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Reviews from Christ Church Bromley

Here at Christ Church online we want to provide you with useful information to help you discover who Jesus is and to grow in love and knowledge of him. In this part of the site we have reviews of all sorts of Christian publications and resources available for you to browse.



Listen Up! Print E-mail
Books
Tuesday, 07 July 2009 09:33

Listen Up!There’s no doubt what the book of the summer is on the Christ Church Bromley bookstall: Listen Up! by Christopher Ash.

To quote from the back cover:

Why on earth does anyone need a guide to how to listen to sermons? Don’t we simply need to ‘be there’ and stay awake? Yet Jesus said: “Consider carefully how you listen”. The fact is, much more is involved in truly listening to Bible teaching than just sitting and staring at the preacher.

Christopher Ash outlines seven ingredients for healthy listening. He then deals with how to respond to bad sermons - ones that are dull, or inadequate, or heretical. And finally, he challenges us with ideas for helping and encouraging our Bible teachers to give sermons that will really help us grow as Christians. 

The book describes itself as a practical guide to listening to sermons and it’s one of the most helpful, insightful and, yes, practical books I’ve read all year. It is full of examples of attitudes that feel very familiar, clear and simple bible teaching to correct and/or encourage these attitudes and useful steps to help you put into practice what you had been learning. As if this wasn’t enough it only costs £1 and takes no more than a couple of hours to read! 

Pick up your copy from the bookstall today for just £1.00!

More from the back:

'We just don't have teaching and training on how to listen to sermons. Christopher Ash shows what a gaping hole that omission leaves'
Rico Tice, All Souls, Langham Place, London.

'New, fresh, wise, and personally convicting. A must-read for anyone serious about growing as a Christian'
Andrew Reid, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia.

'Provides crucial theology and practical advice about listening that can make the difference between life and death in the church.'
R Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton.

'A great resource to help grow a new generation of believers who both tremble at God's word and are changed by it.'
Vaughan Roberts. St Ebbe's Church, Oxford, UK.

 


 

 
The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching Print E-mail
Books
Written by Alan Witchalls   
Monday, 30 June 2008 10:53

Art and Craft of Biblical PreachingImagine gathering together a hundred or so of the most experienced and faithful biblical preachers from around the world today and asking them to share their experiences and insights with you. How awesome would that be?!

Well, that is effectively what The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching does. It is a collection of articles from various preaching resources covering the whole scope of biblical preaching. The blurb on the back of the book describes it quite acurately as 'an omnibus of over 200 chapters by some of today's most respected preachers covering every aspect of the preacher's craft'.

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Real Life Jesus Print E-mail
Books
Written by Iain Broomfield   
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 10:57

ReallifejesusSome books written for those enquiring about Christianity are very good at explaining the gospel clearly. Others are good at addressing the concerns and issues people raise today but less good at giving Biblical answers that point to Jesus. Real Life Jesus by Mike Cain (IVP 7.99) does both. It's brilliant!

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If You Could Ask God One Question Print E-mail
Books
Monday, 17 March 2008 22:02
If you could ask God one question book cover‘If you could ask God one question, and you knew it would be answered what would it be?'

Paul Williams and Barry Cooper have spent several years asking people this question while running Christianity Explored courses and have written this short book looking at the twelve most commonly asked questions.

It's a great read precisely because the questions that it deals with really are the big questions that people ask (see below for the list). But what really stands out is that each chapter answers one of these questions from the lips of Jesus, by looking at what he had to say about the issue.

And so, although the authors help to frame the questions in a witty and readable fashion, it's the answers that make this book a must read for convinced Christian and enquirer alike because they come ‘from the lips of the most powerful, insightful and extraordinary figure in all of human history'.

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Stop Dating The Church Print E-mail
Books
Monday, 03 March 2008 17:21

stop dating the churchWhat's your relationship like? Are you aimlessly dating without being ready for commitment? Or are you in a real relationship - meaningful, passionate, and (most tellingly of all) committed? Joshua Harris is, of course, talking about the local church.

His latest book, Stop Dating the Church, can be summed up in two words - brilliant and short. It lays down the challenge that ‘loving Jesus Christ involves a passionate commitment to His church' in a way that is can't-put-this-down-even-to-read-Harry-Potter readable and deeply thought provoking. My particular highlights were the chapters on the ‘ten things to look for in a good church' and on ‘getting more from Sunday', but every chapter is an absolute gem. All of that and it only takes a couple of train journeys to read! Buy it, read it and prepare to ‘fall in love with the family of God'.

 
Christian Youth Work Print E-mail
Resources
Written by Alan Witchalls   
Thursday, 31 January 2008 22:31

Christian Youth WorkYouth and children's ministry in the UK today is a struggle. Volunteer leaders and youth workers strive to reach children and young people with the 2000+ year old Gospel whilst meeting the expectations of relevance placed on them by our society and culture. This tug-of-war between biblical reliance and cultural relevance is often won by the louder and more pressing voice of cultural demands.

Christian Youth Work by Mark Ashton and Phil Moon is like a 22 stone giant pulling for the side of biblical reliance. Not only has it been a strong voice for biblical youth ministry since the 1980s, but it also puts into sharp focus the need to stop giving the voice of our culture centre stage of our attention. For instance, the book has (in my opinion) one of the most succinct and hard hitting quotes to challenge us on how we approach youth ministry: 'The most serious weakness in Christian ministry amongst teenagers today is not a failure to understand our culture. It is a failure to take the Bible sufficently seriously.'

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