Book Review: Setting Our Sights on Heaven

Title:  Setting Our Sights on Heaven - Why it is Hard and Why it's Worth It

Author: Paul D. Wolfe
First Copy Right:  2011
Type of Book:  Paperback
General Subject:  Christian Living
Price:  $18.00
ISBN:  978-1-84871-143-3

The purpose of Wolfe in writing this book lies in the fact that most people who expect to go to heaven one day fail to "set their sights" on heaven consistently in their everyday experience. Wolfe wrote this book to delineate the challenges that hinder setting our sights on heaven and the rewards that such an exercise can produce. After explaining to his children where he would be in the year 2084 in response to their questioning, it donned on him (based upon the year of his birth) that he would be long in heaven by that time. Wolfe stated that this "raised for me once again the issue of heavenly-mindedness." Wolfe asserts that Christians are to be a heavenly-minded people.
However, it has been Wolfe's experience that most Christians are not heavenly minded. As a matter of fact, he states that many are simply oblivious to their future eternal residence. Wolfe writes this book in two parts - part one to explain and identify the "world to come." In part two he writes about "the cure for what ails us," in other words, whey we struggle to be heavenly-minded, and what one can do about it.


The theme of Setting Our Sights on Heaven is what the bible's teaching is about heaven and the fact that we are to be heavenly-minded. The thesis of this book is that Christians ought to think about heaven as those who long for it and who are destined for it.


Wolfe has combined both exposition and argumentation in order to develop his thesis. Wolfe uses both explanation and analysis to present to the reader a clear road map as to why Christians are to think much about heaven. At the same time Wolfe is skilled at using the technique of argumentation to make his points clear, concise, and cohesive. The reader is not left to guess or wonder about what Wolfe is trying to say or what point he is making as he develops his thesis. Wolfe is very precise in his explanation and argumentation.


Setting Our Sights on Heaven is a very interesting book. Wolfe has the ability to capture the attention of the reader at the outset of picking up the book and holding the reader's attention throughout the book.Wolfe is extremely accurate in his proposition, his exegesis of scriptural passages, and his offers of "proof." This is an important book for believers to read in order to be challenged biblically and not merely emotionally to become people whose minds are fixed on their future heavenly abode. This book is an extremely valuable tool for today's believers and  they will find it to be extremely useful.


Paul Wolfe is an associate pastor at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, VA. As a result he writes from a shepherd's perspective. He is an accomplished author having previously published My God is True! Lessons learned Along Cancer's Dark Road. The forward is written by Sinclair Ferguson. A recommendation is made by Alistair Begg.


Setting Our Sights on Heaven has a few footnotes peppered throughout various chapters. Their is no end note section nor bibliography. This book contains no index.


In summary, Setting Our Sights on Heaven is a very well written and useful book. It is my opinion that the content of this book has been well researched and offered in such a way to be both informative and inspirational. I found this book to be very challenging in my own life in regards to the question "are my sights set on heaven." Wolfe has been honest and direct as he has challenged the reader to assay his own heart in regards to this matter. Wolfe concludes with an example and quote from the great Puritan pastor Richard Baxter urging the reader to turn his/her thoughts from vain things to the study of eternity. The usage of this quote is very powerful and beneficial. I found Wolfe's summary in his final chapter to be both compelling and convincing. 


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I received a free copy of this book and nothing else from the publisher. The opinions and thoughts offered are mine and mine alone, and not those of the author, publisher, distributor or anyone else connected to this project.