Matt Bennett » Blog

Why Men Hate Going To Church

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:23:14 +0000

Why Men Hate Going To Church, by David Murrow, explains why men are important to the church, what is driving men away from the church and most importantly, real steps that can be taken immediately to draw men back to the church. This book doesn’t waste time laying blame or offering guilt trips. It doesn’t cough up simplistic answers like, “real men go to church.” It does provide simple truths about what real men are really like and practical ways to connect with men in a church environment.

This book is at the top of the list of books I wish I had read before I became a pastor ten years ago. So many pastors are wrestling with issues relating to how to attract men to and engage men in the church. Underneath those questions are some assumptions that are rarely questioned, just accepted as fact. “Why Men Hate Going To Church” challenged and destroyed many of my assumptions about men’s ministry and replaced them with answers that have been proven in real ministry environments. If you are a pastor or church leader this book is absolutely essential reading.

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:11:35 +0000

In his new book, The Grace of God, author Andy Stanley explains and expounds on this much discussed and much misunderstood aspect of the character of God. Beginning with God’s grace in creation and continuing up to God’s grace for both our todays and tomorrows, Stanley discusses a deep theological subject in an accessible fashion with a conversational tone. This work is not one that sets out to define or defend certain doctrinal positions but rather to invite the reader to take hold of the grace that God is ever-present to give.

I found the book enlightening particularly in the opening chapters. Stanley does a great service by dispelling the commonly believed myth that the God of the Old Testament is fundamentally different from the God of the New Testament. The opening chapters reveal God’s grace in action from the first words of Scripture. This grace is just as active in both Testaments. Anyone who is interested in learning more about God’s character and nature but is intimidated by weighty theological tomes will profit greatly from this book.

Why God Won’t Go Away

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:40:41 +0000

Why God Won’t Go Away, by Alister McGrath, is an essential resource to anyone desiring a respectful Christian analysis of and response to the new atheism. This book is a practical and accessible handbook to understanding, engaging and responding to the writings of men like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett. McGrath helps the reader understand where the new atheism came from, and significantly, helps to differentiate it from what one might call ‘traditional’ atheism. The three core themes of the new atheism are examined and the book concludes with a thoughtful and reasonable response to the new atheism from a Christian perspective.

This book is especially useful in showing not just the differences between atheism and Christianity, but the contrasts that exist between the more traditional and respectful atheism and the new, belligerent atheism marketed by the four authors referred to above. In this respect, this book may do as much good for atheists as it does for Christians. What makes this book so valuable is that McGrath goes beyond a simplistic ‘here’s why they are wrong and I am right’ attack. Instead he identifies the issues that undergird the questions both sides are facing and helps the reader see through the heated rhetoric to the important issues that are in play when discussing the existence of God.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone, Christian, atheist or whatever else to read this book!

When God Seems Difficult

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:47:58 +0000

Scripture

Psalm 18:26 - With the purified You show Yourself pure; and with the crooked You make Yourself seem tortuous.

Observation

God never changes, He is always the same. We are all different and He deals with us as individuals. He will seem different to each of us not because of any differences in Him, but due to the myriad differences in us. With those who are purified, God shows Himself pure. To those whose hearts are crooked, God is very difficult to deal with.

Application

I must be diligent to guard my heart against becoming crooked. I want to walk in harmony and peace with the Lord, and this is only possible to the extent that my ways are straight rather than crooked. How many times have I been frustrated that the Lord’s ways seem tortuous and concluded that this showed Him to be hard and demanding? Psalm 18:26 shows that when the Lord’s ways seem tortuous, it is because I have become crooked.

Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for revealing Your true self to me through Your Word! Forgive me for being angry at You for seeming tortuous when I should have repented of my own crookedness of heart. Help me to walk in purity and integrity and honour You in all of my ways today.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

The Pursuit of Truth

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:11:54 +0000

In January of 1697, the great English philosopher John Locke wrote to his close friend William Molyneux, celebrating the joy of the pursuit of truth in life:

“I know there is truth opposite to falsehood, that it may be found if people will, and is worth the seeking, and is not only the most valuable, but the pleasantest thing in the world.”

That brilliantly expresses my desire for this blog, and my work as a pastor. Let’s pursue truth, which is not only valuable, but enjoyable!