Conquered Words: February

This is my monthly post where I tell you what I have read and (ever so briefly) what I thought about each work. If you haven't read these books, then read this blog and pretend that you did!

Multiple factors are included that resulted in my embarrassingly short reading completions this month, but I think the top reason is because I read SO MUCH for school. SO MUCH. And a lot of dense stuff...anyways, I know it was really cute how I posted what I read for school last time, but it's just too much and I don't really want to tell you the Hellenistic philosophy readings I drove through this month.

Here, then, is what I read in February.

1) Feel by Matthew Elliott (Tyndale House Publishers, 228 pages). I think I've already told you before that I really do not find a lot of Christian books that I like/I believe to be well written. For the most part, there's TONS of repetition. That's why I tend to read Ph.D's because they have research to present (for the most part). This is Elliott's dissertation in plain language. It has to do with the role of emotions in the Bible and it singlehandedly refutes most of modern evangelical thinking in regards to human emotion. I've heard it a million times: "Love is not an emotion, don't trust your emotions..." or, "The 'joy' the Bible talks about is not a feeling, it's a state of mind." I think I've even preached that before. But Elliott just shows that there is no way around the fact that in God's redemption, he redeems our emotions and that our emotions are not only to be tolerated, but celebrated and followed in some respects. He clarifies a lot in here and it's a very well researched book. We are to have real, passionate feelings for God and others. We are supposed to feel alive inside, it is a part of God's redemption of the human. I realized that this is part of my story. I had very little passion and affection and feeling toward God until the Holy Spirit really and totally invaded my life. Since then, I actually have grown in how I feel toward God and how I feel toward others. I think his more academic book, Faithful Feelings should have been read instead, but I was given this book so, what are you gonna do? Anyways. This book changed my theology, plain and simple. I have no argument back for Elliott and I would be surprised if someone comes out with one. My new exhortation to my students: FEEL SOMETHING!

2) Lectures to my Students by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Zondervan, 446 pages). I FINALLY FINISHED IT. I think it's been about 9 months. There are a lot of books that I just slowly make my way through and this is one of them. I read a page or a chapter here and there when I feel like it or remember it. Spurgeon is the man, and if you have any desire to preach or pastor, this book is a MUST read. Spurgeon is called the prince of preachers by most and he truly is. The dude started his preaching ministry at the age of 19 and was pastoring two churches by the time he was 21. But he didn't fit any mold. He was despised by many and got kicked out of his own denomination in England. He planted hundreds of churches and started his own Pastor's College, which still stands in England to date. He also smoked a pipe. Anyways, he was a gifted pastor and an overall excellent teacher. God brings along dudes like this every once and a while...but not often. A lot of people resist Spurgeon because he is so loved in the Reformed circles, but is that any reason to not read him? The dude was ridiculously gifted and God used him to spark a revival in England right when they needed it. You know what? I think it's time for another one of those...

Aaaaannnd that was all.

Keep reading, friends.