Included in Christ

The Book of Ephesians from the Bible is perhaps one of my favorite books. There is so much wisdom to be gleaned and it is a surprisingly short book at that. Yet don't be confused that just because it is short, doesn't mean that there isn't much to learn. In fact, Paul probably used so many concise specific topics that not only applied to the people living in Ephesus, but also is very relevant to us in our current modern day age. Ephesians is a letter from Paul that you can understand best by thinking about seven operative or most important words in this short study. These words happen to be vivid verbs. The seven words in the 8 week study of Ephesians surely change you. It represents deeply transformation material. The hope is that after you finish this study people will begin to wonder and ask if you are a different person.

To complete this study you will need, a Bible ( one that you love the most will benefit you the best and everyone has their preferred choice), something to write on and with. Even though this study comprises eight weeks, five days each, keep your own pace and what works best for you. God may be calling you to spend time on something in this book that might be relevant to what He wants to teach you and what you are going through. I guess what anyone needs in completing any Bible Study is an open mind and a willing heart. This book can be used in an individual, couple or even a small group study through the book of Ephesians.

Each chapter in this book will ask you to think carefully about the crucial verb in each section and to picture a scene in our mind about this verb, such as 'how does a person understanding this verb live?' You first begin to answer the question bu first identifying their opposites or contrasts to enhance how we make sense of our new identity in Christ. You will begin with a shadow narrative about the particular verb you are studying. How that applies to your life, what are you doing or should be doing  and then using your five senses see if you can develop a short story about how He is currently writing about this verb in your life. These can be positive or negative and can be things you want to share or just keep to yourself. By the end of the study you will quickly identify ways your Shadow Narratives prevent you from fully embracing and fully inhabiting God's Word and you will have new stories to tell, your Savior story, to truly learn from the Scripture.

I received Included in Christ by Heather Holleman compliments of Moody Publishers and Side Door Communications. Each of this daily and weekly studies are to help you understand how you can become a new creation in Christ and embrace that and learn to let go of the old you, the former person who is trying to keep you from all Christ has in store for you. Think of it like spring cleaning for your soul and its about time to learn to let go of that excess baggage we've been carrying and lighten our loads and embrace the joy that comes from having a Christ centered life. These are perfect for small group studies or even a couple's study that will enrich your relationships in ways you never dreamed possible. I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Included in Christ, Heather Holleman or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Included in Christ by Heather Holleman

You can find Heather Holleman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest information.

For more reviews on Included in Christ, please visit Moody Publisher's website.

Murder Games

Serial Killers.

We have all heard about them.

They need for notoriety and the belief that they will be the greatest in the history of murderers. They all have their own mode of operation or MO, and some prefer their methods over what others might choose. For some it is personal. For others simply a way to mete out their own satisfaction for justice in a system that seems to favor criminals while the guilty go free on technicalities. There are also two types of serial killers, those who want to get caught and those who really want to get caught. Some just are seeking publicity and others want to be famous. In the end though, even the very best serial killers make stupid mistakes that get them caught when they aren't even looking.

Enter The Dealer or at least that is the name that the media, the Mayor and the police detectives are labeling the latest serial killer to land on New York City's streets just in the midst of a critical election year so everyone is using this to their own political agenda and the focus is on Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a well known author and college professor who is what some might call the expert on criminal behavior. Perhaps it is the Dealer's decision to invite Dylan into his sick games as the body counts begin to rise and with each is left a cryptic card, one of 52 from a standard deck of playing cards. Only these cards are a message, one that will give a clue to who the next victim is, beginning with Jared Loudin who ran a large hedge fund. It was there that the games began.

It will take a true master who gain access into a serial killer's thought process and perhaps that is why Dylan is chosen. Since it has been somewhat of a personal invitation, he is willing to place his bets he can solve this crime before too many cards have been dealt from the deck. With pressure from the Mayor's office and working with Detective Elizabeth Needham, they will begin the race against a stacked deck to solve this killer's identity. Will he be able to convince the Dealer to lay down his cards or will all bets be off and possibly have his own hands to deal instead.

I received Murder Games by James Patterson and Howard Roughan compliments of Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is another exceptional novel for fans of James Patterson. I mean for fans of anything like Criminal Minds, CSI or any other criminal murder mystery, then you would probable love this novel. It was the idea of the playing cards being left at each of the murders that had me interested. I do need to caution readers about a couple of things. It is a murder mystery so the crime scenes are there but not to graphic. There is some strong language but most of it is implied meaning the words are used with symbols representing the actual words. Thus implied. The main character Dr. Dylan Reinhart is married to his domestic partner Tracy and they are attempting to adopt a child from Africa. Thus another need for disclosure for those that might from on that content. Since book reviews are slated to offer a peek at what's really inside, thus my need for full disclosure on what you will find inside. That being said, I would rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Readers also get a sneak peek at his next novel, The Store, at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Murder Games, James Patterson or where you can pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Murder Games by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

You can find James Patterson on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Murder Games, please visit Little, Brown and Companies website. 

The Unexplainable Church - Bible Study

How does the grace of God work harder within us? How do we promise its fruit in our lives? Can we accept the grace of God as an intellectual assent and not experience any of its effects? Many Christians rest in the assurance of God's grace to take them to heaven, yet experience little of its ramifications in their daily lives. Or they yearn for more. There is a stirring in their soul, ushering them to experience the fullness of God's grace in their lives. But how?

This fifty-day journey is an invitation to walk alongside a man who never got over the awe and wonder of God's grace. For years he had sought God's favor through a religion of works, spiritual disciplines, knowledge and service. Then he met Jesus, and after approximately a decade of understanding Jesus as the Messiah, he finally came to the realization of the fullness of His grace. And he was never the same again. Rather than resting on a bed of laurels at the gift of grace he had been given, he strove even harder to ensure that God's grace to him was not in vain. He accepted the divine invitation and most likely met his Savior with a clear conscience and no regrets.

In The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn, readers will use this study guide to work their way through the Acts, chapter 13-28 over fifty days to discover the invitation that not only went out to Paul and his disciples after the ascension of Jesus but also to those who began believers at that time, and the beginning of what we know now as the church age believers. It helps us all understand our own unique place we have not just to be followers of Christ, but understanding the importance the role of the church plays in spreading the gospel message. Each day's study begins with a thematic title and Bible passage that should take you about 20-30 minutes to complete. The version used in this study is the English Standard Version, but you can use any version you are most comfortable with to do this study. You will encounter questions in blue working through your daily assignment. These questions are geared to help you stop, pray, collect your thoughts, and write out the answers.

Writing responses will take you into a deeper understanding of these passages of scripture to see how they can apply to your life today. On certain days, you will come across blue frames and these are your time to be creative, draw, doodle or ponder and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in the quietness of your heart. Bible Study is not meant to be a task to complete. Instead, it is an avenue for building a relationship with God. This resource can be used in small group Bible studies and the leader's guide for this study indicated which questions work best for groups. You can access this resource through the website provided in this book as well as additional resources that will take you deeper into the daily studies if you want to as well.

I received The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn compliments of Moody Publishers and Side Door Communications. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. Each days study can be completed in as little as 30 minutes or less and is designed to take you into a deeper study of the early believers that make up the age of church age believers which began when Jesus left and sent His Holy Spirit to begin to minister into the hearts of those willing to be open to His message. I especially love this study in Act because we have a common place with the invitation of the early church age believers. We are still adding to them daily and it helps to understand the various roles the church plays in making this the success that it has in the world today. It helps us all understand the individuals roles we all play to continue this ministry until we are called home. I easily give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars and I especially love the additional resources that can be found online that can incorporate this into a small group Bible Study.

For more information about The Unexplainable Church, Erica Wiggenhorn or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn

You can find Erica Wiggenhorn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Unexplainable Church, please visit Moody Publishers website. 

A Game For All The Family

The thing about psychological thrillers is that you will undoubtedly get fans who love it or will be stuck like a deer in the headlights, not quite sure what just happened. That is to be expected. On the heels of such novels like The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, fans of this novel by Sophie Hannah, A Game For All The Family will be one of two. Either you will love it or you will be completely lost by what happened. That's what makes things like this novel work. You aren't supposed to make sense of it sometimes.

So how to describe this novel without giving too much away. You have a family that has sold their home and is moving into a new one complete with a new future ahead. For Justine Merrison, she has walked away from a career in the entertainment industry and is beginning a new one. One doing absolutely NOTHING. As she likes to explain. No where to be, no deadlines, no one to report to. Even the simple task like taking her daughter Ellen to school is an option, not required as the bus can take her to the prestigious school they have picked out. For her husband Alex, he travels quite a bit, so having a place in any one city is not a necessity. Another option.

But now enter the unexplained which readers hope will be explained later in the novel. Don't want to give it all away too soon right? They pass by a row of houses that don't look like the place anyone would ever want to live. They are run-down and in the midst of a busy freeway as well. But for some reason, Justine feels a pull to a particular house without understanding the reason why. Her daughter and husband think she has lost it, and soon once it is long gone in the rear view mirror, things begin to get back to normal. The family moves into a home called the Speedwell House as most homes in London don't really have house numbers but house names instead. Everything is as it should be and soon they all settle into what some would call a routine sense of normal. Until Ellen arrives home four months later from school with her latest assignment for English, writing a story. It is what is in the story that has Justine puzzled, as most readers would simply laugh it off as a fictional tale. But it is something about the names and the way she has laid out a family tree, that begins the tale of "what is going on?" in the novel.

Ellen begins to be withdrawn and her mother, wonders that is going on. She is definitely not the same daughter that she had more than four months ago. After countless attempts to discover what is going on, she learns that her best friend has been expelled from school under a misunderstanding about a coat she loaned him. As Justine goes to confront the head administrator at the school, she learns that no such child has existed at this school, therefore, no expulsion of a student she claimed was her best friend, George. Readers will then toggle between the story Ellen has written over time, in succeeding chapters, about a family of 5 that lived in this house and in which one of the daughters has murdered a childhood friend.

I received A Game for All The Family by Sophie Hannah compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. Don't get lost dear reader, hang in there til the end, where as most great novels, it all begins to make sense. You are taken back to look at everything and now see it with a different perspective but that is where things begin to accelerate until the end. I wasn't too happy with how it ended, leaving me wanting more than just what happened. But I let you make the decision for yourself. I would give this one a 4 out of 5 stars and the book does contain some strong language and a same sex storyline with one of the characters which some readers may not care for. One must disclose this if you are going to do an honest review right? I mean that is what I look for when reading a book review.

For more information about A Game For All The Family, Sophie Hannah or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Game For All The Family by Sophie Hannah

You can find Sophie Hannah on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Game For All The Family, please visit William Morrow's website. 

All Saints - Movie Ticket Giveaway

From the makers of films like Miracles From Heaven and the War Room,  Provident Films and Sony Affirm Pictures once again has created what I believe will be another life changing movie. All Saints is coming soon to a theater near you on August 25th and with it the chance to win a pair of movie tickets to go see the film in theaters. All Saints is a movie based on true life events and takes a pastor, Michael Spurlock played by John Corbett who is sent to a small town to close the All Saints church due to low or what some might say is poor attendance. There are only 12 current members attending. Using his prior sales experience Michael is given inspiration to try one more time to see what he can do to generate interest in the church.

With the arrival of a group of Burmese refugees who understand the power of faith, they help inspire Michael to give God a chance to revive the church again. He is reminded that when Jesus started the church on earth, he began with just 12 people too and yet He did alright. Coupled with the faith and hope of those who can see God's hand in making use of their talents, from beginning a farm based on the great soil surrounding the church, and being reminded that we all have a purpose to serve by being created. Kind of like Matthew West's song, Do Something. Sometimes we all wait around in this world hoping for a better world and hoping that it will come about without us having to lift a finger. What if God's purpose is for us all to contribute while we still have breath in our lungs. That is what Pastor Spurlock will face when he struggles to understand his purpose by being assigned to save this church.

After all, what will happen if the church closes? Then what will those who attended do? Makes you consider what might happen if that very thing happened even within the doors of our own church, because we have come to expect that others will step up so we can have a place to worship. What happens when those around you go hungry and there isn't resources to feed them. Pastor Spurlock believes God has called him to do just that. To not only save the church, but to feed the people both the come to All Saints but even those in the community in hopes that a small spark will ignite into a flaming fire of redemption and restoration. From a seed of faith, grows hope!

I received this giveaway promotion compliments of Sony Affirm Pictures and LEV3L Digital. As a Featured Contributor of Sony’s ALL SAINTS Influencer Program, I received the value of two movie tickets in exchange for an honest review on my blog. The giveaway winner will receive a Fandago code to purchase two tickets FREE to see it on the night of your choice. It's simple and I've done it in the past! The giveaway codes will be received in time to see the movie, so you won't miss out. What I need your participate in is to help spread the word about this movie. So often as Christians, we look for great entertainment for the entire family in light of what is currently being shown in movie theaters, so lets remind the world, we want more movies like this one!

So please visit all the resource sites below to copy and share banners and movie clips and trailers like the ones features in this post. Use your social media sites to help spread the word. For each share, simply copy and paste your links below in the comment box to be entered to win in this giveaway. From Facebook, to Pinterest, to Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter and any other way to can think of, let's join forces as a Christian community and share the good news about this upcoming movie. The giveaway will end on August 18, 2017.

For more information about All Saints, Sony Affirm Pictures, or Provident Films please click on the links below:

All Saints by Sony Affirm Pictures and Provident Films

You can find All Saints on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest about the movie.

Please find some great resources about the film like movie discussion guides, refugee information, and more by visiting All Saint's website.  

Ascension of Larks

I can't imagine living a life loving someone who loves you back but whom you can never truly be with. That is the life of Maggie Henry who spent her college years with her best friend Lena and Marco Firelli. A truer friendship none could find anywhere. Maggie was a talented photographer who has been gifted with the opportunity to travel all over the world showing the world what life looked like someplace else. Marco was so much like Maggie, craving the lime light of success as a budding architect who dreamed one day to have it all, a successful self made business and a wife and family. Maggie and Marco were so alike that is seemed natural that they would be a power couple, but soon it dawned on Maggie that Marco wasn't willing to settle for someone so much like himself that they would burn one another out. So he married Lena and broke Maggie's heart.

While he built a family and a business, Maggie stayed gone for as long as it would take for her heart to mend. Unfortunately it never would and soon, she found herself spending more time alone and leaving her truest friends behind. Just as she was about to finish up a photo shoot abroad, Lena calls her to tell her Marco is dead. A tragic accident that has left Lena and her three children all alone. Of course, Maggie heads back to San Juan Island to figure out just what happened and to help manage things for Lena while she struggles with her own grief. Unwilling to admit and acknowledge the death of her husband, Lena spends all her time, baking, canning and creating to keep the present day from dawning on her doorstep. Maggie knew that people needed their own way to grieve and when Lena woke up one morning, said goodbye and walked out the door, Maggie just assumed she was running errands. She never expected for Lena to attempt to take her own life driving her car into a wall hoping to put an end to the pain. Now locked away from her pain in a coma, Maggie works with Ellen, Lena's aunt to help the children deal with their grief not knowing in their mom will come back to them.

Maggie meets Daniel and man that seems intent on keeping watch over the house and family but staying far away. She learns that he is serving out a self penance of sorts as he is the man responsible for Marco's death. He believes he is doomed to spend his life trying to write all the wrongs in his own life and it will take an experience like no other for all of them to find a way back to life and for healing to finally begin. But with so many unanswered questions Maggie isn't sure what is next in her life. She imagined Marco would always be there and now she spends her own solitude dealing with the feelings she had for him and how to resolve it now possibly having to raise three children all on her own. But soon she will learn that there are more secrets to Marco's life than she ever imagined and now she will have to deal with the possibility she could have had the life she might have always dreamed of before it was snuffed out much too soon.

I received The Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such an exceptional novel once you get past the slow beginning. Trust me, hang in there it is so worth it when the novel picks up speed and gains momentum. I love the legend of the island that helps the family come to terms with their loss. "They were waiting for a sign, you see. They needed to know the soul had come back home and could now rest peacefully. The sign could be anything - a strange bird flying by the window, a whistle of wind that sounded like the deceased persons' voice. They just had to believe it was the sign they had been waiting for. Then they could go on about their lives, assured that their loved one was safely on his or her way to heaven. The sign will always come, you see, the island is full of surprises. Strange and wonderful things can happen here, things you can't explain, things that don't happen anywhere else."

This is so poignant because it deals with so many of those "what if" moments people have when they are suddenly faced with loss, even death. All those things unspoken, undone, and now they live with the regrets of a life of maybe's instead of simply moving on and accepting what is now. A skylark and their call was a song for travelers and weary pilgrims, for those who had lost their way and were longing for a place to rest. This sums up and the characters in this novel for they each needed to find their own way home and find a place to finally rest. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Such a beautiful and truly heartwarming story of love, loss, regret and healing.

For more information about Ascension of Larks, Rachel Linden or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden 

You can find Rachel Linden on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews of Ascension of Larks, please visit TLC Book Tour's page.

A Beautiful Poison Giveaway!

Sometimes it is hard to believe that you could learn something out of a novel that you might have missed in your high school science class. But if you're a fan of murder mysteries and the Gilded Age, then you will LOVE Lydia Kang's newest novel, A Beautiful Poison. Based in 1918, three childhood friends, Allene, Birdie and Jasper used to spend their days at Allene's estate playing and getting into all kinds of childhood trouble. But as we all know, over time, we grow and change but the affections of these trio's remains strong. Allene is all set to marry Andrew, a match most suitable among her parents and on the eve of their engagement party, a young woman appears to have fallen down the stairs and broken her neck. But was it an accident?

Allene has always been found of chemicals and their molecular bounds but for a young socialite, her father has forbidden her to encourage her natural love of chemistry. So she sneaks books out of her father's library to read at night. This is when she notices a piece of paper that falls from it with only two words written in elegant penmanship, "You're Welcome." It is Jasper to happens upon the one clue that no one catches and that is the strange burnt almond smell of the broken glass in the young woman's hand. But how will he be able to convince anyone that it appears that foul play may have been involved and if so, who is the murder?

Birdie, Allene and Jasper make a pact to begin to solve the murder on their own with what clues they can gather. Allene's father has paid off the police to ensure that this accident is not investigated any further than the accident it seems to be. Jasper's job as the janitor at the medical building soon lands him a promotion to working for the medical examiner, but even they refuse to autopsy the body to look for confirmation of a poisoning. Without any permission, this will wrap up the case but Jasper soon sneaks into the lab at night to conduct his own tests just before the body is slated for removal for the burial. It confirms without a doubt that Florence, the young woman at the party has been murdered. But what is the motive? Soon the body counts continue to rise around the trio and more letters appear with each death.

I received A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang compliments of Lake Union Publishing and TLC Book Tours. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  The best part about murder mysteries for me, is trying to figure out who did it before the book reveals it. I got it wrong twice and was shocked by not only who was responsible but the very clues that went missing each time until the very end of the novel. The motive was there all along, and the Author's note at the conclusion was wonderful to highlight the medical procedures that went into the creating this unique novel. This book does contain some sexual content which in my opinion,  could have been written differently to imply what happened instead, which may offend some readers. I really LOVED the overall aspect of this novel and give it a 4 out of 5 stars. It is not like anything I have read before.

For more information about A Beautiful Poison, Lydia Kang or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang

You can find Lydia Kang on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Beautiful Poison, please visit TLC Book Tour's page. 

Now for the best part, thanks to the generosity of Lake Union Publishing and TLC Book Tours, a giveaway copy is available to win. Here are your guidelines to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart. 

2. Be a resident of the US or Canada or have a US/Canadian mailing address. No P.O. Boxes please.

3. Leave me a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of A Beautiful Poison, along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

The giveaway will end on August 8th, so please be sure to include your email address, as that is how I will be notifying the winner of this giveaway.