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By Joe Thorn [ [ [ Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself[ NOTE TO SELF: THE DISCIPLINE OF PREACHI [Paperback]
Note to Self( The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself) <> Paperback <> JoeThorn <> CrosswayBooks
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First published April 5, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 4, 2012
This was a quick read that was full of heart-searching truth. The author is really honest about his own sin, and I could identitify with all of it to some degree.
Below are a few quotes of many that struck me as I read:
“Jesus is enough, but only when we understand our greatest needs to be redemption and restoration. God in Christ has reconciled us to himself, is renewing our minds, and promises to raise us from the dead, and we will dwell in righteousness and peace forever. If you have this, what more do you need?” (Note to Self, 51)
“Sometimes this self-pity morphs into that guilt-penance in which the worse you feel about yourself and your situation, the more ready you feel to approach God again – not because of his grace but because of your contrition. So you wind up feeling stuck and unable to seek God, or you find that you can only return to him after you have sufficiently beaten yourself up spiritually.” (105)
“Your pride bubbles to the surface when you balk at the inconveniences of life. How dare something rebel against the egocentric universe you rule over?” (107)
“If your meditation on Scripture, prayer, and seeking of God is limited to a thirty-minute quiet time, you will wind up having a romantic experience in the morning and an atheistic experience throughout the rest of the day when life gets real.” (118)
Below are a few quotes of many that struck me as I read:
“Jesus is enough, but only when we understand our greatest needs to be redemption and restoration. God in Christ has reconciled us to himself, is renewing our minds, and promises to raise us from the dead, and we will dwell in righteousness and peace forever. If you have this, what more do you need?” (Note to Self, 51)
“Sometimes this self-pity morphs into that guilt-penance in which the worse you feel about yourself and your situation, the more ready you feel to approach God again – not because of his grace but because of your contrition. So you wind up feeling stuck and unable to seek God, or you find that you can only return to him after you have sufficiently beaten yourself up spiritually.” (105)
“Your pride bubbles to the surface when you balk at the inconveniences of life. How dare something rebel against the egocentric universe you rule over?” (107)
“If your meditation on Scripture, prayer, and seeking of God is limited to a thirty-minute quiet time, you will wind up having a romantic experience in the morning and an atheistic experience throughout the rest of the day when life gets real.” (118)
September 1, 2015
Great book divided into short devotions on preaching the gospel to yourself every day...can't get enough of that discipline!
May 26, 2011
The concept of preaching the gospel to yourself is an important one, and one I’ve been hearing articulated a lot more recently. Christians talk a lot about sermons, evangelism, and other important topics relating to communicating the gospel to others, but we also need to remind ourselves of the truths we say we believe regularly. I’m big on saying we shouldn’t “assume the gospel.” We shouldn’t assume people understand the gospel and move onto “more important doctrines,” and I think that concept applies to ourselves as well. Our daily actions and thought-lives shouldn’t assume the truths of the gospel; we need to consciously remind ourselves.
Joe Thorn’s new book, Note to Self, contains a lot of great examples of how to do just that. Written from a first-person perspective to himself, Thorn tackles all kinds of extremely practical topics and situations as he reminds himself of how the gospel applies to everything in life. Each “chapter” includes some scripture that triggers the thoughts discussed over the next 2 pages. The end result is a collection of 48 “notes” that are great nuggets of truth to meditate on themselves, but also help readers to see how to take God’s Word and work through the practical applications on their own.
I appreciated this book for 2 main reasons. First, it places a significant importance on Scripture. Every note is based thoroughly in scripture. Things get very practical, but every thought finds its foundation in what God has said about himself, us, and the world in which we live. Second, Thorn has a laser-focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the fact that we’re saved by faith alone. He discusses the importance of the law and aspects of God’s justice, but he never lets up on reminding himself that salvation isn’t dependent on works. He exhorts himself to good works; the motivation is never condemnation. This is an important balance to get right, and it’s an important distinction for believers to understand as they “preach” to themselves.
My only real criticism of the book (and I don’t really consider it a criticism), is that the chapters are so short and self-contained, that reading the book in one sitting like I did isn’t nearly as helpful. I plan to come back to this book for use as a devotional because there is too much to think upon in each note to fly through like I did. Unfortunately, the only chance I had to read the book was on a flight during a business trip, so I feel like I probably missed a lot of wisdom that requires more thought than I could give it.
Here’s my takeaway: Read this book. Read it slowly. Learn how to take God’s Word, internalize it, clarify it to yourself, swim in it, wrestle with it, and come out drenched with the gospel of Jesus. Don’t “assume the gospel” in your daily life and live on auto-pilot. Force the truth of the Bible into your heart. This book is a great example of how to do that.
Joe Thorn’s new book, Note to Self, contains a lot of great examples of how to do just that. Written from a first-person perspective to himself, Thorn tackles all kinds of extremely practical topics and situations as he reminds himself of how the gospel applies to everything in life. Each “chapter” includes some scripture that triggers the thoughts discussed over the next 2 pages. The end result is a collection of 48 “notes” that are great nuggets of truth to meditate on themselves, but also help readers to see how to take God’s Word and work through the practical applications on their own.
I appreciated this book for 2 main reasons. First, it places a significant importance on Scripture. Every note is based thoroughly in scripture. Things get very practical, but every thought finds its foundation in what God has said about himself, us, and the world in which we live. Second, Thorn has a laser-focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the fact that we’re saved by faith alone. He discusses the importance of the law and aspects of God’s justice, but he never lets up on reminding himself that salvation isn’t dependent on works. He exhorts himself to good works; the motivation is never condemnation. This is an important balance to get right, and it’s an important distinction for believers to understand as they “preach” to themselves.
My only real criticism of the book (and I don’t really consider it a criticism), is that the chapters are so short and self-contained, that reading the book in one sitting like I did isn’t nearly as helpful. I plan to come back to this book for use as a devotional because there is too much to think upon in each note to fly through like I did. Unfortunately, the only chance I had to read the book was on a flight during a business trip, so I feel like I probably missed a lot of wisdom that requires more thought than I could give it.
Here’s my takeaway: Read this book. Read it slowly. Learn how to take God’s Word, internalize it, clarify it to yourself, swim in it, wrestle with it, and come out drenched with the gospel of Jesus. Don’t “assume the gospel” in your daily life and live on auto-pilot. Force the truth of the Bible into your heart. This book is a great example of how to do that.
March 30, 2018
This was a good book, and had a lot of good content, but I think it would have been better if it had had "Thinking points" or other types of questions to think about for each section rather than having Joe Thorn make assumptions about me in each section. Perhaps he's projecting? It felt less about "disciplines of preaching to myself" and more about "Joe Thorn preaching to me".
In any case, you will have no problem gleaning some useful principles to apply to your devotional life. It's an easy read and is biblically sound.
In any case, you will have no problem gleaning some useful principles to apply to your devotional life. It's an easy read and is biblically sound.
June 1, 2024
Short & to the point, this little book delivers a potent shot in the arm. I not only appreciate Mr. Thorns writing style, but the manner in which he delivers his points is powerful. There's something for everyone in this book & from start to finish this work is a home run!
August 3, 2022
I appreciate this book as a reminder book. Nothing in it was really new information, but it was filled with good reminders of who God is, who I am in Christ, and how I should be acting/responding in light of both. As the subtitle states, this book is about preaching to yourself, and reminding yourself of those truths is exactly what preaching to yourself is. The format of the book worked well for my circumstances this summer since I was in different places, living with different people. They are short chapters with each chapter starting with a verse(s) from the Bible and then a focus to pull from that verse. It’s not a book that takes a lot of time to read nor is it really deep, but it’s a good place to start meditating on truth from God’s Word, so I liked reading the chapter and then spending most of my time thinking and praying about what I read. I found it helpful as a way to slow myself down in my quiet time, helping me listen more rather than doing and checking the time off my to-do list, for a season.
July 10, 2013
This is one of the best books I've ever read, and much better than I had hoped. The book is small and very readable, I read it in just under three hours, in one sitting (and I am a slow reader).
The foreword lays down how important it is to read Scripture and believe it, and apply it to yourself, laying the foundation for what the book does later.
After the foreword comes the introduction, which lays out and defines a few terms and concepts--Preaching to oneself, the Gospel, the Law, and how you cannot fully preach the Law to yourself without the Gospel, nor the Gospel without the Law.
Then you come down to the actual manuscript, the notes to 'Self'. Each note is headed by a short passage or verse from Scripture, and the note preaches that passage in light of the Law and the Gospel in prose as if you were telling yourself those Truths. Each note is around two pages long.
I was only expecting a small book talking about how we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves. What I got was a short bit on the fact that we need to do so, and then around a hundred pages of examples.
I intend to buy this book (have it from the library), and read a few sections of it daily, so I can learn by example how to preach the Gospel and Law to myself based on scripture passages from my own reading; and encourage any Bible-believing Christian to pick this book up and read it.
The foreword lays down how important it is to read Scripture and believe it, and apply it to yourself, laying the foundation for what the book does later.
After the foreword comes the introduction, which lays out and defines a few terms and concepts--Preaching to oneself, the Gospel, the Law, and how you cannot fully preach the Law to yourself without the Gospel, nor the Gospel without the Law.
Then you come down to the actual manuscript, the notes to 'Self'. Each note is headed by a short passage or verse from Scripture, and the note preaches that passage in light of the Law and the Gospel in prose as if you were telling yourself those Truths. Each note is around two pages long.
I was only expecting a small book talking about how we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves. What I got was a short bit on the fact that we need to do so, and then around a hundred pages of examples.
I intend to buy this book (have it from the library), and read a few sections of it daily, so I can learn by example how to preach the Gospel and Law to myself based on scripture passages from my own reading; and encourage any Bible-believing Christian to pick this book up and read it.
June 19, 2016
I always engage myself in self-talk. I write notetoself stuff and oftentimes, I am my own critic and encourager. I first saw this book from my accountability partner filled with highlighted statements from page to page and so it piqued my interest. A month later I bought myself a copy of this book and haven't read it immediately. I was stuck in the foreword I don't know why. But the right time has come and to my surprise, I finished it in one sitting.
It was worth it.
The idea of preaching to yourself is entirely different than hearing others preaching to you. I understood the concept of reminding yourself daily about the gospel and relating it to every problems and issues in your life. May it be self or social issues. Once you come to a full understanding of how precious is the gift of God to us, you'll begin to embrace and appreciate it everyday amidst of the problems and disappointments you are facing. It is important to preach the gospel to yourself everyday. It's hard, there will be times you'll not think of it at all but it is a challenge and it's not even the hardest challenge by the way. Always go back to Jesus. Always remember what He had done for us all.
It was worth it.
The idea of preaching to yourself is entirely different than hearing others preaching to you. I understood the concept of reminding yourself daily about the gospel and relating it to every problems and issues in your life. May it be self or social issues. Once you come to a full understanding of how precious is the gift of God to us, you'll begin to embrace and appreciate it everyday amidst of the problems and disappointments you are facing. It is important to preach the gospel to yourself everyday. It's hard, there will be times you'll not think of it at all but it is a challenge and it's not even the hardest challenge by the way. Always go back to Jesus. Always remember what He had done for us all.
January 4, 2017
"Like the Israel of old, you tend to forget the most basic of things. Important things. You need constant reminders, and what you have been gleaning from others [I assume Thorn would include his own work here] is not enough. You need to find ways to remind yourself about the things that matter, because when you aren't intentionally setting the truth before yourself you forget."
Having read through this book slowly I am both grateful and indebted to Joe Thorn for practising what we writes of. For this book doesn't only help the reader by setting truth before them, Thorn kneads them out for us, modelling how we can do it ourselves.
Much more could be said about this work to commend it, but I think Thorn's treatment of sin - both specifically and in passing - deserves special notice. In a few places he goes deep into the nature of indwelling sin and the deliberate efforts Christians must make if we are to mature, resist temptation, and repent in earnest.
Having read through this book slowly I am both grateful and indebted to Joe Thorn for practising what we writes of. For this book doesn't only help the reader by setting truth before them, Thorn kneads them out for us, modelling how we can do it ourselves.
Much more could be said about this work to commend it, but I think Thorn's treatment of sin - both specifically and in passing - deserves special notice. In a few places he goes deep into the nature of indwelling sin and the deliberate efforts Christians must make if we are to mature, resist temptation, and repent in earnest.
September 27, 2011
Each chapter begins with the phrase "Dear Self" and then proceeds to bring Scripture to bear on a specific area of discipleship that we tend to neglect. Forgetting and remembering are big themes. I could see reading one chapter a day and taking some time to ponder or journal. This is for the Christian who wants to keep growing. I found the balance between theology and practice to be very good and often very penetrating as regards to the typical struggles we all face. The chapters entitled "Remembering Your Sins," "Hate Well" and "You are Proud" were standouts. While these may sound intimidating, Thorn does a great job of approaching the topics with grace, thus promoting healing in areas we may be afraid to address. In a couple spots it seemed like the solution to our struggle could have been more tightly tied to the core of the Gospel message. All in all, I highly recommend it.
September 5, 2013
Thorn makes a point to say in the beginning of the book that this is not just an exercise in "preaching the gospel to yourself." He makes a distinction between preaching law and preaching gospel, and this book contains many exhortations that press the imperatives of the Bible to the reader. These exhortations are not absent of grace, but they focus on what must be done as a follower of Christ.
This is a small book, with 48 short entries. I found it most helpful to read one or two each morning in a meditative way rather than trying to blitz through the whole book quickly.
I did find the book helpful, but I think I like the idea of the book more than the execution. Perhaps I wanted this book to be something it is not, but I wish the author had brought the gospel in more frequently when stressing the imperatives of the Christian life.
This is a small book, with 48 short entries. I found it most helpful to read one or two each morning in a meditative way rather than trying to blitz through the whole book quickly.
I did find the book helpful, but I think I like the idea of the book more than the execution. Perhaps I wanted this book to be something it is not, but I wish the author had brought the gospel in more frequently when stressing the imperatives of the Christian life.
June 21, 2012
Excellent, challenging book. We used it for family worship, and found the short chapters to be just the right length for our family. The strength of the book comes in its direct address. Many devotional books give pious thoughts that everyone nods in agreement, but I've found few books that are as provocative and challenging. The book makes direct, forceful statements about the state of your mind and heart, and because they are rooted in Scripture, the arrows hit home. Don't despair; grace is in abundance, but it is deep grace that restores, not cheap grace that soothes hurt feelings. Great stuff, and we'll be buying and using book 2 as soon as it comes out.
October 16, 2018
I enjoyed this book. At first put off by the simplicity of it, but I actually appreciated the two page chapters. This is something you can pick up on a Sunday and quickly scan the chapter on worship or pride to remind yourself of the biblical truths behind these topics. Because we are so prone to think untrue things, it helpful to replace those thoughts with truth. This is essentially what Joe Thorn is doing here. I also liked that the book was written at a level a new believer could understand, but rich enough that a seasoned believer could enjoy too.
September 1, 2016
Note to Self is a fantastic collection of bite-sized notes focused on bringing Biblical truths in an applicable way. The book is structured more like a devotional, which is both a blessing and a curse. Though I appreciated the brevity of each "chapter", I do wish that some could have gone deeper. Overall, it's a fantastic book that's meant to be read slowly and provoke you ponder the promises of God, holy living, and ultimately, the Gospel.
July 2, 2015
I don't do well with "devotional" format books (which is why it's taken me over two years to finish this one)...but this little book is really excellent. Pointed enough to make you squirm at times, yet brimming with joy and hope, it's a wonderful, useful collection of 48 little exhortations to remember what's true and live like it. I should immediately start back at the beginning.
June 4, 2018
Solid book with a two page per day devotional format. I thought some days were excellent and others were average. For a book that is focused on preaching the gospel to yourself, my personal opinion is that it could have felt a little more grace-filled. All in all, a solid book and I’m glad I read it.
November 4, 2013
Looking for a good devotional read that's theological but packs a practical punch? Look no further. This is the perfect book for the theology lover who needs to be reminded regularly to put their theology to work.
July 14, 2012
Not sure I understand the subtle difference between being preached at and preaching to self. The author covers many areas of the Christian life
December 13, 2014
This book was so good. I especially loved the chapter on how devotions should only be the start of private worship.
June 14, 2017
A good devotional
October 18, 2017
THIS IS PERFECT TO READ EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! I recommend this book to everyone especially those who preach the word to others.
May 31, 2025
Like his other book "Experiencing The Trinity" this is written very devotionally. I listened through it as an audiobook on a trip, but that's not really how you should read it. I would take a chapter or two a day. I'm certainly going to buy this in print and share it with others just like I did his other book. They remind me a lot of "A Gospel Primer" by Milton Vincent yet with a different focus that is equally helpful. Highly recommend getting this and reading it devotionally.
March 1, 2019
Good with lots of ups and downs. It took me almost 2 years to finish this. I read one devotional per day for a week or two, then I'd have to stop. This book is all about preaching the gospel to yourself, but some days really beat me up and made me feel pretty bad about myself. It usually wasn't the convicting type of feeling, but more of the feeling that I feel trashy and unworthy. Many of these feelings were just due to my mindset at various times reading it. Gospel and law can be pretty tricky for me sometimes. Overall pretty good, though. I’m glad I read it.
January 18, 2024
Highly recommended for pastors to improve their preaching, biblical counselors to improve their counseling, Christians to improve their daily lives, and churches for their recommended book lists, bookstores, and even promotion in a book of the month.
December 29, 2021
The concept of preaching to yourself is good. Law and gospel are properly distinguished. In the devotional section it felt a lot more like Thorn preaching at me and the statements assuming various sins where somewhat off putting.
February 20, 2019
This is very good. We all need to practice the discipline of preaching to ourselves and this book will provide ample examples of doing just that. What's implicit in these examples is a deep knowledge of Scripture. May God give us wisdom to know how to apply such timeless truths in timely ways!
March 17, 2016
This is a great book of its type. It is essentially a daily devotional designed to allow Christians to preach to themselves. It is, as might be expected, application-oriented, and uses everyday language and ideas to convey to oneself and live out the gospel message. This is possible through Jesus, who allows us, through proxy, to live righteously. According to Thorn, the idea of preaching to ourselves "is the personal act of applying the law and the gospel to our own lives with the aim of experiencing the transforming grace of God..." (24). Thorn's acknowledgment of the law is important as the majority of evangelical Christians downplay or outright ignore the role of the Law as obedience to the Lord.
I am not overly fond of the daily devotional stylistic as I prefer to dig a little deeper than most of them go. However, Thorn has done a good job in his book. The message is timely, and the application of the law and gospel so important in our contemporary age that I rank it 5 stars. There are 48 daily lessons as well as the front matter and the back matter of a recommended reading list. The text is laid out well and easy to read. I recommend this book to all Christians who are interested in the subject matter for their use in daily Bible study and reflection. With a little work, this book could also be used in small group settings.
I am not overly fond of the daily devotional stylistic as I prefer to dig a little deeper than most of them go. However, Thorn has done a good job in his book. The message is timely, and the application of the law and gospel so important in our contemporary age that I rank it 5 stars. There are 48 daily lessons as well as the front matter and the back matter of a recommended reading list. The text is laid out well and easy to read. I recommend this book to all Christians who are interested in the subject matter for their use in daily Bible study and reflection. With a little work, this book could also be used in small group settings.
June 14, 2011
This book ask you questions about what you believe and challenges you to know what you believe and how you live what you believe. It starts with a verse and then writes a note to self by asking question and digging deeper into truth about what that means to you and your relationship with the Lord. It reveals your heart and brings your heart to the word. However, not just your heart but your mind as well as you think about these truths and how they apply to your life. The Christian life is intentional and does not just happen. It shows how the bible is of value to us that it actually helps us to function to shape how we think, feel and act and well as what we believe, value and teach. Note to self is a guide to preaching the law to yourself which leads you to your only hope the gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ. By finding our redemption in the gospel, we can look afresh at the law. Good theology uncovers the truth about ourselves. This book does a great job in doing that and bring you back to the Gospel.
July 20, 2012
MY REVIEW:
I have now read a stack of books on the topic of grace and this one has found it's place close to the top. It is a simple summery of how God's grace functions in the Believer's life followed by a wide range of "Notes" about grace in a specific area of our lives.
Note To Self is a relatively short read all the while being a deep and thought-provoking book on grace in the every-day moments of life. It covers worship, laziness, fear, suffering, relationships, and much more in an easy-to-read format. It's a great book for those brief moments of time you have to read as the chapters are very short and stand alone.
This is a perfect book for teens to adults and makes a great introduction to the study of God's grace and how the gospel applies to our life in the future as well as NOW.
I have now read a stack of books on the topic of grace and this one has found it's place close to the top. It is a simple summery of how God's grace functions in the Believer's life followed by a wide range of "Notes" about grace in a specific area of our lives.
Note To Self is a relatively short read all the while being a deep and thought-provoking book on grace in the every-day moments of life. It covers worship, laziness, fear, suffering, relationships, and much more in an easy-to-read format. It's a great book for those brief moments of time you have to read as the chapters are very short and stand alone.
This is a perfect book for teens to adults and makes a great introduction to the study of God's grace and how the gospel applies to our life in the future as well as NOW.
June 6, 2012
Excellent. I read a chapter a day (the chapters are only a few pages), and used it like a devotional. If you have allergies like me, there is no flowery, fragrant smell to be found, but only sound doctrine and biblical advice. It's a series of small, topical notes written to the reader. Here's a sample: Dear Self, You are proud, and what makes this so dangerous is that you don't realize how proud you are. Thorn's style continuously pushes you back to the cross for the source of encouragement. Many days the chapter sat with me all day reminding me of my sin or reminding me of the promises God has made.
I really like this book and will probably read it again. I would recommend to anyone looking for a short devotional that cuts through the sometimes nauseating world of Christian devotionals.
I really like this book and will probably read it again. I would recommend to anyone looking for a short devotional that cuts through the sometimes nauseating world of Christian devotionals.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews