We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus are the starting lyrics to a well-known Christian song and upon reading the title to Joanna Weaver’s devotional book: At the Feet of Jesus, I was reminded of that song. I admit, I loved reading “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World” as a teenager and I have yet to read her other two books but I will read them.
The back of the book says, “You were made for more than serving God; you were made to know Him.” It sums up the famous lesson that Jesus taught the two sisters during His visit to their house about our priorities and what really matters to Him: our whole heart’s abandon to Him. The bible story is not a way for us to pit Mary versus Martha but it is a way for us to realize that as women, life does have the tendency to easily distract us and keep us too busy for what really counts. This book provides the reader with a one-year bible reading guide alongside 365 days of devotionals. Reflection questions are provided and “Going Deeper” sections are distributed throughout the book.
I find it a good devotional for women to read because we both are Mary/Martha in a lot of ways and it is only through Christ that we are made to worship in a way that is ultimately pleasing to Him.
I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah , in exchange for a review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and helpful to other consumers.
When I was a young girl, I heard of Josh McDowell as an evangelist and chanced upon a really old copy of “More than a Carpenter” which is a great book. Imagine my excitement when I saw this book and I was really happy to get to read his biography.
However, this book isn’t something you would expect and honestly, it was a little hard for me to read in the beginning. His childhood definitely wasn’t easy and there were heartbreaking moments where I needed to take a pause because emotions were too much. In some ways, I could feel with him especially as he traversed through asking questions/help from God and realizing He was silent and seemingly uncaring. Oh, it was hard to read!
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Gods at War is the second book written by Kyle Idleman, who previously wrote the bestselling book, “Not a Fan”. He is currently the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. His purpose to writing the book is to help each Christian realize that there is a battle in each our hearts, and there are a plethora of false gods that we hold near and dear to our hearts. YIKES!
According to his book summary, idolatry isn’t merely an issue - it is the issue. It is behind most of our problems and it is something we will all face in different seasons in our lives. Idleman starts of his book by solidly discussing how idolatry is an issue for every human being and also discusses how a quick-fix method will not work. He criticizes this self-help ideology that is on the rise, and sets up a platform for the gospel that way. Throughout the book, Idleman divides the discussion into three main gods: power, pleasure and love. Much like the Greek and Roman mythologies who showcased a god and goddess for every virtue and every event, Idleman shows us that we are not very different: Idolatry still remains an issue for people today.
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Chris Brauns authors a book entitled, “Bound Together: How we are tied to others in good and bad choices” and the book’s cover highlights a sentence that summarizes the book so poignantly: We are not just isolated individuals. In a world that is becoming increasingly adamant on the importance of individuality and independent choices, it is a book that is considered timely. In a western culture that introduces self dependence to children early on, it is a book that is culturally relevant and fairly courageous in its intent to delve into topics such as these.
Brauns writes on a plethora of hard topics and addresses a common struggle for individual: the unfairness of the world and its consequences on what we perceive are innocent individuals. Such is true and as a reader, it is a struggle to see how some children do suffer from mistakes that parents make and vice versa. Questions posed were provoking and instantly, I was hooked! He cleverly introduces and connects it to one of the main topics of the book: the biblical truth of original sin and introduces a new concept: the principle of the rope which explains the good and bad sides of the argument. In addition, the book is successful in providing a foundational truth: we are all bound together and it is visible in a variety of ways: from our country to our cultural practices. It makes sense! It provides us with a descriptive analysis of what original sin is and packages it with an interesting prescription of all human individuals.
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John MacArthur premises his new book with a different idea that one is used to: a redefinition of the word hero. Now, as children we have grown accustomed to daring sword fights, magic potions and giants of men. MacArthur uses the bible to define what a hero truly is, a man who is imperfect and marred by sin but chosen and empowered by God to bring the gospel to people and glorify Him more.
This book reminds of the author’s previous works and one of them, Twelve Extraordinary women remains a favorite. MacArthur is great at returning to the Bible to provide comparisons between characters and also great at using different verses in the Bible in a way that is very connected and understandable.
I would recommend this book to people who are curious about heroes and how God works in our hearts. This books provides hope, even if we are full of imperfections that God uses us and equips us for such a purpose.
I received a free copy of this book from Booksneeze and Thomas Nelson , in exchange for a
review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a
copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and
helpful to other consumers.
The Genius of Ancient Man: Evolution’s Nightmare is a edited by Don Landis with the Jackson Hole Bible College and is filled of compilation of data around the world that discuss ancient traditions, city centers and ancient discoveries in Science and Mathematics. Researchers from the college aimed to discuss the similarities of ancient buildings and the tower of Babel, mankind and their ancient artifacts and the presence of biblical symbols in other beliefs and religions.
The book is well written with the language use being easy to comprehend and the examples provided were supported with adequate evidence and photographs. The book begins with an introduction and as a reader and critic, I thought it was very helpful. It provided a personal connection to the audience and it introduces the arguments early on. Also, it shows readers that the researchers adhere to the authority of God and the scripture, and applies a biblical worldview when it comes to research. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it allowed me to read on current research on history, science and ancient cultures, which are subjects of my interest. It is also different from many books available in the mass market as it applies a biblical worldview to analyzing evidence. I recommend the book, it is a great read.
Check the video here.
I received a free copy of this book from Masterbooks, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group, in exchange for a
review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a
copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and
helpful to other consumers.This is sponsored as part of a BlogTour by the same company listed above.
Larry Osborne writes a book on Accidental Pharisees which is a result of when pride, exclusivity, and other acts stem from an overzealous faith. He writes about a passionate faith that loses its focus on the only important ingredient, Jesus Christ. This take on an overzealous faith and its many damaging symptoms proves very real and very difficult to read because all of us are not immune to it, we all still fail and fall to sin and our hearts are deceitful.
The book starts off by discussing the definition of the term: accidental Pharisee and how it shows itself in a myriad of symptoms. This is further discussed through a careful division of chapters that discuss key areas of growth for any Christian who loves Christ. While it does discuss key bible passages, every chapter is addressed carefully and gracefully. One resonating idea is that a servant is defined as someone who obeys while expecting nothing in return. This is a humbling thought that personifies the unquantifiable amount of grace that God has freely given us and how this grace is responsible for the ongoing process of sanctification that we, as Christians, go through with Christ’s continuing work in our hearts.
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Zondervan released Unglued which is written by Lysa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries. I was very excited to grab a copy of this release because it was a book that I think would be helpful to a lot of women who would like to please God with one of the most complicated things in creation, human emotions.
The book contains 12 chapters, an epilogue and an opportunity to take an online assessment to better help identify key areas of growth in the life of any Christian woman. The book is written in a way that communicates concepts and biblical truth very simply, and Lysa adds personal anecdotes which increase the relate-ability of struggles that women face in their daily lives. She focuses on equipping women to resolve conflict biblically, find and attain peace in Christ, identify common reactions to concerns and daily issues, respond gracefully to trying situations and find calmness when situations spiral out of control. She mentions the importance of our knowledge of who we are in Christ and the grace that He provides to make that possible. This book is a great addition to a woman’s library and provides biblical wisdom in focusing on Christ to provide us the heart and actions when we become unglued.
I received a free copy of this book from Zondervan in exchange for a
review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a
copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and
helpful to other consumers.
