Christian Book Notes

Fitzpatrick, Elyse and Jessica Thompson.  Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus.  Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2011.  208 pp.  $14.99.  Purchase at Westminster for $8.43.

Introduction

Elyse Fitzpatrick is an excellent writer and editor.  I have reviewed two of her previous works, both published by Crossway Books, and have thoroughly enjoyed them.  This book is a bit different in that it is a parenting resource that was co-written with her daughter, Jessica.

Summary

Divided into two parts with ten chapters, and three appendices, Elyse offers her readers a humbled, hindsight, handbook on parenting and pointing your children toward the grace of God found in the cross of Calvary.  In part one, she gives us the theological foundations of grace.  Within these four chapters, we are treated to biblical examples and reasons of for showing grace in our parenting.

In part two, the reader is implored to find the evidences of grace in daily living.  This section is comprised of six chapters and begins with a chapter on physical discipline.  In each chapter, the authors exhort the reader to continue parenting in light of the cross and to point out the grace in your child’s every day life from behavior to mercies to even the food on the table.  By the end of this section, if you have read it and wrestled with the Scriptural principles, you may find yourself viewing your neighborhood as a mission field if you do not already.

The three appendices drive further home the point of the gospel as being central to parenting.

Review

While I really enjoy reading various parenting books, I have found the latest round of books from the likes of Tedd and Paul Tripp, CJ Mahaney, etc. to be extremely helpful.  Add Elyse Fitzpatrick and her daughter to that list. What I enjoyed the most about this particular resource is the humbled hindsight offered by Elyse.  She openly admits to not getting it right all the time though she tried.

As a parent, we all understand the difficulty in maintaining our witness to our children when disciplining them.  Elyse takes on the roll of that godly Christian mom that wants to be an asset and train up the younger women (and yes, men since men will also read this resource) to be better than she was as a parent.  At the very least, be a bit more consistent.

I do wish in the chapter on discipline, they would have a been a bit less non-committal on the issue of spanking but they are adamant that spanking, if done properly, is biblical and that parents must come to their own (biblically-informed) conclusions on this matter.

Audio Review

I also was able to listen to this book from christianaudio.  I found the quality of the audio to be exceptional.  Tavia Gilbert narrated the book with great care and seemingly as a parent herself looking back on her own  years as a mother.  her emotions run the gamut along with Elyse’s writing from sorrow to joy and even singing with a beautiful voice that made me stop and listen to it again.

The only negative to the audio was once again the formatting of the files as they appear on my mp3 player.  This has always been my biggest critique of christianaudio.

Recommendation

As a father of five children ages seven and under (as of the writing of this review), I found Elyse’s exhortations, confessions, and gospel-centered message to be refreshing and encouraging.  There are days when you do not feel like you are doing a great job of parenting (and some days this is true) but Elyse and her daughter, Jessica, point the readers to the same cross that, as parents, we should be pointing our children.  I highly recommend this resource to all parents who call on the name of Christ as Lord and Savior.

Fitzpatrick, Elyse M. and Dennis E. Johnson. Counsel from the Cross. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009. 236 pp. $15.99.  Purchase at Westminster Books for $10.87.

Introduction

Thanks to men like Jay Adams, nouthetic (more commonly referred to as biblical) counseling is making a huge impact on the pastoral understanding of counseling. Nouthetic counseling is a fancy word that basically means that counseling should be from the Bible. The major premise of nouthetic counseling is that only the Holy Spirit can change a man. Before the pastor or counselor can really have an impact on a person, there must first be a response to the gospel. Without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, change cannot take place.

Review

For those pastors who have embraced nouthetic counseling (I am one of them), Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson have collaborated on a wonderful resource that not only speaks to the counselee but also to the counselor. Throughout nine chapters, the reader is exhorted through careful exegesis of Scripture to keep the cross central when giving counsel. Also, there are numerous real-life examples of how gospel-centered counseling can and should impact the Christian.

The end of each chapter includes a section of how to apply the particular teaching to your life. This short section greatly enhances the value of this resource. Even more than that, every chapter concludes with “Pursuing Counsel from the Cross.” These are a few questions designed to help you plumb the depths of your need for the gospel in every area of life. Again, this section greatly enhances the value of this resource.

An unexpected result in my reading this book was the encouragement and counsel I received. It was a refreshing reminder to read of how the gospel applies to every facet of life. It was also a sweet balm for the broken heart to know that “you are not the only one still struggling with sin.” It is easy for us as Christians (and perhaps more so for ministers) to think, “I am the only one who struggles with _____.” Fitzpatrick and Johnson shows that you are not.

Hidden at the back of the book are two invaluable resources. The first is a concise apologetic for biblical counseling. In nine quick pages, Fitzpatrick lays a foundation for the necessity of biblical counseling and a way in which to implement it in your local church setting.

The second appendix offers some suggested passages for dealing with particular issues encountered during counseling. For example, in dealing with adultery, they look at Exodus 20:2, 14. They next offer the declaration being made by God (“because of this”) and then look to the obligation we have (“therefore…”).

Recommendation

If you are in the ministry at all, this book needs to be on your shelf. As a leader in the local church (lay or ordained), you are a counselor whether you like it or not. Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson will aid you in becoming more effective counselor to your people. Counseling is usually not thought of by most ministers or deacons when they are ordained, but is quickly becoming more and more of ministry focus in the local church thanks in large part to the post-modernization of just about everything. We need a foundation rooted in Scripture which points to Calvary in order to effectively help the men and women in your ministry.

Fitzpatrick, Elyse M. Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009. 146 pp. $14.99.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, head of Women Helping Women Ministries, holds a masters in biblical counseling from Trinity Theological School. She wrote this book of meditations in order to help us to truly celebrate the gospel each and every day for a month. This may seem silly, but if the truth were told, I bet more often than not Christians do not celebrate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, I often fall into this category more than I care to admit.

Fitzpatrick has written a month’s worth of devotional material to help keep you focused on the most important matter in one’s life: the saving truth of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that is the gospel. In a style that I would describe as motherly, she sets out to show the centrality of the gospel and the joy found therein.

Brad Bigney, from his blurb on the back of the book, says, “The church today, particularly in America, has been languishing in selfish, impotent, shallow immaturity—barely able to survive, let alone thrive and make an impact on our culture.” Need I say more? This month long set of devotions will quicken your heart to love Christ for what He has done for you on the cross. In addition, you will be challenged—through your own joy in the gospel—to share it with others. If you struggle to find joy in the gospel, allow Elyse Fitzpatrick to help you. If you do not struggle, chances are you know someone who does; this book would make a perfect gift.