Endorsements

• God’s Word is not only the word he speaks to us; it is Jesus Christ himself, according to John 1:1–14. So God’s speech is fundamental to who he is. Perhaps surprisingly for many of us, human life reflects God’s word in this respect. Our words are central to our lives, as God’s Word is to his. James 3:1–12 tells us that if we can control our tongues, we can control our whole lives. So we need to give a lot more thought to our language, its meaning and effects, and its relation to God’s own Word. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God includes some scriptural, thoughtful essays on these subjects. I hope that it attracts many readers and much attention. John Frame, Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary

• Jesus Christ set the record straight when he declared that we do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father. We live and die by words. Words are central to life, to communication, to meaning, and to Christian theology. This said, our relative inattentiveness to the meaning of words in the Christian church is to our shame. The contributors offer a rescue from this inattentiveness with wise words of spiritual counsel, deep words of doctrinal conviction, and saving words of the gospel. This book is urgently needed, and I am most pleased to recommend this volume with a good word. Albert Mohler, President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

• Words are powerful. As the Scriptures indicate, they can create and destroy, build and burn down, save and condemn. The triune God created and upholds us by his Word, redeems us by renarrating our lives by his gospel, and directs us by his commands so that our words become more conformed to his Word. These many facets of verbal communication—both divine and human—are displayed in one rich and enriching jewel. Faith and practice are wonderfully integrated in this collection of godly wisdom. Michael Horton, Professor, Westminster Seminary California

• Read this book and you will be given a vision for your speech. You will speak less in some situations and more in others. You will be guided to speak both gently and with boldness. You will be more alert to what you say as you sing. You will say, ‘Thank you, Lord, for words.’ You will also say, ‘Forgive me, Lord, for my casual and reckless words.’ And—I thought this was a bonus— you will get to know the authors in a great Q&A. Ed Welch, Counselor, CCEF

• This is a truly wonderful book on a timely and neglected subject. Our society is drowning in a glut of words and images; we do not need more of them. What we need is what this book can guide us to—the right kind of words used for the right ends. This collection of essays, consistently weighty in substance, makes good on the claims of the book’s title: it convinces us of the power of words and instills a desire to see them used to express the wonder of God. My heart leaped many times as I read it. Leland Ryken, Emeritus Professor, Wheaton College

• Given the contributors, I expected this book to be good, but it exceeds expectations. There’s no weak link. Every chapter, including the introduction, brings a unique and vital perspective to a critical subject. It’s impossible to overstate the power and eternal impact of our spoken and written words, for good or evil. With stylistic diversity but thematic unity, these men bring a rich, biblical, Christ-centered, interesting, and immensely helpful perspective. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Randy Alcorn, Director, Eternal Perspective Ministries

• In a culture dominated by the abundance of text messages, tweets, and status updates, we are in desperate need to have a biblical understanding of the power of words. Those who are serious about raising up the next generation of kingdom leaders will take heed to the Bible-saturated wisdom in this book and teach their staff and students to do the same. I know I will! Matt Bradner, Staff Development, Campus Outreach