Book Review – 7 Men by Eric Metaxas
The role of man has been under attack in contemporary American society. Popular media displays men as deadbeat fathers, unexplainably absent, or dull and simple-minded, at best. We seem to have lost our ability to look up to men as heroes. In fact, we seem to have lost our ability to identify manhood at all, and to see what it is that makes men great.
While 7 Men isn’t blatantly about reestablishing the role of man in modern America, this is a theme that underpins the entire book.
Author Eric Metaxas has identified seven men who’s stories define greatness: George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. Some of those names may be familiar. Some may not. But all of them did what it took to live lives of greatness during their times. Whether that was abolishing slavery or leading a new nation to freedom, or being faithful on the mission field or establishing a prison ministry, each of these seven men displayed greatness in their lives.
Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space to go into much depth in any of these lives. However, Metaxas has written extensive biographies of two of these men; Wilberforce and Bonhoeffer. Instead, 7 Men is more a series of snapshots, showing how these men stood for their convictions, stood for their faith, and stood for God in spite of the public and popular opinion of the times.
There is much we can learn from these seven men, among others. I hope this becomes a series of books written about some of the greatest men the world has known.
I definitely encourage you to grab a copy today. But be warned; once you start reading it, you may not be able to put it down…
Who do you think exhibits (or exhibited) greatness? In other words, who needs to be added to this list? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you are interested in reading 7 Men And The Secret Of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxas, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“
Coffee Break – 05.06.2013
Show Us Your Coffee Mug – As a result of my love for coffee, I’ve collected quite a few cool coffee mugs. However, this list has a few that I officially added to my wish list. There are some cool mugs here, especially the one that is handmade. Which is your favorite?
100 History-Making Cameras – While this poster has images that are all digitally created, and it would be cooler if these were actual images of the history-making cameras, it’s still a pretty cool concept. There are a few here that I’ve seen, used, and owned over the years.
How Animals Eat Their Food – These are some of the questions you’ve always never wanted to ask about animals and their eating habits. It’s worth a laugh. Now get back to work.
Debt Limit: How To Increase Yours – This is a humorous look at the state of our nation’s debt. But it’s also a very revealing, though tongue in cheek, example of how many people seem to approach their own personal finances.
5 Things Every Daughter Needs To Hear From Her Dad – My oldest daughter celebrated her birthday over the weekend. As she grows up, I am continually amazed at just how incredible a young woman she’s turning out to be. In order to help her continue to grow into who God created her to be, here are five statements that she needs to hear from me, and hear them consistently.
Leading Church While Leading Your Family – “Leading a church well and leading a family well are not mutually exclusive: ‘[An elder] must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive’ (1 Timothy 3:4). However, Paul is not only saying that an elder can lead both family and church well, but that he must. But how?” This article provides a great start to finding the answer.
The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. – George Mueller
Memorize Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-3
Paul begins the next section of his letter to Timothy with his instructions concerning elders or overseers. Understanding this passage is crucial to selecting good and godly leaders for any church. It’s a pretty detailed explanation, more than anything else Paul address in this brief letter.
Take a look at this week’s passage, the beginning of this section, in 1 Timothy 3:1-3:
Paul begins with the phrase, “Here is a trustworthy saying.” This is the second of four uses of this phrase in 1 Timothy alone, and even more in 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul is using this as a statement indicating emphasis. In effect, Paul is saying, “Listen up. This is important.”
Paul begins his description of the overseers or the elders of the church. Timothy probably didn’t need to appoint elders, like Titus had on the isle of Crete. The church in Ephesus was already established and had leaders. Paul is giving Timothy a picture of what those leaders should look like, especially in light of the false teachings he’s already addressed earlier in the letter.
Paul tells Timothy that the task of being an elder is a very noble thing. But just what is an elder or overseer? Paul uses a word that means “to look after the needs of another.” This is a position that involves ministry and leadership. Paul gives several qualities describing this noble task. Let’s take a look at each one.
Top Posts For April 2013
The craziness has escalated for us. If you haven’t yet heard, we are moving back to Missouri in mid-May. I have accepted the call to be the lead minister at the Cabool Christian Church, in Cabool, Missouri.
Needless to say, our days are increasingly filled with packing and wrapping up the details of our ministry here in Florida.
That means that the next few weeks will be a little sporadic for my writing schedule. We still have a long way to go to be ready to load the trucks in less than three weeks, and then the move, and then the unloading and unpacking.
Like I said, craziness.
In case you missed them, here are my top seven posts for the month of April:
- When God Shifts Your Focus
- The Difference Between Purpose, Vision, and Mission
- Why You Need To Develop A Philosophy Of Ministry
- Trying A New Bible Reading System
- My Current Philosophy Of Ministry
- 7 Steps To Defining A Purpose And Vision For Youth Ministry
- Floating The Upper Jack’s Fork River
I was very surprised to see that this list is exactly the same as last month, with the exception of the post about our coming change in ministry. My series dealing with developing a vision for youth ministry continues to attract readers, and I’m considering updating it to reflect more than just youth ministry.
April kept us pretty busy. Producing a podcast twice a month for DeliberateDads, our trip to Missouri and the interview there, and finalizing things here has managed to fill our time pretty effectively. The next several weeks will be just as full, including the birthday on one of my kids. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us in the coming days.
My favorite post written in April was a book review of Bodie Hodge’s book, Tower Of Babel. This was an extremely fascinating book, detailing the history of man’s spread over the face of the earth after Noah’s flood. Of course, the post with the most view was When God Shifts Your Focus, announcing our new ministry and upcoming move. While May will probably have fewer posts, at least until we get settled in Cabool, it promises to be just as productive!
Have a great month!
If you are a blogger, leave a comment with your top post for the month. If you don’t blog, leave a comment with a favorite post or blog that you read this month.
Book Review – The Genesis Factor by Ron J. Bigalke, Editor
Genesis is the target of significant controversy concerning several matters, especially in the realm of earth’s history and our origins. Much of the mainstream scientific community rejects the contents of Genesis outright as myth, or worse. However, there are many scientists who accept history as laid out in the book of Genesis.
In response to many of the arguments and compromises concerning our beginnings, Ron Bigalke, Jr. has compiled several discussions from many brilliant leaders in the church who accept Genesis at face value in The Genesis Factor, from Master Books.
Many of these essays are mere summarizations each author’s work in that particular area, but each chapter digs deep enough to give the reader a significant understanding of the topic. Covering many different subjects, from evidences of a young earth in the geologic column to the oceans to the atmosphere and beyond, and a deeper look at many different facets of Noah’s flood, The Genesis Factor is a great starting point for understanding the massive amount of detailed evidence available that shores up the foundations of God’s Word, beginning in Genesis.
Many often ask why such topics matter. Isn’t it enough to believe in a Creator, regardless of how he created? The answer is that it does matter, tremendously. If we allow compromise or even outright reject God’s Word as he revealed it concerning our origins, what else might we reject or compromise that we dislike? Rejecting the literal truth of Genesis starts us down a slippery slope that will eventually lead us to a point of no return. We must accept Genesis as literal history. One of the final chapters gives multiple reasons why this is so crucial.
While a lot of these essays were deep and weighty, reading like the technical scientific information that they are, this book is full of incredible resources that can help you defend your faith, and the historicity of Genesis.
I fully recommend that you add this to your library today!
Do you have any major questions about creation and Noah’s flood? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you are interested in reading The Genesis Factor: Myths and Realities, edited by Ron J. Bigalke, Jr., you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle, or directly from Master Books.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“
Jeff Randleman is the husband of one, father of six and the lead minister at Cabool Christian Church. Read more...
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