Wednesday, June 19, 2013

LOVES GOD, LIKES GIRLS
A MEMOIR
By Sally Gary

OVERVIEW: For many Christians who experience same-sex attraction, wrestling with these feelings in light of faith is a lonely and painful journey. Sally Gary's touching memoir is one woman's recollection of her own journey. Rather than providing cookie-cutter answers as to why someone experiences same-sex attraction and how to "make it go away," Loves God, Likes Girls gives one woman's perspective on the experiences over a lifetime that impacted the development of her sexuality, Her story emphasizes that those who experience same-sex attraction are longing for safe places to explore questions, to find community, and to grow deeper in relationship with God.

AUTHOR: Sally Gary is the founder and director of CenterPeace, a nonprofit ministry providing safe places for conversation about same-sex attraction in families and churches. She holds a law degree from Texas Tech University. A former high school debate coach, trial lawyer, and college professor of communication, Sally speaks to churches and university groups around the country, presenting a Christ-centered perspective on homosexuality. She lives in Abilene, Texas.

MY REVIEW: The kind people at Leafwood Publishers are making it possible for me to give away two free copies of this splendid book. I wish I could give a copy to everyone interested in this important topic who wants to have a better understanding of all those who experience same-sex attraction.

I wanted to read and review this book to educate myself on this subject and better understand how to communicate with others about it. I learned more than I ever thought I would or could. I found this book interesting, very informative and a delight to read even in face of such a difficult and controversial subject. Sally Gary tells her story in such an interesting way that I found it hard to put the book down.

Many Christians will profit from reading this book but those from Churches of Christ will find it especially interesting. They will identify with so much of her life in the state of Texas, in the home and in the church. All readers, regardless of their world view will find this memoir a joy to read but they will also be touched deeply by his woman's struggles with a subject that very few want to talk about.

(I received this book for free from Leafwood Publishes for an honest review.)

The generous folks at Leafwood Publishers are allowing me to host this book giveaway for 2 (2) copies!

• Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.

• I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in your comment

• I'll close the comments at 6 PM June 26. I will contact the winners via email to get their mailing information. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s). If you're interested, just say so in a comment with that all-important email address in code. Example of email in code: you [at] your email [dot] com.

Thursday, June 06, 2013

CHANGE? I'm not against change. I just don't think everything needs to be changed.

Many things have changed from the time I was young and some things needed to change, but not all things.

When I was young we wore our pants up around our waist and a belt to keep them there. A change from that would be alright. But do we really need to wear them hanging off our butts?

I grew up holding a hymnal/song book and singing hymns in church. It was good. I think there was and is something beautiful about most---not all, hymns. The hymnals are gone today and so are the hymns. A change is alright but did we need to get rid all hymns and any songs that sounded like church?

Preachers always wore suits and ties when I was young---and not so young. Did that need to change? Maybe, but not so severely. Why do men still dress more formally for a funeral than preachers do who stand in the pulpit? Relaxed dress, less formal? Yes. But to stand in the pulpit preaching the Word of God looking like you're going fishing is a bit much for my taste. Yes, we should be trying to reach young people who are not so concerned with such things. But should we become just like them in order to win them? I don't think so. But if so, where do we draw the line?

The message today is: Out with song books, hymns, choirs, pews, stained glass, -----anything that looks religious.

In some places, gone is any out reach to the elderly. Gone is the family concept. That's smacks too much of religion. In is youth, cool, ugly, community. The plea is for SIMPLE. But is it simple? No!
It's complicated and confusing. What's cool today may not be tomorrow. You have to put forth effort to be "politically correct" in what you do and say. It's tiring. And in my mind, boring.

One young woman confided in me that she likes to honk real loud at elderly people in cross walks to see the look on their faces. And she also thinks they smell bad. It's probably because I'm old but that lack of respect makes me sad. There is so much that is beautiful about the elderly.

I'll never understand why we can't sing contemporary songs and hymns.

Why was stained glass once considered beautiful but not today?

It seems to me that Christ can be preached and held high and at the same time doctrine and all things religious can be respected without distracting from CHRIST and having to be "thrown out."

SIMPLE CHURCH is what you find in the first days of the church in Acts 2:43-47

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Those who say that Christians should do evangelism and not politics overlook the fact that God gave both the church and the government to restrain evil in this age.

I agree with Wayne Grudem and others that one significant way that God restrains evil in the world is through changing people's hearts when they trust in Christ as their Savior (see 2 Cor.5:27). But we should not turn this one way into the only way.

Dr. Grudem has written an excellent book, Politics According To The Bible. It is a comprehensive resource for understanding modern political issues in light of Scripture.

God also uses civil government to restrain evil, and there is much evil that can only be restrained by the power of civil government. The reason is that there will always be many who do not trust in Christ as their Savior and many who do not fully obey him.

For example, we may want the Gospel to change society so there would not be things like drunk driving or slavery. But we know that if every Christian in the world set a marvelous example by never drinking at all that there would still be people getting drunk and driving. Christian influence alone didn't bring an end to slavery. It took the government to do it.

Some of my Christian friends say, "I am only going to be positive, preach Christ and influence the world for good." It's a good thing to be positive as much as possible, to preach Christ at every opportunity and to always be an influence for good. BUT sometime we have to say, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! THAT IS NOT TRUE. THAT IS WRONG AND EVIL."

Evil does exist and we better recognize it.

So, I don't care who is involved in the evil---my mother, my brother, my neighbor, my co-worker, my government. I am going to point it out for what it is and call for a change--repentance.

Doesn't this distract from the main purpose of preaching the Gospel? It could, but it doesn't have to.Chasing evil in the government and other places could become a hobby and you could spend all of your time doing that. But if you are determined to put first things first, God will enable you to do that.

So as for me, I press on with evangelizing as much as possible and standing against evil by pointing it out everywhere I see it and doing everything I can to stop it.

Thursday, May 09, 2013

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF ELIJAH
How God Uses Ordinary People
to Do Extraordinary Things
By R.T. Kendall

OVERVIEW: With keen insight and practical application, beloved theologian and teacher R.T. Kendall explores the triumphs and contradictions of this powerful man of God. You will love seeing how Elijah was like you―righteous but proud, strong but cowardly, blessed but tested by trial and doubt.

AUTHOR: Dr. R.T. Kendall, a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Oxford University (D.Phil.), was the senior minister of the historic Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years. The author of numerous bestselling books, he conducts conferences all over the world. He and his wife, Louise, live near Nashville, Tennessee.

MY REVIEW: This is a good book and I like many things about it, but the thing I like the most is its emphasis on the importance of godly character. Oh my, how this is missing in today's society. Dr. Kendall reveals in this book how Elijah was a great man of God and yet afflicted with the very same failings and fear we all have. This is both encouraging and challenging at the same time. Elijah walked closely with God but stumbled along the way. But in the end we see that he lived with great faith and that we can too.

This is a book that will benefit all readers but especially young people. God used Elijah to accomplish great things, and He wants to use you, too.

(I received this book for free from Chosen Book Group for this review.)

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

My mother passed away when I was elven years old and I went to live with my sister and her husband.

Two of my brothers and their wives would drive a hundred miles every few week-end to visit with me.

When my brother-in-law saw them coming he would call out to my sister, "The damn Ditmores are here."

That always infuriated me!

But I guess the truth is that most of us think our relatives are a pretty motley crew.

Consider these thoughts from Leonard Sweet:

When we peel back the genealogy of our Lord from both Mary and Joseph's sides, we come to a startling revelation. God the Father chose some of the worst examples in human history to be blood kin to the Son of God Himself. Consider the Lord's kinfolk:

* Judah--a Jew who had sex with his daughter-in-law, thinking she was a prostitute
* Tamar--a Gentile who bore two sons out of incest
* Rahab--a Canaanite prostitute
*Ruth--A Moabite (the Moabites' lineage began with incest between Lot and one of his daughters
*David--a king who committed adultery and murder
*Bathsheba--a woman who committed adultery

Can you imagine a more embarrassing lineage? It's certainly no lineage suited for a king. Yet these were the ancestors of the spotless, holy Son of God. ...This was no accident. It was the sovereign choice of a sovereign God, who chose each of these people to be the blood kin to our Lord.

This poses good news for every child of God

(The thoughts of Leonard Sweet were taken from JESUS--A Theography by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola)

7 MEN
AND THE SECRET OF THEIR GREATNESS
By Eric Metaxas

OVERVIEW: SEVEN MEN offers answers in the captivating stories of some of the greatest men who have ever lived. In this gallery of greatness, seven historical figures come to life as real people who experienced struggles and challenges that probably would have destroyed the resolve of most other men. Having heroes and role models was always tremendously important for society, but in the last few decades this has changed, with seriously troubling results. Eric Metaxas says it's time to reverse the trend. With vitality and warmth, the New York times best-selling author restores to the reader a sense of the heroic―the idea that certain lives are worthy of emulation.

AUTHOR: Eric Metaxas is the author of New York Times #1 bestseller and ECPA "Book of the Year" Bonhoeffer, the bestseller Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, and more than thirty other books. He is currently the voice of BreakPoint, a radio commentary broadcast on 1,400 radio outlets with an audience of 8 million. Metaxas was the keynote speaker at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, and was awarded the Canterbury Medal in 2011 by the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom. Metaxas has written for Veggie Tales, Chuck Colson, and the New York Times. He currently lives in New York with his wife and daughter.

MY REVIEW: I can give no better recommendation for this book than to quote author, Oz Guinness who said, "This is a book to read, to read aloud to others, and then read again. In a day when children are growing up stunted because of our diet of empty-headed celebrities and contemptible villains, true heroism and manliness need special nourishment. Eric Metaxas had done it again, and again we are in his debt."

This is a splendid book and I highly recommend it. Metaxas writes about seven great men: George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson.

After hearing Eric Metaxas speak on television and at our church and then reading his marvelous book, Bonhoeffer, I couldn't wait to get my hands on 7 Men. I was not disappointed. Eric Metaxas is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors.

This is a book that I would like to give to every teenager―but not just teenagers. This is a book for all of us. We need positive role models. Metaxas writes about great men that lived inspirational lives. By looking at those lives we become inspired to live better lives ourselves.

I suggest you get this book and then pass it on. We all need to be inspired!

(I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson (BookSneeze) for this review.)

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

FALLING IN LOVE WITH GOD
By Bob Hostetler

OVERVIEW: Drawing from the ancient love story of Hosea, a prophet whose life and prophecy map how to fall in love with God, Falling In Love With God will fulfill the desires of all who long for a different-or deeper-relationship with God. This thoroughly biblical book will help and bless all who long or love God with all their hearts...but just aren't sure why they don't, if they could, or how it happens.

AUTHOR: Bob Hostetler is a writer, editor, and speaker from southwestern Ohio. His thirty books have sold over three million copies. He has won two God Medallion Awards, four Ohio Associated Press Awards, and an Amy Foundation Award. He is co-founder of Cobblestone Community Church in Oxford, Ohio. He and his wife Robin have two grown children, Aubrey and Aaron.

MY REVIEW: Kendra Smiley, speaker and author of Live Free says Falling In Love With God will help you fall in love with God over and over and over and over again. I agree!

Bob Hostetler is becoming one of my favorite writers. He writes in such an inspiring way that you want to keep reading―even when you don't have the time. I have read the book of Hosea many times and preached several sermons from this Old Testament Book. I never preached any as good as the ones in this book. Hostetler has written his own personal paraphrase of Hosea and uses it as the primary text throughout this book. For me, and I hope for you, his paraphrase helps to reduce confusion for today's reader―those of us living in a modern world far removed from Old Testament times. He has written prayers at the end of chapters three through eleven. Sincerely praying these prayers will make you a partner with the Holy Spirit in bringing about not just "head improvement" but "heart movement." And heart movement is the purpose of this book.

(I received this book for free from Leafwood Publishers for this review.)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

GREEN BEANS & ICE CREAM
The Remarkable Power Of Positive Reinforcement
By Bill Sims Jr.

OVERVIEW: Green Beans & Ice Cream is the culmination of nearly thirty years work in the area of positive reinforcement and employee motivation/behavior change at large and small North American firms. This book will teach you how to pinpoint the behaviors you want from others and positively reinforce them immediately when you see them. That means deciding what you want people to do. Then focusing on the behaviors that drive the results you need.  Green Beans & Ice Cream will help you find specific things to reinforce positively every day in the actions of people whom you live and work.

AUTHOR: Bill Sims, Jr., is president of The Bill Sims Company, Inc. For nearly 30 years, Bill has created behavior-based recognition programs that have helped large and small firms to deliver positive reinforcement to inspire better performance from employees and increase bottom line profits. Bill has delivered his "Green Beans & Ice Cream" leadership workshop and keynote speeches in Europe, the Middle East, most of the USA, Australia and many parts of Africa.

MY REVIEW: Joe Rea who is Operations Manager at Pacific Aluminum in Gladstone, Australia said, "This is a must read if you're serious about achieving sustainable behavior change with your team." And I agree.

"Human behavior has been a subject of discussion since man emerged from the dust." Understanding behavior presents a big challenge. But the rewards are tremendous if we can just do it. I spent fifty years working in full-time ministry with the church. I was trying to change behavior. Many people assume that culture is what it is, and can never be changed. At best, they will say that culture change requires a long time. Bill Sims, Jr. believes culture can be changed and that it doesn't take a long time. He give many examples to prove his point. He says that all we have to do to change culture is to change behavior. And that is what this book is about―changing behavior. If you are a parent, husband, wife, teacher, boss, supervisor, professor, cop, or anything else in life, what you often want from the people around you is behavior change. Read this book. It will help!

(I received this book for free from The Cadence Group for this review.)

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

REASONS FOR BELIEF
Easy-to-Understand Answers to 10 Essential Questions
By Norman L. Geisler and Patty Tunnicliffe

OVERVIEW: Trusted theologian and bestselling author Norman Geisler teams up with teacher'speaker Patty Tunnicliffe to provide concrete, step-by-step reasons for why Christians believe what they do. Organized around the most basic questions of faith, Reasons for Belief offers clear evidence for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, Jesus' resurrection, and more.

Do you know what you believe...and why? Regardless of your age or experience, if you're looking for clear, easy-to-understand answers to the questions: 1. How can you know God exists? 2. Why should you trust the Bible? 3. How can you be sure Jesus is the Son of God? and others, this is  the book for you.

AUTHORS: Norman L. Geisler (PhD, Loyola University of Chicago) is distinguished professor of Apologetics and Theology at Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California. He is the author of some 80 books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. He and his wife live in Charlotte, North Carolina. Patty Tunnicliffe (MA, Southern Evangelical Seminary) is a former public school teacher, Bible teacher, and conference speaker. She and her husband make their home in Santa Barbara, California.

MY REVIEW: "Whether you're a curious skeptic or a believer wanting to learn how to defend your faith, Reasons for Belief will give you the answers you're looking for."

During a ministry covering fifty years I acquired a huge library. Many of those books helped me answer the question, "Why are you a Christian." Not every Christian has access to such a library. This small book will be of great benefit to those wanting answers to the basic questions surrounding one's faith. Many times we are challenged with statements like, "God does not exist," "Miracles don't happen," "The New testament's many errors make it unreliable," "Jesus did not rise from the dead," "Christianity is too narrow. There are many ways to God besides Jesus," and others.

I agree with Paige Patterson from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, who said, "Reasons for Belief is vintage Geisler―crisp, correct, concise, and courageous. Written for the Christian who needs answers, not encyclopedias."

( I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for this review.)

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

ALTAR EGO―Becoming Who God Says You Are 
By Craig Groeschel

OVERVIEW: Altar Ego will help you discover how to trade in your broken ego and unleash your altar ego to become a living sacrifice. It will help you know your true identity for the first time. You will grow in Christlike character, be bold in your behavior, in your prayers, in your obedience. Alter Ego reveals who God says you are, and then calls you to live up to it.

AUTHOR: Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a pacesetting multicampus church and creators of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the author of several books, including Soul Detox, Weird, The Christian Atheist, and It. Craig, his wife, Amy, and their six children live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

MY REVIEW: We are not very far into this year, but I have the feeling Altar Ego may be one of the most helpful books I read and reviewed this year. Helpful, not just for me, but for everybody who reads it. It reminded me in a forceful way that my true identity is found in Christ, not in what others think of me.

I like what author and pastor Kyle Idleman said, "Most of us would like to change a few things about our lives, but Craig Groeschel helps us understand that we can't have a new life until we have a new identity in Christ. Once we let Jesus tell us who we are, it changes what we do."

These words from the back of the book sum up my feelings about Altar Ego: "Instead of living with an ego that is outward-driven and based on other people's approval, discover how to live with your altar ego―the truth of who you are in Christ. His masterpiece. Created perfectly  in his image to do what he planned in advance for you to do."

(I received this book for free from BookSneeze for this review.)

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WHEN CAN YOU START?
How to ACE the Interview and WIN the Job
By Paul Freiberger
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner

OVERVIEW: New York Times best-selling writer Paul Freiberger gives you the tools to ace the interview and win the job. As President of Shimmering Resumes, Paul has helped thousands of job seekers with his expertise. Filled with practical and proven techniques this book will help you convert "We'll be in touch" to four words everyone wants to hear: "WHEN CAN YOU START?"

AUTHOR: Paul Freiberger  is the author or coauthor of five books, including Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer (with Michael Swaine) and Fuzzy Logic (with Daniel McNeill). Fire in the Valley was made into the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, which was nominated for five Emmy Awards. Fuzzy Logic won the Los Angeles Times book Award. Freiberger provides career improvement services at his firm Shimmering Resumes. He has a BA in history from the State university of New York at Binghamton and a Masters in Italian from Middlebury College.

MY REVIEW: I agree with Larry Kramer, President and Publisher, USA Today who said, "This book is powerful and expertly researched. Packed with interview advice you need to get your next job."

This book will teach you to: (1) Be ready for The Only Question You Must Be Able to Answer, (2) Not tell the interviewer about your weaknesses, (3) Answer trick questions or oddball questions, (4) Ask the right questions, (5) Show confidence in any interview, (6) Avoid costly interview mistakes, (7) Negotiate the salary you deserve.

Being a retired minister I did not feel this was a book I needed to read for my personal benefit. However, I wanted to read it and review it for friends of mine who are much younger and still looking for a job. After reading it I agree with Guy Kawasaki, founding Partner, Garage Technology Ventures and Former Chief Evangelist, Apple who said, "You will get a job a lot sooner if you read this book." That would do it for me. If I was a young person looking for a job I would want to read this book.

Avery Lyford, Chairman, the Churchill Club believes this is "An effective and pragmatic guide that should be read by anyone preparing for an interview. As I said earlier I have been retired for several years now and have done my last job interview. But I recommend this book to young people still looking for work. I benefitted from reading this book and believe that it has helped improve my communication skills.

(I received this book for free from The Cadence Group for this review.)

Monday, March 25, 2013

THE GOSPEL OF YES
By Mike Glenn

OVERVIEW: In The Gospel of Yes, Mike Glenn reveals God's most powerful word, which opens our eyes to everything he does. That word is YES. God said yes to creating a world for us to live in and yes to inviting us into a relationship with him. When you live in God's "yes" you find your identity, your true value, and your unique purpose on earth. You can stop trying to be someone else and enjoy being yourself as you join with God in doing the work of his kingdom. When God leads you, he always says yes. It's time to live like you know it.

AUTHOR: Mike Glenn is the senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist church in Brentwood, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and received a Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

MY REVIEW: Ah yes! Is The Gospel of Yes a good book? Yes―yes it is!

Mike Glenn says, "We have missed the most important thing about God. Finding it changes everything." He thinks that what you believe about God affects how you approach life―often in ways you don't realize. "When you live in God's 'yes' you find your identity, your true value, and your unique purpose on earth."

Glenn's book comes high recommended by many high profile people such as: Michael Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Dave Ramsey, New York Times best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host, Brad Paisley, Grammy Award-winning record artist, Matt Batterson, author, and many others. The forward was written by author and theologian, Scot McKnight.

I agree with Sandra D. Wilson, PhD, seminary professor and author who said, "This is not a 'prosperity gospel, name-it-claim-it' book. This is a 'glorious God, love him and praise Him' book. All Christ-followers will be challenged and encouraged by it. Mike Glenn provides a solid biblical foundation for building authentic relationships with God, with others, and with ourselves."

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

MAKING GOOD HABITS
BREAKING BAD HABITS
14 New Behaviors That Will Energize Your Life
By Joyce Meyer

OVERVIEW: In this book, Joyce Meyer starts by examing the nature of habits. The first habit―and most important one to have―is the God Habit. By making it a habit to start your day by reading the Bible and communing with God, asking for His help in your efforts and His strength and sustenance, the stage is set for overcoming the habits you want to break and establishing new one in their place. She then explores how to break bad habits by examining the destructive negative behavior patterns.

The author moves on to discuss fourteen good habits and devotes a chapter to each. By the end of the chapter, the reader has a specific roadmap to follow until the behavior has become automatic (the definition of a habit). It's like following a GPS to get you to a new place. After traveling the same route several times, the GPs isn't needed for you to find your destination. The "habit" of following the right route is ingrained.

AUTHOR:
In 1985, Meyer founded her own ministry, initially called "Life in the Word". She began airing her radio show on six other stations from Chicago to Kansas City.In 1993, her husband Dave suggested that they start a television ministry. Initially airing on superstation WGN-TV in Chicago and BET, her program, now called Enjoying Everyday Life, is still on the air today.In 2005, Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" ranked Meyer as 17th. Meyer is a number one New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of many books.

MY REVIEW: I have not been a big fan of Joyce Meyer but I have always found her to be interesting and even exciting. She has a lot of common sense, energy, and passion for everything she does. I like these qualities in a person and wanted to see what she had to say about habits.

I wasn't disappointed! Meyer writes with a style that is easy to read and easy to understand. As I said earlier, she has a lot of common sense and therefore what she says about breaking bad habits makes sense. She writes about fourteen new behaviors that will energize your life and I believe, if followed, they will. I especially liked what she wrote about: The Habit of Being Responsible, The Hurry Habit, The Confidence Habit and The Habit of Adding Value to Others.

Will this book energize your life? I don't know. I really don't. Just reading it won't do it. But I do believe that if you read this book with an open mind and then give what she teaches a try―it will work.