Scattered Thoughts from a Serious Scholar

Every time I review a book by John Piper, I always start with the same line – Piper is a serious thinking and a scholar.  This review of Piper’s A Godward Heart:  Treasuring the God who Loves You is no different because it takes a quick but deep look at many different topics (50 of them).  There are some serious nuggets in this book that I believe anyone could gain benefit from reading.  I have listed a few of those below:

• ·         Covering the Chasm – a look at the “rebellion of nudity.”  If you’ve ever had a child ask you why we wear clothes since Adam and Eve were originally naked, well, this provides that answer for you.
• ·         Changed Lives in Jesus’ New Life – an examination of how to live a radical life due to the Resurrection of Christ.  We should not lose heart as we age and our bodies give out because the focus should be on the renewing of our inner selves. 
• ·         Coed Combat and Cultural Cowardice – a discussion of what women in combat really means.  He says that men have decided to “let women die; I’ll keep my career” (158).  I’ll not go any further, but he has serious issues with men that would step aside and let a woman take a bullet that he could instead take for her.
• ·         Why Require Unregenerate Children to Act like they are Good – a provision of three reasons why parenting by God’s will is effective even for those that are yet to yield their hearts in faith to God.

The main difference in this book and any other that he has written is its disjointedness, which was by design.  He makes it clear in his opening that this is simply a collection of thoughts that may change someone’s life.  He readily admits that, while has read volumes of books, it is often a paragraph or sentence or phrase that has made a huge difference in his life.  Rather than digging into a longer, expositional work, Piper goes short, sweet, and to the point. 

While not a bad read, A Godward Heart is not what I was expecting from him.  It does not fit his normal work; so, for me at least, I was a bit disappointed.  You can and will learn from the book, but just understand the difference going in as a reader.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  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 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.