Author: Various, C.J. Mahaney Editor
Pages: 192 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Price: 9.74
Genre: Christian Living/Personal Growth
Quick Summary:
Worldliness. We all are tempted to sin in regards to our relationship to the world. Either we sinfully disengage or we sinfully over-engage. This little book is an attempt to draw a biblical balance that culminates at the Cross.
John Piper writes the Foreword in which he rightly names the authors as “gospel-lovers”. Piper encourages us to read on and calls this book a gift to pastors (as it is). C.J. Mahaney, the editor, begins the book by outlining the discussion. He defines worldliness and sets the stage for what follows. He gets to the core of the issue at the very beginning: “Only through the power of the cross of Christ can we successfully resist the seduction of the fallen world”. What followers are the various authors making Mahaney’s chapter practical. Craig Cabaniss considers the Media, Bob Kauflin discusses Music, Dave Harvey confronts Stuff, Mahaney again joins the discussion with his chapter on Modesty, and Jeff Purswell closes up the book by offering advice on Loving the World. There are also two helpful appendixes (one a modesty check, the other about modesty on your Wedding Day). Also, to our benefit are discussion questions.
What I Liked:
Few people can walk (or write) in such a fashion that they stay on the tightrope between legalism and licentiousness. Mahaney and those that write with him in this book do just that. In each chapter, regardless of the topic, they always point you to the Cross and the glory of God. They never drift toward legalistic list making nor give you a license to sin. They get to the core of worldliness—our heart and its relationship to God.
The length of this book is perfect. The writing is catchy. The questions are probing. The appendix is helpful. The discussion questions are wonderful. That is why I will be taking our young men through a study of this book. Excellent work…much needed.
What I Disliked:
I personally was not that involved in the fifth chapter on dressing modestly. Nevertheless, it is a needed chapter and a wonderful exposition on modesty. I also disliked the fact that this book confronts my sinfulness to the core. I did not like the fact that it challenged me to unplug my television and shut down my computer. I did not like that it does not give me lists of do’s and don’ts but rather makes me ask questions that get to the core. But then again I do not like those things because I desperately needed this book. So even though I “disliked” those things that is what I love about this book—or more importantly what I love about the Holy Spirit’s work in my life.
Should You Buy It?
Our church just purchased 10 for our young men’s study. No matter what age or gender you are this book is deeply relevant. Even if you think an MP3 might be a character from Star Wars, you figure Lil' Wayne is one of John's children, an Eminem is something you eat, or you make an appointment at the doctor's office because your neighbor suggest you should get an HDTV, you still need this book. We are all affected by worldliness. Buy it today!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pages: 192 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Price: 9.74
Genre: Christian Living/Personal Growth
Quick Summary:
Worldliness. We all are tempted to sin in regards to our relationship to the world. Either we sinfully disengage or we sinfully over-engage. This little book is an attempt to draw a biblical balance that culminates at the Cross.
John Piper writes the Foreword in which he rightly names the authors as “gospel-lovers”. Piper encourages us to read on and calls this book a gift to pastors (as it is). C.J. Mahaney, the editor, begins the book by outlining the discussion. He defines worldliness and sets the stage for what follows. He gets to the core of the issue at the very beginning: “Only through the power of the cross of Christ can we successfully resist the seduction of the fallen world”. What followers are the various authors making Mahaney’s chapter practical. Craig Cabaniss considers the Media, Bob Kauflin discusses Music, Dave Harvey confronts Stuff, Mahaney again joins the discussion with his chapter on Modesty, and Jeff Purswell closes up the book by offering advice on Loving the World. There are also two helpful appendixes (one a modesty check, the other about modesty on your Wedding Day). Also, to our benefit are discussion questions.
What I Liked:
Few people can walk (or write) in such a fashion that they stay on the tightrope between legalism and licentiousness. Mahaney and those that write with him in this book do just that. In each chapter, regardless of the topic, they always point you to the Cross and the glory of God. They never drift toward legalistic list making nor give you a license to sin. They get to the core of worldliness—our heart and its relationship to God.
The length of this book is perfect. The writing is catchy. The questions are probing. The appendix is helpful. The discussion questions are wonderful. That is why I will be taking our young men through a study of this book. Excellent work…much needed.
What I Disliked:
I personally was not that involved in the fifth chapter on dressing modestly. Nevertheless, it is a needed chapter and a wonderful exposition on modesty. I also disliked the fact that this book confronts my sinfulness to the core. I did not like the fact that it challenged me to unplug my television and shut down my computer. I did not like that it does not give me lists of do’s and don’ts but rather makes me ask questions that get to the core. But then again I do not like those things because I desperately needed this book. So even though I “disliked” those things that is what I love about this book—or more importantly what I love about the Holy Spirit’s work in my life.
Should You Buy It?
Our church just purchased 10 for our young men’s study. No matter what age or gender you are this book is deeply relevant. Even if you think an MP3 might be a character from Star Wars, you figure Lil' Wayne is one of John's children, an Eminem is something you eat, or you make an appointment at the doctor's office because your neighbor suggest you should get an HDTV, you still need this book. We are all affected by worldliness. Buy it today!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
for many Scripture passages. While I find that paraphrase helpful at times, I think a fair amount of people are turned off to it. I sincerely hope that it does not distract from the beautiful message of this book. One other, minor disappointment that I hope gets corrected in the second edition (if there is one), is that the authors refer to the wrong James as the author of the Epistle of James. Easy mistake, but again I hope it does not hurt their credibility. These dislikes are minor and the overall tenor of this book is phenomenal.
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Click to Buy for $9.99
Click to Buy for only $9.99