Draw the Circle

(review by Julie)
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, by Mark Batterson is a follow up to Batterson's earlier book, The Circle Maker. While Batterson's emphasis remains the same: Pray the big prayers God inspires, there is also a lot of new material in the personal testimonies people have sent Batterson since The Circle Maker's release.  Since, Draw the Circle is set up as a 40 day prayer challenge, it's arranged into 40 shorts chapters that can be easily read in five to ten minutes each.

I enjoyed this book, and I found myself inspired to pray harder. I love Batterson's message and I applaud his work in teaching us all to pray. However, I was frustrated with all the short quips and cliche one liners. Since I also recently read Batterson's In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, it may be that I'm just a little burnt out on his writing style.

Overall, I like recommend Batterson's Circle books, but I suggest you pick either The Circle Maker or Draw the Circle to read, based on which style of book you enjoy more.  There is no reason to read the books in any particular order so, if you're really craving more when you're done, pick up the other and continue on!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heaven Is For Real

(review by Julie)
My rating: 6 out of 5 stars!!

This book was recommended to me by a friend who doesn't read a lot, but said she LOVED this book and everyone should read it. I thought that was a pretty amazing review for a non-bookie, so I reserved the Kindle edition of Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo at my library and had to wait several months for it. When it finally came in, I knew I'd never get to renew my library loan, so was on a strict 3 week deadline to get it read. (Don't you love how the simplest deadlines inspire you to get something done fast?) Well, it turned out there was no need for a deadline. I have a hard time putting my iTouch down as soon as I started reading.

Heaven is for Real is a wonderful TRUE story about a boy who almost died (or maybe did die for thee minutes). While his life was hanging on a limb, he had an amazing experience that could only be explained by the almighty God!  I don't want to ruin too much of the book for you, so I'll leave it there- just go read it! It was a fast, easy read and you'll be thinking about it for months afterwards.

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Slave, by John MacArthur, is well-written blend of history and theology, combining a description of slavery in both Roman times and in colonial America with a fluid comparison to our lives as we move from slaves to sin, to chosen slaves of Christ, to adopted sons and daughters of the King!

While MacArthur writes in the typical tone of a theology text, quoting George Muller, John Newton, Andrew Murry, and a host of other great Christian writers throughout the centuries, he is also practical in providing applications of his ideas to our everyday lives as Christians.  

There were two points that I found myself thinking more about since finishing the book:

1.  “In the Roman slave market, decisions regarding the slave’s future rested solely in the hands on the purchaser, not the one being sold. Similarly, the Bible teaches that God has chosen His slaves by His own sovereign independent, electing choice.  …  He pursued us even though we did not seek Him, drawing us to Himself and snatching us from the clutches and condemnation of sin.” (p132) “In all of this, we as believers can take no credit.” (p148)

2.  “Whereas a master/slave relationship might be temporary, a father/son relationship is not. As Jesus told the unbelieving Pharisees, underscoring the axiomatic nature of this reality, ‘The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever’ (John 8:35).  … The doctrine of adoption establishes the reality that believers once save, are always saved.” (p170)

I’m not sure I agree 100% with everything MacArthur said in this book, but it was well-supported with scripture and presented in an understandable, although a little long winded, manner that made me think and had me praising God for his mercy and grace many times.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Published by Thomas Nelson, copyright 2010 by John MacArthur.

ISBN: 978-1-4002-8111-4 (IE)

The Circle Maker

(review by Julie)
 My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A good friend gave me The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson after she'd read it herself. She's an experience prayer warrior and she found it encouraging and challenging. Overall, I LOVED this book. I do have to admit though, that there were numerous times that I had to set the book down in the middle of the chapter and ask God, "Wow! Seriously? Do you work like that? Does prayer work like that?"  The book really challenges you to pray harder and longer for the promises that God gives you. It some ways there's nothing new about it, but in other ways, it's completely revolutionized my view of prayer.  In the end, I've experienced a metamorphosis in my walk with God and I believe he did part of it through this book. So, thank you Mark Batterson for your faith and your prayer!

Angel Song

(review by Julie)
I stayed up way too late last night reading Angel Song by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman.  I started the book a week or so ago and was forced to set it aside when things got a little crazy, but the story line and the characters stuck in my head.  So, last night I shut off the computer and picked it up and again. I have to say, it was a truly wonderful book!

The characters were so real and the story line was captivating. I really enjoyed the authors' descriptions of angels and their roles in our lives. Now that it's done I'm sad to see it go, but I feel more at peace, and more willing to trust His will for my life.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a inspirational Christian fiction book, but I have to warn you, I cried a few times.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not encouraged or required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jesus Manifesto By Sweet & Viola

(review by Julie) (see review by Deanna here)
In Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola aim to bring our Christian focus back to Christ from where we have wandered, looking for our leadership style, our personal talents and our church's mission statements.

Sweet and Viola spend a considerable amount of Chapter 2 in the book of Colossians.  So, it might be a good companion to a more thorough study of that book of the Bible.

While I like the basic concepts of the book, there were a few things I found annoying.  First and foremost, the cute cliches like, "Some preachers need a travel agent to handle all the guilt trips they put on God's people" (p.25) were a distracting contrast to the "ancient devotional tone" (p.xx) the authors sought. They would flip back and forth between talking about inspirational Christians from 1000AD to retorting to a facebook post in such a way that kept me feeling a little off balance.

Also, unfortunately, as the authors seem to admit, a whole book about how we need nothing but Christ, will inevitably get repetitive. The authors might have avoided this by fleshing out more of their metaphors or explaining how their examples relate back to their central theme,

In the end, when I set Jesus Manifesto down, I find myself drawn toward scripture; I feel a greater desire to spend more time with God's word.  So, maybe Sweet and Viola would call their book a success.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of a book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

(review by Deanna)
A friend recommended this book to me and it was very enjoyable.  The first half is about the value of incorporating reading into the family's live and some ideas of how to do so.  The second half is a recommended book list by type and age.  In content and conclusion, it is very much like The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, which I reviewed here.  In tone, it is more gentle and poignant.  Both are excellent and worth reading and following.

Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life reads like a kind mother or teacher speaking, giving advice that has stood the test of time.  Hunt describes the delight and wonder that good books can bring us and our children and how sharing that delight deepens and strengthens our relationships. 

What do books bring a child? ... a big world with all its possibilities - people to know and understand, places to imagine, eyes to see beyond the obvious, words to stretch the mind and heart, and a lasting stewardship of language used in the right way.

The author emphasizes respect and empathy for children and advocates using books as timeless ways of sharing universal truth and joy without moralizing or lecturing.  It is written from a Christian perspective, though I think anyone would take the points she makes to heart.  She includes a chapter on reading the Bible and the special bonds created by doing so.  She also give some workable ways of making that happen from her own experience and family heritage.  She addresses specific question of whether fantasy literature is too unreal for children and how good books handle difficult subjects.

If you are planning to choose either the Trelease book or this one, start with the tone you prefer -   Trelease is more academic and results-based, whereas Hunt is more relationship and character based. Both come to the same conclusion: it is an invaluable gift to your family to enjoy reading together and for a lifetime.

What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper

(review by Julie)
This is the first book I've read by John Piper and I'm very impressed with his extensive Bible knowledge and his humility as a Christian. He quotes many of the great Christian writers of the past, like C.S. Lewis, but is easier to read than his original sources.

What Jesus Demands from the World is a great get-back-to-basics book. I like that Piper takes Jesus' commands and relates them to the state of our hearts- he's not legalistic about the demands. I really respect Piper for laying out his beliefs clearly and not trying to play both sides, even if I don't agree with everything he says.

Several of us read this book in a book-club style bible study, breaking it into 8 sections to fit our lifestyle better. It was really great to have some friends to discuss the book with and I'm afraid that I might not have finished the book if it hadn't been for our weekly meetings.

I'm giving it 3.5 stars. I own the book, but I penciled in too many personal notes in the margins to loan it.

The Way of the Master by Ray Comfort

(review by Julie)
Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron have developed a system of sharing their faith that mirrors how Jesus shared. The basic idea is that, as Christians, we tend to over-emphasize God's grace and under-emphasize God's law when speaking to the lost. Romans tells us that the purpose of the law is to convict people of their sin, so when we don't mention the law, we end up with people who become Christians because they want the "wonderful life" we told them all about when they should seek grace out of fear of eternal damnation...

The Way of the Master really got me thinking if nothing else. For the first 8 or so chapters I really disagreed but somewhere around chapter 9 he started to win me over... at least in idea. I'd like to share my faith because I truly believe it's the truth and that God's grace is the only thing that can save. Yet, I still have never tried Comfort's ideas out. I'm not sure why. What is it that keeps me from sharing my faith with others? I guess I figure nothing I can say will make a difference? Ray Comfort would disagree.

I'll give the book 2 stars. It's a good book but there are a lot of other books I'd read before this one.