Books Read: 2013

Part 8 of the posts regarding books that I have read lately. Part 1: books read in 2009, Part 2: books read in January - June of 2010, Part 3: books read in July - December of 2010, Part 4: books read in January - June of 2011, Part 5: books read in July - December of 2011, Part 6: books read in January - June of 2012, and Part 7: books read in July - December of 2012.

Unfortunately this year was not a year for reading for me. I hope to remedy that in 2014.

• Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll *
• Jesus Is _____. by Judah Smith *
• On the Grace of God by Justin Holcomb
• Let Hope In by Pete Wilson *

What are you reading? Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll

"Who are you? What defines you? What is your identity? How you answer those questions affects every aspect of your life: personal, public, and spiritual. So it's vital to get the answer right." Mark Driscoll's latest book Who Do You Think You Are?: Finding Your True Identity in Christ, guides readers to answer those very questions. When I first heard about this book, I knew it was going to be a book I couldn't wait to read. The topic of identity is something I struggled with, and if I'm honest, still struggle with. A friend and mentor spent a lot of time with me in this area. I believe in this day and age identity crisis is more rampant than ever. The message is out there is that our identity and worth lies in what we do, our status in the world, how much stuff we have, what kind of car we drive, how big of a house we have, etc. Driscoll writes this, "We're continually forgetting who we are in Christ and filling that void by placing our identity in pretty much anything else." He continues by writing, "This world's fundamental problem is that we don't understand who we truly are—children of God made in his image—and instead define ourselves by any number of things other than Jesus." I found myself basing my worth in what I did; the job I had, as well as the job I wanted but wasn't getting. Driscoll uses the message in the book of Ephesians as the base text for this book. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of who we are when we look to Jesus as our identity; I Am in Christ, I Am a Saint, I Am Blessed, I Am Appreciated, I Am Saved, I Am Reconciled, I Am Afflicted, I Am Heard, I Am Gifted, I Am New, I Am Forgiven, I Am Adopted, I Am Loved, I Am Rewarded, I Am Victorious.

"As Christians, we live from our identity, not for our identity. We are defined by who we are in Christ, not what we do or fail to do for Christ. Christ defines who we are by who he is and what he's done for us, in us, and through us.

Knowing Jesus and being saved by him in faith is the key to your identity and the defeat of your idolatry. It's not about you. It's all about Jesus."

What a great reminder! IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Currently, Mark Driscoll's church, Mars Hill, is doing a sermon series based off the book; Ephesians: Who Do You Think You Are?. You can check those out here.


Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: July - December 2012

Part 7 of the posts regarding books that I have read lately. Part 1: books read in 2009, Part 2: books read in January - June of 2010, Part 3: books read in July - December of 2010, Part 4: books read in January - June of 2011, Part 5: books read in July - December of 2011, and Part 6: books read in January - June of 2012.

• Discovering the Mind of a Woman by Ken Nair
• No Ordinary Marriage by Tim Savage *
• Unleash! by Perry Noble
• Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah
• Note to Self by Joe Thorn
• Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian
• Torn by Jud Wilhite (re-read)
• Grace by Max Lucado *
• Mistakes Leaders Make by Dave Kraft *
• Redemption by Mike Wilkerson
• Date Your Wife by Justin Buzzard (re-read)
• Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker
• Grace Transforming by Phil Ryken *
• Beyond Ordinary by Justin & Trisha Davis *

What are you reading? Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Tyndale, and Crossway for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Grace by Max Lucado

"God answers the mess of life with one word: grace." In Max Lucado's latest book Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine, Max tackles this truly amazing subject. As you read through the pages of this book, Lucado challenges our understanding of grace. Instead of just asking if we believe in grace, we're challenged to ask deeper questions: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Grace encompasses the Christian life. We can't do anything to earn it and we certainly don't deserve it, yet we have a gracious, loving God who freely offers it to us. Grace is so much more than saying a prayer and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is also something that sustains us each day we live. Lucado puts it this way, "Saving grace saves us from our sins. Sustaining grace meets us at our point of need and equips us with courage, wisdom, and strength." Because of his grace, we can come to Him as His children and He will always love us. Because of His grace you no longer have to fear things in this life. We can rest in Him and know that He will look out for us. We come to God because of his grace and because of how amazing and life-transforming it is, the next step is to share that grace with others. Lucado shares with us the of love of God for His children and the free gift of grace He offers for everyone. I don't claim to understand everything when it comes to grace and even after reading this book I still don't. At the beginning of one of the chapters Lucado quotes Anne Lamott who says, "I do not at all understand the mystery of grace--only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." That is true for me and anyone else that has accepted His grace and can be for you too if you would accept His grace.

"God's grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after you. It rewrites you. From insecure to God secure. From regret-riddled to better-because-of-it. From afraid-to-die to ready-to-fly." Max Lucado

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Surfing for God by Michael John Cusick

The message that counselor and ministry leader Michael John Cusick shares in Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle is one that every man needs to hear. With 70% of Christian men reported to have viewed porn in the last year, chances are there is someone you know that is affected by this. Cusick quotes G.K. Chesterton on the back cover, "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God." That quote and the subtitle of the book lead to the next question that is asked, "What if a lust for porn is really a search for true passion?" Throughout the pages of this book Cusick opens up and shares his own story and experience with sexual struggles. He brings a message that exposes why this is such a struggle for so many. He goes through what many men believe porn will "promise" them and the lies men believe because of it. Cusick counters all of this with biblical truth and an explanation of what our brain goes through as exposure to porn and other sexual sins continue. Where this book excels is that Cusick doesn't just leave readers with stories and explanations. This book is saturated with the Gospel. He shares that there is a way to freedom from sexual sin. A relationship with Jesus is that way. Cusick helps men understand their triggers and the cycle they get caught up in. Jesus and His grace gives us assurance that we are not identified by our sin; our identity is found in Christ. Overcoming and becoming free from sexual sin is replacing our wants and desires for personal pleasures of the world for a desire to live giving glory to God. Our heart is always desiring something; we just need to know that what it desires is God. Through Christ men can be free from the chains of sexual sin.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: January - June 2012

Part 6 of the posts regarding books that I have read lately. Part 1: books read in 2009, Part 2: books read in January - June of 2010, Part 3: books read in July - December of 2010, Part 4: books read in January - June of 2011, and Part 5: books read in July - December of 2011.

• Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll *
• Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian
• Disciple by Bill Clem
• Gospel Wakefulness by Jared C. Wilson
• The Final Call by Kerry Fraser
• The Gospel As Center by D.A. Carson & Timothy Keller *
• Date Your Wife by Justin Buzzard *
• The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy & Kathy Keller
• The Five Love Languages: Men's Edition by Gary Chapman
• Kingdom Man by Tony Evans *
• Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson *
• 1000 Days by Jonathan Falwell *
• Every Man, God's Man by Stephen Arterburn
• The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler *
• Empty Promises by Pete Wilson *
• What's Your Secret? by Aaron Stern
• Secondhand Jesus by Glenn Packiam
• Surfing for God by Michael John Cusick *

What are you reading? Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Blogging for Books/WaterBrook Multnomah, Tyndale, and Crossway for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Empty Promises by Pete Wilson

After reading Pete Wilson's first book, Plan B (review here), two years ago, I was excited to hear about his brand new book, Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing. On the back cover Pete writes this, "We all long for more of something in our lives. In our endless pursuit to feel worth and acceptance we find ourselves sacrificing everything for the promise to be a little more beautiful, a little richer, a little more powerful and successful, a little more loved." Pete brings up a topic that is very real and relevant right now and that is dealing with idolatry. The truth is, it's been an issue for a very long time as the Israelites struggled with it when Moses was up on the mountain with God getting the 10 commandments. For the purpose of this book, Pete defines idolatry like this: "Idolatry is when I look to something that does not have God's power to give me what only God has the power and authority to give." We all have a longing and a yearning for something that God put into our DNA when he created us. We are a people that are created to worship. As Pete writes, "The question isn't 'Do we worship?' The question is 'Who (or what) do we worship?'" Pete presents and talks through various different idols we get caught up in. He is truly a pastor in that he wants to shepherd those that pick up this book. He is open and candid in his own struggles. I really appreciate that as it helps me to connect to what I'm reading. It causes me to open up and look into my own life. Towards the beginning of each chapter, Pete will have questions for us to ask ourselves to begin to explore whether these issues are a problem or not. I can say that I struggle more than I would have admitted prior to reading this book. I've read other books along the same lines as this one, but I feel that Pete does a great job helping us to not only understand these idols, but how to fight them and get out from underneath them. The last three chapters of this book are critical to our understanding of how to beat our idols. The biggest thing is that we've replaced God with other things and those other things will never satisfy in the way that only God can. We need to stay connected to the Truth. I finish with a quote from Pete Wilson,

"Simply identifying our idols and wanting to replace them probably won't lead to any kind of personal transformation. What we really need is a way to experience God daily so we can continually break through the self-deception and realize just how lifeless and empty our idols are."

We are who or what we worship, and worshiping anyone or anything other than God will leave us empty. We must be on guard regarding these empty promises that will never be carried out, are worthless, and meaningless. As it's written on the back of the cover, we must discover the joy and freedom that comes with seeking after God with your whole life. Learn how to replace, and not just relinquish, life's empty promises by turning your focus and worship toward Him. It is the only thing that will set you absolutely free from the endless pursuit of everything else.



Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

1000 Days by Jonathan Falwell

1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell gives us a concise look at Jesus' three years, roughly 1000 days, of public ministry. He brings the accounts and stories of the four Gospels into one book. Falwell's pastoral nature comes out in his writing as it's not just information, but he also adds application. This book comes across like it could be, and maybe it has been, a 15-week sermon series. As the book progresses through each chapter we encounter a different aspect of Christ's ministry. It's not a difficult book to read and it's not one that has some sort of new astounding idea. These are not bad things though. I think so often we get caught up in the new, out-of-the-box, creative ideas to share a message that we forget about the basic, stripped-down message. If you've been a Christian or in church for a while, most likely you've heard sermons on these same topics, but it's nice to have a collection of these messages all from the same person. I also love the heart of Falwell as he shares personal stories that illustrate points so well. I also appreciate how Falwell incorporates word studies throughout the book. He brings things back to the original Greek and gives us definitions. I was really captivated in the chapter about Christ's messages from the cross. So many time I've heard Christ's words, "It is finished." and know what the message is behind it, but seeing what the word finished means gives new meaning and depth to this message. Falwell writes that the word finished, tetelestai, means "a past completed action that has continual and enduring results." "It is finished" is a message that spans the test of time and still has the same power now that it did then. This book is one that shows us how Christ lived and then challenges us to live like He did. Early in the book we see how Jesus called His disciples, and I think it leaves us with the perfect question to ask ourselves, "Their [the 12 disciples'] response to Jesus' call was to forsake everything and follow Him. What will be your response?" What will your response be? What will my response be? As we gain more insight and understanding of how Christ lived during his three years of public ministry, will we follow Him and live like He did.

This book also contains a lot of study tools. At the end of each chapter there are questions to be used for personal reflection or small group discussion. Falwell also includes a Bible study guide at the end of the book.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll

Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together by Mark & Grace Driscoll has been a highly anticipated book and one that I was very much looking forward to reading. I was grabbed from the first time I read a description of the book and was happy to see that a pastor and his wife were going to tackle a book on marriage together. I appreciate how the Driscoll's start off this book by openly sharing about their marriage. It sets the tone of how open and real the rest of the book will be. Now I realize there has been a lot of backlash against Driscoll and this book for his supposed "crudeness" and the highly controversial "Can We _____?" chapter. However what I see and read is a pastor who is not afraid to tackle these tough issues. I believe the church needs more pastors like this. So often in the church we talk about how unfortunate it is that culture, movies, celebrities, etc. are influencing the way young people view sex, but at the same time we don't ever bring it up inside the four walls of our local churches. Here is a pastor and his wife who aren't afraid to take a biblical stand on marriage and sex. This is a definitely a book I will need to spend more time in, but I can say that is has caused me to stop and think about my own marriage. And I believe that is the point that Mark and Grace want to happen as people read this book; to stop and think and have conversations as a couple about their marriage. I recently came across an article interview that Mark did and he says this,

"Our goal in the book was not so that bloggers could talk with one another about issues of their sex lives. Our goal was that husbands and wives could have those conversations. That’s really the motive. So bloggers and tweeters and Facebookers, they’re free to discuss it, but really, it’s for married couples."

I challenge you to get past your preconceived ideas and opinions of the Driscolls and this book, and read through it with an open mind. Let it cause you to think, to have conversations.

Currently, Mark's church, Mars Hill, is doing a sermon series based off the book; Real Marriage: A Sermon Series About Jesus, the Gospel, and Marriage. You can check those out here.



Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: July - December 2011

Part 5 of the posts regarding books that I have read lately. Part 1: books read in 2009, Part 2: books read in January - June of 2010, Part 3: books read in July - December of 2010, and Part 4: books read in January - June of 2011.

• Let God Change Your Life by Greg Laurie *
• The God I Never Knew by Robert Morris *
• Mirror Ball by Matt Redman *
• The Worship Answer Book by Rick Muchow
• Rumors of God by Darren Whitehead & Jon Tyson *
• Erasing Hell by Francis Chan *
• Torn by Jud Wilhite *
• The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel
• He Who Honors Me by Mike Kim & Derek Joseph Levendusky

Was hoping to have read more books during this time, but it didn't seem like I had as much time for reading. The last couple months have been good though. I'm currently going through Disciple by Bill Clem with a friend and fellow pastor in town. It is a great book that has been causing me to do a lot of thinking and reevaluation in my life spiritually. Thankful for his friendship and looking forward to going through the remainder of it with him.

What are you reading? Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Blogging for Books/WaterBrook Multnomah, and The B & B Media Group/David C. Cook for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Rumors of God by Darren Whitehead & Jon Tyson

Even though Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You've Only Heard About by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson is an easy book to read, it certainly is a book worth reading by everyone. Whitehead and Tyson explore the notion that says the churches best days are behind them and argue that that is not the case. They explore "rumors" about God and the Christian life that we truly need to take to heart. In the beginning of the book they quote C.S. Lewis; "The world is a great sculptor's shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life." God calls us to come to life in Him, and we can do that by continuing to unpack these "rumors" that Whitehead and Tyson go through. As we search the scriptures, our hearts, and ultimately God's heart, we begin to realize that these "rumors" are not rumors at all, and we turn to the TRUTHS of God! I love how the authors reiterate this truth at the end of each chapter.

- "These are the stories of statues coming to life. The rumors are true."
- "And most of all may you discover that these rumors of God are true as you pursue his fame and deeds in our time."
- "May Christ be our gain and may we take hold of the life that is truly life."
- "May we all experience not just the rumors of passion, but its overflowing reality as we remain in his love."
- "He is waiting to confirm that the rumors of grace are true."
- "The rumors of freedom and forgiveness are true."
- "May these rumors of commitment become a defining reality in our day."
- "I believe people would find out that the rumors are true-that we are, in fact, handiwork."
- "May we be the hands and feet of Jesus and transform these rumors of justice into reality in our world."
- "The rumors of God are true. Jesus rose from the dead, and so did the hopes of all those who are looking for a revolution. The statues are coming to life."

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: January - June 2011

Welcome to the fourth installment of posts regarding books that I have read lately. The first post was on books read in 2009, the second post was on books read in January - June of 2010, and the third post was on books read in July - December of 2010. So here are the books that I've read from January through June of this year:

• Slave by John MacArthur *
• Jesus in the Present Tense by Warren Wiersbe *
• Soul Print by Mark Batterson *
• The Purpose of Man by A.W. Tozer
• Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic *
• Delirious by Martin Smith *
• Meet Mrs. Smith by Anna Smith *
• Death by Love by Mark Driscoll *
• Awakening by Stovall Weems *
• God: As He Longs for You to See Him by Chip Ingram
• Lucky by Glenn Packiam *
• Handle With Prayer by Charles Stanley *
• Unleashed by Erwin McManus *
• Radical Together by David Platt *
• Jump by Efrem Smith *
• The Greener Grass Conspiracy by Stephen Altrogge *
• Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman *
• Revise Us Again by Frank Viola *

What are you reading? Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Blogging for Books/WaterBrook Multnomah, The B & B Media Group/David C. Cook, Crossway, Zondervan and amazon.com/Vine Program for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Unleashed by Erwin McManus

Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within is the first book that I have read by Erwin McManus. I have seen him speak at the Catalyst West Coast conference back in 2009 and was very intrigued with his creativity in bringing a message. This book is no different. It was previously released in 2005 under a different title, The Barbarian Way. When I first read that, I wasn't sure what to think as barbarian doesn't have the greatest ring to it; it speaks to me of someone that is a rebel, completely against you, and won't conform with the masses. And as I kept reading I still found that to be true, but through McManus' creative style of communication, he completely flips the traditional context of the word barbarian and turns it into a way of thinking and a way of life for the Christian. He says this on the back cover of the book; "Jesus never made a pristine call to a proper or safe religion. Jesus beckons His followers to a path that is far from the easy road. This is the barbarian way: to give your heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To love Him with simplicity and and intensity. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost." McManus says that Christianity has become civilized and safe and I believe he has a point. So McManus uses the picture of a barbarian to challenge us to break free of that safe, religious idea of Christianity and to look at in a barbaric, uncivilized manner. It's about realizing that there is more to this life than what most Christians have made it out to be and it's going to take a huge step of faith. It's a life that needs to be changed for me personally, as I think I've become very accustomed to the safe, easy, and comfortable life of a Christian.

"The barbarian way is a journey that discovers the power of an untamed faith. And while this journey may genuinely the narrow road that Jesus spoke of where very few enter in, what I do know is that if you choose this path, you will for the very first time live a life completely unleashed."
Erwin McManus

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Slave by John MacArthur

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ by John MacArthur is the latest book I read through Thomas Nelson's book review blogger program, BookSneeze. To be honest, I was completely intrigued by the title, even before I read what the book was about. I'm very glad I read this book. It causes you to completely rethink on the issue of slavery. When I think of slavery, I think of a time in history that was not very great. A time when people were bought, sold, severely mistreated, and considered of no worth to society. Now while some of that was still true in Christ's day, there were some differences. MacArthur explains that slaves then were not always mistreated. Depending on the owners the slaves came across as no different than free men; they would have jobs, property and even had the chance to own their own freedom. It was very different times back then. They may have been owned, but in some respects they lived in freedom. I love how MacArthur opens up the book with an extensive word study on the word slave. MacArthur says this early in the first chapter of this book,

"The Bible uses one metaphor more frequently than any other. It is a word picture you might not expect, but is absolutely critical for understanding what it means to follow Jesus. It is the image of a slave.

MacArthur says that the Greek word for slave, doulos, has been mistranslated in English versions of the Bible; being translated servant instead of slave. He goes on to say that "while the duties of servants and slaves may overlap, there is a key distinction between the two; servants are hired and slaves are owned." It is a very different metaphor to think about. One that I had never thought of before, but one that makes sense. As we put our faith in God and call ourselves Christians, we are now owned by God. Brings to light a whole new way to think of I Corinthians 7.23, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men." The verse right before that says, "For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ." True freedom through Christ happens because we become slaves of Christ.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: July - December 2010

This post continues the series of posts on the books that I have read. The first post on books read in 2009, the second post on books read in January - June of 2010, and now this post on books read in July - December of 2010.

• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
• Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft
• Sweat, Blood & Tears by Xan Hood *
• Rise Up & Sing by Lex Buckley *
• True Religion by Palmer Chinchen *
• Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff
• Be Compassionate by Warren Wiersbe *
• Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado *
• Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
• Nudge by Leonard Sweet *
• The Grace of God by Andy Stanley *
• The God You Can Know by Dan DeHaan
• Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick *
• Surprised by Worship by Travis Cottrell *
• Facedown by Matt Redman
• The Unquenchable Worshipper by Matt Redman
• Here I Am to Worship by Tim Hughes
• Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias *
• Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney
• Radical by David Platt *

Who has some great books out there they would recommend? Leave a comment and let me know what they are.

Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Blogging for Books/WaterBrook Multnomah, and Zondervan for providing some of these books to read and review (marked by a *).

Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias

Wow, what a book! Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias was amazing. It was definitely a hard and challenging book to read, but I am very glad that I kept to it. I have heard him speak before and am very familiar with his ministry and what he does, but this is the first book of his that I've read. It was hard and challenging because there was a lot of information, concepts, and ideas. It was also challenging because it's convicting. Ravi and a host of others challenge us to pursue evangelism. They provide a lot of useful information regarding the mindset of other world religions and how best to reach them. Ravi set up this book into three sections; part one is Giving an Answer, part two is Internalizing the Questions and Answers, and part three is Living Out the Answers. The first section provides a wealth of knowledge on the major world religions. The second section is where the knowledge starts to become personal as we begin to consider our part as Christians in bringing the message of the gospel to the world. The third section is where we're challenged to live out what has become personal and internal. What is written in the pages of this book is essential to the life we're called to as Christians. This is a book that I plan on coming back to; one, because I need to continue to learn what is present in part one, and two, because it's a challenge that I need to remember. I end with a quote that strikes at the heart of the matter and one that should cause every Christian to think hard about the life we are living and Who we are living for.

"I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out."

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley is another great book to add to list of great books he has already written. One thing I've really enjoyed about reading Andy Stanley is that after hearing him speak and reading other books he's written is that he writes the way he speaks. It's nice to know that he's not trying to be someone he's not. He puts as much passion into his writing and into a subject as he does into his messages for his church. It shows not only his passion for God, but his passion for providing a resource to help others grow in their relationship with God.

This book provides examples of grace shown throughout the Bible; Old Testament and New Testament. So often we think of grace as only a New Testament act, but Andy Stanley shows us that grace was extended to people in the Old Testament as well. Andy Stanley walks us through the entire Bible sharing stories of how God has continuously extended grace to people, including us as modern day Christians, who don't deserve it at all. Andy Stanley writes this,

"God's promise of blessing was not anchored by the behavior of the recipient, but by the grace of the One who had made the promise."

If grace was based on our actions and behaviors, then there would be no hope for any of us. Lucky for us, that is not the case, and that's not the case of the examples that Andy Stanley writes about in this book; Adam and Eve and the fall of man, Abraham who took his wife's maidservant to start the lineage God said He would provide, Rahab who was a prostitute, David who committed adultery with Bathsheba which led to the murder of Uriah, Jonah who ran from God, Levi who left his heritage to become a Roman tax collector, Nicodemus who was a Pharisee, the Samaritan woman at the well who had been married five times and now lives with a man who is not her husband, Paul who had been a persecutor of Christians, and one of the criminals crucified with Jesus. Then ultimately you and I and all those that have yet to come a saving knowledge and relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are called to share this grace with others. Earlier today I found this on a note that I had written on my facebook page,

"People's lives can be completely changed by Christ. God's grace is given to everyone who should call on His name and believe. No matter your background or what you've done, God's grace is extended to you."

God's grace is amazing and something that He extends to us. Grace that we don't deserve, but we must not forget that it came at a price; the giving of God's one and only Son. I leave you with this that Andy Stanley concludes one of his chapters with, "Eternal life isn't a reward for good people; it's God's gift to forgiven people. So the only question left for you to answer is: 'have I ever received God's gift of eternal life by placing my faith in Christ's death as the full and final payment for my sin?'"

Heavenly Father, I confess that as good as I've tried to be, I'm still not good enough to earn eternal life. I'm a sinner. I need more than a second chance-I need a Savior. I believe Jesus, your Son, came to this world to be my Savior. So right now I place all my trust in his death on the cross as the full payment for my sin. I'm no longer trusting in my goodness, my effort, my commitment, or my consistency. I'm trusting completely in Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for giving me the promise of eternal life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Max Lucado has written another great book with Outlive Your Life. I have really enjoyed reading his books and I love the way he writes. The writing is so solid, but I love the way he takes creative liberties with his stories and illustrations. He is a fantastic writer and his heart for it definitely comes through. He's passionate and wants to share that with his readers.

The sub-title for this book is "You Were Made to Make a Difference." A calling that is so applicable today just as it was for the first century church. Max takes the premise of this book from the opening chapters in the book of Acts. It was a time when the church exploded and were completely radical in their faith. I don't think it's any coincidence that I have been hearing messages and seeing other books being written on this topic. In the opening chapter of this book, Max tells a fable of a captain who lands on a group of islands and witnesses two very different qualities of life. He asks someone on the island where the quality of life is better, why it is so much better, and this guy responds, "Father Benjamin." The captains asks the guy to take him to where he lives, so takes him to all these places, but has yet to see him. The captain finally asks if he can talk to Father Benjamin, and the guy responds, no, because he has been dead for some time. The captain is confused, but then the guy says, you didn't ask about his death, but about where he lives, so they showed the captain that. It was because of how he lived that all these people had life. He had made a difference. Living your life to make a difference is not selfish, but a life of service.

"These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did."

We are called to live and be like Christ. Jesus Christ lived his life in a way that made a difference for everyone else. So why shouldn't we try to do the same. Now obviously we can't become a savior, but we can still make a difference, even if it ends up affecting just one person. We were being the church. This book was a challenge to me and I'm sure one that I will be reading quite often as a reminder.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.

Books Read: January - June 2010

In light of my post about books read at the end of 2009, I knew I wanted to do it at the end of this year as well. However, I've been reading a lot this year, so I thought instead of having a post a mile long at the end of the year, I figured I would break it up into the books I've read the first six months of 2010. So here we go:

• How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles Stanley
• The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
• Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
• The Gospel According to LOST by Chris Seay
• Sex, Lies & Religion by Randy Elrod
• Branding Faith by Phil Cooke
• Called to Worship by Vernon Whaley
• Imagine That by Manuel Luz
• Compassionate Leadership by Ted Engstrom & Paul Cedar
• Plan B by Pete Wilson
• 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb
• 10 Passions of a Man's Soul by Mark Elfstrand
• Blessed Be Your Name by Matt & Beth Redman
• Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola
• Great Leader Great Teacher by Gary Bredfeldt
• A Man's Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines by Patrick Morley
• Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

There you have it! It's been a blast to get back into reading. Right now, I'm kind of picking up whatever I can get my hands on. I've also had the privilege of being able to review books for a few companies and that has been a great experience. Special thanks to BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson, Regal Books/Gospel Light, and Moody Publishers. I look forward to adding to this list at the end of the year as I've got quite the stack of a lot of great books waiting to be read.

Anyone have any recommendations of good books to read in the future?

Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola

What a great new book by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. I've had the privilege of reading several other of Leonard Sweet's book and this once along with the others did not disappoint. In Jesus Manifesto, he points out that we as Christians today have made the gospel about so many other things and not the one thing that it should be centered on, Christ. I think he's right on. We get so focused on this committee or that committee and this outreach ministry and that outreach ministry, that we forget Who the One is that we're sharing and the One Who has allowed us to share His Good News. I'd heard the word "manifesto" before growing up in history classes, but to be honest, I really didn't remember what it meant. Here is what dictionary.com says,

"a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization."

They also give a word origin and history lesson, so here is where the word "manifesto" came from,

"1644, from It. manifesto "public declaration explaining past actions and announcing the motive for forthcoming ones," originally "proof," from L. manifestus

This word accurately represents the message in this book. Leonard is calling us as Christians to make a declaration that we are going to stay focused on the One who is the Gospel. I love the word "intentions" in the definition and the origin, because to me it signifies that a change is being made, and in this case that we are moving from intentions that haven't been the best to intentions that are deliberate and made to move people to a personal relationship in Christ. In the opening pages of the book, Leonard asks a question. It is the same question that Jesus asks His disciples to tell Him what the people in the area call him. Then He makes the question very personal, he asks his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" This is the question that Leonard says each of us must answer so that we can fully comprehend the message of the book on restoring the supremacy and sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review.