book review

Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy: Eight Truths for Pursuing Unity in your Church by Jamie DunlopWe all know the familiar texts on the importance of brotherly love and unity in the church. But are we honest with ourselves about our commitment to this? Especially unity with 'those people' - the ones who, whether by personality or personal conduct, actually wind us up. We may not show it, we may…

This is one to keep an eye out for - if you enjoy satire. Reminiscent of C S Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Natalie Brand has cleverly written a series of letters from the Heart to the Tongue. The Heart strongly berates the Tongue for all manner of sly and malicious dealings demonstrating the many references in Scripture to this 'little member' and the havoc it can wreak. Words of gossip, wild intemper…

We are so pleased to have this little book available again! When I read it to our children back in 2008 I found it powerful and moving. When I mentioned it recently to our (now adult) children they remembered it well and, most importantly, they remembered the message of the passover lamb and the principle of substitution (and also that I read parts of it to them through tears, such was the emotion…

Seven Words - Revealing the Mystery of the Cross by Hugh M. Cartwright, published by Ettrick Press (2023).Taking each of the sacred utterances of the Saviour as He suffered, the Just for the unjust, Hugh Cartwright expounds the doctrinal and experiential truths which flow from 'the preaching of the cross'.As in his other works, the savour of Christ, a zeal for His honour and a deep l…

Sermons by William Gadsby (Gospel Standard Publications, 1991)Many have testified to the Christ exalting nature of William Gadsby's sermons. It is to these that I have turned this week, and this extract from a sermon on 'The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad' (Psalm 126:3) illustrates Gadsby's forthright style. His preaching always directed sinners to Christ as their only…

Holy Spirit Now Descend: Thomas Davis and the Evangelical Revival in Georgian Berkshire was reviewed in the Banner of Truth Magazine, February 2024 by Alex Arrell...While largely unknown today, Thomas Davis was a leading Particular Baptist pastor during the eighteenth century. In this succinct and stimulating work, Haykin introduces us to him and the lessons we can learn from his example.…

Through Water & Fire by Matthew Wainwright (Wakeman, 2023).Matthew Wainwright has written another brilliant historical novel! Through Water & Fire is set in the exciting times of Tudor England when Tyndale's translation of the New Testament is being smuggled illegally into the hands of the common man and the truths of the Reformation are becoming more widely understood.Into the…

We are really pleased to have William Gadsby's Catechism back in print. Have a read of Jeremy's review back in 2012:In the 'open minded' evangelical churches of today catechisms have become all but extinct.  For many they conjure up images of children forced into repeating questions and answers parrot fashion without understanding a word.  But does it have to be like this?…

Originally published in 2020, this title by Gerard Charmley has been out of print for a while. It is now freshly reprinted and back in stock! This is the review we posted back in 2020:The notion of human rights, that is rights which are owed to people purely by virtue of their humanity, is one which has in the space of a few decades grown from obscure legal jargon to become a common phras…

Evangelical Pharisees by Michael Reeves, (Crossway, 2023)In Evangelical Pharisees Michael Reeves is writing to Christian believers on the theme of hypocrisy. He writes out of a concern to see orthodoxy in doctrine not just remaining as head knowledge, but leading to a change in heart and life. In the first chapter, 'Beware of the Leaven', Reeves reminds us that Jesus was also concerned ab…