After receiving The Roots of Endurance from a colleague of mine one year ago, I decided that one day I would read The Legacy of Sovereign Joy. Both of these books are part of a five book series from John Piper called The Swans are Not Silent. I have completed nearly a dozen Piper books, and each time I have come away having benefited tremendously. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy examines God's triumphant grace in the lives of three giants of the Christian faith - Aurelius Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. God used these men powerfully to teach his church what grace really means. Reading about these men reminded me that they certainly had their flaws and that I am to only exalt our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, these men had a white-hot passion for the sovereign joy of God, but it is God who put that in them. If you are interested in learning more about how God opened the eyes of totally depraved men helping them to overcome their struggles to become God-glorifying men of the Word, I highly encourage you to read The Legacy of Sovereign Joy.

John Piper's biographies are written with a pastor's eye and so are more than just the story of a famous individual. Rather, they focus on how the person ticked, and how they lived for Jesus. This book looks at 3 great men in the history of the Church, and even though each man had serious flaws, Piper points out the evidences of God's grace and how these men were used so mightily for God.

It would be hard to pick three more trans-formative individuals in church history than the three Piper surveys in this book. He focuses on the pastoral heart and preaching of John Calvin. He looks at Augustine's dramatic conversion from the bondage of sin. And with Luther, he focuses on his study and work as a scholar. The thread that binds the lives of these men is the power of joy in their lives. Or you could say the presence of sovereign joy in their personal lives and ministries.

This short book offers an excellent introduction to the life and legacy of each of these towering figures from church history. But it offers much more. Piper knows just how to peel back the curtain, as it were, and show us how these men tick. He finds their heart for Christ and aims to encourage us all to follow in their footsteps.

This book presents a clear and concise description of each of these men and their contribution to the exposition of Scripture.Once you start reading it you will not want to put it down.