One of my resolutions this year is to become a better writer. (Someone said I probably should have thought of this before I started writing books, but better late than never.) The only ways I know of to improve my writing is to read more and write more, so to help accomplish those goals I am going to post a book review every Monday. Hopefully along the way you might also come across a good book to read.
This weekend I have been reading 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by my friend Larry Osborne. I like this book on a couple levels. On the most basic level it is a good read. Larry takes 10 common misconceptions; he calls them spiritual urban legends, and examines them under the light of scripture. Some of the myths are so ingrained that they sound like things that HAVE to be true: Faith can fix anything, forgiving means forgetting, God has a blueprint for my life, Christians shouldn't judge. But Larry shows that while these beliefs sound true, they simply aren't biblical. He then builds a case for true biblical belief in each area. In addition to being a good read I think 10 Dumb Things would be a great small group study (unless you've read Larry's Sticky Church and only do sermon-based small groups), or a good tool for counseling people struggling with one of these areas. If I were a young pastor I would also consider doing a summer series called 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe and teach through the book. (Give Larry credit in the first message and tell people where they can buy the book at the end.)
I also like this book as a writer. Larry is a really smart guy with tons of experience and advanced degrees, but he doesn't let that get in the way of his writing. He takes complex issues and breaks them down in simple terms without being simplistic. He doesn't use jargon or obscure passages of scripture to prove his point; he just lays out the truth in plain language so that it is accessible to the common Christian. As an author it is easy to be complex and confuse your reader, and it is easy to be basic and patronize your reader; it takes real skill to simply converse with your reader. Larry does a great job of demonstrating that skill in this book.




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