And the Winner Is....

....Marguerite Harrell!

Congratulations, Marguerite, on winning a copy of Pass It On by Champ Thornton. Send me your address so that the generous folks at New Growth Press can send you your free book.

Thank you, everyone who participated! If you want to buy your own copy, visit Amazon, New Growth Press, Westminster Bookstore or any other book retailer today.

Read More

Win a Copy of "Pass It On" by Champ Thornton

Yesterday, I shared my interview with Champ Thornton about his brand new book Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation. Today, I want to tell you what I think about this book and open a contest for someone to win their own copy.

My Review

Earlier this year, Champ sent a pre-publication copy to me and asked for my feedback. In short, I think it's terrific! Here is my endorsement "blurb" review:

In Pass it On, Champ Thornton has created another unique resource for assisting Christian parents to extract the precious wisdom from the endless goldmine of the Book of Proverbs and impart its righteous riches to their children. I will be using it with my kids and urge others to dig in, too.

Weaknesses

I'm not a big fan of the title of Champ's book. If you grew up in the era and wing of the church I did, those three little words always spark a camp song in your head. {If it's now in your head, you're welcome.} But it is an appropriate title for the purpose of the book. Champ takes each chapter of the Book of Proverbs, provides as short "guided tour" and then gets you writing your own reflections, prayers, and applications down in the blanks provided to pass on to your younger loved-ones.

When I read the pre-pub version, my one critique was really about how many of today's readers won't find it easy to do the thinking required in processing the Proverbs and writing out their own reflections, especially if they were trying to do it at the pace of a chapter-per-day. But that's not really a weakness of Champ's book--it's our weakness as readers who want to be spoon-fed our spiritual food. Champ has run the roto-tiller and turned over the heavy first layer. It's now up to us to get to digging for the treasures. And nothing dictates the pace of a reader working through it. I plan to take a year or so (not a month) to do it with my boys.

Strengths 

For the last decade, I have been teaching a class on Proverbs to the teen boys in our church on Wednesday nights. Champ's introduction "A Bird's eye View of Proverbs" distills everything I've been trying to the teach the boys into 16 excellent pages. It's worth the proverbial price of the book. Champ teaches us what Proverbs is, how to read it for ourselves, and how to get the most out of it. Then he walks us through each chapter, one at a time, giving us clues for how to extract the treasure hidden therein.

The appendices are excellent: endnotes, suggestions for further study, and topical index. These things are all more valuable than you might initially guess.

I'm really impressed with the time and money that New Growth Press has put into producing this volume. It has an attractive imitation leather cover which will make it durable as a gift to give now and last for a long time.

In short, it would be wise to buy at least one copy of Pass It On, and to do what the title says.

Win Your Own Copy

Starting today, I'm offering a contest to win a copy of Pass It On. The good folks at New Growth Press will send a copy to the winner picked at random.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday night, November 2nd).

I'll announce the winner on Friday.

Can't Wait Till Friday?

Buy your own copy now. [Amazon, New Growth Press, Westminster Bookstore]

And thanks to New Growth Press for my review copy of Pass It On.

Read More

An Interview with Champ Thornton about "Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation"

Champ Thornton's newest book releases today from New Growth Press.

It's called: Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation, and I got to read a pre-publication copy and provide my endorsement.

I'm really excited about this new resource. Tomorrow, I'll tell you some of my biggest takeaways from reading it, but today, I'm pleased to have Champ tell us about it himself.

Matt: Why did you write Pass It On? What was your burden for creating it? What is your hope for those who use it?

Champ: Pass It On is a devotional guide to the book of Proverbs in which parents and others can record and pass along to the next generation their observations about wise living which they have gained from God’s Word and from their own life experiences. I researched and wrote this book because I knew I needed to learn the book of Proverbs better for myself, as my wife and I rear our three children. Proverbs-filled children come from Proverbs-filled parents. Beyond that, I wanted other parents (and grandparents and others) to be able to study Proverbs and pass along that wisdom and other advice, memories, and life skills to those they love in the next generation.

Matt: This is your second book that is a little "different." Tell us a little about the process of creating this creative book. How did you come up with the format? What was the hardest thing to write and the happiest thing?  What surprised you the most as you wrote it?

Champ: This book is different than what I have written previously. I had written a Bible storybook for preschoolers (God's Love) and an intro to the Christian faith for middle-schoolers (The Radical Book for Kids), but this book is different in that it’s not aimed at children, but rather at their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles. This book doesn’t survey the whole Bible (like God's Love), and it isn’t a topical guidebook (like The Radical Book). Instead, it’s an interactive and user-friendly guide to the book of Proverbs, designed to help parents and others pass along the wisdom they learn from Proverbs (and from life) to those they love in the next generation.

It’s also different in that it brings together the benefits of several kinds of books all within one cover. Pass It On is part study guide to the book of Proverbs, it's part journal for capturing your thoughts on wise living; and it's part gift book to be given to one of your children, grandchildren, nephew or niece, or a younger friend. In short, it’s doing your devotions, not just for your own benefit, but also as a keepsake for the next generation to treasure.

Pass It On started as a spiral-bound copy of Proverbs which I had made, and then began using for months in my time in the Word. I wanted to know how to instill Proverbs in my three children. And since I find it difficult to keep 915 verses on ready-reference to apply at any given moment in life, I wanted to first grow in my own understanding of Proverbs. Eventually, I also taught a couple workshops on Proverbs at our church, and at some point the idea came to mind that parents could write down my observations of life and of Proverbs, and then pass it on to their kids—in writing. That became the genesis of the concept.

And since that time, the happiest part of the project was learning how various parts of Proverbs fit together (it’s not as random as it first appears—kind of like life, actually). The hardest was without doubt the Topical Index, mainly because it was so time-intensive and tedious to produce, but I trust that it’ll also serve others well when they’re looking for particular themes in Proverbs.

Another “different” aspect of Pass It On is that it does ask the reader to reflect and share not just about Proverbs but also about life. And I was not anticipating this realization. Here’s what I found. God made the world to work a certain way, usually according to general and predictable patterns. Wisdom, then, is learning God’s ways in this fallen world and living in harmony with them. So, Proverbs provides a God-inspired starter kit to understanding how to wisely navigate the twists and turns of life. So we should all learn about wise living from Proverbs. But as we examine wisdom in Proverbs, we should also learn to examine wisdom through Proverbs. (And Proverbs expect this—telling us to “go to the ant and consider her ways,” or to give attention to a broken-down house or weed-filled garden, etc.) In other words, we should learn to observe how God designed life to work—by looking at Proverbs (which is inspired) and then by looking at life (which is not inspired).

Matt: Give us a guide to the best reading experience. Who do you hope reads this book and how do you hope they read it?

Champ: I hope that many parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, will leave their families a rich legacy of wisdom. That they would come to understand Proverbs better and  take time to record and pass along their observations about the wisdom of Proverbs, along with their wise observations about life. Their children and grandchildren, nephews and nieces will treasure these observations. So, I hope that first, parents (along with grandparents, and aunts and uncles) will read, enjoy, and benefit from this book. Then I hope that in years to come their children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces will read what’s been written in the book—the study notes and their personal observations—and benefit from them for generations to come.

Matt: Thanks, Champ, for taking time to answer these questions, but even more for taking the time to create this unique resource!

Pass It On is on sale today at a whopping 40% at New Growth Press (much lower than Amazon!). This is a high-quality imitation leather book that would make a really nice gift.

Tomorrow, I'll be opening a contest to give out a free copy, but you might want to order one or 10 while the price is so low.

Read More

"Pass It On" by Champ Thornton

Got my hands on a first edition of Champ Thornton's newest book! 

Look for a review, interview, and giveaway contest next week.

Read More

And the Winner is....

... Meredith Broadway!!!

Congratulations, Meredith, on winning a copy of A Small Book about a BIG Problem by Ed Welch. Send me your address so that the generous folks at New Growth Press can send you your free book.

Thank you, everyone who participated! If you want to buy your own copy, visit Amazon, New Growth Press, Westminster Bookstore or any other book retailer today.

Read More

Win a Copy of "A Small Book About a BIG Problem" by Ed Welch

Ed Welch is one of my greatest mentors in both life and ministry. His teaching, example, writing, and personal interactions have had an outsized influence on me for which I am truly grateful.

Ed understands how people tick. He knows how people feel, think, and behave and why people feel, think, and behave as they do. He even knows how people change. And he's good at talking about it! Ed has a way of boiling down complex ideas of the inner-workings of the human heart and the intersection of the human heart with God's Word into cogent, concise, and relatable language. So when I saw that Ed had written a short book on anger, I jumped at the chance to read it. I wasn't disappointed.

My Biggest Problem With This Book Is a Small One.

First, the critique.

I hate the title. It's accurate because the book is small (the 185 pages are only 4"x6"!) and the problem it talks about is big and affects us all, but you can't tell from the name what the book is actually about. The small print subtitle helps a little: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace. I like the simplicity and color-scheme of the cover, but it also doesn't signal what is inside. Most of Ed's titles are timeless classics--Blame It on the Brain?, Running Scared, Shame Interrupted, When People Are Big and God Is Small, Side by Side--so this one is a bit of a let-down.

The Biggest Strength of This Book Is Not a Small One.

Okay. Glad I got that off my chest. I really don't have any other criticism to offer. This is a great book! The genius of it is how Ed crams 50 pungent meditations into such a small space and at a perfect pace.

Ed hasn't written a bunch of "devotional nuggets" with flowery, mystical, syrupy thoughts. He has distilled the dynamics of human anger and found 50 helpful ways to approach the problem biblically. Reading it is like having a really good conversation with a really good counselor. But a purposeful conversation. Ed doesn't waste time or words to get to the heart of things. For example, Day 41 begins, "If you want to know what you really think about the Lord, watch how you live." And he ends most of the short chapters with a searching question or two for application. It's really powerful stuff.

And it's funny, too. Day 36 begins, "You usually don't want to mess with raccoons, but this one was extreme." You know you want to read that chapter! The humor is often self-deprecatingly disarming and, before you know it, you see yourself (and your own hang-ups) in the mirror.

When I first started reading it, I said this on social media:

This book is small like a "ghost pepper" is small.

I expect that this small book will have big impact in people's lives.

Win Your Own Copy

Starting today, I'm offering a contest to win a copy of A Small Book About a BIG Problem. The good folks at New Growth Press will send a copy to the winner picked at random.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday night, October 19th).

I'll announce the winner on Friday.

Can't Wait Till Friday?

Buy your own copy now. [Amazon, New Growth Press, Westminster Bookstore]

And one for a friend. Ed recently wrote a humorous post about whether or not it is impolite to buy a book on anger for someone else. I thought his answer was not just funny but really loving, too.

Walk Through the Ideas with Ed

Want more?

CCEF is offering an 8 week video series with Ed directly delivered to your inbox.

By the way, Ed's book would make a great companion to David Powlison's Good and Angry which I reviewed last year. They are good friends, and their insights into anger are compatible and mutually support each other. David's writing is more essay-like, expansive and comprehensive. Ed's writing is more staccato and direct.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicty for the review copy of A Small Book About a BIG Problem.

Read More

And the Winner Is....

... Amy M (whom I believe is also an M.D.)!!!

Congratulations on winning a copy of Descriptions and Prescriptions by Michael Emlet, M.D. Send me your address so that the generous folks at New Growth Press can send you your free book.

Thank you, everyone who participated! If you want to buy your copy, visit WTSBooks, New Growth Press or any other book retailer today.

Read More

Win a Copy of "Descriptions and Prescriptions" by Michael Emlet

Mike Emlet, M.D., was one of my favorite CCEF teachers when I did my doctorate at Westminster Theological Seminary. Soft-spoken yet passionate, nuanced yet not timid, brilliant yet not proud, Mike taught me so much in his class on Counseling and Physiology*. I draw from the framework he provided us nearly every week in my pastoral ministry.

I'm excited that that framework is now available to everyone in a short book he has written entitled Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications which just came out last week from New Growth Press.

Too Hot, Too Cold, Just Right?

Mike sets the book up this way in his introduction:

What do you think when someone you know is diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder? Or has started to take a psychoactive medication? Do you say to yourself, “Finally, he is getting the help he really needs!” Or do you feel skeptical about either the diagnosis or the solution (or both), and wonder if what the person really needs is simply to trust in Jesus more?

It doesn’t take too many conversations in the church to realize that there are widely divergent views regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues. Like many, you may find yourself falling into one of two camps. Let me call this the Goldilocks Principle. What do I mean?

You may be someone who is “too cold” toward psychiatric diagnoses. Perhaps you’re highly suspicious of using these labels. You believe that they are secular understandings of the person that compete with biblical categories and solutions. At best you don’t think they’re helpful, and at worst you believe they are harmful and dehumanizing.

Does that "Goldilocks" dilemma sound familiar to you? Is it possible to find a "just right" third way somewhere in the middle? That's what Mike is trying to guide readers into in Descriptions and Prescriptions. Mike writes,

There is no doubt that many people suffer greatly with emotions and patterns of thinking that bring grave hardship to them and to their loved ones. The pressing issue is how best to know and understand their struggles. And then, having understood, how best to provide compassionate and wise help. After all, we are called to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Psychiatric diagnostic classification and psychoactive medications provide a way to understand and help those who are burdened in particular ways. This book assesses the limitations and benefits of understanding and helping people using that lens.

What's amazing to me is that the book can be so helpful on these complex issues while being so short!

I haven't been able to read the whole thing yet, but I appreciated this review by Phil Monroe, a professor of Christian counseling whom I highly respect. And the breadth of endorsements is impressive and encouraging. This is a really good book by a highly qualified author.

Win Your Own Copy

Starting today, I'm offering starting a contest to win a copy of Description and Prescriptions. The good folks at New Growth Press will send a copy to the winner picked at random.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday night, September 14th).

I'll announce the winner on Friday.

*Mike was also one of my official readers at WTS for my doctoral project and one of the first endorsers of Resisting Gossip. He has been a great encourager to me!

Are you interested in reading a few of my book review papers from Mike's class? Here they are (but don't blame him for my verbose writing style!):

CCEF Paper Counseling and Physiology - Listening to Prozac
CCEF Paper Counseling and Physiology - Blame It on the Brain
CCEF Paper Counseling and Physiology - Where Is the Mango Princess?

Read More

And the Winner Is....

.... Drumroll please! ...

I'm pleased to announce that Todd Dobo has won a signed copy of The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe by Zeke Pipher!

Congratulations, Todd. I look forward to hearing how the Lord uses them in you and your boys' lives.

Thank you, everyone who participated!

If you want to buy your own set, visit the Wild Mountain to order your own copy of The Wild Man and/or Wild Mountain Tribe today!

Related:

Read my interview with Zeke about these two books.

Read my list of the 5 biggest things I appreciate about these "wild" books.

And watch the video about them below.

Read More

Wild, Man

5 Things I Appreciate About the New Books on Manhood from Zeke Pipher

All this week, I’ve been promoting The Wild Man fable and Wild Mountain Tribe by Zeke Pipher [read our interview here]. In fact, I’m giving away a signed set tomorrow morning (enter by 11:59 tonight!). I’m pleased to do this because I applaud what Zeke is trying to do with these new resources for followers of Jesus Christ.

I haven’t had the time or mental bandwidth to write a full review, but here is a quick list of some of the things I appreciate the most about Zeke’s “wild” books:

1. In writing The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe, Zeke is doing his part to raise up godly men.

It’s easy to bemoan the lack of godly men in this world. I could quickly dash off a paragraph about the pitfalls and failings of “failure-to-launch” males, no problem. But it’s much more difficult to see the problem and then do something constructive about it. Zeke has “manned-up” and done the harder thing, creating something valuable that can be used by others to raise up godly men. I love that he wrote the simple, creative story for his son Aiden in the first place as an exercise in faithful fathering. As the father of 3 growing boys, I am encouraged by Zeke’s example to do my own part.

2. Zeke’s books are a valiant attempt at capturing masculinity.

It’s also hard to get the message of manhood right. Not only does the world offer many false and twisted versions of masculinity, but even when you’re trying to be biblical, there are various extremes that are tempting to fall into. I’m glad that Zeke has taken up the challenge of leading the expedition through the minefield. I love that he calls it the “quest to capture masculinity.” We won’t get everything right, but we are aiming in the right direction. And we’re doing it together.

3. Zeke knows that masculinity is not one-size-fits all.

People who write about manhood often try to pigeonhole all men into one mold. But God didn’t make us that way. He’s much more creative than that! I get frustrated when I read books on biblical masculinity that miss out on the inventive and diverse variations of faithful godly masculinity that are possible. Not all men look or act the same. And a lot of what we think is “masculine” is actually just culturally condition preferences.

Zeke gets that. So while his main characters in the fable do some “traditionally” manly things like hunting, fishing, or sleeping outdoors, he is also careful to not stereotype, especially in the guidebook.

In fact, Zeke has a introductory word on masculinity in Wild Mountain Tribe that says it really well:

In The Wild Man fable, masculinity is represented by hair and physical strength. However, you do not need to have a beard or large biceps to be masculine. Many of the young men who read The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe are several years away from being able to grow facial hair or bench press impressive weights. Likewise, many of the older men who read these books have lost the thick hair and physical abilities of their youth. Neither situation limits a man’s opportunity to be wild. Many authors and speakers have reduced the definition of masculinity down to haircuts, clothing styles, and physical accomplishments. This narrow, external-focused explanation of masculinity pushes many of our manliest men out of the category, and that is a sad loss. To be masculine is to carry the right vision, do the right things, and follow the right King. Being masculine does involve being strong, but strength takes many forms. For this reason, the fraternity of wild men is varied, abundant, and multi-sided. You will find that it has plenty of room for your style, abilities, and skill-set as a man.

4. Zeke’s vision of manhood is biblical, not cultural.

Another way of saying this is that the vision of manhood that Zeke is developing and promoting is biblical, not cultural. If it’s not about being a one-size-fits-all kind of man, what kind of man is Zeke trying to get us to be?

In a word: Christlike.

Look at the list of manly virtues that Wild Mountain tribes will discuss when they get together and you will find a very counter-cultural set of values, including grace, honesty, humility, self-control, responsibility, proactiveness, protectiveness, courage, faithfulness, wisdom, discipline, submissiveness. Oh, what the Lord could do with a generation of men like that!

5. Zeke’s vision is the raising up of a generation (or more!) of wild, but not savage, men.

To tell you the truth, I was not “wild” about the adjective Zeke used to sum up his project.

I told him so when I first read it back in March. For me, “wild” came with too much baggage from other books with similar themes (but different visions) and sounded too...I don’t know...“wild.”

But Zeke has won me over to using this language by doing three things:

First, Zeke reminds me that God Himself is not domesticated. In the words of C.S. Lewis about his stories’ Christ-figure, Aslan is not a “tame Lion.” He is not safe, but He’s good.

Second, Zeke paints a picture of what “wild” means in the context of his fable and the guidebook, and it’s really good. I want to be like Zeke’s Ancient Man and Wild Man. They may seem scary at first, but I actually want men like that around me and walking with me through life. If that’s “wild,” then sign me up!

And third, Zeke explains in the very first week of Wild Mountain Tribe the difference between being savage men “brutish, rude, and cruel” with being wild men “powerful, and even at times fierce, but they are always kind and self-controlled” (pgs. 17-18). That contrast was really helpful for understanding what Zeke was trying to convey.

So, I’m glad that Zeke worked in a few of my suggestions for improving these books–his humility is another mark of manliness!–but I’m also glad that he’s retained the adjective “wild.”

So that now I can tell guys who ask me what I thought of Zeke’s new book, I can honestly say, “It’s wild, man, truly wild.”

Read More

An Interview with Zeke Pipher about "The Wild Man" and "Wild Mountain Tribe"

It's a privilege to have Zeke Pipher of The Wild Mountain visit the blog today and answer some questions about his excellent new books The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe which just came out last month (enter our contest to win a free set for yourself).

Interview

Matt: Tell us about yourself and your family. Who is Zeke Pipher and how did you come to write this book?

Zeke: I was transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ in 1990, during my sophomore year in college. I’m an EFCA pastor and author from central Nebraska. I’ve been married to Jamie since 1997, and together we have three children who are in the throes of junior high and high school. Those are the most important things about me. Some lesser important things I could mention are—I’m fanatical about hunting and fishing, I have absolutely no golf game, I love to butcher meat and chop vegetables, I just bought a motorcycle jacket to go with my newest hobby, I contribute to several national hunting magazines, and most of my books have been geared toward men and boys.

The Wild Man fable came from someplace deep inside me. One of my strongest desires is to be a faithful husband, father, and friend. A couple years ago, when my son, Aidan, turned twelve, I felt an awesome responsibility to pass on a concrete vision of manhood. I decided to write a story for him to provide him images of strong, courageous, faithful masculinity. Many men today are looking to society (celebrities, sports figures, politicians) to give them a definition of masculinity; my hope is to show Aidan through these two books how the Scriptures and his conscience can provide the direction. The Wild Man fable provides the vision of masculinity, and the Wild Mountain Tribe guidebook helps men—young and old—have conversations about how to live it out.

Matt: Why is The Wild Man a fable?

Zeke: I chose to write a fable because the genre fit my message perfectly. Fables are timeless, tapping into ideas that transcend any one culture. When we discuss masculinity, we are talking about ancient values that find their origin in the person of God and the order and nature of His creation. There are unique ways that each culture exhibits masculinity, but there are clear, timeless qualities that define it. These qualities are best exhibited in Jesus, “the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15).” I chose to write The Wild Man as a fable so that I could illustrate the timeless qualities God has built into the idea of being a man.

Matt: What are you hoping to accomplish by publishing The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe?

Zeke: There are few things I desire more than to see older men – fathers, grandfathers, mentors, and father-figures – teach younger men how to be strong, courageous, and faithful to Christ. It saddens me how many times I’ve heard fathers and grandfathers say, “I’ve dropped the ball when it comes to my son/grandson.” It breaks my heart for that older man. It makes me sad for the younger man. And it grieves me for our society. Everyone in a community benefits when men—young and old—are strong, courageous, self-sacrificing, humble, and justice-seeking. We are experiencing a crisis in our America surrounding issues of sexuality, gender, end of life, beginning of life, finances, and our stewardship of creation. When men are faithful to Christ as men, including in how they pass on a vision for masculinity, everyone in society wins. I wrote these two books to help men be the “image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7b) as faithfully as possible.

Matt: Where did you get the idea for the “Ancient Symbol of the Deep Masculine” (from The Wild Man)?

Zeke: That symbol is the ancient Chi Rho christogram that the early church used to represent Christ. It is formed by the first two Greek letters of the word Christos, the chi and the rho. I chose that symbol because it is a way of connecting the fable and its presentation of masculinity to the person of Christ. All the qualities and characteristics of masculinity find their origin and perfect expression in Jesus, and so I wanted the “Ancient Symbol of the Deep Masculine” to direct the reader back to Jesus.

Matt: In addition to The Wild Man, you wrote a 14-week guidebook called, Wild Mountain Tribe. What is that guidebook for, and who is it for?

Zeke: Men often have the right heart and desires, but struggle to have deep conversations over important subjects. I wanted to help fathers, grandfathers, mentors, and father-figures have some of the most vital conversations with the young men in their lives. Churches, men’s groups, college ministries, and families can use Wild Mountain Tribe as a resource. The fable will help cast a vision, and the guidebook will help men see how to live it out.

Matt: What word of encouragement would you want to leave any dads who are reading this interview?

Zeke: Fatherhood is one of the most noble, challenging, and rewarding endeavors God has given us. To do it well, we’ve got to be intentional. We must spend time with our children, and we must have the right conversations and experiences with them. This isn’t easy. The best fathers in the world struggle with discouragement and uncertainty at times. One of my hopes for us older men as we use The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe to teach young men to be faithful is that we never feel alone. We have an enemy who knows our souls well, and knows that if he can make us feel isolated, he’s got us on the ropes. We are not isolated. We are a part of a tribe of faithful men that stretches back to the first family God created. My hope and prayer is that you take your roles as a father, grandfather, mentor, and father-figure seriously. And as you do, I pray that you feel us—the greater tribe of faithful men—cheering you on in your journey.

Matt: Thanks, Zeke, for your time in this interview, but even more for writing this book. I pray that it blesses thousands of men and soon-to-be-men and their families.

Our giveaway contest ends Thursday at 11:59pm.

Read More

Win a Copy of "The Wild Man" Fable and "Wild Mountain Tribe" by Zeke Pipher

This Spring, I finally had the privilege of meeting Zeke Pipher in person. He came to Pennsylvania to speak at our church's Wild Game Dinner. Zeke and I had been online friends for a few years as fellow EFCA pastors with mutual friends, and I'd been an admirer of his books for hyper-hobbied and outdoorsmen, but we'd never gotten to meet face-to-face.

We hit it off right away.

And right off the bat, one of the issues we connected on was the need to pass on godly masculinity to the next generation. I have 3 sons (and a daughter who will be an adult before too long!), so it's deeply important to me. The world offers so many false messages about manhood, and they are all not only flawed but dangerous.

So Zeke told me about a project he was working on--a fable that teaches about Christ-centered masculinity through an allegorical story and also a guidebook for men and young men to go through together. He even gave me pre-publication copies to review.

I like them a lot!

These are two books not quite like any others out there, and I think they would help any dads, granddads, or uncle-types who wanted to get some good principles of biblical masculinity across to the young bucks whom they care about.

Tomorrow on Independence Day, I'll be publishing an interview I did with Zeke all about how and why he wrote these two books.

Win A Set for Yourself

Today, I'm offering starting a contest to win a free set. Zeke will send a copy of each book to the winner picked at random.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday night, July 6th).

I'll announce the winner on Friday.

But if you can't wait, order your copy of The Wild Man and/or Wild Mountain Tribe today!

This video from Zeke's Wild Mountain website tells the story of what these books are all about.

Read More

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations go to Brent Bodenhamer for winning a free copy of Good & Angry by David Powlison,

Brent's comment was, "I'll be mad if I don't win." So I'm glad we dodged that bullet!

Send me your mailing information, Brent, so that we can get you your book.

And thank you to New Growth Press for sponsoring this contest!

Read More

Win a Copy of "Good & Angry" by David Powlison

It's hard to communicate how excited I am about this brand new book from David Powlison, Good & Angry, which officially releases on Monday.

I've been waiting 15 years for this book! 

Ever since I learned of the ministry of CCEF and the Journal of Biblical Counseling, I've been reading the excellent (though sporadic) articles that David has written on this difficult subject, and I've also heard him teach on it in person. And for all of those years, he's been promising a book-length treatment but has been providentially hindered from producing it. But now in 2016, Good & Angry has finally arrived!

Seeing Red

I haven't finished reading it, but I can already tell you that it's very good. David has a unique way of seeing and saying truth. He's both feisty and humble at the same time. He captures both the essence of anger and all of its contours. I think Andy Naselli nails it in calling David "the Yoda of biblical counseling," David is one of the wisest people when it comes to understanding how people tick and how the Word of God meets and changes them [I've been learning from and quoting him for years and years!].

Even the title says so much. I've been reading another pretty good book recently about how not to be personally offended, and I've been helped very much by it. But the author basically argues away the concept of righteous anger as a self-justifying fiction [see this excellent review of Unoffendable by my friend Benjamin Vrbicek]. Powlison, instead, would see anger redeemed and gives us biblical categories for understanding good anger (i.e. "the constructive displeasure of mercy").  Yet at the same time, Powlison never excuses sinful anger and constantlly offers helpful counsel for change.  [See this review by Tim Challies to get a fuller picture of the book's strengths.]

Not only does David break new ground, but he does it with gentleness and grace. He writes as one struggler to other fellow strugglers, and it feels like a personal conversation. I can hear his voice in every sentence. This book is biblical counseling at its best written by one its leading theorists and
practitioners.

Win One for Yourself!

Starting today, I'm offering a contest to win a free copy.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 12am EST on Wednesday night, September 21st).

I'll announce the winner on Thursday.

But if you can't wait, order your copy today!

Read More

And the Winner Is...

... Heather Dobo!

Congratulations, Heather, on winning a copy of God Made All Of Me by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb.

Thank you, everyone, who entered the contest and shared with others about this helpful new resource.

Remember, New Growth Press is offering about $100 worth of free resources for those who pre-order a copy before it comes out on September 8th. Check out the website for details.

Interview with Authors
Info-Graphic About Child Abuse

Read More

An Interview with Justin and Lindsey Holcomb about #GodMadeAllOfMe

Sexual abuse hurts children, families, and communities like few other sins. The statistics are dishearteningly high and the painful results are utterly devastating.

And yet, most parents have been almost completely unprepared to talk to their children about how to prevent and respond to sexual abuse. I know that when my kids were little, I had almost no idea of what to say to them that would be helpful without frightening them.

That's why I'm excited about this brand new book from Justin and Lindsey Holcomb, God Made All Of Me, which comes out on September 8th.

I've gotten a sneak peak, and it's very good. I wish it existed ten years ago!

The Holcombs were kind enough to answer some questions* about this new resource.

What prompted you to write God Made All of Me? Who are you hoping will read and use it? Why did you use the "children's storybook" approach?

The book is for 2-8 year olds. We wrote it because we have two young children and know that

parents need tools to help talk with their kids about their bodies and to help them understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touch. It allows families to build a first line of defense against sexual abuse in the safety of their own homes. Our goal is to help parents and caregivers in protecting their children from sexual abuse. Because private parts are private, there can be lots of questions, curiosity, or shame regarding them. For their protection, children need to know about private parts and understand that God made their body and made it special.

Our hope is that parents and caregivers will use this book to help you in protecting their child from sexual abuse. We want parents and caregivers to be smarter and better prepared than those who would want to harm children. While we know that actions by adults can be more effective than expecting children to protect themselves from sexual abuse, children still need accurate, age-appropriate information about child sexual abuse and confidence their parents and caregivers will support them. That is why we used the storybook approach.

In God Made All of Me, you were intentional about using the terms “appropriate” and “inappropriate,” when referring to kinds of touch, instead of the words “good” or “bad.” Why is that?
It is important to be clear with adults and children about the difference between touch that is appropriate and touch that is inappropriate. Experts discourage any use of the phrases “good touch” and “bad touch” for two main reasons. First, some sexual touch feels good and then children get confused wondering if it was good or bad. Second, children who have been taught “good touch” or “bad touch” would be less likely to tell a trusted adult as they perceive they have done something bad.

To your child say something like: “Most of the time you like to be hugged, snuggled, tickled, and kissed, but sometimes you don’t and that’s OK. Let me know if anyone—family member, friend, or anyone else—touches you or talks to you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Is there a way to educate our children about this without instilling fear?

To teach children about sexual abuse it is important to explain about private parts. Clearly identify for your child which parts of their anatomy are private. Explain to your child that “some places on your body should never be touched by other people—except when you need help in the bathroom, or are getting dressed, or when you go to the doctor.” You can do this with young children during bath time or have your child dress in a bathing suit and show them that all areas covered by a bathing suit are “private.” The bathing suit analogy can be a bit misleading because it fails to mention that other parts of the body can be touched inappropriately (like mouth, legs, neck, arms), but it is a good start for little ones to understand the concept of private parts.

To teach about sexual abuse offenders, it is important to teach your kids about “tricky people.” Tricky people are grown-ups who ask kids for help or tell kids to keep a secret from their parents. Teach your kids not to do anything or go anywhere with any adult at all, unless they ask for permission first.

Aside from reading your book to our kids, what are some practical things we parents can do to protect our children from sexual abuse?
In our book, the last page is to parents and called, “9 Ways to Protect Your Children from Sexual Abuse.” Some of the key practical things parents can do are: teach proper names of private body parts, talk about touches, throw out the word “secret,” and identify whom to trust. You can read about all 9 here.

This subject is so hard to talk about. What advice do you have for parents who want to create an open environment in their home, so children always feel comfortable talking to them about issues related to their sexuality or body?

We remind parents that some people are out their looking to prey on our children. We have a duty to protect and prepare them for the world and to fight for them. By talking with them candidly (and again developmentally appropriate) about their bodies we are setting up safe guards around them.

Dr. John T. Chirban has written an excellent book How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex that we highly recommend to all parents. He explains: “Someone is going to teach your kids about sex…shouldn’t it be you?” His book gives parents tools to talk with their children about the connections between sex, intimacy, and love.

Thank you, Justin & Lindsey, for visiting my blog and, more importantly, for creating this helpful resources for children, parents, and care-givers. May the Lord use it to protect thousands of children from evil.

***

Exciting offer from New Growth Press:

If you pre-order God Made All of Me by September 7 and receive $100 worth of free music and books. Visit www.godmadeallofme.com for more information.

To keep up with Justin and Lindsey Holcomb, visit www.godmadeallofme.com. You can also like and follow Justin or Lindsey's pages on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@justinholcomb and @lindseyholcomb).

And don't forget to enter my contest for a free copy of "God Made All Of Me."


* Some of these questions were supplied by the authors--very helpful for getting to the central ideas of the book.

Read More

Win a Copy of "God Made All Of Me" by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb

I'm excited about this new book, #GodMadeAllOfMe to help children be safe from abuse. It's from the authors of Rid of My Disgrace and related resources.  I wish it had been available when my kids were little.

On Tuesday, I'm going to publish an interview I did with the Holcombs about this book.

Starting today, I'm offering a contest to win a free copy.

Entering this contest is very simple:

1. Leave a comment on this post (either here or on Facebook) with your name on it.

2. Wait to see if you win. I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. It's that easy! (Don't forget to check back or subscribe to updates to find out if you win--I'll need your mailing address if you do.)

You can also increase your chances of winning by posting about this contest on your social media page (FB, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.). Just send me an email or leave a comment with the link so that I know that you've expanded the reach of the contest. For each time you link to the contest, you get your name added to the hat one more time (limit of 7 chances, the contest ends at 12am EST on Tuesday night, August 25th).

I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.

By the way, if you can't wait for my contest to end to order your book, New Growth Press is offering about $100 worth of free resources for those who pre-order their copy before it comes out on September 8th. Check out the website for details.

Pictured below is an infographic from the Holcombs about this important topic:

Read More

Free Kindle Copy of "Running Scared" by Ed Welch

Run--don't walk, run--over to Amazon right now and get your free Kindle copy of Running Scared by Ed Welch.

Few books have been more helpful to me in my own life. You won't regret it.

Did I mention that it's FREE today?

Read More

A Free Book! "Loving Well" by Bill Smith

Good news!  New Growth Press is giving away downloads of Bill Smith's splendid book Loving Well (Even If You Haven't Been) this weekend!

You can read my review at the Biblical Counseling Coalition website, but don't forget to download your copy. Highly recommended.

Read More

And the Winner Is...

...Ann Beaulieu!

Congratulations, Ann, for winning a free hardback copy of What's Best Next by Matt Perman.

(And it goes to show that sharing the contest with your networks of friends really does increase your chances of winning. Ann shared it out and had 5 chances in the hat. Her name was picked out at random by my daughter five minutes ago.)

This is a groundbreaking book. Buy it today at Amazon or WTSBooks (only $11!).

Read my interview with Matt Perman about What's Best Next.

Read More