, not man, is at the center and high point of the universe.

 

            The author takes his readers through several scenarios to demonstrate the horror of being discontented as Christians. For example, in chapter 6, Altrogge reminds his readers that a proper focus on the gospel of Christ will bring joy. True joy will destroy our complaining. HE writes, “The only way to cut the nerve of complaining is to regularly and actively remember and savor and apply the gospel. Complaining doesn’t fare well in the soil of thankfulness, and the gospel should always propel us to deep gratitude” (Chapter 6 [sorry, I have no page numbers in my electronic file]). Similarly, in chapter 5, Altrogge shows us that a lack of contentment not only denies the joy of the gospel. But also the goodness of God in the gospel. There he writes, “God gave up what was most precious to him so that he could save sinners who hated him. If God was willing to do that, won’t he also give us every good thing that we need?”

 

            Altrogge rightly presents to his readers that the source of our contentment as believers is an attitude of the heart. IF we trust God, grasp the gospel, look forward to heaven, remember the gifts we have been given, and remember the hell we deserve, we will grow more and more content. The truth is, a lack of contentment in our lives is quite often based on idolatry of the heart, a replacing of God with the gifts given by God.

  

            Perhaps my favorite piece in this book was the author’s reminder that heaven is the place where we will find our contentment. Until we are with Christ in a world free from sin, we should not expect our lives to be smooth and easy. Yes, we have far more good than we could ever imagine. Yet, we must recognize that God created us for himself. God created us for eternity. God created us for the joy of worshipping him. We cannot possibly feel our souls totally satisfied until we experience what God created us for. In chapter 12, Altrogge makes this point by saying, “When we see Christ, we’ll realize that all our earthly longings were really longings to see and be with Christ. When we look upon Jesus, the battle for contentment will come to an end, and we’ll finally have all that we ever desired.” The author adds in the same chapter, “Throw away your ideas of a boring heaven with nothing to do. We’re going to be with our Creator, the one who invented gladness and created fun.”

 

            I could go on for page after page pointing out the solid, powerful, joyful, and biblical counsel that Altrogge offers in The Greener Grass Conspiracy, but it would really be better for you if you picked up a copy of the book and read it for yourself. Even better would be for you to pick up a copy of the book, get some others to join you, and work through it together. This twelve chapter piece is so easy-to-read that almost any church member or Bible study friend will be able to read it with you. Each chapter has a useful set of questions at the end that will spur application and discussion. The book is not too long, and it’s never dull.

 

            Maybe it is because I needed a good solid reminder of God’s grace and my need to be content, maybe it is because I needed to hear again how ugly toward God is the complaining spirit, or maybe it is simply because this book is just a good book, but I very much enjoyed reading The Greener Grass Conspiracy. I would recommend it to believers with struggles and believers with plenty. I would recommend it to hurting pastors and happy mothers. Give this book a read, and see if perhaps God will convict you of complaining or help you to find joy in contentment.

 

Disclaimer: Crossway has offered a free copy of this book to me in exchange for reviewing the work. The publisher has exercised no influence over this review, simply asking that the review be honest and substantive. 

R.C. Sproul. The Priest with Dirty Clothes 2^nd Ed. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust, 2011. 45 pp. $12.24.

 

            It is always a joy to come across a book that helps to explain the gospel in a way that children can grasp. This is especially nice when the telling of the story brings to light important and often-neglected aspects of the good news. The Prince with Dirty Clothes is one such book.

 

            This little book by R.C. Sproul presents the picture of Christ’s imputed righteousness for the believer. Paralleling the scene in Zechariah 3, Sproul tells the story of a priest whose clothes were too filthy for him to stand in the presence of the king. The prince, the son of the king, gives the priest his perfect clothes in exchange for the priest’s ruined ones. In this picture, children and grown-ups are reminded of how Jesus not only took  the punishment for the sin of Gods’ children, but how he also granted to believers his perfect righteousness by his grace through faith alone.

 

            My family enjoyed the book. The story is short and sweet, which allowed my seven-year-old to be able to read the book herself. She grasped the concept very well, and we had a helpful discussion about the story. Also, while I am not one to have an opinion about art, my wife tells me that she is fond of the illustrations in this work.

 

            At the end of the book, Sproul includes a set of helpful questions for discussion. Parents and teachers will be able to not only read this story to their little ones, but also use the story as a teaching tool. 

 

            So, with the approval of my wife and my daughter, I am happy to recommend The Priest with Dirty Clothes to parents, Sunday School teachers, Children’s Church workers, and any who want to share the gospel with young ones. I Would recommend that this story be told alongside The Prince’s Poison Cup in order to give a more full-orbed presentation of the gospel. Putting these two books together will help to display the imputation of Christ’s perfect righteousness (The Priest with Dirty Clothes as well as his penal substitutionary atonement The Prince’s Poison cup).