book reviews

Seven books for Christmas 2015

December 2, 2015 // 15 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve recommended some good vacation reading here on E2R. Here are six diverse books I have recently enjoyed The Apostle: A Life of Paul, by John Pollock (2012) This biography of the apostle of grace is a treasure. It makes the stories of Acts come alive and gives the reader a rich [...]

Two books on healing

April 15, 2015 // 60 Comments

When you’re sick, the last thing you want to hear are pithy, powerless platitudes from people who are healthy. What you want to hear is good news from someone who has experience healing the sick. This is why I recommend two outstanding books on healing. Diving Healing Made Simple, by Praying Medic The first [...]

“A.D. 30” by Ted Dekker

February 24, 2015 // 14 Comments

A few years ago someone recommended I read a novel by Ted Dekker. I forget which one it was but I couldn’t finish it. Then a month ago someone suggested I read his latest book, AD 30, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a masterpiece! AD 30 is exactly the sort of book I wish I was good enough to write. It’s [...]

“The Romance of Grace” by Jim McNeely

September 12, 2014 // 12 Comments

Reviewed for E2R by Steve Hackman. As the message of grace spreads through the church it goes without saying that grace authors face an increasingly difficult challenge; distinguishing their grace book from the plethora of others that have recently hit the market. In The Romance of Grace Jim McNeely does just [...]

Three books on parenting

August 6, 2014 // 24 Comments

Recently, I have read three books on parenting. One of them was good, one was not so good, and the third was a surprise. Let’s start with the good one. Grace-Based Parenting, by Tim Kimmel Dr. Kimmel observes that many parents are motivated by fear rather than faith when it comes to raising their children. This [...]

“Grace: The Power to Change” by Jim Richards

July 11, 2014 // 50 Comments

One of the misperceptions about the “modern” grace message, is that it makes people lazy. As I explain elsewhere, nothing could be further from the truth. But the misperception is understandable, since grace teaches us to rest from our works and trust in Christ’s finished work. “Is that it?” says the [...]

“The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones

May 27, 2014 // 27 Comments

A question I am often asked is, “What grace resources are available for children?” It seems there are hardly any. In Sunday School children are much more likely to learn about Christian values or the Ten Commandments than they are the unconditional love of their heavenly Father. This should trouble every [...]

‘The Hyper-Grace Gospel’ – out today!

April 8, 2014 // 43 Comments

I wrote my latest book by accident. It’s called The Hyper-Grace Gospel and it’s out today. You can find it on Amazon. My new book has an interesting back-story. After reading Michael Brown’s recent book opposing the “modern grace message,” I decided to jot down a few notes for E2R readers. In his book [...]

“Hyper-Grace” by D. R. Silva

March 9, 2014 // 50 Comments

Reviewed by Steve Hackman What is “Hyper-Grace” and why would anyone think it could be a bad thing? In any debate, whether it be cultural, philosophical, or theological, transforming a pejorative label into a positive identity or a “badge of honor” has to figure somewhere in the [...]

“One Way Love” by Tullian Tchividjian

February 25, 2014 // 52 Comments

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to grace is the thought that God’s love for us is unconditional. Perhaps you’ve heard, “The phrase ‘unconditional love’ is nowhere in the Bible.” That’s because the Bible writers were good writers who knew how to avoid redundant qualifiers. The phrase [...]

“All of Grace” by Charles Spurgeon

February 13, 2014 // 35 Comments

Prior to the coming of Jesus, the eternally good news of God’s love and grace was obscured behind the temporary strictures of the law-keeping covenant. Some wise old guys like Abraham, David and Isaiah saw it, but it is fair to say that the good news of God’s grace was not widely appreciated until Jesus [...]

“The Power of Right Believing” by Joseph Prince

January 16, 2014 // 67 Comments

The other day Camilla and I were watching a movie called Silver Linings Playbook. At the end of the film I wanted to hug every character in it and give them a copy of The Power of Right Believing by Joseph Prince. I say that because everyone in the movie was broken or damaged in some way. Some had suffered [...]