Great Ideas for Personal Evangelism!

Amy Lively attempts to take the reader across the threshold and into the scary land of evangelism.  In her book, How to Love your Neighbor Without Being Weird, Lively shares stories and techniques about how to talk to your neighbor about Christ . . . without being weird.

The book is very practical and filled with humor and very real adventures which helps the reader better identify with the author.  She gives ideas and clues about what to say and has a section at the end of each chapter called “Next Steps” in which she helps you determine what we should do next. 

One great thought she had was to simply invite people to your home instead of inviting them to church where it is more threatening.  She helps the reader understand you don’t need a model super clean home.  Instead you need to practice the gift of hospitality.  Help that person feel welcome in your home and you will be surprised at what happens.

If you are looking for ways to reach your neighbors, then I believe this book has some great ideas in a nonthreatening forum. 

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent! Say No More!

I really enjoy photography but seem to have little to no time to become a better photographer.  When I saw this book, it really piqued my interest.  This book, Capture the Moment, by Sandra Wilkerson, is filled with extraordinary pictures. 

What I really appreciated was the fact that this book was not filled with diagrams and charts about aperture settings, f stops, etc.  The focus was on pictures and settings and how to tell a story through pictures.  This helped the book to be a 5 star book. 

There are 6 chapters which cover the following ~

Natural Light
Composition
Storytelling
Fine Art
Black & White
Low Light

This book is useable for the novice like me, or for the advanced photographer who is looking to gain extra inspiration and ideas for new types and styles of pictures.  There are basic tips and ideas for all levels of photographers.  As each chapter progressed, Wilkerson moved into more advanced thoughts and techniques.

Don’t get me wrong, while each picture includes the information about the picture (Shutter speed, f-stop, camera, lens, etc.) that was not the focus of the book.  Sometimes all of those terms can be daunting.  While necessary to know them and understand them as you grow as a photographer, it can still be intimidating. 

Each chapter ends with “Creativity Exercises” to help you progress as a photographer.  Overall, this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it!

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

His Kingdom or Our Kingdom?

I have always appreciated the writing of Reggie McNeal.  He seeks to help churches grow to become who God has called them to become.  In his book, Kingdom Come: Why We Must Give up Our Obsession with Fixing the Church - and What We Should Do Instead, Reggie believes church’s are asking the wrong question.

Most churches are asking how they can grow and become the biggest and newest mega church or multi-site church.  But McNeal states the correct question to ask is “how can our church join God in His mission to grow His kingdom?” 

I believe that is a crucial question and a huge difference in the way we think about church. 

McNeal explained the church is part of God’s plan to grow the kingdom, but we cannot grow the Kingdom without following God’s plan.  The modern church attempts to do ministry in a box, and to that degree we try to put His kingdom, with all of its complexities and uniqueness into our small isolated church’s.

This is an interesting book, with an excellent premise.  He also includes a Discussion Guide in the back of the book to help you consider some of the key thoughts from each chapter.  This is an excellent book for those in leadership to read and discuss.

I received this book from Tyndale Momentum in exchange for an unbiased review.

In My Arms Video

Some Insights of Jesus in the Old Testament

In the book, Transcending Mysteries: Who is God and What Does He Want From Us? Andrew Greer and Ginny Owens have written a book in which they attempt to find Jesus’ message from the Old Testament.

In this book they offer more of a dialogue to answer the questions about Jesus in the Old Testament.  It is written more from a personal reflective position as opposed to a deeper theological position.  In that sense it was interesting to see their take on who Christ is in the Old Testament. 

I appreciated their insights, as some made me think more about my view of Jesus and where I see Him as well in the Old Testament.  Andrew Greer and Ginny Owens are Christian musicians.  As such, there were times when they used music to help describe their view of Jesus in the Old Testament.  I found that helpful to better learn where they saw Jesus, and how music fit in with the larger story.

What intrigued me about the book was what was written on the back cover.  It said, Greer and Owens will “take readers on a journey to help Christ-followers reconcile a New Testament Redeemer with an Old Testament Judge.”  I was looking forward to a deeper discussion on that issue, but was left wanting more and wanting a deeper theological discussion.

Overall, the book is a nice collection of reflections and dialogue between the two Christian artists. 

I received a complimentary review copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers (http://booklookbloggers.com/) program.

Powerful and Impactful

In their book, Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most, by Hendrie Weisinger and J.P. Pawliw-Fry was an outstanding book.  So many people believe that they can just fend off the pressures which are upon them in a simple way, but that is not quite so true.  Techniques and practice needs to occur.  We believe people perform better under pressure, but that is not true either. 

The authors tell many stories which the reader can relate to, which helps us better understand how our body reacts to pressure.  We don’t like it, and we especially don’t like pressure packed surprises. 

When we experience pressure, especially unexpectedly, we need to be prepared to respond.  With this in mind, the authors developed a system to help the person who is experiencing pressure.  They discuss these strategies in the book, calling it the COTE of Armor.  The C.O.T.E. stands for (Confidence; Optimism; Tenacity and Enthusiasm).  The authors provide practical tools to help people perform better under pressure.  The rest is up to us, to practice and use these tools.

The more we practice these techniques, the more we will find they benefit us and help us thrive under pressure.  This will help us in all walks of life. 

Many books like this are all theory.  This book was not.  It is not a super fast read, but the stories and illustrations are great, as are the many practical tips and techniques which we can begin using. 

We all deal with pressure to one degree or another.  I highly recommend this book. 

I received this book free of charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

Engaging Journey to Faith

Adventures in Saying YES: A Journey from Fear to Faith, was an excellent book.  Carl Medearis packed up his wife and children and left for the Middle East.  They had hopes of changing the world for Christ.  This is a story about overcoming fear and relying on faith to defeat the demons of fear which Medearis and his family experienced on their wild journey.

This is a very easy to read book, filled with adventures and amazing faith, courage and some craziness from Medearis and his wife.  Carl shared a number of very personal stories, often times wondering why he was doing what he was doing, yet, he was always able to experience God’s presence, even when Muslims are questioning him with AK-47's in hand.  He even called out an Imam during one encounter. 

Medearis always brings the reader back to Jesus as the reason for what he was doing.  He shared some Bible passages and more than anything shared his story about overcoming fear in the name of faith in Christ.

I received this book from Bethany House Blogger Review Program for this honest review.

Excellent!

I really enjoyed reading this book, A. D. The Bible Continues: The Revolution That Changed the World.  Dr. David Jeremiah has written a book which if filled with a great deal of history which helps fill in the gaps about the beginning of the early church.  The first two chapters of the book give details regarding the death and resurrection of Christ.  Jeremiah goes into great detail to paint a vivid picture of what occurred. 

Beginning in chapter 3, Jeremiah tackles the beginnings of the church.  The book is based on the television series of the same name. 

Jeremiah provides the reader with additional facts and information which help to understand the political, cultural and religious situation of what was occurring when the church began.  He provides passages from the Bible to help the reader better understand the Christian perspective as well.

This is an easy to read book and very relevant to our world today, as Jeremiah uses examples we can relate to.  This is a very interesting book, which will help the reader understand the early movement of the church.  Of course, there is no substitute for reading the Bible.

I highly recommend A. D. The Bible Continues: The Revolution That Changed the World!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.

Thought Provoking!!

As a pastor who is trying to meet the needs of all people, yet understand why we are the way we are, this book was very helpful to me.  In Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church, Rachel Evans has written a book which describes her journey from the church to leaving the church and now back again.  She has changed and the church has changed. 

It's not always for the best.  She still struggles with many issues mainline, conservatives take as fact, but I appreciated the transparency of her struggles.  The first part of the book was very helpful as she wrote about her feelings of disillusionment and questioning the church.  Even though I didn't grow up in the church, I could identify with much of what she was writing. 

As she writes, she discusses the seven sacraments which the Catholic and Orthodox churches follow.   The chapters are short and easy to read.  While I do not agree with some of her theology, I found the book valuable to see where some people in the millenial group are thinking about church and structure.

She concluded that the church is still a place where you can find the good in people, yet we recognize we are all flawed.  She still finds it a place of peace for her.  

I received this book from Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Unique and Very Good!

To You; Love, God: A Year of Daily Guidance and Inspiration Straight from the Source, by Will Bowen, is a different type of devotional.  It is a 365 day devotional which is like many, however, the main difference is that Bowen has taken the liberty, not saying that’s bad, of writing a love letter from God to us.  So, what if we woke up to a daily love letter from God which encourages us through the difficulties of life.  That’s the premise of this book.

The book is an easy to read book.  It is written in a very poetic manner which should helps bring hope and encouragement to the reader.  The book is written in 12 themes.  Each month has a different theme.   The twelve themes are:

January - Awaken,
February - Love,
March - Release,
April - Believe,
May - Do,
June - Transform,
July - Intend,
August - Transcend,
September - Cultivate,
October - Flow,
November - Appreciate, and
December - Flourish.

The main criticisms are the fact that the subtitle suggests the inspiration is straight from the source.  The source must be God.  I can see how the book inspired the author to write this.  Yes, maybe that’s a little nit-picky, but it bothered me.  The other comment is that the devotion does not include scripture.  I think it’s a great devotion, with great thought, but to add scripture to help the reader see where the encouragement is found in the Bible would have been great.

Nonetheless, this is an excellent devotional.

I received a copy from Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own.

Thought Provoking & Entertaining!

I really was not sure what to expect in this book, other than the fact that it intrigued me.  Jared Brock has written a book which has some great deep truths, and is silly and comical at the same time.  In his book, A Year of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life, Brock and his wife Michelle set out on a one year adventure of learning more about prayer in order to revitalize their prayer lives. 

This is not a how to book, rather it is an intimate portrait of two people who have set out on a very intentional journey in order to find God, to develop a closer and more impactful prayer life with God.  They set about this journey by traveling the world and looking at various religions and traditions to learn about prayer. 

This is an easy to read book, which will surprise you with some deep truths about life and prayer.  Jared and Michelle share their journey and the many learnings and surprises along the journey.  Some were silly and irreverant, such as the clothes the wore to meet the Pope, their time at a Jewish Seder meal, and more. 

Jared never lost sight of his quest, repeatedly asking the question, “What is prayer?”  I would recommend this book to all who want to draw closer to God through reading a book which is both entertaining and thought provoking.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

More than I Expected

I have never really been into professional wrestling.  But when I saw this book was available for review, I thought why not.  This should be fun and entertaining.  But the book, Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, The Reality and the Faith of a WWE Superstar, by Shawn Michaels is not what I expected. 

It was better than expected.  I thought I would learn more about the wrestling movement, but it was more about Shawn's life after 2002.  The book is a quick and easy read.  If there was a criticism about the book it would be that I wanted to read more.

The book focuses on Shawn's life since he became a Christian.  He wrote about his struggles and at times compromising his faith for the sake of the WWE.  I like the fact that Shawn didn't talk about how his life is now perfect and he is perfect, he continued to remind the reader that he is still a work in progress. 

Of course there are lots of stories about wrestling, Vince McMahon, the Undertaker, Triple H, Bret Hart and more.  So, if you are into wrestling and want to learn more about the life change of Shawn Michaels this would be an excellent book to read.

I received this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Enjoy the Pleasure of His Company

The Pleasure of His Company: A Journey To Intimate Friendship with God by Dutch Sheets was an excellent book.  It’s really more of a devotional book, broken into 30 easy to read chapters.  Sheets writing style is engaging and relaxed, yet he helps the reader to feel that this is a personal book.

The premise of the book comes in the title and subtitle.  Sheets believes and I agree, God wants to have a personal relationship with us.  It’s not a long distance relationship but one in which we find intimacy with God, as He does with us.  We also take pleasure in knowing and relating to and with God. 

While this is an easy to read book, you should take your time and gain an understanding of how God wants to relate with you and how you can experience and know God, as well.  Hopefully this will help the reader to move deeper in their relationship with God.

I highly encourage this book to be read.

I received a Review Copy free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own.

Excellent Short Devotional

I am sometimes skeptical of different devotionals because I am often let down.  However, I was not let down after reviewing the devotional by Kerry and Chris Shook, Be the Message: A 30 Day Adventure in Changing the World Around You.  I really appreciated this devotional for its directness. 

Each chapter is about 4 pages, filled with scripture, devotional writings and some thought provoking questions and statements which will help us move in the direction God wants us to move so that we can Be the Message to the world.

If you are looking for a short devotional for a 30 day spiritual adventure, or to use this as a 30 week devotion, focusing on each chapter for one week, then I would highly recommend this devotional.  I have not read the book which goes along with this, so I don’t know if that would be a good addition.

I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Good, But Not Great!

I was excited to receive the new NIV Proclamation Bible.  While I am not a proponent of the new and revised NIV, I still wanted to review this Bible.  Especially because Timothy Keller, whom I respect was quoted on the cover stating, “There are many Study Bibles, but none better.” 

I must say this is not a Study Bible.  It’s not close.  That was disappointing.  I have Study Bibles and the notes are helpful.  However, this Bible reminds me of one of my first Bibles, the Thompson Chain Reference Bible.  There are cross-references and two columns per page, which I really like!  There is a one page introduction for each book of the Bible, yet, there are no notes telling me historical information, such as the date, setting, etc.

There is a nice concordance in the back, as well as about 70 pages of introductory writings in the beginning of the Bible, which most people do not read.  There was nothing overly spectacular or new which would cause me to say ‘I must have this Bible.’

I did like the fact that when I opened the Bible to Genesis 1, the Bible layed flat.  That is outstanding!  I liked the fact I didn’t need to hold the Bible open until I break it in.  There are also 2 ribbons to help mark your place while reading the Bible.  The Bible is in a nice looking blue hardcover which would look very nice on a table or bookshelf. 

I hesitate in ripping into a Bible.  It’s the Word of God, so with that in mind, if you are looking for a basic Bible in a nice hardcover book, without lots of notes, yet with thicker pages, then this is a very nice Bible to purchase.

I received this book from http://booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Great Thriller!

This book by Van R. Mayhall, Jr. Captivated me as soon as I opened the book. It’s a fictional book which uses biblical stories and facts to build a compelling Judas the Apostle has been the subject of great debate within the church. Mayhall has written an excellent and fun filled thriller, with twists and turns which are unexpected.

The story focuses on Chloe LeJune who returns to Louisiana to bury her father. They had been estranged for many years, but in returning home she discovers her father was murdered and the focus is an ancient jar which some strange writings on it. She goes about discovering what was written on the jar, along with her son JE and officials from the Vatican.

This book kept me reading to the very end. I would highly recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this eBook by the publisher, through NetGalley blogger program for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
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Interesting and Fun Book

I was really excited to receive the book, This is What you Just put in Your Mouth, by Patrick Di Justo.  It’s a fun book, but the title can be a little misleading, but not a downer.  This book is not just about what you put in your mouth, but it’s about many products we purchase. 

I enjoyed some of the back stories about his research and discussions with experts about what went into various products.  He discusses products ranging from cool whip, dog food, doritos, hot pockets, A-1 Sauce to diaper rash cream to bug spray to febreeze, play doh, hair coloring and more.

It was fun to read about some of the hidden products in items I purchase.  He uses the actual names of ingredients used so science folks will appreciate that.  If you read through the book, you will find products like Plaster of Paris, Turpentine and other products are in the foods we eat!  Sounds great!

Anyways, it’s a fun book which will be fun for all ages to read.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from www.bloggingforbooks.com.

Very Good, But a Reprint

I am a fan of John Maxwell.  I think he has so much to say which is practical as it pertains to leadership.  However, I was somewhat disappointed in this book, The Leadership Handbook: 26 Critical Lessons Every Leader Needs.  It is mostly a reprint of a leadership book which was previously published, called Leadership Gold. 

That being said, this book was a very good reminder of what I need to be doing as a leader.  There is not much new that is written in this book, however, Maxwell’s gift is to take something which can be difficult and he makes it understandable and practical.  That is a gift which I appreciated in this book.  The book covers 26 different aspects of leadership.  The chapter titles are catchy and there is a Mentoring Moment at the end of each chapter. 


Overall, I would recommend this book to those who have never read leadership books from John Maxwell.  Then, I would move on to other a little weightier classics by him.

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers http://booklookbloggers.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Finding Favor: The Story of Esther

In his book, Finding Favor With the King: Preparing for your Moment in His Presence, Tommy Tenney, explores the ancient story from the Old Testament book of Esther.  He retells the story about how she found favor with the king.  She took a risk of entering the king’s chambers without his asking for her.  He could have said no, and she would have been subject to be killed. 

The premise of the book is to help the readers discover God’s plan for their lives as they seek His presence.  The question at hand which is the locus of the book is this — will Esther seek the kingdom or the king?  Will she seek the king more than the palace?  What can she live with?  In the same way, the question comes before us as well, who will we choose . . . the King or the kingdom (our kingdom)?

He concludes the book by listing the "Twelve Protocols of the Palace."  These were Esther's secrets of finding favor with the King.  It’s an excellent list and one to hold onto. 

This was an encouraging book.  It was not difficult to read and was engaging as well.

Tenney reminds us that victory comes when we pay close attention to our King even when the enemy stares us in the face.  The ultimate question is who will you choose to serve and worship?

Overall, this was a very good book which I recommend.

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an impartial and honest review.

Vulnerable and Transparent!

I have read other books by Donald Miller and have found him to be authentic and a writer who is willing to be bold and challenge the reader.  In his newest book, Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy, Miller has written a very transparent book about his journey in relationships; from singlehood to marriage.

I admire his openness and willingness to uncover deep secrets which he was even able to hide from himself.  Writing this book took a great amount of courage.  He is not only open, he reveals his shortcomings, his weaknesses and his challenges at overcoming his own obstacles, namely, himself and his woundedness.

The greatest compliment I can state has already been said, he is open and vulnerable and transparent.  He writes about his many failures in relationships, his vicious cycle of failure and admits to the deep hurts he caused others.  His goal, is exactly as the title stated, dropping the act and finding true intimacy.  Fortunately for Miller, he was surrounded by many friends who cared and loved him, as they helped him on his journey to healing and wholeness.

This was a very easy to read book, it’s deep, but a quick read.  The only criticism is the fact that Miller didn’t talk about where Christ was in the midst of his struggles and understanding of himself.  He went to a treatment center to help with psychological / emotional issues, but didn’t talk about the role his faith played in the healing.  If it played a role at all.  I would have appreciated to see where and how his faith helped, didn’t help in his healing process.

Overall, this is a good book, albeit with one large shortcoming.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers http://booklookbloggers.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.