The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon is a very short book, written by masterful biographer Steve Lawson.

This tiny book looks small enough, but packs a powerful dose of encouragement from the Gospel focused life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon. It's a quick read in which biographer Steve Lawson stands beside you, puts one arm around your shoulder, and uses the other to point back in history at highlights in the life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon.

For me, this accomplished three things. First, I got to meet Spurgeon. As someone who has not previously had the opportunity to study the life and ministry of Spurgeon as much as I might have liked to, I could only claim agreement with him through a partial ignorance in bits of quotes and phrases heard and read in various sermons, books, articles, and blog posts. I had read "Lectures to My Students," but this gives you little insight into Spurgeon's actual life. This little book introduced me to a man who I have grown to love, look up to, and refer to as "Chuck." OK, maybe that's a bit far.

Second, it confirmed my own doctrinal convictions and allowed me to see how Spurgeon had come to many of the same conclusions in his study of Scripture. I've always believed myself to be standing in the same historic line as Spurgeon, but had not ever had opportunity to fully trace it out to its proofs. Here, Lawson gives quote after quote after quote, leaning into the ministry of Spurgeon to show his doctrinal clarity on the biblical gospel. This left me convinced, and thus encouraged, that I am standing in a long line of godly men, with Spurgeon as a spiritual forefather before me, and preaching the same truths from the same scripture that he once did.

Finally, this book was also a great challenge to me, especially because of the evangelistic fervor and boldness of Spurgeon. I was convicted that in striving for doctrinal clarity on the gospel of grace, I have all too often failed to live evangelistically, serve evangelistically, and preach evangelistically. This was a great challenge to my sinful heart to “do the work of an evangelist." We must plead with the unbelievers God puts in our lives to "be reconciled to God."

We've all heard about Spurgeon. We've all heard him quoted. If you've ever wondered about Charles Spurgeon, but never had the opportunity to get to know him very well, this is a small commitment book that will give you a big perspective into his life, his ministry, his preaching, and his heart. It's short, sweet, and to the point, but is LOADED with great nuggets of wisdom and biblical insights from the "prince of preachers." I would recommend this book to any Christian, but especially as a quick devotional read because of it's small size.

Spurgeon once said, “John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which once thundered through Scotland must thunder through England once again." And I say, Spurgeon’s gospel is my gospel, and that which thundered through Scotland and England must thunder through America once again.

You can pickup a copy of this book on Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Focus-Charles-Spurgeon-Profile/dp/156769280X