As always Mohler does a great job elevating Christ above all else. This is a really encouraging and challenging read for any Christ follower.

Matthew 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parable ‘though seeing they did not see, though hearing they do not hear or understand’
A great exposition on the parables of Jesus.
Bringing fresh insight to these well known and loved stories as such:
The Prodigal son, The Good Samaritan, The parable of the mustard seed & The parable of the sower.
Jesus perfected the art of telling parables (short stories)to make a point or deliver a message, that confronted his listeners with uncomfortable truths about the human heart and the Kingdom of Heaven
The author brings the parables/stories to life by uncovering the context.
Thanks @albertmohler @nelsonbooks & @netgalley for the eARC

"Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is a heartfelt exploration of the timeless stories of Jesus Christ, designed to bring the Bible's teachings to life in a relatable and meaningful way. Mohler's central message is that these stories aren't just ancient tales – they hold valuable lessons for our lives today. Through a blend of engaging storytelling and clear explanations, the author highlights the enduring relevance of Jesus' teachings and their capacity to shape our values, decisions, and relationships.

As I read the book, I discovered a renewed appreciation for the stories of Jesus that I've heard before. Mohler skillfully breaks down the profound wisdom within each story, making it easy to understand and apply to everyday life. I learned that these stories offer more than just moral lessons; they unveil the heart of Jesus and His message of love, forgiveness, and transformation. From the parables to the miracles, every narrative holds a treasure trove of insights that guide us in our journey to become better individuals and reflect the goodness of Christ in our interactions with others.

"Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" is a wonderful read for both newcomers to the teachings of Jesus and seasoned believers. If you've ever wanted to understand the deeper meaning behind the stories you've heard in Sunday school or church, this book is an excellent guide. Mohler's clear and down-to-earth explanations make complex concepts accessible to everyone. Whether you're seeking spiritual growth, looking for inspiration in your daily life, or simply curious about the teachings of Jesus, this book will offer you a fresh perspective on the life-changing impact of these timeless stories.

This is another great book from Mohler. He is such an articulate speaker and writer and I appreciate his wisdom and ability to teach others. His writing on the parables is wonderful.

*I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
The Explosive Power of Jesus’ Parables
by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Pub Date 14 Jun 2022
Nelson Books, Thomas Nelson
Christian


Nelson Books and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Tell Me the Stories of Jesus for review:


Pastor and theologian R. Tell Me the Stories of Jesus. Using the unique power of Jesus' parables, Albert Mohler Jr. reveals the unique power of Jesus' parables for today's readers, showing how they announce the kingdom, communicate both judgment and grace, and call every human heart toward transformation in the light of God's love.



"Let him who has ears hear..." The Prodigal Son. It is the story of the Good Samaritan. This is the parable of the mustard seed. There are so many memorable images and characters in the stories Jesus told during his earthly ministry that they now permeate our culture's popular imagination. Could familiarity have muted their powerful message, causing today's readers to miss their ability to shock and transform?


With Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, renowned pastor and theologian Albert Mohler Jr. unlocks the power of Jesus' parables for readers today. His parables were short stories with a surprising twist and a powerful message that confronted his listeners with surprising (and often uncomfortable) truths about the human heart and the kingdom of heaven. In spite of this, modern readers may not comprehend the cultural and historical context in which Jesus' original audience found these stories so compelling. By uncovering the context and allowing readers to hear the stories in all their shocking, paradigm-shifting power, Mohler brings Jesus' stories to life.


Stepping into the shoes of his first-century followers and hearing his stories from his closest followers will allow readers to develop a deeper connection with Jesus; gain a deeper understanding of the gospel through Jesus' own words; and see the parables in a new light, experiencing--perhaps for the first time--their ability to draw people into Jesus' kingdom.


In every parable that Jesus told, judgment and grace are both present. The mirror they hold up reveals the human heart and invites everyone to welcome the kingdom and reign of Jesus. Will you be able to hear their vital message?


I give Tell Me the Stories of Jesus five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Excellent book. Dr. Mohler does a great job of teaching the parables. Pastors would be well served to keep this book alongside commentaries to use when preaching the parables.

A great look at the parables of Jesus and why the parables were used and are important. I appreciate the teachings on these parables and think this book would be great to use in a small group setting. The author presents his theological bias at the beginning so you know where he is coming from then offers clear and meaningful teaching on the parables Jesus used.

Have been a follower of Mohler's and his daily show, the Briefing. I always appreciate the rational, succinct way that he presents stories and truth - he is such a gift to me and so many other Christians! Thank you, Dr. Mohler for this gift that is this book!

Meh. I was hoping to dive into the context surrounding the parables. An historic overview of parable as a teaching tool in ancient Israel. What I got was a lot of teaching I'd already learned (granted I've been studying scripture for years).

What really bothered me though, was Mohler's insistence on his understanding of Christianity being the only right one. His use of clearly in areas where scholars have disagreed for centuries (ie. hell as an actual place of eternal damnation). This approach lacks in charitable Christianity, especially in these days, when Christianity is under attack.

We do not have to agree on everything as Christians to learn from the parables. The agenda of holding to set doctrinal stances of American evangelicalism made this a difficult read for me.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus is an in depth review and explanation of some of Jesus's most famous parables straight from the bible with a brief and yet deeper review of what these parables meant alongside background information that one would miss just reading straight from the text. It gives a deeper and more thoughtful examination of Jesus's parables that bring knowledge and application forward and makes it easier to grasp. What a great text. I'll be looking for this in print to add to my collection.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

R. Albert Mohler, Jr brings light to a selection of Jesus’ parables. Light to see/hear as Jesus explains and Light to our paths. This is a short book full of scripture, definition, explanation and application.
I could see a small group using this as their guide, but it’s equally challenging for personal study. I particularly enjoyed the parable of the mustard seed and the prodigal son story. I found challenge and application for my personal life and community life in both of them. Mohler will make you rethink the Why behind these parables.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus is by Albert Mohler. Al Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He hosts The Briefing and "Thinking in Public". This book is a Christian living book. The parables were written with an illustration. Jesus wanted the audience to think about what He was saying and then move to recollect on the deeper meaning within the parables. He wanted the audience to think about where their heart is and to apply the parables to their life. If the meaning is given in a straight forward way it can be easy to not think about your life because the meaning is given to the audience and they do not have to pause and think where Jesus is coming from. The parables are creative. . This book gives great background for each of the parables. It is very personable. This book is well written. It is a great book for any Christian and for any pastor. Thank you for netgalley , the publisher and the author for allowing me to read and review this well written book. This book was given to me to review.

Encouraging and helpful resource that I would recommend to many at our church. Thankful for the consistency of Mohler and this book is no different.

My thoughts:
The author did a great job making the subject matter easily understood. They do a great job explaining what a parable is, how they came to be, and how they are used and understood by Jesus. I also appreciate that the author makes note that their approach may be biased by their doctrinal beliefs. Often authors have this bias but do not acknowledge it. The book is solid, easily understood, and does what it set out to do.

Who is this book for:
This is a great tool for those just being introduced to the parables. I think this would also be a great resource for a small group to go through. It is a great book for those wanting to engage scripture but maybe don’t know where to start.

Critique, Questions, Comments:
With my educational background this book was a bit light for me. I would recommend this for the average congregation member, small group, even youth group.

This new book by Dr. Mohler is clearly written for the average layman but is by no means easy or quick reading. The discussions presented by Dr. Mohler will challenge the reader in how they have been viewing the parables. Furthermore, the reader will be challenged to reflect on how they are living alongside the messages presented in each of the parables discussed.

This book would be great for both personal reflection as well as in group discussions. It would also make a great gift. However, it is used, the reader will not walk away from it the same as when they started it. I definitely did not.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

Ah, the parables of Jesus - some of the most important and sometimes, some of the most confusing, of the biblical texts. What was Jesus talking about? Why didn't He just come out and say it?

On one hand, this book does a good job of sampling the stories of Jesus, picking those parables that demonstrate a diversity in the teachings of Jesus so that you understand that there is a single thread, but multiple expressions that all point toward faithfulness, but in different facets of it. And certainly, some of the content is illuminating, especially for those who may be less familiar with the topic at hand. If we're talking spiritual milk vs. spiritual meat, this book is somewhere around spiritual oatmeal.

What's very challenging about this book is that the author is numbingly repetitive. He quotes the parable, then often tells it exactly again in slightly choppier sentences without adding any new content at all. He makes a point, and then goes on to make exactly the same point three or four or five more times in a row. Sometimes, repetition makes things easier, by presenting things in slightly different ways so that they really latch in, but that is not the case with this book; it presents things in exactly the same ways over and over and over again, and it makes it difficult to trudge through many of the chapters. The stories of Jesus, even these parables, are such a deep treasure trove, such an incredible gift, that for the author to have treaded water at the surface and stirred up only the same things one right after the other, just really missed the mark of what could have happened with this text. Hence, oatmeal - could have been meat, but never really dove deep; could have been milk, but tried to take it a little further.

I think this book will be helpful for many, particularly for those younger in the faith who need an introduction to the parables. For more aged Christians, it probably will not be as helpful.

This book contained solid truth and great reminders. I would recommend it if you are interested in diving deeper into the parables of Jesus, but not as the first recommendation of Christian books.

I found myself not as engaged in this book, but I found the information and perspective helpful and informative.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus is another commendable book by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. As in his many other books, the doctrine is sound and the applications appropriate. Most powerful are the piercing questions one is compelled to ask himself as the book draws to a conclusion. In particular, the reader must examine the quality of his salvation, as we are known by our fruit.

There are many good books discussing the parables of Jesus, and this is one of them. The book is easy to read, but not “light” fare. It is a good one to add to your library.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many of Jesus' parables we've heard often, the stories sticking with us because we all enjoy a good story. In this book, the author teaches us the importance of Jesus' parables and how they instruct us about God's kingdom. THough we may have heard them numerous times and think we already know what they mean, the author takes us into the cultural context and the place in scripture to help us interpret what they mean and how it applies to our lives as believers.

If you're looking to gain a better understanding of the stories Jesus taught, this will be a book for you!

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has written several books, amongst which, is this Tell Me the Stories of Jesus. It has been a privilege and a delight to read this work from such a Bible scholar and practitioner of the Word of God. As this book concentrates on the parables Jesus told while still here on the earth I was enthused to learn more and was not disappointed as the commentary is very good and in fact, I had trouble to highlight even the highlights of what I found to be so interesting because there are so many good points and down-to-earth explanations. Mohler, Jr drills down on the essence and meaning as to what he believed Jesus was teaching His disciples and subsequently from which today's church could learn. It is interesting to note that one of Mohler, Jr's favorite word descriptions is "explosive", as much of what Jesus had to say, he explained, was rather revolutionary to the status quo of the times. Jesus' stories would harrow up and confront religious leaders, causing more than just a little stir. Mohler Jr goes on to say that his perspective of these parables stems from his doctrinal convictions and that he does not allegorize the parables.

Some of the parables commented upon are the wedding feast; the persistant widow, the Sheep and the Goats, and my favorite - the mustard seed of Matthew 13. These among many more will earn you greater perspective on the Kingdom of God and how God looks at judgment. I learned a few things about shrewdness which took me by surprize but made sense; about forgiving, especially brothers and sisters-in-Christ, and much, much more. I beleive that those of us who are "in Christ" will be well benefited to explore what Mohler, Jr has to say in this book.

~Eunice C., April 2022~

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.