Men of God

The stated purpose of this book written by various British men is to answer the question: "What does it mean for modern men to know Christ?" The driving compass guiding this book resonates with a Christo-centric theology designed to "clarify the content of the gospel according to Scripture and then to explore its impact on how men should understand their identity in Christ. It is vital to understand that, without the gospel, what we do week by week in our churches, in our homes, in our leisure and in our working lives will inevitably become man-centered rather than God-centered. This is why we must always return again and again to the gospel as it is revealed in the Scriptures. Only when our lives are centered on the gospel of Christ will we be able to live for Christ."The rest of the chapters in the book are briefer than chapter one, all stand alone, and include a biblical section to start with containing applications, and practical case studies for the day to day realities that men face. Each chapter also provides discussion questions provided at the end of the chapter based on the Bible study - ideal for small groups, and discipleship among men (ideal for groups of two-three).The topics dealt with in this book include men and 1) singleness; 2) marriage; 3) sex; 4) fatherhood; 5) church; 6) work; 7) witness; 8) witness; 9) discipling; 10) leisure. Some of the better-known authors (to Americans anyway) in this book include Tim Chester, David Jackman, and Vaughan Roberts.I highly recommend this book for men and men's ministries that have a passion for Christ-centered theology, and want their men to look, sound, and act more like Jesus and impact culture with the gospel. One of the really nice things about this book is that the chapters are short without sacrificing depth.

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Men of God is not for the faint at heart. This excellent resource probes several areas that are of deep significance to Christian men.The book is patterned after a typical Pauline epistle with a section on doctrine that is followed by a section on practical matters.Part One: Men and the GospelThe authors ground their work in the gospel of God. This gospel is compared to an engine: "To become a Christian is to have the gospel of God installed in our hearts like a new engine to power our lives." The author endeavor to show how this gospel provides the fuel to live a life that honors Christ and enables men to serve their families as godly fathers and husbands.Men are challenged to embrace three crucial weapons, namely - prayer, holiness, and the Scriptures: "The man of God is called to fight by prayer, by holiness of life and by the Word of God; to follow the captain of the Lord's hosts, who himself won the battle by a sacrificial bravery that took him to the cross, and who calls his disciples to follow him." Part one effectively demonstrates the necessity of the gospel and propels men to live for Christ with all their hearts.Part Two: Living for ChristPart two includes short chapters on practical matters including marriage, singleness, fatherhood, sex, the church, work, witnessing, discipleship, and leisure. Each chapter is brief, yet is grounded in Scripture and provides a wealth of suggestions and challenges for Christian men.Men of God is an encouraging book that should be a source of strength and education for men who are seeking to obey Christ. Don't expect weighty exegetical arguments here. This is truly a primer, a mere introduction - but one that is well worth reading and digesting.

Men of God: Becoming the Man God Wants You to Be is a book from multiple contributors with the guiding principle of: What Does it mean for modern men to know Christ? The authors are "concerned to help clarify how God would have his sons live for him in our modern age." This isn't simply a "to-do" list book that will discourage men when they fail. The contributors guard it from becoming that by beginning with the gospel. They state rightly that "it is vital to understand that, without the gospel, what we do week by week in our churches, in our homes, in our leisure and in our working lives will inevitably become man-centered rather than Christ-centered." To ensure a Christ-centered focus the first two chapters focus on the gospel and how biblical manhood will follow its model: Christ. These two chapters are essential for the rest of the book to be powerful in the lives of Christian men. The authors are clear that "religious observance has no power to change us deep inside. It is only the powerful reassurance of the gospel of the resurrection of Christ that can rescue a man from fear and bring him God's spiritual power to change." A mere head knowledge of the practical truths discussed in this book will be pointless without the power of the Holy Spirit conforming man into Christ's image.With the truths of the gospel clearly placed before the reader the contributors spend the rest of the book (10 chapters) focusing on different areas of the Christian life. These areas are men and their relationship to: God, Singleness, Marriage, Sex, Fatherhood, Church, Work, Witness, Discipling and Leisure. These chapters are brief, but very helpful and thought provoking. Many contain real life testimonials that are encouraging to read. These testimonials show how the truths contained in this book have been "fleshed out" in individuals lives. There are also helpful group discussion and bible study questions at the end of each chapter. These questions provide the reader with a helpful tool to engage other men in one-to-one discipleship and mutual encouragement while reading this book. This book is really set up perfectly to read through and then share with other men to encourage them in their spiritual walk. I am thrilled that my church will be giving away copies of this book for Father's Day 2014 and I would encourage other churches and ministries to do likewise.I received a digital copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

Every Christian man needs to read it, and then pass it on.