Looking at our sexuality from a biblical standpoint. . . .
Dr. Gary Foshee. Pawned: Redeeming Our God-Given Sexuality. 264p., $16.99, Deep River Books.
People walk into pawn shops every day and pawn priceless heirlooms for pennies on the dollar, and Dr. Gary Foshee claims that many people do the same with sex.
Numerous men and women report feeling shameful, dirty, and even fearful, before, during, and after sex. Others report they have no sexual desire and are repulsed by the thought of it. Although millions of people experience these same feelings, this was not and is not God’s design.
Pawned sexuality—whether the result of lack of knowledge, sexual immorality, or abuse—leaves deep physical, emotional, and spiritual scars that distort people’s view of themselves, others, and God.
Modern culture has changed especially on issues of marriage, sex, and sexuality. Immoral sexual ideologies and practices have breached biblical battle lines, clouding the hearts and minds of humanity in a fog of sexual confusion. Erroneous teachings confuse Christians, who already have trouble navigating sexual issues, making their sexual journey tempestuous and difficult, which often leaves them with deep physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual scars of shame and guilt.
The need for sound biblical teaching on sexuality remains critical. The digital age has revolutionized the way humans view, think, and act on issues pertaining to sexuality. Smartphones, social media, online dating sites, and easy access to instantly viewable and downloadable pornography all influence risky and unhealthy sexual behaviors, both physically and spiritually.
Pawned reveals preeminent and compulsory truths that God envisioned for sex and His transcendental plans to protect and purify the marriage bed all the way to the time of the new creation. This book teaches single and married couples how to redeem the gift of sex and honor God with their bodies. It provides insight and a healthy sexual compass for a variety of sexual issues and practices Christians want answered.
A powerful section on healing and restoration will enable all who have been sexually abused, molested, or raped to triumphantly redeem their sexuality. It also looks briefly at sexual addiction (SA), spiritual injury, and how to recognize signs of sexual abuse.
In this book, Dr. Foshee brings clarity and direction by addressing the tough questions. People need a definitive scriptural compass to help them establish healthy sexual parameters and perimeters—a compass keeping them holy and their marriage beds pure. Pawned is that compass.
Lay It Down 
Kerux: 1 Peter
All you can eat (and preach) about 1 Peter. . . .
Timothy E. Miller and Bryan Murawski. 1 Peter: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. 336p., $32.99, Kregel Academic.
Kerux Commentaries enable pastors and teachers to understand and effectively present the main message in a biblical text.
Each volume uniquely combines the insights of an experienced Bible exegete (trained in interpretation) and a homiletician (trained in preaching). These two authors work together to explain the essential message for the original listeners or readers, unpack its timeless truth, and then provide a contemporary restatement and communication insights for the key biblical concept. Every book is a resource designed and written with the real needs of the pastor and teacher always in sight, providing many ways to creatively express the principal thought in a biblical passage.
Based on the Big Idea preaching model, Kerux enhances the reader’s ability to deliver a message that is biblical, cohesive, and dynamic.
In 1 Peter, Timothy Miller and Bryan Murawski demonstrate how the activity of the triune God provides both encouragement and exhortation to the first-century readers of 1 Peter. The God who created and called believers has both redeemed them and empowered them to stand firm in the face of the world’s rejection. Such theological realities apply also to today’s believers, those elect of God yet exiles in the world. Miller and Murawski infuse textual, canonical, historical, and rhetorical insight to support the preaching preparation of expositors eager to share the relevance of 1 Peter with their congregations.