If you enjoyed Disciplines of a Godly Man, then you will
likely enjoy Disciplines of a Godly Young Man, for the
latter is largely a reprint of the former with a handful of illustration
changes to engage a younger audience (approximately high school through
college-age).
Primary Differences:
- Five chapters from Disciplines of a Godly Man have been omitted from Disciplines of a Godly Young Man (Discipline of Marriage, Fatherhood, Worship, Integrity, and Leadership).
- The Introduction and "Discipline of the Mind" Chapters from Disciplines of a Godly Man are further divided into two chapters each in Disciplines of a Godly Young Man, most likely to cater to shorter attention spans.
- Resources in the newer book have been updated (ex. Online Bible reading plans, apps, etc.) and are accessed online rather than in the Appendices at the rear of the book.
Ultimately, there is
very little that distinguishes Disciplines of a Godly Young Man from Disciplines of a Godly Man. Although Disciplines of a Godly Young Man omitted
chapters from its predecessor, it did not introduce new, relevant content in
its place. (For example, marriage and fatherhood are removed from the section
on relationships, a fitting place to discuss relating to parents and siblings.)
Since there isn't really any new information (even the subtitles are the same,
for the most part), I would simplify and purchase the latter as it will be
useful to its reader for decades as opposed to a decade...unless you think that
this new cover and title will have greater reading appeal to the young man in
your life. ;)
As for the book
content, both books contain concise chapters with practical advice and encouraging illustrations that will likely hold the attention of many readers.
The Hughes utilize much Scripture and are theologically sound. Furthermore,
they quote and recommend good reading material. These books would be helpful as a jumping off point for further reading
and/or small group discussion. To this end, they contain helpful "Food for
Thought" and "Application/Response" sections at the conclusion
of each chapter.
The
Disciplines… books maintain a narrow
focus, emphasizing the things one must do to discipline himself for godliness.
This narrowness provides a helpful challenge to the reader but can give the appearance of laying out a list of
"laws" as opposed to genuinely getting to the
heart of the matter and applying the Gospel.
As a result, I would recommend that those reading Disciplines… have a solid understanding of
the Biblical process of Gospel-centered change. (How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp is an excellent resource on this subject.)
I think the Disciplines… books will be beneficial for
many men. However, it is important to know what type of guy will be reading
this book. I would not recommend it to everyone! Personally, I am tempted to be
more critical of this type of book in my current season of life because I can
get so easily discouraged by all that I am not doing. A book like this that
mostly gives me all the "to dos" without proclaiming the truth of the
Gospel and reiterating God's work in me
poses a definite temptation to crushing despair. I must continually remind myself that Jesus
lived the perfect life that I should have lived and died the death that I
should have died so that there is no longer any condemnation for me in Christ.
In this season, I must also remind myself that God will be faithful to complete
the good work which He has begun in me. While there is a chapter at the
conclusion of the book titled the "Discipline of Grace", it is
lacking of the Gospel presentation of the previous two sentences. This book
could crush an already discouraged young man who is not well-grounded in the
truth of the Gospel and God's role in sanctification. (A better solution might
be to have such an individual read Discipline of Grace or Gospel for Real Life
by Jerry Bridges. ;)
All-in-all, I think many men will continue to be challenged by the Hughes
and will benefit from a careful reading of either of these books.
*Many thanks to Crossway for providing me with a
complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Other books mentioned in this post:
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