TMS - Seminary Wives Discipleship

The books reviewed here are offered as resources to help believers in Christ "grow up into Him in all things" (Eph. 4:15). Our prayer for those who read these reviews and the books themselves is that of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:9-11: "...that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

The Cup and the Glory
Harris, Gregory H.
TheCupandtheGlory.com
The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2006. 170 pp..
Reviewed by Julie Sandfrey, wife of TMS student Michael Sandfrey

Do you pray for a deeper, closer walk with our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you desire deeper blessings and a greater understanding of what Christ has done for you? Is the goal of your life to follow Jesus Christ and Him alone? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” then you must read The Cup and the Glory by Dr. Greg Harris. In this book Dr Harris shows how for many, suffering precedes the glory of deeper fellowship and a closer walk with Christ.

The title refers to the fact that before the glory of resurrection and His return to the Father’s right hand, Christ first had to drink the cup of suffering that God placed before Him. Many times, we desire the glory but are unwilling to partake of the cup, which may be the very means God uses to bring the glory. One example of this truth is in Mark 10:35-41. James and John ask Jesus to sit with Him in His glory, one on His right and one on His left. Jesus responds by asking them if they are able to drink the cup that He will be drinking. The disciples will receive the glory they desire only after drinking the cup.

Dr Harris uses both God’s Word and his own life’s struggles to help us see how suffering can bring us into closer fellowship and a deeper walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. “If responded to properly, (and that is not at all a given), suffering forces us to find comfort and mercy in the present fellowship with Jesus and look to Him for hope for the future.” What a great encouragement to continue to trust the Lord and His sovereignty in our lives. However, Dr. Harris reminds, “It is one thing to ask for deeper blessings. It is quite another to stand firmly during the refining process that makes us fit to receive what we ask.”

The Cup and the Glory will cause readers to examine their heart, their love for God and the trust they place in Him when facing suffering. Tough questions such as: “Do you love God and trust Him during the dark times of suffering or only when He brings good things into your life?” will challenge readers to evaluate their desire to have a closer, deeper walk with God.

This book changed my life as it took me down my personal path of suffering from a new perspective. It is an absolute must read for anyone who wants to grow spiritually and desires to understand the role suffering can play in this process.

The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2006. 170 pp..
Reviewed by Julie Sandfrey, wife of TMS student Michael Sandfrey

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a moment in redemptive history that is often beyond our comprehension. We read and think about the physical brutality, humiliation and pain that our Savior endured. But in The Darkness and the Glory, Dr. Greg Harris shows us that there was much more to Christ’s crucifixion and “the cup” His Father gave Him to drink. Dr. Harris guides readers through God’s revealed Word concerning those three tremendous hours where Christ endured the totality of the domain of darkness so that we could be delivered from it. What awaits the reader are amazing and often overlooked details concerning exactly what was on display when Christ died for sinners.

Dr. Harris examines the crucifixion from Christ’s perspective. He asks questions that draw our attention to frequently unnoticed details. One question he poses is: Who was present at the crucifixion? While most believers immediately think of the human witnesses, the author asks us to consider others who were present, unseen by earthly eyes. Satan was there, along with the whole demonic world and their entire arsenal. The holy angels were also present, watching and waiting with great anticipation and fear to see what God would do. And, of course, God Himself was there.

I highly recommend The Darkness and the Glory to anyone seeking to understand more fully the crucifixion of Christ. Your love for Christ will grow as you contemplate what occurred during those three hours when Christ bore the continuous attacks of all demonic powers and the wrath of God so that we could spend eternity with Him. You will never look at the cross in the same way again. Although we will spend all eternity trying to fully understand Calvary, this book will greatly enrich your appreciation of our great salvation, our great God and our great Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Carroll, Joseph
Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991. 90 pp.
Reviewed by Heather Peacock, wife of TMS student Trevor Peacock

How to Worship Jesus Christ establishes a case for worship as the highest priority for every Christian. Not only were we created for worship of our Creator, Lord and Saviour, but also it is through our worship of God that He communicates His presence in our lives. In this book, Joseph Carroll describes what true worship is and what it ought to look like in our lives.

The book discusses the conditions required for true worship, examines the results in the lives of those who choose to worship and looks at key biblical passages to aid in our worship. A necessary condition for worship is to be alone with God for intimate fellowship with Him. In addition, true worship demands total submission to God, discipline, and ultimately dying to self, so that Christ alone is glorified. The author also emphasizes that true worship is from the heart, which includes our intellect, our emotions, and our will. He gives numerous biblical and historical examples of men and women who made worship a priority in their life, describing what their lives resembled as a result of this choice. As an aid in true worship of the Lord, the author provides an exposition of Revelation 4 and 5—giving us a glimpse of the Holy God that we were created to worship. To worship Jesus Christ is to attribute worth to Him, and just as the rewards are great, so are the difficulties we face putting this into practice. Maintaining priorities and setting our will to persevere even when we feel like nothing is happening are two difficulties the book addresses.

The final chapter is a practical “how to” guide for worship. There must be aloneness with God, obedience to God with no unconfessed sin, submission to God (being controlled by the Holy Spirit), and concentration of all our attention and affection on God alone. Because worship must be intensely personal, the author offers a variety of suggestions such as praying aloud, memorizing Scripture, and using hymns and books in our worship of the Lord. He gives many examples of how to adapt Scripture and hymns into personal and direct ascriptions of praise to the Lord. Finally, the author warns of the hindrances to worship—an unsurrendered heart, unconfessed sin, wrong attitude, enemy opposition, physical tiredness and unbelief.

This book was a short read but packed full of challenging truths. I appreciated the challenge to do more than just say, “I want to be a worshipper,” but to recognize that it takes a definite act of the will to become a worshipper. How encouraging to be reminded that what the Lord requires of us, He also enables us to do! We can become worshippers of Jesus Christ, and it is through this intimate fellowship that we grow in our knowledge of Him and are being made like Him through the Holy Spirit. I would like to end with a quote from this book that touched me with what effect on my life a true heart of worship would have, “. . . for to know Him is to immediately fall down in wonder, love, praise and submission.”

Fitzpatrick, Elyse M.
Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010. 224 pp.
Reviewed by Adrienne Hull, wife of TMS student Daniel Hull

The author writes, “the Gospel is for every day.” She asks her reader to re-examine the relevance of Gospel truth—Christ’s incarnation, His earthly ministry, atoning death and resurrection—to the daily struggle to overcome sin and please God. She contends that a believer fails in personal holiness because she has forgotten the practical implications of God’s love as shown through Christ. Daily applying the truth of her identity, position and hope in her loving Savior gives the believer the proper motivation for obedience. Fitzpatrick shows readers how God’s Word links “Gospel declarations” (truths about Christ’s work on our behalf) with “Gospel obligations” (commands to obedience and personal holiness). “Gospel declaration” must be understood before we are able to obey the “Gospel obligations.” Those who seek to serve God out of personal pride and self will or an overwhelming sense of duty are not truly pleasing God—no matter how strongly they desire to please Him. What a simply astounding message Because He Loves Me delivers. Elyse breathes life back into the Gospel message for every believer who has been attempting to “pick themselves up by their boot strings” and ‘act’ like a Christian by following a checklist or a behavioral formula. The reader will be called to view obedient living in a new light, that of God’s love through the Gospel.

E.M. Bounds on Prayer
Bounds, E.M.

New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1996. 622 pp.
Reviewed by Sarah Clayton, wife of TMS student Tommy Clayton.

If your home is anything like mine, the only thing you lack in the book department is a place to shelve them all. With so many spiritual growth tools at our disposal, it is easy to undervalue their worth. Recently I chose a gem of a book from our shelves that had felt nothing but my feather duster for over seven years. The book was Prayer by E.M. Bounds, a nineteenth century preacher who wrote extensively on the subject of prayer. With a length of 622 pages, it is daunting for the less than avid reader. The subject of prayer and my desperate need for growth in this area led me to choose it. Much to my delight, I quickly discovered this book was not at all what I had expected. Bounds’ many writings on prayer were compiled to form this book which is broken up into brief, pleasantly digestible segments so that it reads much like a devotional.

It is obvious from page one that the man who penned these writings was a man completely given to prayer. He had the kind of prayer life most Christians can only dream about. It was said of Bounds that prayer was as natural to him as breathing. After reading him for two months, I fully believe that statement. “The most important lesson we can learn is how to pray,” Bounds says. The author uses Scripture, notable quotes from true prayer warriors and his own profound thoughts to constantly challenge his readers to embrace the unfathomable importance of prayer. The priority of prayer becomes so elevated for the reader that one can’t help but take radical steps to spend as much time as possible upon one’s knees. I have never read more contagious words on prayer from another Christian author beyond Scripture. Whether he is convincing you of the astounding results true prayer achieves or of the fact that everything in this world is shaped by prayer, Bounds leaves indelible, life-changing impressions on his readers.

Therefore, the believer who is most highly skilled in prayer will do the most for God…the strongest one in Christ’s kingdom is he who can knock the best, and the secret of success in Christ’s kingdom is the ability to pray (p. 13)

The author has much to say to church leaders and their commitment to prayer. This book has had a great impact on my husband and I as we examine our own Kingdom commitments. It is a must read for all Christians, especially men and women called into ministry.

Have you ever received a phone call from a friend asking for counsel and you just did not know the right words to say, or even the necessary approach to take? I certainly have, and my desire to be able to counsel biblically in these types of situations is what led me to read Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp.

Tripp describes his book as a “call to live a daily ministry lifestyle rooted in God’s Word” (p.271). He points out that all Christians counsel others whether they realize it or not. Given this fact, he encourages us to counsel using the Gospel since, “change is possible because the King has come” (p. 6). The author introduces four important elements of biblical ministry: love, know, speak, and do. He provides practical ways to implement each element in the Christian’s daily life.

I was convicted by Tripp’s exhortation to humbly examine our own hearts for sin before confronting another person. He states, “Proper biblical confrontation is never motivated by impatience, frustration, hurt, or anger” (p. 208). He also points out that we who desire to give wise counsel need God’s grace just as much as the people we are helping, which is another humbling thought. This book is filled with practical counseling wisdom for any Christian, including questions for targeting heart motives, strategies for data gathering, and much more!

In my journey of faith, perhaps because of disobedience or reliance on feelings rather than God’s Word, I have been tempted to doubt my salvation. I began to pray to the Lord for insight and direction in this area, not only to quiet my own heart, but also to help other believers who wrestle with the issue of assurance. The Lord graciously answered my prayer in many ways, one of which was reading the book Assured by God. The book is a collection of writings on the subject of the assurance of salvation by authors such as Al Mohler, Sinclair Ferguson, John MacArthur, and Jerry Bridges. They write with a pastoral desire to help believers better understand God’s promises and to help them live in the fullness and joy of God’s grace in their lives.

Second Peter 1:10 records the command to seek assurance of our salvation, not in morbid introspection, but in self examination that is focused on Christ, so that our hearts may be assured in Christ alone and by faith alone. This book corrects faulty, unbiblical thinking that prevents true peace by carefully explaining and applying familiar New Testament passages concerning our salvation. One such passage is Philippians 1:6 where we are encouraged to have confidence that, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ.” This reminds us that our faith was initiated by God the Father. It was made possible by the Son and is now sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is not initiated at all by human choice, nor kept by any human effort. Our redemption is all of grace, and thus, all of the glory goes to God. Christ is at work in and through us, and it is His work, not our own, that is the entire ground of our acceptance with God. What freedom exists when we understand this!

The book also points out that this assurance of His saving grace should stimulate our hearts to faithful, God glorifying service to our King. May we continue to run the race with endurance, setting our minds on our awesome and mighty Savior and Lord and, in obedience to the instructions stated in Hebrews 12:2, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. As for me, I can now give praise to God for the peace He has accomplished in my heart with the precious and glorious reality of the assurance of God’s sustaining grace.

Can children be converted at a young age? How young? What constitutes a genuine conversion? Does praying the words of a “sinner’s prayer” save a child? Answers to these and other questions require careful thought. Too much is at stake to be casual. Your Child’s Profession of Faith can help parents and children’s workers think biblically about the issues involved in guiding children to saving faith in Christ.

Dennis Gunderson believes children can be converted at a young age, however, he thinks we cannot know with certainty that they are converted at an early age. The author guides readers to an understanding of this statement by examining:

The intellectual immaturity of children The changeableness and instability of children The likelihood of deception in children The years of childhood as a time for patient cultivationWhile keeping in mind these and other cautions, Gunderson clearly believes that parents ought to exhort children, “with all our hearts, to come to Christ, and at an early age. It is crucial that they may and ought now to come to Christ.” He challenges parents about their commitment to each child’s salvation with questions such as, “Are you teaching your children about the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you urging them to know the Lord?” In spite of parental diligence, he states that “nearly everything about recognizing a valid profession of faith is very difficult to ascertain with certainty in children.” Gunderson concludes by advising against haste, while also urging parents to take advantage of the long term opportunities they have to talk with their children about salvation. This book is a must read for all parents and children’s workers.

Another recommended resource to help with bringing children to faith in Christ as well as other parenting issues is: Successful Christian Parenting by John MacArthur. Thomas Nelson, 1999. 256 pp.

Don't Make Me Count to Three
Plowman, Ginger

Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press, 2003. 155 pp.
Reviewed by Katie Scarborough, wife of TMS student Mark Scarborough.

All mothers experience times when handling discipline issues appropriately seems to slide out of sight, leaving a struggling mom in “survival mode”. At times like this, I find myself looking for practical helps on how to “undo” what I may have unintentionally created. Don’t Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman will help moms avoid these dilemmas by focusing on disciplining children biblically.

The author begins by explaining the difference between disciplining outward behavior and dealing with a child’s heart. She challenges parents not only to understand their children, but also to train children to understand their own hearts and make wise decisions based on God’s Word. Plowman believes the aim of biblical discipline must be “to get them [children] to think right and to be motivated out of a love of virtue rather than a fear of punishment.” (26).

This fundamental task of parenting can be intimidating. Plowman answers question like, “How do I probe my child’s heart?” and “What kind of questions do I ask?” to help parents see how this can be practiced in daily life. Midway through the book she includes a chart designed to help the parent identify the child’s sinful behavior, ask heart probing questions, and explain verses that address the behavior.

In the remainder of the book Plowman addresses the rod and reproof of discipline. She emphasizes the need for children to go beyond knowing what they have done wrong to learning how to have biblical responses instead of sinful actions. This is done using God’s Word, along with giving children many opportunities to practice right responses. In addition to discussing the proper use and misuse of the rod, the last few chapters evaluate other methods of discipline such as bribing, threatening, reasoning from a biblical perspective. The appendices offer advice on how to lead your child to Christ, along with Scripture to pray for your child.

Don’t Make Me Count to Three is easy to understand and concise. It is an excellent resource for busy mothers because it succinctly summarizes what many other excellent parenting books say and is full of practical applications. While admitting she is not a perfect parent, Plowman brings God’s high calling of parenthood into focus, and challenges readers to persevere in training their little ones in righteousness. It is a book worth adding to any collection of parenting resources.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp is another highly recommended parenting resource.

The objective of most Christian parents is to raise children who are conformed to the image of Christ (Galatians 4:19) yet many struggle with adequately understanding how to use the Bible for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16) in their parenting. After reviewing many publications, author Lou Priolo concludes that, with rare exception, “most of today’s Christian parenting resources fail to emphasize what is perhaps the most important aspect of true biblical parenting—how to relate the Bible to the disciplinary process in practical ways” (Preface). He desires to help parents learn how to use the Scriptures more thoroughly, practically and effectively in child training.

Priolo shows that it is not possible to bring up children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4) without the continuous use of God’s Word. In order to do so, parents must dig into God’s Word and learn it better. The author guides parents in the use of Scripture to teach, convict, correct and train children. For those desiring to address issues of a child’s heart, rather than simply responding to behavior, this book offers practical advice.

Although it is not a long book, readers will find it contains a wealth of information and counsel. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, it would be best to go through the book slowly, incorporating its teaching over time, and prayerfully waiting for change. As parents seek to use this resource with their children, they will find the in-depth study of Scripture to be powerfully convicting in their own lives as well. Reading and implementing the book’s principles requires patience not only with children, but also with one another.

Teach Them Diligently is a book I wish I’d had when we began raising our six children in 1972. It gives parents valuable insight into consistently and carefully carrying out the command of Deuteronomy 6:6-9 which tells us to teach our children when we talk, when we sit, when we walk, when we lie down and when we rise up. I believe today’s parents, and those who seeking to come alongside parents, will find this book is a valuable tool.

If you want to know more about the sovereignty of God, be challenged by bold faith, see the preciousness of the Word of God in times of utter hopelessness and be convicted by steadfast love, then you must read this book!

My Heart in His Hands is a real treasure. Uplifting, tear jerking, and compelling; it is the story of Ann Judson, the wife of Adoniram Judson the first American Baptist missionary to Burma, and is a must read for any ministry wife who wants to grow in personal godliness by being inspired by a faithful sister who went before us. We all have to learn to give up our husbands to the work the Lord has called him into, and have to be willing to be his helper in whatever circumstances the Lord will choose.

This wonderful story will remind you again of the ultimate aim of all that we do - the glory of God. It will encourage you to take God at His Word and to plead with faith to our Father His promise “Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Dr. Patricia Ennis, professor and founding Chairperson of the Department of Home Economics, at The Master’s College, in Santa Clarita, California, has made a helpful contribution to discipleship for women with her most recent book, Precious in His Sight: The Fine Art of Becoming a Godly Woman. In it, she provides a biblical response to the age-old question, “What does the Lord require of me?” drawing on her own spiritual pilgrimage, issues God has dealt with in her life, as well as observations of women she has known over the years.

The book is divided into three sections: “The Godly Woman and Her Spiritual Life,” “The Godly Woman and Her Relationships,” and, “The Godly Woman and Her Emotions.” Each of the books’ twenty five chapters has a lesson based on a biblical principle that is important for every Christian woman to learn, followed by a study of Scriptures related to the principle, verses to meditate on, and a series of options for further study. Dr. Ennis ends each chapter with a “Principle to Ponder” which helps the reader apply the principle to her own life.

The book’s strengths are its practicality, readability, and the variety of topical studies it offers. Acrostics, bullet points and charts help readers understand and retain key points. The author bases each principle on the teaching of God’s Word and uses what she calls a “Scripture grid” to demonstrate the biblical basis of all points.

With this book, a notebook, pen, and Bible, a woman could study for hours with great profit to her spiritual growth. Although it can serve as a devotional or independent study, the book’s best use would be for discipling with another woman in a Titus 2 kind of relationship. The book’s variety of options for topical Bible studies also makes it an excellent book for someone who needs direction in her devotional life or clear guidance on how to become the woman God wants her to be. In addition, the woman who wants to know how she can achieve a gentle and quiet spirit will find this book helpful.

All women who desire to know God more, to be an example of the believer, and to be a woman who would be Precious in His Sight will find this book a helpful resource.

Stop and Look (series)
Drion, Donna

DayOne Publications, 2008. 32 pp. each

Stop and Look at God’s World.
Stop and Look at God’s Word.
Stop and Look at Yourself.

Donna Drion, wife of TMS student Tom Drion, developed this series of three books to teach young children in her Sunday School the basic truths of Christianity in an attractive and readable form. She wrote and illustrated the books, using funny little characters called “Chublets,” to help children think about the Creation and themselves as God’s wonderful work, and to introduce them to the One who made the flowers as God come to earth to be the Redeemer from sin.

The first book looks at the wonderful things that God has made. It teaches children that they too are made by God and for Him. The second book looks at the many abilities and gifts that God has given us, and that the God who gave us eyes also sees us. The last book portrays the Gospel message to children in a simple way, conveying the need for personal obedience and good works not as a ‘work’ to earn salvation, but as a fruit of it!

What began as a tool to use in a local children’s work is now published and available for use by parents and Sunday School teachers seeking to communicate the gospel and a sense of awe and wonder at the Creation to young children.

"How can married people keep a good thing from turning into a bad thing? Or how can a married couple make a good thing an even better thing as they go through life together? Answer: they must be committed to fulfilling the purposes that God, who is the Author of marriage, had in mind when He instituted the marriage relationship.” (pg. 47) The previous quote sums up the main theme of Sweethearts for a Lifetime. It is practical, helpful and exciting to read. Wayne and Carol Mack have done a wonderful job articulating the wisdom they have learned in their own marriage relationship, as well as clearly stating what the Bible has to say about marriage and its roles and purposes.

The book is divided into three main sections. Section one focuses on “How to Keep a Good Marriage Going.” The reader is encouraged to think about the purposes, priority, purity, perspiration, permanence, and preeminence of the marriage relationship. Section two and three highlight the husband’s roles and responsibilities, and the wife's roles and responsibilities. The Macks have included various discussion questions and application methods to probe the depths of the reader’s heart concerning his or her marriage at the close of each chapter. Each chapter is convicting and is focused on bringing a husband and wife closer together through the course of time. It has been a joy to read and a resource that my husband and I plan to use to bring God glory within our own marriage.

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