July Book of the Month: Built on the Rock

Have you ever read a book and thought, “Wow, I wish everyone could read this!”? I don’t feel this way about many books, but after reading Built on the Rock by Ted Kober, my thoughts were exactly that. 

Kober is a church reconciliation consultant, and while the book is focused on sustaining healthy congregations, I believe Built on the Rock applies not just to churches, but to the entire Church, big C—all of us who make up Christ’s Church. Reconciliation is the theme throughout, and while the solutions put forth might be considered obvious, the way in which Kober presents them is enlightening, challenging, convicting, and encouraging.

“One would think these basic truths—that Christ must be the foundation and that leaders and members must abide in God’s Word—would be so obvious that people wouldn’t need to be reminded of them. But the reality is that members and leaders alike often depend more on worldly wisdom to deal with the challenges of congregational life than what they confess by faith.” (From the Preface, p. 13)

The truth is this: in our fallen world, we all will experience conflict, whether in our churches, our communities, our marriages, or our relationships with our children, family members, friends, neighbors, and perhaps even perfect strangers. What we can control is how we respond to that conflict, as a whole when we experience conflict within our churches and as individuals when we experience conflict in our personal lives. What I love about Built on the Rock, is its constant and encouraging reminders that a life built on the Rock—a life built on Jesus Christ and His Word—is a life well prepared for the storms of life.

I encourage you to give this book a try. Whether you read it on your own or as part of a small group, I think you’ll find the time you spend reading this book well spent.