Book Review: Bold as Love by Bob Roberts, Jr.

Bold as Love 

By Bob Roberts, Jr.

This book really blew me away.  If you don’t like to be challenged, this book is not for you.  It reminds us, or teaches us depending on where you are in life, what loving like Jesus is all about.   It will show you how love can be hard and scary but possible with God.  I’m going to quote from the book in this review because there were so many nuggets of wisdom within its pages that I just have to share some of my favorites. 

“It’s time for us to learn to live our faith in public.  To do that, we must overcome our fears.”  I am blessed to know quite a few people who live their faith in public.  But sometimes I wonder if I am and I know the fears that I need to overcome are the fears of rejection and confrontation.  But as you read Bold as Love you’ll find that sharing your faith doesn’t need to be confrontational – and if you start with serving, sharing can come easier after the trust is there.  The author also reminds us that sharing our faith can be done “in a polite way”.  “I believe that Jesus really is the only way to God.  But that doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else or that this gives me a right to be arrogant.  Truth is wrapped in boldness, but with humility, not arrogance or hate.”  I love that. 

Bold as Love does stress the relationship between Christians and Muslims.  And the author and his church strive for a relationship with their Muslim neighbors to make friendships and understand each other, even though they do not have the same beliefs.  While reading about this I learned about “multifaith” - different faiths coming together to achieve goals.  I have to say that multifaith is much more palatable than interfaith, which to me sounds like we’re all going to try to blend together.  That doesn’t work for me.  I can’t agree that Jesus is God and also that he’s just a good teacher or a prophet.  And I’m not going to give up my belief to be agreeable.  The author writes, “Multifaith not only respects but encourages religious people to say exactly what they believe, no matter how stark the differences.  But it encourages them to do so in the spirit of peace.”   I know this can sound scary, but if you read all the stories that the author brings from his life, you’ll see that it can work.  And you’ll be challenged to try it yourself.

I would strongly recommend this book.  It will make you think about things differently than you have before.  It will bring up ideas that are new to you.  At least it did for me.  I could discuss this book further, but I don’t want to write a book about the book – just get Bold as Love and read it.  You won’t regret it.

Book Review - Wild Grace by Max Lucado

This is quite frankly one of the best books I’ve read in a while.  I liked it so much that I immediately wanted to start a teen small group to use it.  I think all teens would be affected by this book.  The personal stories keep the book extremely interesting.  They lend themselves well to connecting to all teens, it seemed that whatever the circumstances, there was something that someone would be able to relate to.  The book did a great job of explaining God’s Grace in a way that was wonderfully understandable and moving. 

There were so many parts of this book that I wanted to highlight.  I chose not to because I may give the book to someone who is a little more in tune with the age group targeted.  As a person who works with junior youth age kids, I wanted to read it to see if I could use it in one of my groups. I think it would be appropriate for eighth graders, but may be a little too advanced for sixth and seventh, depending on how much the child has seen in his or her lifetime.  I thought some of the stories may have been more than  my sixth graders were ready for.

I would absolutely recommend this book and plan on reading the version for adults as well - Grace.  I got so much out of the teen version, I thought reading the one written for someone my own age may be even more beneficial.

Book Review:Why God Won't Go Away by Alister McGrath

I have to admit, I had never heard of the New Atheism until I read this book and, while I am not a scholar and this movement may have been relevant at some point, it does not seem to have been relevant enough to make it into the mainstream or be a vocal part of it now.  I enjoyed the book in that I learned quite a bit.  While the book was easy to read most of the time, it felt like it was a little repetitive.  The author makes good points and has convincing arguments against this movement, but to be honest, I’m not sure why anyone bothered with them.   They don’t seem to have a point other than people who believe in anything other than what they believe in are stupid.  I get the impression that they are the bullies from school that never did anything worthwhile with their lives and our now trying to bully people into following them.

If you are aware of this movement and want to read arguments against it, then this is a perfect book.  The author is highly intelligent and the book is well written.  Even if you want to learn about the New Atheism, this is definitely a good book to read.  Maybe given my belief in God, I just find them more sad than threatening so while I found the book interesting, I also had a hard time focusing from time to time.

A Fresh Start and a New Journey

One of the great realities that God offers to us is the opportunity to put the past behind us and begin anew.  If you are looking for a fresh start and a new journey, please join us for Fall Kick-Off on September 16th at The First Church of God in Oak Lawn, IL    Services are at 9 am and 11.             

For further information on The First Church of God see below, copied from the website,  and more at  First Church of God.

 

 The First Church of God

4600 W. 111th Street

Oak Lawn, IL 60453

(708)636-2620

. . . is a non-denominational Christian church.  We are a place where you can come and hear about the message of Jesus Christ in a non-threatening environment.  We feel that God has particularly called us to be a place where folks who have been hurt or disillusioned by religion can come and encounter God.  The reason we exist is to help people grow closer to God. 

Our services intentionally aim to bring the
message of Christ in an encouraging and relevant way.

Our mission is to help people experience a genuine, life-changing encounter with the living God and to grow into fully devoted followers of Christ.

"Helping Hurting People Find And Walk With God."

Book Review: The Mormonizing of America by Stephen Mansfield

I was eager to read this book for several reasons.  Within the last couple of years I had met the author at a benefit and had wanted to read one of his books, but had not yet decided which one.  When I got the opportunity to read this book, with its timely subject matter, I jumped at the chance.  I have looked into the Mormon faith before, having read other books, but wasn’t sure if what I was reading was well researched or written more for sensationalism.  I trusted that this book would be researched and hoped to get a look inside the Mormon religion.

As I had hoped, this book was well written, easy to understand and very engaging.  The author writes in fairness and empathy.  I learned a considerable amount about not only the Mormon religion but also the traits that give them their drive and determination.  Sometimes when you don’t know or understand a people, culture or religion there’s a tendency to be fearful or uneasy.  I have felt like that at times about the Mormon religion.  However, having learned through this book, it no longer makes me uneasy.  Although I do have to say that I thought the book might  clarify some of the crazier things that I had read, and not only did it affirm what I already knew about the religion, it added more elements to further cement my feelings on the topic.

All in all, it was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn from an unbiased source. 

Book Review - That's A Very Good Question!

That's A Very Good Question by Dan Marler

That's A Very Good Question by Dan Marler gives you the answers to a variety of questions that have been asked of Dan since he's been a pastor. The questions are good ones - "What does tolerance really mean?"  "God's will is scary for me. Is that normal?"  "What's the difference between religion and having a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ?" are just a few of my favorites.  The book is written with Dan's compassion, humility and quirky sense of humor.  While it was informative and made me think, it made me laugh at times as well.  It is easy to read and understand and I would highly recommend this book.

The Prophet, the Shepherd & the Star - Book Review

I am amazed and touched by the books by Jenny Cote - starting with the Ark, the Reed and the Firecloud, continuing through the Dreamer, the Schemer and the Robe to this newest book, The Prophet, the Shepherd & the Star. What a wonderful way to bring the Word of God to children in such depth and in such a way that they will thoroughly enjoy learning. Of course, it's important to explain to them the differences between the Word and the fictional parts of the book if they aren't already aware, but worth the effort! I was greatly impressed with this last book and the way it explained the prophecies. Bringing the words of the prophets to children in a way they can understand how the prophecies are linked is genius! I have suggested this book to everyone I know with a child in the proper age range for the reading level. My daughter loved all the books. I would love to see some Bible school curriculum evolve from these books. I can't wait for the next one to be released!

Book Review: not a fan.

One of the most compelling and convicting books that I have read this year is not a fan. by Kyle Idleman  It became one of those books whose pages that need to be highlighted, dog-eared and flagged.  The first line in the book is "Are you a follower of Jesus?".  At first blush, and as Pastor Idleman points out, this may be a question you automatically answer without thinking much about it.  But as you delve into the book, you are made to look deep into yourself, question your motives and priorities and really answer the question.  Are you a fan or a follower?  What is your commitment? 

I will admit that this was a challenging book. It was convicting and there were times when I did question myself - but I think that was the point of the book.  The book is very well written, very easy to understand and, at times, humorous (most of that is in the footnotes).  The reader will find themselves being shown, through focusing on certain Bible passages and Pastor Idleman's explanations, the difference between being a fan of Christ and being a follower. 

He doesn't stop at convicting the individual, he also speaks to churches in general.  He says, "The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren't actually interesting in following Christ.  They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them."   He also mentions later that in some instances churches have become enablers, my word not his, that don't teach what it really means to be a follower because they don't want to make the congregation uncomfortable.  I stopped at this point to reflect on all the times that my Pastor has apologized during a sermon that did convict and perhaps make us uncomfortable but then followed up with letting us know he wanted us to know the truth and sometimes the truth is hard.  But we're dealing with our eternal life, so shouldn't we want to know the truth, even if it is difficult sometimes?

A follower gives all, they aren't perfect, they are committed.  Even if their friends and families think they are going overboard, they stay focused on Jesus.  As Pastor Idleman puts it "In Revelation 3 Jesus says to the Christians in Laodicea, 'You are neither hot or cold but because you are lukewarm-I'm about to spit you out of my mouth.' Jesus doesn't say, 'Everything in moderation'; he says you can't be my follower if you don't give up everything.  His invitation is an all or nothing invitation."

One of the most encouraging things that I found in the book is this - "when Jesus invites you to follow him, his invitation comes to you right where you are.  He doesn't want you to wait until tomorrow in hopes that you will finally be heading down the right path; he wants you to say yes today and he will lead you out of where you are now."  Thank God for that.

Book Review - Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me by Ian Morgan Cron

If all memoirs were like this book, they may be the only genre I would read.  This book captured my attention with its title.  I kept coming back to it.  Jesus and the CIA, I finally decided I had to know the connection.  Ian Cron’s memoir is a look into the life of a child growing up with an alcoholic father and the impact it has on decisions, emotions and faith.  The famous words of review that have been used time and again – “I laughed, I cried” – well, I laughed, I cried, I prayed.  Moments in the book will speak to you, touch you to the core and make you chuckle.  The memoir is told honestly but at times with humor that makes you wonder at its very presence.  

There were several ideas in the book that I just wanted to write down and stare at, considering them in more detail.  One of them was “Life always comes down to who’s driving.”  It made me think of signs I’ve seen that say “If God is your co-pilot, you’re in the wrong seat.”  Who is driving your life?  One of the others was “Love always stoops.”  God’s love and the love we are meant to develop and show to others is a humble love, a servant’s love.  “Love always stoops.”  I think I’ll remember that one.

This book was a quick read because it was so intriguing and enchanting, pulling you into Ian Cron’s life as if you were there with him.  I have to give a small shoutout to Book Sneeze because if it weren’t for their site, I may never have found this book or decided to read it.  And that would have been regrettable. I highly recommend this book.

Resurgence - Answers to Common Questions About Creation

Answers to Common Questions about Creation

I found this to be quite interesting.  It's a little long, but worth the read.  Two things that I found compelling enough to want to share is Pastor Mark's thoughts on evolution:

What are some of the problems with atheistic evolution?
Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1892) was an English naturalist who founded the modern theory of evolution. He published this proposal in 1859 in the book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. His lengthy original title is often shortened to The Origin of Species both because of its length and its racist overtones. Evolution seeks to explain the origin of life apart from God. As Christians we are free to accept the seemingly self-evident fact of micro-evolution that species can and do adapt to their environments. However, as Christians we are not free to accept the yet unproven and highly suspect thesis of macro-evolution that one species can evolve into another species entirely.
And, though it reigned as the dominant paradigm for over one hundred years, Darwin's theory of evolution has recently come under intense criticism by both Christian and non-Christian scientists who prefer what has come to be known as "intelligent design." The reasons for the decline of confidence in macro-evolution are many, but the following are some of the most implausible faith-leaps of macro-evolution, which seemingly requires at least as much faith as believing in an eternal God:

• It postulates that the world sprang into existence from nothing for no reason, or that matter is basically eternal and has no origin but cannot explain how or why this occurred.
• It postulates that impersonal matter created personal people.
• It postulates that species evolved over long periods of time from one kind of animal to another yet does not have the transitional forms between species that would demonstrate this has actually occurred.
• It has been unable to replicate evolution after over one hundred years of attempts to do so.

Because of these reasons, as well as the clear conflict with Scripture, Christians should reject macro-evolution as both flawed science and aberrant theology.

And his thoughts on the Bible's teachings. He discusses several interpretations, but this is just one of them:

View #1 - Historic Creationism
In this view, Genesis 1:1 records the making of all of creation by God out of nothing (or ex nihilo) through a merism of "heavens and earth," which means the sky above and land below, or the totality of creation. Since the word used for "beginning" in Genesis 1:1 is reshit in Hebrew, which means an indefinite period of time, it is likely that all of creation was completed over an extended period of time (anywhere from days to billions of years). Then Genesis 1:2 begins the description of God preparing the uninhabitable land for the creation of mankind. The preparation of the uncultivated land for and creation of Adam and Eve occurred in six literal twenty-four hour days. This view leaves open the possibility of both an old earth and six literal days of creation.

The article is definitely worth the full read, but these were the highlights in my view.  

Book Review - The Ambition by Lee Strobel

The Ambition is Lee Strobel's first fiction novel.  Since I am a big fan of his non-fiction books, I was very eager to get read this book and purchased it as soon as it came out.  LOVED this book.  Although I have to admit that I had to stop reading a few times because I was so frustrated with the main character.  Which I guess proves that it was a good book since it elicited such strong feelings.  Very well written, it was a gripping story that I couldn't put down (unless frustration dictated it) about a pastor of a megachurch that thinks about becoming a senator while his church faces proof of God's hand in our lives, corruption runs rampant in the courtroom and an investigative reporter comes across more than he bargained for.  The various plot lines interwove and in the end came together seamlessly.  I shouldn't have been surprised since I've seen Lee Strobel do the same thing with facts and interviews, but the flow of The Ambition was exceptional.  

The only issue that I had was more with the Kindle version than the book itself.  Assuming the problem I had was with the Kindle and wasn't showing up in the actual print book.  Intermittently during the story the word indent, cindent or excindent would show up where another word was supposed to be.  No idea what that was all about.

I would STRONGLY recommend this book.