I can truthfully say I have waited years for this book to be written.
Sometime in the early 2000s, I came across a series of sermons on the Marrow Controversy by Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson. Because of my love of Church History, I thought this would be a great series to listen to. I had no idea that it would open up a whole new realm of study for myself. After listening to the lectures concerning a book called, "The Marrow of Modern Divinity", I read the book itself.
The whole study of Law and Gospel has intrigued me. This was just what I was looking for. For the next few decades, I read everything I could concerning the Law of God and grace, always keeping an eye out for specific references to "The Marrow". I am now excited to listen to the audio version of the book written by Ferguson himself.
The wait was truly worth it. The book is well written. Ferguson takes difficult doctrines and explains them in simple language. Not only does he show the history behind the controversy, he digs into the bible to show us how important the controversy is for today.
I can not say enough good things about both the book and the audiobook. The narrator does a wonderful job with the material. Neither to fast or too slow, the narration keeps you focused. If there is anything lacking, it is the absence of footnotes. They are missing altogether. I understand it is almost impossible to include them in an audiobook and do not take off of the rating.
All in all, this is one great book. I suggest you listen to it, then purchase "The Marrow" and read it. You will not be disappointed.
I highly recommend and give this audiobook 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
Deep Theology in audiobook form!
This book is a rare jewel.
Most audiobooks, by nature, are simple. It is very difficult to listen to complex theological doctrine in audiobook form. Think of how hard it would be to follow John Owens, "Death of Death" with someone reading it to you. But In this case it works.
First things first. Alcorn takes a very difficult subject and makes it accessible to the normal person. This is a monumental feat in and of itself. Add the ability to follow it easily in audible form, and we have ourselves a great audiobook.
The subject has been debated for 2000 years and Alcorn does not break new ground here, but neither does anyone else who writes on the subject. What he does bring is a logical and balanced voice to the freewill debate.
What sets this book apart from many others is the attention to fairness in debate. Most people, when debating, set up straw men and knock them down. They take another’s position, stretch it our past what the person actually believes, knock it down, then say they have destroyed their argument. In reality, they have only destroyed a caricature of the true argument. In the end, that leaves no one convinced and only preaches to the choir.
Randy Alcorn, takes a different approach here. He lets both sides speak for themselves. He is fair and does not use logical fallacies to win his argument.
I believe a book like this can bring both sides together for a calm discussion without raising one’s blood pressure.
The narration was spot on. Randy does his own narration and does a fine job at that. Sometimes you forget you are even listening to an audiobook and feel you are listening to a lecture. The narration was clear and read at a speed that makes it easy to understand.
I loved this book!
I highly recommend this audiobook and give it a 5 out of 5 star.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
I tend to gravitate toward unusual books. Today, best sellers are usually "10 steps to this" or "three steps to that". Those kind books are about as deep as a thimble of water. They are soooo boring. Give me something I can sink my teeth into. When I saw this book, it really peaked my interest - How can family become an idol?
I think what drew me to listen to this book is the fact that in today’s society the family is derided so much. From the idiot dads, to the single parent households, the nuclear family is all but extinct. So how can it be placed as an idol when no one cares about it anymore?
If an idol is something we replace God with and the family is considered "out of date", how can it become an idol?
When starting this book, I felt I would be disappointed - Ho Hum, another Hipster Postmodern Neo-Calvinists whipping himself in public to show everyone how humble he is.
I WAS WRONG. What I saw here was a man who seemed to have it all, but was miserable because he placed his dream of a perfect family in the place of God’s will. In places, you can see the pain that both he and his wife have faced.
This idol of the family was created because of our culture’s desire to destroy the family. In many cases, the Christian pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. We have placed family as such a priority, that all else pales in comparison.
How do we get our priorities right? Place God back on the throne! When we place Him first, all other things will fall into place.
All in all, this was a very good book. The narration was very well done and the sound was crisp and clear. They have Adam Verner (male) as narrator for Ted’s part and Amy Rubinate (female) for Kristin's. Both do a great job.
I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it, especially for those Hipster Postmodern Neo-Calvinists, of which I am a part of - minus the postmodern.
I highly recommend this audiobook and give it a 5 out of 5 star.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
R.C has always been my favorite Theologian. I was introduced to the reformed faith through many of his writings. So when he writes a new book, I jump at the chance to read it. In this case I was blessed to listen to it.
This book is basically a short Systematic Theology. But do not let that description fool you. It contains much depth. He called in an introduction but it covers every major theme in Theology.
Each chapter takes a subject from the Bible and explains it out using scripture. It is written with the average person in mind. R.C. has always had an ability to explain doctrine to the average person. Here he is at his finest.
The book alone would be worth listening to even if read by an average Joe, but this one was narrated by the one and only Grover Gardner. Gardner is an award winning narrator, and he is my personal favorite. He could probably read the phone book and make it interesting. So what do you get when you put a top notch theologian and an award winning narrator? A perfect combination. It reminds me of the old commercial – “You put peanut butter on my chocolate.”
I truly loved this audiobook and highly recommend it to all
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
In today's politically correct world, tolerance is the ultimate virtue. That is unless you are a conservative woman. In this book, Scottie Nell Hughes gives us a perspective of what it is like to be both a wife and political personality.
She shows us how the left are for women, but not all women. They only cater to those who think like themselves and demonize the rest. She shows how the left is very loving and tolerant to those who agree with them, but very hateful and intolerant to those who don't.
This book is a very easy listen and in some places will make you mad (not at her, but at those who consider themselves the thought police to the rest of us).
Scottie Nell Hughes being both author and narrator, reads with an emphasis on her original meaning. I believe this added another dimension to the book. The quality of the recording is top notch.
I enjoyed this audiobook. It was short, to the point, and left me looking for the her next book.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
Politics and Religion, those are the two things we are never supposed to talk about. In this audiobook, Chip Ingram does that very thing. He takes us though subjects that most Christians have never heard a single sermon on. He delves into a list that tent to start angry debates.
The following is a partial list of subjects covered:
Sex
Homosexuality
Abortion
The Environment
These are controversies that could be taken from the front page of today’s newspaper. They touch each of our lives in one way or another. If they do not directly affect us, they usually do through our friends and loved ones.
Ingram's writing is easy to read (or in my case, listen to) and the information is every informative. He not only shows the beliefs held on both sides of the issue, he gives a biblical understanding on each subject. The last part of the book is written in a question and answer format. Here is where the book really shines. He takes the hard cases and shows how to give not only a biblical answer, but he does it with a pastor's heart. The book is clear and precise, yet loving and sensitive.
I enjoyed the narration tremendously. I felt like I was listening to a lecture more than an audiobook. The audio was clear and professional.
If you feel that the world is changing way too fast and you need to get a handle on these subjects, please consider this book.
To wrap it up - Read or listen to this book!
I highly recommend this audiobook and give it a 5 out of 5 star.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
This being the second Todd Starnes book I have read, or in this case listened to, I am becoming somewhat of a fan. He is funny but knowledgeable. His writing is simple and easy to read. He causes you to both think and feel.
Here we have a list of things no one would have believed could happen in America. The world has been turned upside down. The very things your parent taught you were right and noble are now seen as bigoted and hateful. To love God and you neighbor is now seen as racist, extreme, and even terrorism.
Like the phrase attributed to Saddam Hussein’s Democrat lawyer, Ramsey Clark, “One man’s terrorist is another man's freedom fighter”. The far left sees good as evil and visa versa. To have a choice to send you child to a school of your choosing is to hate teachers. To put a terrorist in prison is to be an Islamophobe. To say that an innocent baby should not be killed is to start a war on women. On and on it goes. Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" instructs the left to never have a conversation with their adversary because that humanizes them, their job is to demonize them, And demonize they have done.
We live in a New Amerika where an elderly lady is told she can not read her bible on public property; where a solder can die for the right to freedom of religion, but does not have freedom himself to display a bible; where a child can’t even read his Bible during free time at lunch. For years, many liberals have hated religion. They removed “God” from the Democrat platform. When they realized their mistake and decided to put Him back in, the crowd booed and hissed. For the last 40 years, they have passed laws to give us freedom “from” religion. After 9-11 they finally found a religion they can admire. Now they can call Christians - terrorist and Al-Qaeda - freedom fighters.
Now that I have come down off of my soap box, I would like to review Starnes book. Here, Starnes gives us a list of atrocities that have been performed in the name of tolerance. Seeing tolerance as the greatest virtue, the left tend to tolerate only those who agree with them. That is no tolerance at all. Tolerance says, even if I disagree with you, you have a right to believe what you do. The left says that tolerance is closing the mouths of those who disagree so that those who do agree with them do not get there feelings hurt. If you agree with same-sex marriage, you are tolerant. If you don't, you are a Homophobe. If you agree with abortion, you are for women. If not, you have waged a war on women. If you believe that Government should be in control of medical care, you have compassion for the poor. If not, you are a racist. Somehow, spending other people’s money, as opposed to spending your own on the poor, makes a person feel more compassionate. They have taken Alinsky's advice and demonized their opponents. Why can we not have a little civility? Everyone has the right to live peaceable, no matter what race or religion. America stands for freedom! Let us not give that freedom away to the “Thought Police”.
I can say that this book was top notch. It will both, break you heart and give you pride for our country. Your heart will be broken for the assault on the average American who has had their constitutional rights taken away, but you will be proud that the story doesn't end there. People are standing up to the bullying and calling for common sense, which is very uncommon today.
The narration was great. With the mix of good narration and a well written book, I did not feel I was listening to the written word, it was more like listening to a conversation.
I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review.
I can truthfully say I have waited years for this book to be written. 
