In Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole, Pastor Eric Mason (@pastoremase) confronts the brokenness of
manhood in our culture, holding out the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the cure.
Strengths
This book clearly flows from a pastor’s heart, and so it is
at once both deeply theological and very practical, simultaneously convicting
and comforting, and full of great illustrations of the important principles
Pastor Mason wants to convey.
That balance between mining the depths of the gospel and
applying the truths therein is what I appreciated the most, I think; too many
books talk of the gospel in abstract terms, while others are basically
self-help books with a little Christianese mixed in. In contrast, Pastor Mason
talks about the Good News of what Jesus has done and then clearly connects it
to tangible areas of manhood.
I repeatedly found myself highlighting, underlining, and
circling different things that I want to come back to, such as his outline for
establishing a vision for one’s family, his suggestions for establishing a plan
for our wife’s spiritual growth, or his breakdown of the different aspects of
our ministry as the “pastors of our homes.”
Weaknesses
Honestly, there is not much that I have to say as far as
weaknesses go. This is solid, biblical stuff. (I will say that the book
probably could’ve avoided some pretty obvious errors in spelling and grammar
had they given it another proofread – but that’s just nitpicking.)
Takeaway
There is a lot to take away here! I think that, at the end
of the day, this book encouraged me to see Jesus in a new light; obviously He
is my Lord, my Savior, my King, my Shepherd... but now I also see Him as my role
model for manliness.
At one point Mason says, "Leadership is taking the initiative for the benefit of others." (p.131) That was probably my biggest takeaway: my family and my church need me to step up and lead! Just as Jesus out of love took the initiative on our behalf, so I too must lovingly take the initiative in my family and in my church to pursue their good and God's glory.
At one point Mason says, "Leadership is taking the initiative for the benefit of others." (p.131) That was probably my biggest takeaway: my family and my church need me to step up and lead! Just as Jesus out of love took the initiative on our behalf, so I too must lovingly take the initiative in my family and in my church to pursue their good and God's glory.
"Leadership is taking the initiative for the benefit of others"
Recommendation: Buy it!
This book deserves a spot on your shelf. Buy it. You’re
going to highlight it, take notes, and refer back to it again!
7.5 out of 10
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