Category Archives: Book Review

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

The Grace of God coverAndy Stanley’s, “The GRACE of GOD,” was probably one of the best books I read this year.  I’ve been a pastor for 20 years and thought I understood all about grace, but Andy truly showed me how amazing grace is by taking me through the entire Bible showing me God’s grace in places I least expected it.

The book was masterfully put together and organized in a clear concise way.  I enjoyed the trip Andy took me on as he went through the Old Testament and into the New Testament to help me discover some aspects of grace that I would normally miss.  In his acknowledgment, Andy credits Thomas Nelson with encouraging him to write the book and providing him with someone (Mark Gaither) to help organize his thoughts on the matter.

There were plenty of write me downs:

  • Grace is never just enough, but more than enough.
  • Grace plus anything is anything but grace.
  • Grace is not reserved for good people; grace underscores the goodness of God.
  • God initiated a relationship with his people before he even told them what the rules were.
  • The Law is an expression of God’s grace. (Chapter 4… Great Chapter!)
  • God’s Law reminds us of our need for grace.
  • The purpose of the Law was not to make us good, but to keep us free.
  • Grace is slow to judge and quick to deliver.
  • The Grace of God has no load limits.
  • Grace is predictably unpredictable.
  • Receiving grace is often easier than dispensing it.
  • Grace is inviting to the unrighteous and threatening to the self-righteous.
  • Grace is not earned; it is offered.

My favorite chapter wasn’t even listed as a chapter, but was a prologue that dealt with all the “what-abouts” of grace.   What about obedience?  What about disobedience? What about repeated misbehavior? What about bad habits?  What about justice?  What about repentance?   I LOVED the way Andy tied in all these “what-abouts” to the story of the Prodigal Son!  The book would be worth the price just for those 6 pages of insight I learned from that story.  It made me read through the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) and count the number of “what-abouts” implied in the story.

I would give Andy’s book a SOLID 5 stars and would recommend it for both the new as well as the seasoned believer.

**I received, “The Grace of God,” free of charge in exchange for a non-biased review.

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Billy Graham in Quotes

Billy graham in quotes

Billy Graham has delivered the gospel message to more people face to face than anyone in history and has ministered on every continent of the world in more than 185 countries.  This book is a compilation of sermon illustrations of his 60+ years of ministry.   It’s a reference work that can also be read as a devotion since so many of his illustrations are inspirational.  You can literally open it up  pick it up at any place and get something out of it.

I found it extremely easy to navigate through and found myself reading it whenever I had a few minutes between projects.  I didn’t find it too difficult to find something inspirational I could think about throughout the day.  It’s broken into a wide range of subjects from (A) abortion to (Y) young people.  I was disappointed that he couldn’t find any subject matter that began with the letter Z (just kidding).   I didn’t get into every subject area, but the majority of them I found extremely useful.

The ONLY thing I wish the book had was a Scripture Index in which you could match up the illustrations with specific Scripture passages.

I would recommend this book for both pastor and layperson.  I would rate it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.  I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest unbiased review of it’s contents.

 

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“Always TRUE: God’s 5 Promises When Life is Hard”

Always TrueJames MacDonald’s book, “Always TRUE: God’s 5 Promises When Life Is Hard” is a book forged out of MacDonald’s personal experience.  His previous book, “When Life Is Hard,” was dedicated to his mom who had just completed her battle with ALS and passed into Heaven.  “Always True,” is largely birthed from MacDonald’s many trials in life…from his personal bout with cancer… to various church conflicts… to the heavy burdens he carried toward his children.

The book is structured around five incredible promises God gives to the believer:

Promise #1:  God Is Always with Me.
(Deuteronomy 31:6)          …I Will Not Fear

Promise #2:  God Is Always in Control.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)                …I Will Not Doubt

Promise #3:  God Is Always Good.
(Romans 8:28)                  …I Will Not Despair

Promise #4:  God Is Always Watching
(1 Corinthians 10:13)        …I Will Not Falter

Promise #5:  God Is Always Victorious
(Isaiah 54:17)                    …I Will Not Fail

Each Chapter is broken into three parts: (1) “The Promise,” which deals with the specific promise in detail.  (2) “Take To Heart,” in which the reader is challenged by questions that relate to the promise and encouraged to share his/her insight with at least one person. (3) “Know By Heart,” in which the reader is challenged with a memory verse that goes with the promise. (4) “Theology of a Promise,” in which the reader’s understanding of  Divine Promise is broadened.

I loved the way MacDonald hit the perfect balance with Scripture and Personal Experience in this book.  He is incredibly gifted in sharing scriptures that deal with personal experience.  I found myself making countless numbers of notes in my Logos Bible Software on the Scriptures MacDonald uses.  The book also has a very detailed Scripture index in the back.

I appreciate MacDonald’s transparent honesty as he mentions how his faith has been stretched with each one of these promises.  He spends time talking about how you can’t really own any of these promises unless your forced to lean on them.

Moody Publishers continues to turn out books that are high quality in every way.  Not only the content…but even the paper and material are high quality.  The paper is bright and crisp.  The book cover has raised lettering.  Good job, Moody!

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest biased free review of the content.

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An Expose On Teen Sex and Dating

Andy Brainer’s, “An Expose on Teen Sex and Dating: What’s Really Going On an How To Talk about It,” was eye opening. I am a pastor and the father of two teenage girls and the book was extremely valuable both to my personal life as a parent and my ministry.

I was nailed in the introduction, “If we continue thinking about dating in the context of our own experiences, we’re going to watch a generation struggle through sexual depression and emotional guilt, and consequences that may last a lifetime.” (p.14) I confess…Guilty as charged. All I can say is thank God for the wake up call. This book can be used as a study guide, reference book, or even a devotional book at your local church. Brainer’s goal is to help parents and youth workers help teenagers walk through some of the most confusing time of their lives.

My jaw dropped on more than one occasion as I read the book. For example he cites a well known Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor that said that one of the most common things he deals with among teenagers is Syphilis of the Mouth!

Brainer is right on when he says that most teenagers see a relationship with someone of the opposite sex as opportunistic. He also says that a lot of times it has nothing to do with commitment and everything to do with pleasure. He describes teenage relationships as an amusement park.  A lot of times teenagers have the mentality, “‘There are lots of roller costers to ride, so I’ll just ride this one until it gets boring or it’s obviously over, and then it’s on to a new one.” (p.24) Brainer writes, “Most teenagers aren’t dating; they’re just seeing how far they can go with anyone willing.” (p.25)

The book would be totally depressing except that Brainer offers some very rational and practical solutions. He draws upon his 15 years of youth ministry to provide a valuable resource on how to talk to teenagers about dating/sex as well as how to help model healthy relationship skills. I filled up the back cover of the book with page numbers of useful suggestions for working with youth. I would recommend it for both parents and youth workers.

One review I read talked about Brainer over generalizing on a few key areas.   That’s probably an accurate observation, but it wasn’t too difficult for me to overlook such generalizations to get at his main ideas.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for a honest non-biased review.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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“Radical Together”

I just got through reading, Radical Together, by David Platt which takes off where his earlier book, Radical, leaves off by moving the emphasis from the individual to the church. The book is short compared to Radical, but it makes some good points and gives plenty of examples of how the Church as a whole can be radical for the Gospel.

In his first book, Radical, David challenges the individual to lay everything on the table. In Radical Together, he challenges the church to lay everything on the table.

He writes, “We have to put everything, even good things in the church, up for reconsideration before God, releasing them wholly to Him and asking Him to show us His priorities and purposes for each,” he goes on to write, “The ways we minister to children, youth, and college students; how we serve women, men, singles, marrieds, and seniors; how we do music and mission; how we approach and implement finances and budgets, administration and communication; all our policies, priorities, and procedures; all the buildings and land we own or rent –all these things (and more) belong on the table. The gospel compels the church to go to God with everything we have and everything we do and then as, “What needs to go? What needs to change? What needs to stay the same? And then wait for God to answer.” (p. 9 of Radical Together)

Wow… what a RADICAL, thought! Thinking about it left me spell bound for a moment thinking what if the church took those words seriously. It was both scary and refreshing though at the same time. As a pastor, I get tired of watching churches and pastors playing it safe. I love the way David Platt challenges us with the same kind of radical spirit Jesus uses.

Radical together is a very practical and relevant book. David Platt does an excellent job leading the reader to feel the tension that pastor’s often deal with in the church between choosing what is best from what is good for us to be doing as a church. That’s the rub every pastor feels: Choosing what is best from what is good. David Platt leads the reader through a process of discovering the very best things that God has for us to do as a church.

The book includes small group discussion questions in the back. I read the book individually and it was a good read, but it is geared toward group study.

I received this book free of charge in exchange of a honest bias free review of it’s contents.


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“One Race One Blood”

“One Race, One Blood,” was my first Ken Ham and it won’t be the last. Both authors: Ken Ham and Charles Ware did a good job at presenting their arguments against the “so called” Theory of Evolution. First they cover the subject in general and then they cover some of the dangerous implications including racism. Ken Ham writes, “Perhaps the most infamous abuse of evolution to justify racism was Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, which promoted a master race and sought to exterminate the so-called inferior races.” (p.30) The authors were straightforward and honest to admit that the Theory of Evolution mindset is not the soul cause of racism, but did stress that it’s mindset is one of the major causes.

I was sucked into the book from the very first page when Ken Ham told the story of an a African pygmy by the name of Ota Benga who was brought to the United States in 1904 by an African explorer who had bought him at a slave market. Ota’s wife and children had been slaughtered and their bodies mutilated in a campaign of terror by the Belgian government. Ota was 4’11’ and weighed 103 pounds and people literally treated him as an animal. They foolishly thought he was the lost link and did all kinds of inhumane things to him including caging him up with an ape! People would stare into his cage and throw things at him trying to evoke a response.

What proponents of Darwinism won’t tell you about Darwin is that in the last page of his book, “The Descent of Man,” Darwin expressed the opinion that he would rather be descended from a monkey than from a “Savage.” In describing those with darker skin, he often used words like “savage,” “low,” and “degraded” to describe American Indians, pygmies, and almost every ethnic group whose physical appearance and culture differed from his own. Ken Ham writes, “Although racism did not begin with Darwinism, Darwin did more than any person to popularize it.” (p.22)

Ken Ham writes, “Once people abandon the authority of God’s Word, there is no foundation for morality and justice in the world. When God’s truth is rejected, human reason alone is used to justify evil of every sort (Racism, Euthanasia, Abortion).” (p.32)

I also like the way Charles Ware reveals some of the struggles of being in a “interracial marriage.” According to War, there is only ONE race in the Human Species and many different variations. He proposes that we do away with using the term “race” when discussing the different people groups in the world because every human being in the world is classified as Homo Sapien. Scientist today agree that there is really only on biological race of humans. Geneticists have found that if you were to take any two people from anywhere in the world, the basic genetic differences between these two people would typically be about 0.2 percent, even if they came from the same people group. “Racial” characteristics account for only about 6 percent of this 0.2 percent variation. That means that the “racial” genetic variation between human beings of different “race” is a mere 0.012 percent. (p.112)

I feel I was not adequately equipped to counter the “Theory of Evolution” in seminary. Now (after reading “One Race, One Blood”) I feel well equipped to talk against evolution with its dangerous implications. The book was well documented with references. I was also surprised at how EASY the book was to read.

BTW… I received this book free for a non-biased review from the publisher.


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Filed under apologetics, Book Review, Theory of Evolution

“Max On Life”

Max Lucado’s, “Max On Life, was a book that really fed my soul. It was extremely well written and very relevant. It’s a beautiful compilation of all the types of questions Max has received in his many years of ministry. Lucado has a way of answering each other them in a masterful way.

“Max on Life,” is not a book of pat answers, but rather it’s book that will deepen your faith in God. It’s a book that you can pick up and read at any place. It is divided into 7 major sections: (1) Hope (2) Hurt (3) Help (4) Him/Her (5) Home (6) Have/Have-Nots (7) Hereafter. It’s exhaustively indexed with a Subject and Scripture index which makes it real easy to find what your looking for.

The book is good for both individual and group study. I recommend NOT going straight to the answers, but to struggle with each of the questions on your own and THEN read what Max has to say.

The book was extremely easy to read and I give it a 5 Star rating!

I received this book free through the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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“JOLT! Getting the Jump On A World That’s Constantly Changing”

The world is changing constantly at an alarming rate particularly with the technology and information segment. Jolt! by Phil Cooke is a book that helps a person maneuver in a ever changing environment.

I was blown away by some of the statistics sited in the book:

  • 65% of North Americans spend more time with their computer than their spouse.
  • E-mail is addictive in the same way slot machines have been shown to be addictive.
  • In 2009, it’s been estimated, the average corporate worker spent more than 40% of his/her day sending or receiving some 200 e-mail messages.
  • Information overload is a $650 billion drag on our economy each year.
  • In a world home to 6 billion people, roughly 600 million e-mails are sent every 10 minutes.
  • 77% of workers report that e-mail downtime causes major stress at work, with 10 percent actually assaulting their computer.

In relation to social media the following statistics were cited:

  • In 2010, Generation Y outnumbered Baby Boomers… 96% of them have already joined a social network.
  • One out of eight couples married in the United States in the last year met via social media.
  • If Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s third largest.
  • A 2009 US Department of Education Study revealed that, on average online students outperformed those receiving face-to-face instruction.
  • One in six higher education students is enrolled in online curriculum.
  • The fastest-growing segment on Facebook is 55-to-65-year-old females.
  • There are more than 200,000,000 blogs –increasing daily and 54 percent of bloggers post content or tweet daily. Because of the speed in which social media enables communication, word of mouth becomes world of mouth.
  • 25% of Americans in the past mouth said they watched a short video… on their phone.
  • In the near future we will no longer search for products and services, they will find us via social media.

JOLT, is a book that helps us deal with these radical changes in our culture and in our loves. Phil Cooke points out two different types of extreme people. (1) the person that doesn’t want anything to do with technology and (2) the person that goes overboard on technology. Cooke suggests a third option, “I believe it’s possible to navigate the cultural shift without losing your soul.”

I like the book because it’s divided up into easy to read chapters that deal with life management in general. The content wasn’t necessarily new, but it was written in such a way that was refreshing. The individual chapters deal with such things as vision and planning as well as how to live your life in such a way that you make the greatest impact. It wasn’t necessarily a hard read. I found that most of the chapters could be read in several minutes and found many illustrations that I filed away for later use in my ministry as a pastor.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.


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Is the Bible True…Really?

Is the Bible True... Really?Josh McDowell and Dave Strerrett hit the ball out of the park in their book, “Is the Bible True… Really?”  The book is part of their Coffee House Chronicles which is a series that seeks to foster a dialogue on skepticism, evidence, and truth.  I loved the fact that this book deals with the subject matter by way of introducing us to the typical struggles of a college student (Nick) with his faith.  This made it EASY to read!

The book was relatively short (You can get through it in a single evening) and yet it dealt with some pretty important questions:

  • Did Christianity borrow from pagan mythology?
  • When was the Bible “put together”?
  • When was the New Testament Written?
  • Is the Bible Inerrant?
  • Did the Disciples make it up?
  • What about the “mistakes” in the Bible?
  • How is the Bible different from other truth claims (Joseph Smith, Muhammad, etc.)?
  • What about the other Gospels (the Gnostic Gospels)?

The chapter I got the most out of was chapter 14 that dealt with all the so called, “Mistakes,” in the Bible.  Here are some of the notes I gleaned from the chapter:

Critics love to point out that there are anywhere from 300,000 to 400,000 variants among the New Testament manuscripts.  A textual variant is any instance where the New Testament manuscripts have alternate wordings.  What the critics don’t point out is that the large number of variants is a direct result of the extremely large number of New Testament manuscripts available.   By far, the most significant category of variants is spelling differences (75% or between 225,000 and 300,000 of all the variants!)  Another large category of variants consist of synonyms used across manuscripts.  Such differences hardly call the meaning of the text into question.  When all variations are honestly and objectively considered, only about one percent involves the meaning of the text, but not significantly.

What was eye opening to me was that even the process of comparing the discrepancies only served to reinforce the inerrancy of Scripture.   For example suppose we have four different manuscripts that have four different errors in the same verse (Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.)

Here are the hypothetical copies of variant texts:

  • I can do all t#ngs through Christ who gives me strength.
  • I can do all th#ngs through Christ who gives me strength.
  • I can do all thi#gs through Christ who gives me strength.
  • I can do all thin#s through Christ who gives me strength.

McDowell/ Strerrett point out that there is no question as to what the original text said.  By comparing and crosschecking, the original New Testament can be reconstructed with GREAT accuracy.

The book really served to strength my faith and appreciation for God’s Word.  Thank you McDowell/ Strerrett for putting together such a book.  I look forward to reading the other books in your series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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SOAR: Are You Ready To Accept God’s Power?

Kenny Luck’s book, “Soar,” is a book to help you discover the freedom of living in God’s power. The title of the book is an acronym.
Saying “yes” to the Holy Spirit.
Opening your life to His work inside of you.
Actively pursuing and partnering with the Holy Spirit
Releasing powerfully the ministry of the Holy Spirit to a waiting world.

If you ask me, the book could’ve been simplified to the very first letter: “Saying YES to the Holy Spirit,” but then you would have a very short book. Kenny Luck is the men’s pastor at Saddleback Church and his book is targeted to men in the context of a men’s group.

I really didn’t get into the book and yet at the same time it was hard for me to find anything wrong with it. It seemed to cover the basics about living in relationship with the Holy Spirit and yet it seemed to leave me a little flat. Perhaps this was because I did not read and discuss it in a small group. There are good group discussion questions at the back of the book.

I did like a lot of the illustrations that Kenny Luck used to make some of his points. (I filed away quite a few of them) I especially liked the Michael May story (p.82) in which he tells a true story about a man regaining his sight and how that relates to what happens when we gain our spiritual sight.

I gave the book three out of five stars. I wouldn’t say the book was a waste of time, but at the same time I wouldn’t say that this was a book that you couldn’t put down.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.


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