Skip to content ↓

30 Minute Reviews

Book Reviews Collection cover image

Here is another roundup of 30 Minute Reviews. These are noteworthy books that I did not have time or opportunity to read from beginning to end. Instead, I tried to spend at least 30 minutes with each—enough to get a sense of what the book is all about.

At the Throne of GraceAt the Throne of Grace is a book of the pastoral prayers of John MacArthur. Here is what the publisher says: “For more than 40 years, John MacArthur has steadfastly committed himself to the careful and faithful teaching of God’s Word. A key outgrowth of his study of Scripture is the profoundly God-centered prayers that precede his sermons. John’s prayers are the offerings of a heart that is fully committed to honoring God, proclaiming and obeying His Word, and calling others to do the same. In this book, prayers and Scripture readings from across his years of ministry have been brought together to stir Christians toward more meaningful and edifying communion with God.” These are powerful prayers, chosen by his children, arranged topically, and printed for all of us to enjoy. We’ve all known MacArthur as a preacher; this gives us an opportunity to see him in his role as a pastor who prays.

A Life of Gospel Peace – We have waited a long time for a fresh biography of Jeremiah Burroughs and at last it has come courtesy of Phillip Simpson and Reformation Heritage Books. Here is a short endorsement I penned for it: “A man whose books are known and treasured almost four centuries after his death is a man worth getting to know. Phillip Simpson has done the church a great service in penning this long-overdue account of the life and impact of Jeremiah Burroughs. I am glad to commend it to you.”

Foundations for the Flock – Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe that this is Conrad Mbewe’s first book. Published by Granted Ministries Press, this book contains “Truths About the Church for All the Saints” (according to the subtitle). Here is the back copy: “The church of Jesus Christ has but one foundation, Christ Himself. But upon that stone must come basic and fundamental truths taught by the Bible. This book is a collection of writings produced throughout the fires and challenges of a quarter-century of pastoral ministry, being written with wisdom, insight, humility, and practicality, in order to instruct and equip the people of God.” And the first line of an endorsement that caught my eye: “If Conrad Mbewe’s preaching corresponds to that of Charles Spurgeon, his abilities at shepherding must approximate that of the puritan Richard Baxter.” That is high praise!

The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus – “What thoughts flood our minds when we think about God? Do we think of Him as King? If so, what kind of King? In this book Mike Abendroth seeks to address a twofold problem: most Christians do not consider God as any type of Monarch, and, if they do, they think about monarchs that are weak rather than reflecting on the utter Lordship of God, the ultimate King. In Part 1, Mike Abendroth demonstrates that the whole Bible reveals God as King. In Part 2, he describes the life-changing implications that flow from that revelation. Filled with insightful quotations, worshipful hymns, and thoughtful study questions, this book helps us to biblically embrace God as our King.” This one comes with endorsements by Steven Lawson, Richard Mayhue and Richard Phillips.


  • Disappointment

    The Practice of Accepting Disappointment

    One of the most important habits you can develop is the habit of accepting that life is full of disappointments. One of the best ways to grow in contentment is to accept the inevitability of discontentment. One of the ways you can be most joyful in life is to be realistic about life, to know…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (October 28)

    A La Carte: How to steward money in marriage / Regrets in parenting / The temptation of temptation / Our common purpose / How much should Christians tithe? / Huge Kindle sale / and more.

  • Prayer for a Son

    A Father’s Prayer for His Son

    Every father knows the importance of praying for his children. Yet every father also knows that at times it can be difficult to know what to pray. I recently found a sweet prayer in an old book and thought I would share it with you, dad, so you can pray it for your son. Take…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (October 26)

    A La Carte: Who are “the least of these?” / Where is Jordan Peterson on his spiritual journey? / A new Getty song / Christianity is not colonial / Reexamining sacramental life for Baptists / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Ligonier Ministries)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, who also sponsored the blog this week.  Are you saved? This is the ultimate question, but it won’t make much sense unless we’ve also asked ourselves what we need to be saved from. In a word, the answer is God. Ligonier Ministries is offering the ebook…

  • Bad Guys

    Could I Be One of the Bad Guys?

    Here is something I have been considering over the past few days: Every one of us acknowledges there is a lamentable lack of unity among Christians today. Yet none of us seems to consider that we ourselves may be the cause of that disunity, or at least contribute to it. In our minds, it is…