The Restored Man: Becoming a Man of God
Randy Hemphill. Birmingham, AL: Iron Stream Books, 2019. 151 pp. (Paperback).
I know I’m not a man but I had to read the book to review it. Don’t worry guys — Randy Hemphill doesn’t give away any deep, dark secrets men conceal from women. This was definitely a book for men though and a good one. Maybe a great one.
The author weaves a story of a grandfather and his grandson restoring an old car into the narrative, drawing parallels with the restoration of men as he addresses what he sees as three major imbalances in books and resources available to men: Behavior over heart, points over process and spiritual over emotional. Hemphill writes that his book is not just another checklist of behaviors men need to work on but a quest for the heart of men: “God does not want to fix you but to father you. Behavior matters but only as it flows from a restored heart.”
He had my attention — and this was just the preface! The book, or process, unfolds with frequent invitations into self-reflection interspersed with biblical stories and challenging commentary. At the end are appendices written to guide men in setting up and maintaining a Restored Man Group.
Hemphill lives in Birmingham with his family where he serves as executive director of LIFE Ministries.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
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