Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself is written by Joe Thorn, the founding and lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, Illinois. There is much good conversation in in the blogosphere today about “preaching the Gospel to oneself”. Joe Thorn noticed this conversation but then went beyond just thinking about “preaching the Gospel to himself” but started to ask, “What does preaching the Gospel to oneself mean? and, “How do the people of God preach the Gospel to oneself?”
Note to Self is a very well-written easy-to-read book. Each chapter explores a different topic but the focus of each chapter is personal, biblical, theological and practical as Joe preaches the gospel to himself and the reader gets to see how he practices what he preaches. A good writer engages his reader and draws them into the topic he/she is discussing. Joe Thorn does this in a way that points to the truths of Scripture and draws the reader to discover what it means to implement preaching the Gospel to oneself. Dr. Ray Ortlund rightly describes this book as a “gospel-guided smart bomb scoring a direct hit on our strongholds of emptiness.”
The book is divided into three parts: the first part explores the Gospel and God. Part two describes the Gospel and others, and the final part is the Gospel and you. Reading a book like Note to Self is always challenging and convicting. This book in particular will challenge you to implement what you believe into your everyday life. This book will challenge your apathy and confront your stubbornness and pride with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is not often that I read a book that is so well-written but so concise, focused, but yet biblical, deeply theological, and saturated in and by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for the example Joe has given in Note to Self on how to preach the Gospel to myself. I plan on keeping this book on my desk to turn to often.
Note to Self is one of the most important books published this year and perhaps in the last several years in my opinion. I say this because it addresses a topic that is currently undergoing much discussion, and this book will lead that conversation on preaching the Gospel forward in significant ways by causing the discussion to not just be theoretical but now to be aimed primarily on application. Joe Thorn has written the definitive book on “preaching the Gospel to oneself.”
Note to Self is a book I encourage every Christian to read. It would be a great gift for any Bible college or seminary student or even one of the elders, deacons or Pastor(s) at your local church. I encourage you to pick up Note to Self and learn how to preach the Gospel to yourself so that you may grow in depth of insight in the glorious truths of the Gospel.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crossway as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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 Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. 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, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). 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.
