You Don’t Have To Be Special – God Of The Mundane Book Review

Nick Minerva • Jun 18, 2021

It’s easy to think that God’s best work is the larger-than-life, Pentecost-style moments. Works of God have to be “parting the Red Sea” big or we just assume it wasn’t God. Somewhere along the way we have picked up the idea that the only people God uses are Pastors or Missionaries who leave everything behind to live in a grass hut, in a third-world country, eating bugs so he could share the Gospel. It’s the “rock star” worship leaders that are making a difference in the world. In a world that practically worships celebrities and notoriety, we have begun to view quiet faithfulness as second best (if not even compromise.) Mundane feels like last place.

God Is In The Mundane

But let’s be real, those big moments that fill our Sunday School stories are not everyday life. Most of us aren’t leaving everything behind to go be a missionary. Does that mean God is working in our lives less? No. In God of the Mundane, Matthew Redmond shows us how God is very much at work in the ordinary places of our lives. God is in the mundane. It’s true, the Bible is full of story after story of miracles done by great men and women. But consider who it was written to—ordinary people who would never be apostles or church-planters or missionaries in the way we typically think about them. Think about it, even Jesus himself spent the majority of his adult life as an obscure, blue-collar worker.

God Delights In Normal

Throughout this book, Matthew reminds us that God delights in using the weak, insignificant and despised, because they are so ordinary, things in the world to advance his kingdom. 1 Seeking to live a peaceful and quiet life is not a compromise. It’s a command. 2 The mom changing dirty diapers, the dentist filling cavities, the trash pickup man, they are all pushing against the Fall just like the pastor and missionary. God’s extraordinary grace is made for ordinary, mundane moments. Even the repetitive, boring moments that chafe against our soul. God might call you to do something radical. But more than likely he is calling you to do something ordinary.

I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.

– Gandalf

God works, advances his kingdom through, and rewards the routine, uncelebrated kindness and obedience of his children. 3 In the author’s own words “ This little book is not a call to do nothing. It is a call to be faithful right where you are, regardless of how mundane that place is.” After all, this is God’s story, not ours. Love God. Love People. Die and be forgotten.

I received a free copy this book for a fair and honest reviw. 

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  1. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
  3. Mark 9:41
  4. affiliate link

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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