Grace Transforming by Phil Ryken

Grace Transforming by Phil Ryken began as a series of messages from chapel at Wheaton College where he is the president. Throughout this book Ryken looks at eight different aspects of God's life-changing grace; 1) Grace's Humbling Necessity, 2) Grace's Costly Provision, 3) Grace's Justifying Righteousness, 4) Grace's Sanctifying Power, 5) Grace's Clarifying Perspective, 6) Grace's Perpetual Abundance, 7) Grace's Precious Testimony, and 8) Grace's Endless Kindness. This isn't a long book, it's easy to read, but at the same time it's challenging. It is also a refreshing book to read as you reflect on how the grace of God has already changed you. As I continue to read books on the grace of God I am continually blown away at how much God loves us to freely offer us something we truly don't deserve. The subject of grace and my identity has been a subject heavily on my mind this year and throughout this book Ryken clearly links the two together. He writes this at the very beginning of the book; "Instead of being defined by who we are and what we do, we are defined by who Jesus is and what he has done for us in his death and resurrection." I don't think there is any way to ever exhaust the subject of God's grace, but through books like Ryken's we are challenged to never forget it. "Grace is not something we leave behind once we decide to follow Jesus. Grace is our present need as well as our past experience." "We never outgrow our need for God's life-changing grace―the gospel of the cross and the empty tomb." "Grace is not just the way into the Christian life; it is also the way on in the Christian life. So as we seek to live in a way that is pleasing to God, we never stop needing his mercy."

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

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.

Mistakes Leaders Make by Dave Kraft

Dave Kraft is back with his second book Mistakes Leaders Make. I had the privilege of reading his first book, Leaders Who Last, back in 2010. One of the endorsements on the front of the books says, "Should be required reading for every ministry leader." That is certainly true regarding this book. I wish I had this book a few years ago, but I'm very glad that I have it now. It's a book that I'm sure will be read through many more times. As I was reading through this book and thinking back through my time in ministry, I could see parts of myself and things I did in every section. Pastor Mark Driscoll writes this in the forward of the book, "As a leader, knowing what not to do is often just as important as knowing what to do." Myself and I'm sure many others have made the mistakes that Kraft talks about in this book, but we can take the wisdom and insight from others and make better choices in the future and avoid mistakes. Kraft tackles ten mistakes in this book;

1) Allowing Ministry to Replace Jesus
2) Allowing Comparing to Replace Contentment
3) Allowing Pride to Replace Humility
4) Allowing Pleasing People to Replace Pleasing God
5) Allowing Busyness to Replace Visioning
6) Allowing Financial Frugality to Replace Fearless Faith
7) Allowing Artificial Harmony to Replace Difficult Conflict
8) Allowing Perennially Hurting People to Replace Potential Hungry Leaders
9) Allowing Information to Replace Transformation
10) Allowing Control to Replace Trust

Kraft shares that he had formulated many other mistakes in preparing to write this book. I hope he writes a part 2 as I know there's much more that I could learn. I'm very thankful for this book as I know it will help me and I hope many others going forward.

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

Unleash! by Perry Noble

This is a must-read for those that don't know Jesus and those that do. Perry Noble is a true pastor and cares about the heart and lives of everyone. We can live a full, unleashed life through Jesus and Perry points us there through the gospel. If you've ever heard Perry speak, this book is written like he speaks. It makes for an easy read, but don't take that to mean that it doesn't have content. This book is full of truth and Perry throws in some of his humor as well. Get this book and read it ASAP!

Special thanks to NewSpring Church and the Unleash! Book Launch Team 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.

No Ordinary Marriage by Tim Savage

Books that I've requested to read and review are becoming harder to review right now. Not because I didn't like the book or think it doesn't have anything to offer, but because I'm taking my time going through it, trying to consume as much as I can and because this book has a lot to offer. Also, right now these books are more for my own personal growth. It's not that I don't want to share the message of the book with others, it's just that I'm trying so much to process its message for me, that I don't know how to put it into words for others. Even though so much of the content I'm still working through and putting into practice, I can honestly recommend that everyone read this book, No Ordinary Marriage: Together for God's Glory by Tim Savage. Whether you're married and things are great, married and things aren't so great, engaged, or single, there is something in here for everyone. Marriage is the subject of this book, the glory of God is the result. Jesus, the cross, our identity found in him personally and together as a couple is how we get there. I'll leave you with this message from the author from the pages of this book and will ask you to prayerfully consider getting and reading this book.

"Marriage is not ultimately something we do but something we are. It is not primarily the performance of a list of duties or roles. It cannot be reduced to a series of steps or procedures. That is why this book did not begin with the how-tos of marriage. Instead, marriage is something we are to the glory of One who is more resplendent than the sun. We are created in his image. We are made in his likeness. In marriage, we are an illustration of what the Lord is himself, a radiant beacon of self-giving love. We glorify God by being what we are in Christ, people who present a replica of the sacrificial service adorning the crucified Lord. With eyes fixed on Christ, we can model his love and draw on his strength and push on to the marital summit with thanksgiving in our hearts and rejoicing on our lips, all to the glory of God. The trail features Jesus Christ at every turn. It runs through Christ, is negotiated in Christ, and is capped with Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the key to God-glorifying marriage."

Special thanks to Crossway 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 *).