Friendship with God by Mike McKinley offers a introduction to puritan John Owen's work Communion with God. McKinley wants to familiarize people with Owen's work and thoughts in a way that is easier for modern audiences to understand. This is a great book that encourages the reader to deepen their friendship with the Trinity.

DNF'd, but I certainly plan to get a copy and finish it one day. I just wasn't in a place where I could finish this one.

Given that the Puritans often present a challenge to read, with the older style language, this book was a treat. The author takes a tour through John Owen's collection of sermons, titled Communion with God, and presents the concepts in short chapters, helping the reader dive deeper in what it means to have friendship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit.

He invites us to a belief that God delights in and treasures us - I think this was what impacted me the most. Whatever we believe about who we are, it's both startling and humbling to recall the great love of God for us as sinners and what He has all provided and offered us through the work and person of Christ. His relationship with us isn't determined by us, it's determined by Him and it is a perfect love.

I haven't read Owen's work but I appreciated the short chapters of this book which gave opportunity to read a bit and reflect more consistently. I'd recommend this for those looking to understand God's love and friendship with the Trinity in mind.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.

"Friendship with God" by Mike McKinley provides a concise and fairly understandable introduction to Puritan preacher's John Owen's classic: "Communion with God." Pastor Mike McKinley provides helpful advice on how to deepen one's relationship with God. by looking at Owen's fundamental concepts and insights, which can frequently be difficult for modern readers to comprehend. This approach would especially beneficial for new Christians or anyone without a background in the Puritans who may be trying to deepen their connection with God. Overall, "Friendship with God" seems to be a helpful tool for individuals looking to strengthen their faith and establish closer ties with God.

In this easy to read dive into John Calvin’s “Communion with God,” Mike McKinley takes us through Calvin’s work to help better explain it to modern readers. McKinley helps his contemporary audience understand Calvin’s words and examines key attributes of God. Four stars!

Thanks to Crossway for the ARC.

Friendship with God: A Path to Deeper Fellowship with the Father, Son, and Spirit by Mike McKinley

I absolutely loved this book! The author takes the ideas from “Communion with God” by John Owen and explains them in easy-to-understand modern English.

I loved that though this book was very easy to understand, it was also very deep. My spirit felt roused to worship and rejoice in the Lord and deepen my communion with Him! It is a wonderful, although short, teaching on each member of the Trinity, their main acts, and how we as believers are to commune with our Triune God.

This would be a wonderful book for older teens as well as adults to gain a very Biblical understanding of the Trinity. I hope that many will pick up this quick read and ponder the truths it shares. I also plan to read Owen’s original work after reading the beautiful quotes in this one.

I am so thankful to @netgalley and @crosswaybooks for the ARC copy of this book! It was a treasure!!

Owen's 400+ page tome on communion with God is on my to-be-read list, so I was excited to see McKinley's book that makes it more accessible in both length and language, summarizing Owen's main points and distilling it into a much smaller volume.

Among other things, he addresses the following questions:
What is communion/friendship with God?
How is it possible/how does it work?
How do we experience this friendship with the different members of the Trinity? (Two comments here, first that the communion/friendship aspect is described in terms of the experience of the believer's status before God, and the second, that the emphasis falls on the differences in communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit, but time is also given to not splitting the Trinity into three gods).

McKinley's distillation definitely whet my appetite for Owen's full volume, while also satisfying my curiosity enough that I can wait more patiently until I have time to read the whole thing.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Friendship with God
A Path to Deeper Fellowship with the Father, Son, and Spirit
by Mike McKinley
Pub Date 11 Apr 2023
Crossway
Christian



I am reviewing a copy of Friendship with God through Crossway and Netgalley:


In Friendship With God Mike McKinley breaks down key insights from John Owen's book Communion with God. Allowing an easy understanding for modern readers.


For many John Owen's work was seemingly inaccessible but Mike McKinley has broken it down so modern readers could get a better understanding.


I give Friendship with God five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!