No one would ever call this book deep. But many a man will call it helpful and scriptural. As Sorenson explains in the introduction, he understands that. He wrote it to help the young pastor, and that is exactly what it does. Deftly using the Word of God and drawing on over 100 family years of pastoral ministry experience, he kindly yet clearly tells us exactly what a pastor ought to be. Occasionally, perhaps he errs a bit in philosophy or application. Sometimes he seems to be correcting the Word of God, though I'm sure he would disagree with that assertion. And we've already noted the work's simplicity. But in addition to its helpfulness, what makes the book is the conviction that comes to the pastor as he reads it. It is a conviction borne of a man who clearly lives/lived what he is here preaching, and if the book itself is not deep it still calls us to a deeper level of service than we had otherwise considered.
I have his commentary set and will reference it often. I appreciate the simplicity of his writing style and content. This book is no different. It is not a treatise on homiletics but rather the personal or human side of pastoring. It serves as a healthy reminder lest we forget that as preachers, we should be taking care of our own spiritual lives, especially considering the lives we've been given charge over.
The book is an easy read with only 217 pages, plenty of illustrations, and scripture to support his main themes.
Could I recommend this book... Sure I would not have any issue doing that.
A very practical and helpful book for any pastor - but especially a new pastor. I read this years ago when in Bible college, but the truths of this book were not as appreciated then as they are now. Taking Paul’s imperatives to Timothy, Sorenson presents a thoroughly Biblical and immensely practical look at the duties and responsibilities of a pastor. It was a great reminder and a book that I will probably return to in future years as a refresher and reminder.
Finally completed reading this one. I discovered it on my self last month with a bookmark still in it. A half-read book! Shame on me. Very practical material for the ministry.