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  1. Dave Jenkins
    Caldwell, Idaho
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Timely, Biblical and Christ-Centered
    June 1, 2011
    Dave Jenkins
    Caldwell, Idaho
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Don't Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day is edited by Kevin DeYoung with contributions from Tim Challies, Ted Kluck, Russell Moore, Darrin Patrick, Justin Taylor and many more. Kevin DeYoung opens the book by stating the book's purpose, which is to introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of our faith and what it looks like to live out this faith in real life.

    The book is divided into three parts. Part one of the book is titled Evangelical History: Looking Forward and Looking Back. The contributors to this section of the book are Kevin DeYoung and Collin Hansen. This part of the book is very helpful especially for those who haven't studied the history of evangelicalism. In typical fashion, Kevin DeYoung gives careful attention to the issues of reaching the next generation. In typical through fashion Collin Hansen gives the history of evangelicalism.

    Part two of the book is titled: Evangelical Theology: Thinking, Feeling, and Believing the Truths that Matter the Most. The contributors to this section are Jonathan Leeman, Andy Naselli, Greg Gilbert, Ben Peays, Jay Harvey, Owen Strachan, Russell Moore, and Tim Challies. This section of the book sets the foundation for what an evangelical ought to believe about God, Scripture, the Gospel, the New Birth, Justification, Sanctification, the Kingdom of God, and the exclusivity of Christ.

    The final part of the book is titled: Evangelical Practice: Learning to Live Life God's Way. The contributors in this part are Ted Kluck, Darrin Patrick, Eric Redmond and Kevin DeYoung, Justin Taylor, Denny Burk, Thabitti Anabwile, Tullian Tchividjian, and David Mathis.

    This book aims to introduce young Christians, new Christians and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of our faith and what it looks like to live out this faith in real life. In recent years there has been a trend among many Christians to devalue doctrine in favor of just "living" the Christian life. The other trend that many Christians have fallen for is emphasizing doctrine over implementing one's doctrine into one's life. What, I appreciate the most about this book is its intentional awesomeness. This book is awesome, because it doesn't assume the reader understands anything about evangelicalism. Rather this book offers a brief history of evangelicalism, its doctrines and its practice. This book will not only help the young, new Christian or even the underdiscipled believer, but also the Pastor and scholar.

    Don't Call It a Comeback: An Old Faith for a New Day is an excellent book. Having set the historical and theological context for evangelicalism firmly in the Word of God the authors protrude out to deal with social issues such as vocation, social justice, homosexuality, abortion, and gender confusion. Whether the authors are discussing theological or practical issues- they never assume the Gospel or the Word of God, but instead keep the readers' attention on Jesus, and His Word.

    The part that I appreciate the most about this book is how it sets the historical context and then expands to build the case for a truly evangelical faith, and concludes by looking at how the historical faith of evangelicalism can be applied to today's theological and social issues.

    Don't Call it a Comeback: An Old Faith for a New Day is a book that can be devoured as a devotional, or used to help one think through theological and social issues from a Christian worldview. For whatever purpose, and reason you read "Don't Call it a Comeback" this book should be read slowly, thoughtfully and with discernment.

    I recommend that you read this book, as it is a true feast in a world that devalues truth, and mocks biblical Christianity. By reading this book- you will begin your journey in understanding that the Christian faith is a faith thoroughly grounded in the Word and Work of Jesus Christ. Pick up this book, but only do so, if you are prepared to be humbled and stretched in your understanding of Jesus, church history, the mission of the Church, and your role in the Great Commission.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
  2. Grex77
    Visalia, CA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Old School Faith: Don't Call It a Comeback
    February 25, 2011
    Grex77
    Visalia, CA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Sadly, one of the things we've lost in many corners of the American church is a sure sense of what we believe and how we are to live. Don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying that evangelicals have no idea what the gospel's all about or what the Bible says about a variety of topics. What I am saying is this: When I was growing up in a conservative Southern Baptist Church, I knew what it meant to be a Christian. Granted, some of the things I was taught to cling to I've since let go of. (For example, I wouldn't insist that an occasional drink is a sin on par with murder or that the U.N. may be secretly plotting the end of the world.) Still, many churches today have gone to the other extreme. Rather than let doctrine and practice become decisive issues, we've sought to become inclusive and tried to act relevant. And while it's good to build bridges and learn to speak the culture's language, I fear that many young evangelicals are growing without any definition of who they are.

    Don't Call It a Comeback is the group effort of many young pastors and authors, and is an attempt to pass along the essentials of evangelical faith to the generation coming of age today. I really believe this book is valuable. In fact, it would be one of the first books I'd pass on to a new Christian. The first section of the book contains two chapters - the first, a look forward, and the second, a look back. Kevin DeYoung, the book's editor, writes passing on the faith to the next generation. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see such a great, but simply articulated, analysis of youth ministry. I've struggled for a long time with much of the material being passed on to youth workers by mainstream evangelical publishers. To me, a lot of the stuff seems to miss the forest for the trees. But DeYoung's analysis is spot-on. Kids need to be amazed by God, taught the truth of Scripture in a no-holds-barred manner, and shown what the Christian life looks like in practice by adults who love them. The second chapter from Collin Hansen (of Young, Restless, Reformed fame) takes a look back at the roots of evangelicalism. This chapter helps put our weird bunch into historical perspective, and serves as a good counter-punch against those who only want to point out where evangelicalism has gotten it wrong in recent years.

    The rest of the book unfolds with a section on what we believe as evangelicals and a section on how we are to live. As with the chapters in the first section, each chapter in the remainder of the book is taken on by a different author. While I appreciated the effort to bring some variety into the book, this was actually a challenge. Some of the chapters are simply better written than others, so some were more enjoyable to read. One highlight was DeYoung and Eric Redmond's chapter on homosexuality. Rather than stepping back from the issue as many young evangelicals might want to (let's face it - talking about the subject puts us on the defensive and makes us uncomfortable), the authors tackle this tough subject head on, providing a brief but fairly thorough analysis of the biblical passages that usually come into play in any discussion of same-sex behavior. Not only is this important for young evangelicals to read, but I would venture that many seasoned pastors could benefit from DeYoung and Redmond's defense of orthodoxy in this area. As the authors point out, the issue of homosexuality is important, not just because there are many people struggling with same-sex attraction, but because how we handle the issue says a lot about how we will show grace to homosexuals and how we will understand the Bible's authority.
  3. Annette
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Reaffirming
    April 4, 2011
    Annette
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    The media has set out on a mission of badgering, provoking, and distorting evangelism. It does not help that their are people in the church that protest soldiers funerals and burn other religions holy books. I feel these people feed fuel to a fire that was already burning. The media did not need any help and certainly Satan did not need any.

    It was such a breathe of fresh air to read a book that is a compilation of various Christian pastors and authors that each give a chapter on, "what it means to be apart of evangelicalism." Each of these authors (total of 19) wrote chapters with themes such as:

    The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation,

    New Birth: "You Must Be Born Again",

    Justification: Why the Lord Our Righteousness Is Better,

    Gender Confusion and a Gospel-Shaped Counterculture,

    and Worship: It's a Big Deal.

    Each of these authors brought their own personalities, writing styles, and mission focus.

    In the introduction by Kevin DeYoung he stated this book was for "new Christians and undisciplined Christians". This book was also to reaffirm to all Christians what we've been taught but maybe have forgotten or has become cloudy.

    I enjoyed reading the chapter on evangelical history, there was much I did not know.

    The chapter written by Greg Gilbert, The Gospel God's Self Substitution for Sinners was powerful. His details about the crucifixion (stauros in Greek) brought me to my knees before the Lord because of this statement,

    "The death of Jesus is-and must be-the heart of the Gospel because the good news is precisely that Jesus saves sinners from their sin. Whatever else the Gospel promises, at the very beginning of it all is a sinner's sin forgiven. I'm convinced that part of the reason many evangelicals have begun to lose their grasp on the cross is that we have lost sight of why we need to be saved. We've forgotten, and even in some cases deliberately disregarded, what sin is and how profound is its offense to God." page 73-74.

    The title and the cover of the book is creative and enticing. For someone that is turned off usually by Christian non-fiction this would be an approachable book for them.

    This is an awesome read for a book discussion group!

    One of the statements in the book that stood out to me the most was in the chapter about homosexuality--

    in that our attitude should be in humility. Why? Because we too are in need of God's grace.

    Thank you to Crossway for my free review copy.

    Blissful Reading!

    Annette
  4. Unashamed Gospel
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    The Gospel in Life
    March 5, 2011
    Unashamed Gospel
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Don't Call It a Comeback is a collection of well written essays from Kevin DeYoung, Tim Challies, Collin Hansen, Darrin Patrick, Ben Peays, Tullian Tchividjian and many more. The book aims to answer the question, what are the most important articles of the Christian faith and what does it look like to live that faith out in real life? Don't Call It a Comback's three part layout is helpful and encourages the growth of the reader by connecting heartfelt knowledge with heartfelt action. The first part looks at evangelicalism as a whole, the second part gives clarity to proper theology, and the third part describes how we are to live in light of what we believe. With each essay, the reader comes to a greater understanding of what topics are foundational to the gospel and practically describes what it means to live out the truth of Jesus Christ.

    The first section of the book Don't Call It a Comeback begins with a call to all Christians to impact the world by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. The book implores the reader to put aside what they understand as evangelicalism, and to take hold of the understanding that the way we reach the world is by walking with God and walking with people. It is only through honest transparency that people see your true passion for Jesus and want to see more of how your faith actually matters. Christian ought to amaze people with God and tell the world who He is, what He has done, and how He still is at work in this world. Kevin DeYoung calls Christians to, "Give [people] a God who is holy, independent, and unlike us, a God who is good, just, full of wrath, and full of mercy, Give them a God who is sovereign, powerful, tender, and true...Give them a God who works all things after the counsel of his will and for the glory of His name. Give them a God whose love is lavish and free. Give them a God worthy of wonder and fear, a God big enough for all our faith, hope, and love." (page 29-30) This section of the book concludes that this is how you reach the next generation for Jesus. When Christians are authentic and honest in who they know God to be and want to tell the world about Him, then the hearers of that message will compel them to Him.

    The second section of Don't Call It a Comeback gives us biblical truth to press upon in order that Christians may be impressed with God. It is an overview of theological truths that are foundational to the gospel. This was my favorite section of the book. I was immediately drawn to Chapter 5, The Gospel: God's Self-Substitution for Sinners as well as Chapter 7, Justification, Why the Lord Our Righteousness is Better News than the Lord Our Example. Both of these chapters describe the core of the gospel and articulate in plain terms how the good news of Jesus Christ transforms those who believe by faith."The death of Jesus is and must be the heart of the gospel because the good news is precisely that Jesus saves sinners from their sin." (Page 73) Understanding this truth is to know personal sin as a transgression of the law of God and to reject God altogether. The good news is that Jesus died in the place of sinful people in order that we might be reconciled back to God. The way we are made right is through Justification. "God declares us righteous because we have a personal relationship with Jesus. To put it more theologically, we are united to Christ by faith. He knows us, loves us, and shares with us everything that we need for abundant life, including his own life. Christ is our wisdom righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (Page 96) This is not a work that we can do but only the work of God. Justification matters because our relationship with God is made right through the cross of Jesus Christ. Other topics in this section included essays describing who God is; how the Bible is different from any other book; what is the meaning of the terms new birth, understanding sanctification; what is heaven; and who is Jesus Christ. Each one is filled with theological truths that are foundational to what Christians believe.

    The third section of Don't Call It a Comeback shows how the biblical truths from section two are lived out in real life. Each essay in this section talked about real issues that people face every day like issues of vocation, social justice, homosexuality, abortion, and gender roles. I found the first essay on Vocation to be extremely helpful. Christians put a tremendous amount of weight on trying to understand "God's Call" on his/her life. Though sometimes there is a call, for most finding one's vocation is understanding that "there are things we like doing, there are things we have some degree of aptitude and talent at doing, and there are the not-small consideration that we need to provide for our families. And somewhere in the middle of all of that we end up finding our jobs and hopefully make a living." (Page 148) The essay goes on to give real examples of people who are working in non ministry vocations and find that their relationship with God has more to do with character than the actual work they do. The goal is to have your identity not be about what you do but about who you know in your relationship with Jesus Christ. The book concludes with a deep knowledge of what does it mean to worship and understanding what Worship and Missions are. Worship is all about being "impressed by God and His mighty acts of salvation. We come to sing of who He is and what He's done. We come to hear His voice resounding in and through His Word. We come to feel the grief of our sin so that we can taste the glory of His salvation. We gather to be magnificently defeated, flattened, and shrunk by the power and might of the living God." (Page 217) Missions is all about the "worldwide fame of Jesus in the praises of his diverse peoples from every tribe, tongue and nation." (Page 225) These last two essays compliment each other to fuel the reader to move forward from the book and into real life, and it gives the reader excitement to go worship God more freely and tell the world about Jesus.

    Don't Call It a Comeback gives Christians from all walks the most important articles of faith and what it looks like to live out that faith in real life. I was really impressed with how well the authors connected what they believed with action. I would recommend this book to Christians who struggle with understanding theology or have a hard time articulating what they believe. This book is also very practical in engaging the reader with how to live out the gospel in our culture. I found Don't Call It a Comeback to be a book founded and focused on the gospel. I can say that this book has helped me be sure of what I believe and I am now able to be a better instrument to tell others about Jesus. I recommend this book to others and would strongly urge people to read Don't Call It a Comeback.
  5. Pastor Dan
    Wichita, KS
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Young Pastors find the "Old Faith" solid
    February 15, 2011
    Pastor Dan
    Wichita, KS
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    D.A. Carson and John Piper were talking and agreed that it's a great time to be sixty. Why do they think that? Because the generation below them actually wants to be mentored, wants to hear and read the expositions and theology of quite a number of sixty-year-olds.

    Why is this a good way to start this book? Because it sheds light on the fact that the church is not headed down the path of destruction but the fact is there are many young Theologians /Pastors out there who want to learn from those a bit older and wiser so that they keep Doctrine/Theology well grounded in truth.

    Kevin DeYoung the editor of this book summarizes the desire of the writers in two points. One) they want to introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of our faith and what it looks like to live out this faith in real life. Two) they want to reassert the theological nature of evangelicalism.

    They acknowledge there are some inherent dangers in tackling this project, but they are approaching it from a humble/servant attitude and truly have a great hope for the future of the church.

    In the first chapter Kevin DeYoung relates being asked by many Pastors, "How do you go about reaching the next generation, what's the secret?" His response, "The secret is, there is no secret. . . . you just have to be like Jesus. . . .if you walk with God and walk with people, you'll reach the next generation." That is profound, yet simple. So much so that many of us will discount it, but don't, that is the truth, so grab hold and work on your relationship with God and others.

    Another point that DeYoung expresses is this, "Give up on relevance, and try love. If they see love in you, love for each other, love for the world, and love for them, they will listen. No matter who `they' are." I found this personally affirming as I teach a Sunday night class of young people in their twenties. Although I am approaching sixty they want to learn, they want to hear what I have to say and they affirm to me that it is often because I have just shown them that I love them. Today we can try all the right things to try and relate to the modern culture, but what they really want is to be loved. Christ commanded us to `love others as you love yourself'. We need to remember that.

    Jay Harvey's chapter on Justification is absolutely wonderful. He brings four major points to light as well as describes two problems that people express regarding Justification. In his summary he states, "Justification matters because there is nothing more essential in life or in death than what God thinks of us. Ultimately there are two options; God looks upon us either as justified or as condemned. Likewise, we look upon God as either our loving Father or a fearful judge." That is a great summary for his chapter.

    The next chapter is by Owen Strachan and deals with Sanctification. He states, "we see that sanctification is progressive, meaning that it unfolds over the course of one's life." He reminds us that Justification is a one-time event that God alone extends to us. But Sanctification is an ongoing process that requires a partnership between God and us. He believes that we all are in a battle today in our desire to obtain personal sanctification. He see's it as threefold. 1) We battle the love of self. 2) We battle the love of sports and trivial things. 3) We battle the love of sex.

    I don't have the space here to comment on these three battles, but the way Owen unpacks them are profound. You will find yourself examining your own life to see how you have fallen in regards to each of these areas. This one chapter is well worth the price of the book.

    Well, I could go on and on but you would probably get bored.

    This book is amazing in that you have eighteen young Theologians/Pastors who are each taking a chapter and expounding on the wonders of our faith. They are each new and fresh, yet old and timeless. That is the wonder of this book.

    I promise you that you will enjoy every chapter.
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