Publications

Available now on Amazon.com, Useful to God updates and expands on the characteristics R. A. Torrey identified in his book titled Why God Used D. L. Moody. With a fresh take on each of these characteristics, biblical reflections, and questions for individual reflection and small group discussion, Useful to God will be of use to individuals and small groups interested in exploring and developing Christian character.

Spencer uses Moody’s life as a lens into ‘a deep sense of God’s presence’ in our own. He treated us to snippets from Moody’s personal files that could add volumes to our own narratives.

Useful to God is practical and well written! I will be ordering copies for my staff to read together when the book is released.

“In Useful to God, James Spencer takes an honest look at the life of D.L. Moody and smoothly blends it with solid Biblical exposition and contemplative personal reflection. After finishing the book I feel that I am much more aware of the characteristics that made D.L. Moody such a powerful evangelist. More than that, I’m also aware of how I can also develop those same characteristics in my pursuit to be ‘useful to God.’ The way James uses practical steps and profound reflection questions to help the reader process each characteristic leaves you with not just a desire to work on yourself, but also a game plan for how to do it.”

“Using scripture as the foundation and building on it with the writings of D. L. Moody from a variety of sources, Spencer weaves his own observations and teachings into the framework of eight character qualities of Moody’s life. This is not a biography of D. L. Moody, but a deeper study of what made Moody the greatest and most influential evangelical force of the 19thcentury. Each chapter ends with Reflection Questions making the book a helpful tool for group studies. You can’t read this book without seriously examining your own spiritual walk and asking what it would take to make your life more ‘useful to God.’”

Does God look more like us, or do we look more like Him? How are we pulling God into our own agendas rather than allowing Him to set the agenda? These and other questions are discussed in Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind. This book will help you provide a way of thinking about God, others, yourself, and the world to inspire discipleship and spiritual growth.

Dr. James Spencer is a great thinker. In this book he identifies current Christian thinking and turns them around in his hands while writing about what he sees. After reading this, I spent time using James Spencer's framework to reflect more on how and why Christians think the way they do as well as how we need to adapt in the future. I definitely gained some new tools and lenses to mentor the next generation better.

Thinking Christian is a book about Christian action and all the care it takes for believers to act together as we display the character of God. . .If there's one thing this book is not, I would say it is not simplistic. So when Spencer urges, "We need to strive to become expert Christians rather than becoming Christian experts," it is well worth reading the book to find out what he means by that.

I resonated immediately with the chapter titled "Terrible Simplification" because it addresses our desire to simplify our discussions; to simplify what's happening and to determine our position without deep thought. Our Christianity compels to think in more complex terms. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book."

Arranged around major biblical themes, Trajectories offers a helpful introduction to Old Testament Theology with chapters addressing both biblical themes such as Torah, Liberation and Deliverance, and Exile and Hope, as well as contemporary matters such as the implications of the digital age and multi-ethnic church for Old Testament theology.

This book is excellent! These men of God have done a fabulous job showing us how to interpret scripture. Might I add that this is an easy read and very thought provoking! I highly recommend!

Here is a book well worth reading. The authors provide a masterful road for the average reader who wishes to understand the teaching of major Old Testament themes, their understanding by the writers of the New Testament, and their essential meaning for today. From creation to the digital age, we are introduced to the great works of God and the means by which we can interpret this largest part of the Bible as a valuable resource in our faith and life.

Biblical Theology at its best . . . Firmly rooted in the witness of Scripture, focused on Christ, connected to contemporary faith and life.