The Proverbs are rightly viewed as a book full of wisdom and God-given practical counsel for daily living. What would happen if you took that counsel and applied it to Christmas? This is the purpose of Steven Estes new book A Better December: Proverbs to Brighten Christmas.
I’ve read and studied Proverbs for years. In fact Proverbs is one of many of my favorite books of the Bible. When I heard about the idea of this book namely to take the Proverbs and apply them to the holiday season, I’ll be honest I was a bit skeptical. Yet, the more I thought about the book and its topic; the more convinced I was that it may be a good idea if it was done well. Thankfully this book doesn’t take the approach of many who come to Proverbs just to mine its practical wisdom but never see how it fits within the larger redemptive story of the Bible. Yet, even though this book fits the story of Proverbs within redemptive history it is still eminently practical.
Let’s take a look at the contents of the book: Chapter one looks at the life of Solomon who wrote the book of Proverbs. The author in each chapter writes a few thoughts including some stories then ties it together at the end with quoting verses from Proverbs. Chapter two looks at our fascination with being gift-centered. Chapter three explores what Proverbs has to say about impulse buying. Chapter four looks at children. Chapter five explores our tendency towards wanting it everything just so and what Proverbs has to say about that. Chapter six examines how frazzled we are at Christmas time and how we need to reorient our lives around God. Chapter seven looks at love. Chapter eight seeks to help the reader by looking at how to deal with disappointment during the holiday season. Chapter nine shows how Jesus is central to Christmas. Chapter ten shows how Christmas is changed when we know Jesus. Chapter eleven invites readers to believe in Jesus and join a local church.
A Better December is a very short (83 pages!) book you can read in almost one sitting. In it contains biblical truth, stories that will make you think and practical advice for how to handle the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. In a culture that is obsessed with having the latest and greatest the message of A Better December Proverbs To Brighten Christmas will serve readers well by reminding them that the point of the holiday season is not more things but more of Christ and less of us. Pick up A Better December for in doing so you and learn to have a Christmas that actually matches the message of the season you are celebrating.
Title: A Better December
Author: Steven Estes
Publisher: New Growth Press (2013)
I received this for free from New Growth Press review program for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Dave Jenkins is happily married to Sarah Jenkins. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, and is the Host for the Equipping You in Grace Podcast. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021) and The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.