It's been some time since I completed an in depth study of one of the books of the Bible. In receiving the book, The Wiersbe Bible Study Series on the book of John, by Warren Wiersbe, I was amazed at the amount of information I found at beginning the study.
The book has you work on 2 chapters in the book of John at a time. The questions are really thought provoking with no right or wrong answers but a way for you to get deeper into the Word than simply reading the words on the page like a short story about the life of Jesus. There are about 20 questions in each lesson and I found for my benefit having a commentary as well as a Bible Handbook was really helpful in taking me much deeper than look at sentences but studying the significant meanings behind the words used in each scripture as well as looking back at the origins of these scriptures.
It was like reading the Bible for the first time and being completed enlightened at what each scripture meant to me. Such as in John 2:1-11 - What is the significance of turning water into wine?
Through my studies I found that the text specifically mentions that the sign signified Christ's glory, that is His deity. When He transformed water into wine He demonstrated His creative power. He did in a moment what is ordinarily done in weeks or months. The conscious water blushed when it saw its Maker. This is also the first time the text says that His disciples believed in Him.
This book is perfect for individual studies like I did as well as for small groups. There are sections designed for pre-work to make the time more productive when you actually meet together. For me to get through them on average, took about 3 hours to complete each 2 chapter study. Again it was a great study for me to get to know in depth the true character of who Jesus was as well as the significance behind His purpose for doing things they way He did.
I received the book, The Wiersbe Bible Study Series on the book of John, compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review. I would easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars for those looking for a really great study to get you into the books of the Bible.
For more information about this book, the author or where to obtain a copy for yourself, please click on the links below:
Real men are hard to find - but maybe we can change that.
By the time he graduated college, Xan Hood appeared to having everything a young, privileged modern male needed for success and adulthood.
But like so many others his age, he was afraid to take the next step. So he took a slight detour and headed west, surrounding himself with a class of men he had been raised to avoid. Follow Xan as he learns lessons that can only be taught by God's grace, hard work, and the presence of older men.
Sweat, Blood and Tears is a searingly honest coming-of-age story. It has a look at how God raises a man - a story for young men and those who love them. (excerpt back cover).
Some 20 million young men between the ages of 22 and 35 are men seeking direction that are stuck between boyhood and manhood. The lack the skills to leave their boyhood years behind them and enter fully into the role of manhood and the responsibilities that belong to become a man of God.
What the author of the book, Sweat, Blood and Tears, Xan Hood, who is the director of the Training Ground in Colorado uses his own experiences in how to make this difficult transition to becoming the man God wants him to be to teach young men through this book how they can make those same changes.
He has recognized that young men who are raised in homes of both economic privilege and economic adversity often grow up in the absence of a father who is willing and able to teach them the skills they will need to enter into manhood successfully. Oftentimes, a father's willingness to supply his son's every need is done without teaching him the true cost of obtaining a particular goal. While the role of provider is vital in a man's life, provision without teaching responsibility creates a void of understanding and skill that leaves the boy ill equipped to become a man in his own right.
He writes this book from the narrative of a young man and shares his own process of leaving boyhood behind and embracing his life as an adult. With searing honesty, Hood shares his experiences with God and men and paint and trout and fashion and hunting. He examines the critical issues common to many young men, and then outlines the journey that must be traversed in order for them to become the men God created them to be.
I received this book compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and can honestly say for anyone who has a son that will soon be making that transition from a boy to a man or knows someone who is struggling with these issues, this is a must have book. I love how he shows these young men who either have no father figure or do have one, how to make the difficult transition that is required to become the men God destined them to be. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
In addition, I am giving one lucky winner a copy of the book for being a follower of my blog. Here are the guidelines.
1. You must be a follower of my blog.
2. You must be a resident of the US or have a US address I can ship this to. No P.O. Boxes please.
3. I need a way to contact you, so please include an email address in your comment. You may use the words (at) or (dot) instead of the symbols.
4. The giveaway will end on August 21st. I will be notifying the winner by email. You will have 5 business days to respond or I will select another winner.
5. Leave me a comment and tell me how this book would benefit you if you win it.
For more information on this book, the author or where to purchase a copy click on the links below:
Sweat, Blood, & Tears: What God Uses to Make a Man by Xan Hood
David C Cook/July 1, 2010/ISBN 978-1-4347-6681-6/232 pages/softcover/$14.99
Long before becoming a pastor, Ed Underwood was a "Jesus Freak" - a young man whose life was set on fire by the Jesus Movement of the 60's and 70's. He and his friends threw their hearts into a revival they knew would change the world. Except it didn't.
Instead, as years passed, the Jesus Movement seemed to stop moving. How did all those passionate, young Christians morph into today's tame, suburban evangelicals? That question sparked this passionate, provocative book, which exposes six seductive lies that can sidetrack a revival...and affirms five life-changing truths that can keep a revival going.
Underwood writes a fan the flames of enduring revival today: "I'm asking God to use this book to show those of us from the Jesus Movement generation how to finish what we started. But more than that, I'm begging Him to call Christians of every generation to the radical commitment that fuels revival."
My Review:
In the book, Reborn To Be Wild by Ed Underwood, we get an understanding of what went wrong with sustaining the revival movement within the church and what prevented it from continuing even until this day. He shows us how those that grew up in the 60's and 70's are having a difficult time with the changes taking place within our churches today that are now growing into megachurches and keeping those that are truly looking to find Jesus as the outsiders that they will always be.
I thought the book was insightful into the various ways churches today are keeping their doors closed to those that need our help the most simply because they don't fit into our definition of believer or are "members" of our church. The only membership that there should be is in Country Clubs, Yacht Clubs, Elks and Boy and Girl Scouts. No wonder church attendance is off and those friends we are called to bring to church service don't want to join once they are there.
I received this book, compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and truly believe that people that are involved in church leadership would do well to read this book to spark a revival within their own church. I would easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I am giving away a copy of this book, to one lucky follower of my blog. Here are the guidelines:
1. You must be a follower of this blog.
2. Residents of the US and Canada only please and No P.O. Boxes.
3. Please include your email address as that is how I will notify you when you win. Please include it with your comment and feel free to use at and dot instead of the symbols.
4. Leave a comment telling me what you think the reason is for so many people leaving the church today or not wanting to join in the first place.
5. The giveaway will end on August 20th. I will notify the winner by email and you will have 5 business days to respond before I select another winner.
For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase your own copy, click on the links below:
Reborn to Be Wild by Ed Underwood
David C Cook/June 1, 2010/ISBN 978-1-4347-0017-9/318 pages/softcover/$14.99
I have never read a book besides the Bible that would so profoundly and completely change my life more than the book, True Religion, Taking Pieces of Heaven to Places of Hell on Earth by Palmer Chinchen, PHD who is also the pastor of The Grove in Chandler, Arizona.
To define the meaning of the book in 200 pages is difficult to do but I think it truly speaks to each and every single one of us that know that our lives are meant to include something more meaningful than simply existing day to day.
Here's an excerpt from the book and this is just a couple pages worth, the whole book is dedicated to stories like this one:
"A few weeks ago, I was hurrying to a meeting and knew I needed gas but chose not to stop. I didn't make it. The engine cut out on the freeway. Fortunately, I had enough speed to make it down the off-ramp...but now it was uphill to the gas station. When I ran out of momentum, I jumped out and started to push. Cars honked as they slowed to go around me; I'm sure they were just trying to encourage me.
After several minutes of pushing and sweating and not making much progress, a man in a burgundy minivan pulled over, jumped out and ran over to help me push. "Why isn't anyone helping you?" he asked. I detected an accent.
"Because they're all stinkin' Americans."
He laughed.
We pushed the car up the hill and into the parking lot only to realize that in my hurry getting off the freeway, I had gone right. The gas station was on the left, on the opposite side of the freeway!
"Get in; I'll drive you over to get some gas," the good stranger offered.
As we headed over I asked, "So where's home?"
"Israel," he answered. "I work for Intel." His name was Ariel (which I later learned means "lion of God").
He asked what I did. I told him I was a pastor. He said he didn't know what that was, so I explained I was like a rabbi without a beard.
"You know we worship the same God," I offered.
He smiled and shook his head no.
"Really, we do." I objected. "Last Sunday I even taught on a word from the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) - Shalom."
"You did?" he asked, surprised.
"I did. What does the word shalom mean to you?" I asked.
"Ah," he answered with passion, "Shalom mean everything is just right. Shalom means life is perfect. Shalom means peace is all around us." He paused. " But know this, there will never be shalom in my lifetime, or in my children's lifetime, or in my grandchildren's lifetime. Never."
"I am sorry to say this, but I disagree," I answered. "God promises shalom to everyone who comes to Him. He promises shalom to the Jewish nation. He promises to secure your border and give you peace. And he promises shalom to Gentiles like me who trust Him and turn to Him. Ariel you can have shalom."
He thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe we do worship the same God."
Let me tell what this world would be like to share God's shalom and make the world just a bit more like heaven.
Shalom means men would stop their cars when they see a guy pushing his car uphill.
Shalom means babies in Africa would sleep under mosquito nets.
Shalom means mothers in Haiti would make cookies for their children with flour instead of mud.
Shalom means husbands would never hit their wives.
Shalom means women in Ethiopia would no longer be sold for sex.
Shalom means women and children would never be chained to trees.
Shalom means girls would never be raped.
and Shalom means junior highers would never again sit alone at lunch.
God does have a better way, a more beautiful way. And He uses people like you and me to spread shalom.
So go and live that way.
Tell fathers to love their sons.
Tell people to love each other regardless of race and ethnicity.
Tell families who are financially desperate that God has a way out.
Tell husbands and wives who feel like giving up on each other that God can put love back together.
He has a better way.
He has a more beautiful way.
A way that begins with you...
Begin by taking pieces of heaven to places of hell on earth. - Shalom! (pg 196-199).
I received this book compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and if you really want to change lives, start by reading this book and see if you aren't inspired to begin somewhere. I would easily rate this book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy, click on the links below:
David C Cook will be sponsoring the “True Religion Missions Trip Scholarship” June 1-October 31. The winner will receive $1,000 to apply towards a short term mission trip. For more information, visit www.TrueReligionBook.com.
True Religion: Taking Pieces of Heaven to Places of Hell on Earth by Palmer Chinchen
David C Cook/June 1, 2010/ISBN 978-0-7814-0343-6/208 pages/softcover/$14.99
In the book, God Knows My Name, Never Forgotten, Forever Loved, by Beth Redman, you get an insight into the very nature of who God is and what you mean to Him. This book was such a refreshing read for me during a time of dryness in my life and a constant reminder that God is still present and working for my good at all times in my life even if I don't think He is.
You are given an intimate look at God as your helper, your defender, your restorer and how God sees you from your past into the future that remains unknown to us, but in perfect alignment to His will. I think this book is a great gift to purchase for those that doubt whether their own past mistakes prevent them from truly knowing the love and goodness of God and His unconditional love for us.
In a society that defines worth by material possessions, professional success, and physical beauty, it is often difficult to feel worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. Sometimes, those who are closest to us, even parents and siblings, can deeply damage our hearts by rejecting the person God has created us to be in Him. God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved is Beth Redman’s confident declaration that believers do not have to bow beneath these feelings of rejection and worthlessness.
Redman readily recognizes that no matter how good and whole we are, there are days when we all feel misunderstood, blamed, forgotten, and rejected. She wants readers to recognize these feelings for what they truly are—the enemy’s attempt to make us feel anonymous, illegitimate, and unfit to be recognized by our Heavenly Father. In the face of the world’s damaging message, Redman boldly declares that if we are God’s child, He has lovingly called us and chosen us for His glory. God bestows great worth and significance upon His children, and it is within His grace alone we will find meaning and purpose.
Evangelist and author Beth Redman shares her heart through poignant, vulnerable stories from her own life when she experienced the rejection of her father. Using scripture and tender assurances of God’s love, God Knows My Name reminds readers that God created them and loves them deeply despite their flaws and failures. Redman wants readers to know with certainty that God’s love is not the whimsical, uncertain love that is often shown to us by our earthly family and friends, but a deep, unfailing love that allows us to find our sense of worth in Him despite what others think about us. This encouraging book lets readers know that they are not alone in their struggles and that they are significant to God because He has chosen them for His glory.
I received this book, compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and would easily give this one a perfect 4.5 out of 5 stars. For more information on this book, the author and where to get your own copy, click on the links below:
God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved by Beth Redman
David C Cook/July 1, 2010/ISBN 978-0-7814-0365-8/188 pages/softcover/$14.99
I find myself drawn to the Psalms of the Bible for pure inspiration. Perhaps its a difficult time in my life and I find myself drawn to David's grief while stumbling through a faith issue in his life or just praising God for creating me to become a perfect masterpiece always in His eyes.
I had the rare opportunity to review a book from Connie Arnold called Comfort and Grace. It's a collection of poems that Connie herself has written that fall in line with today's modern day psalms. There are poems that seek God's presence, looking at glimpses of His grace, looking at what is really important in our lives, slowing down and taking time to enjoy our lives, and a section on comfort and hope for those dealing with difficult storms in their lives.
What a breath of fresh air is was to be able to enjoy these each day a little at a time as though God was speaking to me through the words I found in them. Connie is truly a gifted poet in her ability to not only touch our souls but to show us the love of God in our daily situations.
I was provided with a signed copy of her collection of poems compliments of Connie Arnold herself to review, and I must say I truly love having them next to me each day. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars! She has even been so gracious to extend this blessing to a follower of mine to enjoy a signed copy of her book as well.
Simply be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment on your favorite psalm or poem.
Be a resident of the U.S. and No P.O. Boxes please!
I must have a way to contact you, so please include your email address in your comment.
The giveaway will end on August 17th and I will notify the lucky winner by email. The winners will have three days to respond otherwise I will pick another winner.
You can also visit Connie's website directly at the following link:
Whew! Hard to believe that my summer reading is almost coming to a close and this book is such a great read, I can't wait to share it with all of you.
In the book, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, you are immersed in the true story of William and his journey through his life from meager beginnings in some of the poorest parts of Africa.
You find yourself in the midst of just how hard and difficult life is for him and his family just to make ends meet. His father is a tobacco and maize farmer who struggles with finding enough money to purchase seed and fertilizer to feed his family for an entire year. We see that the harvests are not always great as he faces one of the worst famines in history that claimed the lives of his family and friends while the government sold off it's surplus supply of grain for money only to have nothing to show for it in the end.
It truly is an eye opening story for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to visit places like this in Africa on a missions trip and how one little boy never gave up hope no matter what life handed him. This is a life changing book for anyone to read. For more information on this book, the author and where to get a copy yourself, click on the the link below:
I received this book compliments of TLC book tours for my honest review and would easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. Not only that but the kind publishers are going to provide a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of this blog.
Here are the guidelines for this giveaway:
1. Be a follower of my blog.
2. You need to be a resident of the US or Canada and No P.O. Boxes please.
3. I must have a way to contact you via email. So please include it in your comment below. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.
4. Winners will be notified via email. You will have three days to respond otherwise I will pick another winner.
5. The giveaway will end on August 18th. I will give you an extra entry if you blog about it on your blog.
Simply leave me a comment and tell me why you'd like to win this book.
