As we do from time to time, let’s take a brief look at new and upcoming books that you might be interested in. Here are 13 of them, in a variety of genres, from authors such as Bono, Tim Keller, Albert Mohler, Jordan Raynor, Paul Tripp, Bob Dylan, Dane Ortlund and more:
Retiring Well: Strategies for Finding Balance, Setting Priorities, and Glorifying God by John Dunlop MD
Here is the Amazon description for the book:
“What Should Retirement Look Like for a Christian?
Preparation for retirement requires more than just financial planning. For most people, and especially for Christians, it comes with a host of other considerations—when to retire, where to live, and how to spend one’s time. Many find themselves asking, Is there a right way to retire?
Drawing from his work with geriatric patients and his own retirement experience, Dr. John Dunlop shares practical strategies for Christians as they approach their retirement years. With Scripture as his guide, he promotes balance between rest and activity—encouraging intimacy with God, service to churches and communities, time with friends and family, and care for one’s health. Among the uncertainties of major life change, readers will be equipped to make decisions for their future as they seek to glorify God in their retirement.
- Practical: Provides 10 specific strategies for readers who are facing difficult decisions about their approaching retirement, including guiding questions at the end of each chapter
- Grounded in Experience: Written by a retired doctor who practiced geriatric medicine
- Balanced: Promotes rest and care for one’s health while also encouraging ongoing work and service for the kingdom of God
- Biblical: Draws from Scripture passages on the topics of work, rest, and aging
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: The Explosive Power of Jesus’ Parables by Albert Mohler
To be published June 14.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“In Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, pastor and theologian R. Albert Mohler Jr. reveals the unique power of Jesus’ parables for today’s readers, showing how they announce the kingdom, communicate both judgment and grace, and call every human heart toward transformation in the light of God’s love.
“He who has ears, let him hear…” The Prodigal Son. The Good Samaritan. The parable of the mustard seed. The stories Jesus told during his earthly ministry are packed with such memorable images and characters that they now permeate our culture’s popular imagination. But what if their familiarity has muted their powerful message, causing today’s readers to miss their ability to shock and transform?
In Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, renowned pastor and theologian R. Albert Mohler Jr. unlocks the power of Jesus’ parables for readers today. Jesus perfected the art of telling parables–short stories with a surprising twist and an explosive message that confronted his listeners with surprising (and often uncomfortable) truths about the human heart and the kingdom of heaven. But two thousand years later, modern readers may not grasp the cultural and historical context that made these stories so compelling for Jesus’ original audience. Mohler brings Jesus’ stories to life, uncovering the context and allowing readers to hear these stories in all their shocking, paradigm-shifting power.
Readers will
- feel a deeper connection with Jesus by stepping into the shoes of his first-century followers and hearing with fresh ears the stories he shared with his closest followers;
- gain a deeper understanding of the gospel through Jesus’ own words; and
- see the parables in a new light, experiencing–perhaps for the first time–their ability to draw people into Jesus’ kingdom.
Every parable Jesus told contains judgment and grace. They hold up a mirror that reveals the human heart–and invites everyone to welcome Jesus’ kingdom and reign. Will you have ears to hear their vital message?”
Grace at Work: Redeeming the Grind and the Glory of Your Job by Bryan Chapell
To be published July 5.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“A Biblical View of Work in Light of the Gospel.
For many people, their job is merely “the daily grind” needed to provide for family or pay the bills. Yet our work is a vital means for fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives and displaying his grace to those around us. We bear God’s image in our workplaces, experiencing his blessings and expressing his nature through our efforts, integrity, creativity, generosity, and excellence. No earthly chore is without the opportunity to observe his divine hand. No challenge in task or relationship is without opportunity to represent God’s heart.
In this book, author and pastor Bryan Chapell shares this biblical perspective of vocation, explaining how God gives purpose to our work by making it an instrument of his grace to our own hearts, as well as a way of bringing his goodness and glory into our world. Chapell explains how we can worship God by our work, rising above drudgery, duty, or self-interest with the understanding that our jobs are unique callings for displaying God’s character and care. Our work is worship when we see the glory beyond the grind, the mission in the mundane, and the grace at work.
- Ideal for Christians in the Workplace: Contains encouragement for those looking for purpose in their jobs
- Biblically Grounded: Chapell teaches how the gospel blesses attitudes and responsibilities relating to success, creativity, money, integrity, leadership, and even sin in the workplace
- Kingdom Minded: Explains vocation in light of the grace Christ provides to and through his people for blessing our world and bringing him glory
40 Lives in 40 Days: Experiencing God’s Grace Through the Bible’s Most Compelling Characters by John MacArthur
To be published July 19.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Have you ever wondered why God uses ordinary people to accomplish His work and to spread the good news? Join bestselling author and Bible teacher John MacArthur as he takes a closer look at the everyday lives of the men and women that God trusted to carry His message and lead His people.
40 Lives in 40 Days is a brand-new devotional compilation of MacArthur’s extensive studies of the Bible characters who show us that we don’t have to be perfect to do God’s work. From the twelve disciples to the Samaritan woman, MacArthur shares that Jesus chose average people–fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, political zealots–and gave them a remarkable mission.
These encouraging stories, based in Scripture, help shed light on these real men and women who endured struggle, pain, and heartache, just like us. They were perfectly ordinary sinners–living proof of God’s kindness–who went on to serve an extraordinary purpose in spreading the gospel.
By tracing the lives of these unlikely heroes, MacArthur shows us that the difficulties and temptations that they lived through are the same trials that modern believers face today.
Throughout 40 Lives in 40 Days, MacArthur will:
- Dive deep into the stories of Jesus’ earliest disciples
- Teach us that God continues to mold and use ordinary people today
- Share the surprising ways God accomplishes His purposes
- Provide an honest look at all of God’s people
- Help you experience God’s goodness and grace
As you get to know each of these 40 figures even better, you’ll see why the lives they led can still serve as an inspiration to believers today.”
Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God by Tim Challies
To be published September 13.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“An honest look at grief and fears, faith and hope. Combining personal narrative, sound theology, and beautiful writing, this is a book for anyone who has loved and lost.
On November 3, 2020, Tim and Aileen Challies received the shocking news that their son Nick had died. A twenty-year-old student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he had been participating in a school activity with his fiancée, sister, and friends, when he fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground.
Neither students nor a passing doctor nor paramedics were able to revive him. His parents received the news at their home in Toronto and immediately departed for Louisville to be together as a family. While on the plane, Tim, an author and blogger, began to process his loss through writing. In Seasons of Sorrow, Tim shares real-time reflections from the first year of grief—through the seasons from fall to summer—introducing readers to what he describes as the “ministry of sorrow.”
Seasons of Sorrow will benefit both those that are working through sorrow or those comforting others:
• See how God is sovereign over loss and that he is good in loss
• Discover how you can pass through times of grief while keeping your faith
• Learn how biblical doctrine can work itself out even in life’s most difficult situations
• Understand how it is possible to love God more after loss than you loved him before”
Workers for Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders by David Mathis
To be published September 13.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“David Mathis Examines the Qualifications and Calling of Church Leaders for a New Generation of Congregants and Leaders
We live in an age increasingly cynical about leadership―some of it for good reason, much of it simply the mood of our times. Still, the risen Christ continues the counter-cultural work he’s done for two millennia: he appoints leaders in his church―not as a burden, but as a gift to his people. “He gave . . . the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11–12).
What is the nature, calling, and work of local church leadership? Pastor and seminary professor David Mathis considers the elder qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 not only as prerequisites but as daily necessities to carry out joyfully. This accessible guide aims to serve current and aspiring pastors and elders, as well as church members who want to know the expectations for their leaders and how to pray for them. From the words of Christ to Peter and Paul and Hebrews, the New Testament casts a vision for church leaders that is good news to churches and leaders alike: joyful workers for the joy of their people.
- Great Training for Current and Aspiring Pastors and Elders: Expands on the nature and work of local church leadership through the framework of its qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9, and other passages
- Useful for the Whole Church: Aims to help full-time pastors, lay elders, deacons, and seminary students, as well as church members eager to explore the true nature of leadership in the church and to pray intentionally for their own pastors
- Explains 15 Virtues Church Leaders Should Pursue: Mathis shares Spirit-given competencies that Christian leaders can draw upon week in and week out to do the work to which Christ has called them
More Than Your Number: A Christ-Centered Enneagram Approach to Becoming AWARE of Your Internal World by Beth McCord and Jeff McCord
To be published September 20.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Have you wanted to dive deeper into the Enneagram but resisted because you don’t want to be labeled? Or do you ever wonder, Why does this part of me still get so easily stuck? What’s next? Discover a revolutionary and transformative approach to the Enneagram in this thoughtful, explorative guide to understanding all the remarkably unique ways you reflect the image of God . . . because you are more than your number.
More Than Your Number takes a deeper dive into the world of the Enneagram by moving past the quickly assigned and sometimes stereotypical Enneagram Types to consider and engage your unique, multidimensional personality that makes you so much more complex than just a number.
Explore the Enneagram beyond the surface in a thought-provoking journey to discover your previously unexplored Enneagram Internal Profile (EIP). By clearly identifying five unique parts—such as “family members” within your internal world—you’ll be able to not only name what has affected you your entire life, whether positively or negatively, but also understand and apply the truth of how God intends to redeem and use all of you, not just parts of you.
Through the EIP, Enneagram coaches Beth and Jeff McCord provide a simple, tested, personal strategy to understand and welcome these parts through God’s grace, equipping you to better lead and shepherd your internal interests. You can become AWARE of these parts by:
- awakening to our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and inclinations;
- welcoming these experiences without judgment;
- asking the Holy Spirit for guidance;
- receiving what is true; and
- engaging with God, yourself, and our relationships in a new way.
Discover your real identity in Christ, readjusting your internal world toward a healthier path for your unique personality type.”
Is Hell Real? By Dane Ortlund
To be published September 20.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Dane Ortlund Explains That Hell Is Indeed Real, but Hope Comes through Jesus Christ
When individuals talk about an afterlife, they often talk about heaven and avoid any mention of hell. The idea of hell is uncomfortable and most people prefer to not discuss it. Given this reality, our society lacks an understanding of what hell is, why it exists, and how people can avoid it.
Pastor Dane Ortlund has written this Church Questions booklet to educate readers on the reality of hell and the hope found in Jesus Christ. Using a variety of biblical passages, Ortlund explains that God is just, righteous, and deals perfectly with humanity. In light of God’s holiness and our sin, we fall woefully short of heaven. Humanity deserves hell, but heaven is offered to believers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Useful for Seekers: Accessible for those new to faith or looking to learn more
- Part of the Church Questions Series: Developed to give biblical insight into common questions”
Reactivity: How the Gospel Transforms Our Actions and Reactions by Paul Tripp
To be published October 4.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Bestselling Author Paul David Tripp Helps Christians Communicate Biblically in a Culture of Outrage
Digital media and technology are altering the way people act―and react―toward each other. Criticism, outrage, and controversy dominate social engagement and unfortunately many Christians have joined in the chaos. It’s a troubling contrast to Jesus’s words in John 13:35: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Award-winning author Paul David Tripp instructs believers to view digital media and technology through the lens of the gospel and points them toward a biblical framework for communication. Explaining how God wants the church to engage with culture and each other, Tripp encourages Christians to think wisely about their interactions and be a beacon of light in an age of toxicity.
- A Biblical Look at Social Engagement: Discusses wholesome talk, the effects of “cancel culture,” and 5 false identity temptations including attention, power, and acceptance
- Applies Scripture Practically: Gives a gospel-centered framework for navigating digital life without confusion or destructive reactivity
- Great for Pastors, Parents, and Youth Ministries: Helps readers understand who they are in Christ so they won’t be swayed by a chaotic digital culture”
The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work by Jordan Raynor
To be published November 15.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“A weekday devotional to help Christians connect the gospel to their vocation and appreciate the eternal significance of their work—no matter what it is—from the entrepreneur, thought leader, and bestselling author of Redeeming Your Time.
We often treat the sixth day as the end of the creation account. But day six is just the beginning! It’s when God passed the baton to us and in essence said, “Go work and create like me.”
Too often Christians are led to believe that only pastors and full-time missionaries are doing work that is eternally significant. But Christians who work outside of vocational ministry roles—be they entrepreneurs, baristas, or stay-at-home parents—are looking for affirmation that their work is eternally impactful as well. Having researched more than 1,000 passages of scripture for its wisdom on vocation, Jordan Raynor provides 260 readings—one for each workday of the year—that offer Christians in any occupation biblical insights into what work means, why it matters, and how they should be working.
Guiding readers through selections in Old and New Testaments, The Word Before Work shows us that, no matter our calling, the work we do is central to God’s plans to restore fallen creation. Readers will not only gain daily inspiration to do work for the glory of God and the good of others, but will come away confident that our work has significance both for now and for eternity.
Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Tim Keller
To be published November 1.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller outlines the reasons why forgiveness has to be a central part of everyone’s lives.
Forgiving anyone in a meaningful way is one of the hardest things a person has to do. If you do not, resentment and vengeance begin to consume you. It is nearly impossible to move past transgression without forgiveness, but few people have the resources and the tools to forgive others fully and move on with their lives. Forgiveness is an essential skill, a moral imperative, and a religious belief that cuts right to the core of what it means to be human. In Forgive, Timothy Keller shows readers why it is so important and how to do it, explaining in detail the steps you need”
The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan
To be published November 1.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers a master class on the art and craft of songwriting. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal. These essays are written in Dylan’s unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are nearly 150 carefully curated photos as well as a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work’s transcendence.
In 2020, with the release of his outstanding album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan became the first artist to have an album hit the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. The Philosophy of Modern Song contains much of what he has learned about his craft in all those years, and like everything that Dylan does, it is a momentous artistic achievement.”
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono
To be published November 1.
Here is the Amazon description of the book:
“Bono—artist, activist, and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2—has written a memoir: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, Surrender is the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, the challenges he’s faced, and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him.
“When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress . . . With a fair amount of fun along the way.” —Bono
As one of the music world’s most iconic artists and the cofounder of the organizations ONE and (RED), Bono’s career has been written about extensively. But in Surrender, it’s Bono who picks up the pen, writing for the first time about his remarkable life and those he has shared it with. In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2’s unlikely journey to become one of the world’s most influential rock bands, to his more than twenty years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection, and humor, Bono opens the aperture on his life—and the family, friends, and faith that have sustained, challenged, and shaped him.
Surrender’s subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story, is a nod to the book’s forty chapters, which are each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created forty original drawings for Surrender, which will appear throughout the book.”
These are 13 new and upcoming books you might be interested in. What books would you add to this list?
