I’m excited to be reviewing some new books published by David C Cook.  Just the other day, I received my copies of Battle Ready: Prepare to Be Used by God by Steve Farrar and Finding Organic Church by Frank Viola.  Here’s a quick synopsis and links to the books at Christian Book Distributors (bonus: if you buy one through the links, I get some cash to help pay for the website;).  Both books should be available by Sept. 4th or 5th.  Complete reviews will be posted soon.

Battle Ready -Joshua and Caleb By Steve Farrar / David C. Cook Are you prepared to fight the good fight? Farrar arms you with the weapons you need to be a powerful warrior of God! Exploring the lives of Joshua and Caleb, he shows how to meet challenges head-on, trust the Lord when all hope seems lost, and stand firm in the assurance of God’s provision. 256 pages, softcover from Cook.

Finding Organic Church: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining Authentic Christian Communities By Frank Viola / David C. Cook Frank Viola, author of Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church, believes that planting the seeds of God’s kingdom in good soil is essential if congregations are to flourish. But how does one grow a vibrant Christian community? In Finding Organic Church, Viola draws upon his experience in nourishing home, organic, and missional churches, and gives you scripturally based insights, real-world tools, and practical suggestions to help your church thrive!

I was introduced to Steve Farrar’s writing when I was still in high school.  Our high school Bible teacher assigned all of the guys in the class to read Farrar’s book, Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family.  Point Man is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.  I still have a copy of it on my shelf and I’ve bought copies to give away in the past.  I just started reading Battle Ready a couple of days ago.  It has a feel very much like what I remember from Point Man.  So far, it is easy and engaging to read.  Look for the complete review in another week or so.  

Point Man, Revised & Expanded By Steve Farrar / Multnomah The bestselling classic Point Man encourages and equips Christian men to lead their families successfully through hazards and ambushes like divorce, promiscuity, suicide, and drug addiction. Men will find practical insight on topics such as a father’s influence, maintaining purity, and husband-and-wife teamwork. In this war, renowned men’s author Steve Farrar emphasizes that Jesus Christ is looking for men who will not die, but live for their families.

I first picked up a Frank Viola book when I was in seminary.  I was (and still am) interested in church leadership, authority, and worship.  I read two of his books while preparing a paper on church leadership.  I read, Rethinking the Wineskin: The Practice of the New Testament Church and Who’s Your Covering?: A Fresh Look at Leadership, Authority and Accountability.  I understand that both of these books are now out of print individually, but have been combined into a singular text – Reimagining Church

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Community By Frank Viola / David C. Cook Should a house of worship be a home? Contending that many modern believers secretly wonder why there isn’t something more to “church,” Viola suggests a return to the early Christian model of organic house churches. Biblically grounded and intensely practical, this radical proposal calls for a more vibrant, integrated, and active community of faith. 208 pages, softcover from Cook.

I am very impressed with Viola’s writing.  He challenges many of our contemporary concepts of church and urges his readers to dig in the Scripture for guidance on how we should live this Christian life together.  Don’t read a Viola book if you don’t want to have questions about why your church is doing some of the things it is doing.  I have been wanting to pick up a copy of Viola’s Pagan Christianity – it looks like a very interesting read.  If I can get a chance to read it, I’ll definitely be posting a review.

As soon as I’m done reading Battle Ready, I’ll be posting my review of Viola’s Finding Organic Church.  I’ve thumbed through it and it looks like it’s going to be a great book.  Stay TunedTechnorati Tags: Book Reviews, Frank Viola, Steve Farrar, Battle Ready, Finding Organic Church, Point Man, Reimagining Church, Christian Book Distributors, David C Cook