Books

Bookmarks

Short reviews of First Look, Then Start Talking, What Jesus Demands from the World, and If Jesus Were Mayor.

First Look, Then Start Talking: Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Jesus Donna S. Thomas

Donna Thomas provides readers with a winsome and helpful book on sharing Christ with our ethnic neighbors. It provides numerous insights from a seasoned, yet eminently practical, personal evangelist. Her instruction is less proposition-centered and more reliant on storytelling, out of which profound principles of communication emerge. Restaurants, coffee shops, college campuses, and the like are all places where Thomas meets and takes time to care for the many immigrants God brings her way.—Lon Allison

* * *

What Jesus Demands from the World John Piper

Piper’s Jesus has marching orders for his soldiers. There’s work to be done for the kingdom and for each other. We should honor our commitments—in marriage, business, and society. Good preacher that he is, Piper’s exposition is piercing and solid. This book offers conviction in just about every chapter. But while the word “grace” may slip into one or more of the 50 demands that Piper lists, you won’t find it in the meticulously prepared index. Its absence there is noticeable.—Mark A. Kellner

* * *

If Jesus Were Mayor: How Your Local Church Can Transform Your Community Bob Moffitt with Karla Tesch

Evangelicals have long talked about integrating “evangelism and social action,” but often with inadequate biblical and theological grounding and few practical models. If Jesus Were Mayor provides both. Moffitt, head of Harvest International, advocates “wholistic ministry” based on “God’s big agenda to restore all things.” Churches that practice this see people won to Jesus Christ and transform their communities, but church growth is not the central focus. If Jesus Were Mayor moves discussions about comprehensive ministry a big step forward.—Howard A. Snyder

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

First Look, Then Start Talking: Seeing The World Through The Eyes Of Jesus, What Jesus Demands From The World, and If Jesus Were Mayor are available from Amazon.com, ChristianBook.com, and other retailers.

See our books section for more reviews and articles.

Eric Miller referenced What Jesus Demands From the World in “Who Do Your Books Say That I Am?”

The table of contents, an audio introduction, and an audio excerpt are available from Crossway.

ChristianBook.com has an excerpt from chapter one of If Jesus Were Mayor.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Our Latest

Review

A Pastor’s Wife Was Murdered. God Had Prepared Him for It.

In the aftermath of a senseless killing, Davey Blackburn encountered “signs and wonders” hinting at its place in a divine plan.

The Church Can Help End The Phone-Based Childhood

Christians fought for laws to protect children during the Industrial Revolution. We can do it again in the smartphone age.

Taste and See If the Show is Good

Christians like to talk up pop culture’s resonance with our faith. But what matters more is our own conformity to Christ.

The Bulletin

Don’t Blame Me

The Bulletin considers the end of Chinese international adoptions, recaps the week’s presidential debate, and talks about friendship across political divides with Taylor Swift as a case study.

Against the Culture of Demonization

The problem is not when the Christian is in the conflict—it’s when the conflict is in the Christian.

Died: Daniel Bourdanné, Millipede Scientist Turned IFES Leader Who Loved Christian Books

The Chadian student ministry leader spent his final years promoting publishing in Africa.

Review

Meet the ‘Precocious Atheist’ Still Pining for a Misplaced Faith

Donna Freitas hasn’t found Jesus on the other side of depression and trauma. But her search persists.

News

Kenya Greets Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music with Excitement—and Skepticism

Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music are popular with Kenyan Christians, but some are increasingly wary of their influence.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube