Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry

It made me sick to read the other reviews of this book by people who most likely struggle in the areas that Piper is calling all Pastors to engage more radically in. Like prayer, reading, etc... If more of us pastors lived our lives devoted to prayer and reading of scripture we would certainly make a mark on this world. Unfortunately most of us don't have the robust, dare I say "radical" faith that Piper calls us to and so we take our spot on the powerless sidelines of the cultural dialogue. Piper is calling us to something great if we only lived what we believe about prayer and scripture then maybe we would be empowered to engage and penetrate our hurting world. But I suppose this to will sound trite and simple to those with no character. Let's buck up, get on our horse and live like Jesus, This is what Piper is calling us to, Highly Recommended.

After reading one of the reviews that claimed this work was not radical, I had to add my two cents worth. The entire text is radical if actually put into use. But Chapters 4-7 are life transforming. Not that it is entirely new stuff, but as is John Piper's gift, he gives us (pastoral workers and hungry Christians of all callings) new ways of seeing. The chapter on the "begger mentality" is worth all the treasures of earth. I have already given it to a young man pursuing seminary.Greg Bailey

This is a must read for pastors. I have taken every chapter to heart. Preach justification by faith. Query the text. Read Christian biographies. Be a student of the Biblical languages. Realize that serving is a gift from the Lord. Be a Christian hedonist. This book has radically altered my perspective of my calling as a pastor. It will bless you as well. John Piper, you have brought glory to Christ by writing this book.

This may be the most important book written for pastors in the past decade. Piper sounds a clarion call for pastors to chunk professionalized ministry for the radical and humble, self-denying and soul-satisfying, culture-threatening and person-redeeming ministry commended in Scripture. "The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake," Piper warns. This comes from the first of thirty chapters that chart for us how to cultivate radical, biblical ministry. Piper tells us to make God's glory central, pursue our joy in Him, go hard after God in prayer, labor over the Scriptures, read great books, study great lives, and emphasize soul-saving truths. This book is full of clear-thinking about both doctrinal issues (like eternal security) and ethical issues (like abortion), and the clear-thinking is joined with a hot-hearted passion for God, holiness, the Word, eternity, and the perishing. Brothers, this is a great book. If you want to be God's man for such a time as this, then get it, read it, meditate on it, pray over it, and above all, live it. God help us.

Those familiar with Piper's work will find no surprises in this book. That is not disappointing, but wonderful. This is a collection of 30 articles, some of which were written for the GBC magazine, that Piper has written to church leaders. Those of us who have subscribed to his email sermon series and read his "fresh words" will see some old friends here. All the better. This material deserves to be seen by everyone in vocational ministry.Powerful and pithy, Piper delivers 30 easy-to-read, important-to-do challenges from the bible for today's Pastors. Challenge, reminder, encouragement all find healthy dosage within this book.If you can't wait to read his forthcoming "Counted Righteous In Christ" book, there's a teaser in one of the chapters.The book also represents a slight shift as Piper uses the English Standard Version as his main bible. Those with their ear to the ground on such matters saw it coming.