Count It All Joy by John M. Perkins

John Perkins, who has suffered greatly during his 92 years, is well qualified to write a book on finding joy in suffering. Even though suffering is painful, it can also be a great teaching tool to draw a person closer to the Lord. Joy can be found in the midst of the pain.

Using Scripture to guide him, the author shares his personal story and the lessons he learned. The book is organized in three parts: When Suffering Chooses You, When You Choose Suffering, and Joy Comes in the Morning. In the back of the book there are questions for each of the nine chapters which would aid in personal or group study to delve deeper into the topics covered in the book. I highly recommend this important book written by a civil rights leader and a committed Christian community development leader.

I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Getting Over Yourself by Dean Inserra

 This is a very relevant book about the problem of the promotion of self-help and prosperity in the evangelical church. While this is nothing new in the church, this new form of the prosperity gospel promotes choosing one’s dreams, fulfilling one’s potential and being the best one can be. Unfortunately in all of this, this false theology has lost it’s connection to Christ and the real gospel message. This real gospel message is to take the focus off oneself and realize that as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest gift is Christ himself.  One of the results of this is that there is a lack of discipleship which does not equip people to understand a theology that includes hardship, death, failure, and a lack of glory here on earth. Without humility and dependence on Christ, believers are distracted from living as servants of Christ to living as servants of their own desires.

The author does share how believers can embrace the abundant life in Christ including:  Ask God to help you be gospel-centered; By grace, through Scripture, seek to increase your knowledge of God; Pursue the ordinary life; Find godly community and Pray for willingness to be marginalized.

I highly recommend this thought provoking book. I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Overflow by Michael Reeves

 

This book is focused on how the joy of the Trinity inspires our mission. The book contains the following chapters: 

Introduction: Knowing the Triune God

God’s Love: The Fountain of All Goodness

God’s Glory: The Radiance of the World

God’s Abundance:  The Barren Land of No Trinity

God’s Light: Shining in the Darkness

Each chapter has questions for reflection which makes it appropriate for a group study. One of the quotes I found informative in the book is, “Mission is the overflow of love from the enjoyment of diving fellowship. As we partake in the Father’s pleasure in His Son, and the Son’s pleasure in His Father, and the Spirit’s enlivening of their mutual love, it causes us to share their love for the world, thus we become like what we worship.” Before we as Christians can engage in missions, we need to understand and respond to the love God has in first coming to us in the form of the Trinity.

I highly recommend this thought provoking and challenging book. I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Spurgeon on the Power of Scripture by Jason Allen

This is the second in the series “Spurgeon Speaks.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon was often referred to as the Prince of Preachers. Even though he was born nearly 200 years ago, his words are still relevant today and many are blessed by his teaching.

This volume is a collection of sermons on the power and importance of Scripture. One of the quotes in book which I think summarizes the purpose of Scripture in the life of the Christian is this, “May the Holy Spirit help us to think of the power of God’s word for four purposes – first, to excite our awe; second, to ensure our obedience; third, to inspire our confidence; and fourth, to direct our efforts.”   

Readers will be encouraged by the messages included in this collection:  “The Word of a King,” “The Bible Tried and Proved,” “The Infallibility of Scripture,” “Christ’s Indwelling Word,” “The Bible,” “The Warnings and Rewards of the Word of God,” and “How to Read the Bible.”  

I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

A Field Guide for Genuine Community by Ben Connelly

 

This is a practical and informative guide to help Christians live out their faith in community that involves transparency and commitment. The book is set up to do as a 25 day group study. Each day starts with a reading of Scripture along a reading to flesh out the concept presented. The five week study is organized into topics each week: Why should I even care? Who is my spiritual family? What does a spiritual family do? When and Where does a spiritual family interact? and How do we start?  There are also 101 ways to move from façade to family included at the end of each daily reading. At the end of the week, there is an example of a church family living out community along with group discussion questions for the week.

This is a great starting point for small groups or churches looking to form genuine community that exists outside of Sunday mornings. The book is thought provoking and challenging and I highly recommend it.

I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review.   

The Visual Word by Patrick Schreiner; Illustrated by Anthony M. Benedetto

 

This is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in studying the New Testament. The book is laid out as an overview as well as a visual outline of the content of each New Testament book. The icons, titles, and descriptions serve to summarize the main points of each book and how they connect with each other.

The illustrations are beautiful and relate to each section they head. The whole idea of this book is to give you an idea of the literary flow of each book and points to consider in delving deeper into each book.

This is a resource for those who are new to studying the Bible or experienced in Bible study. It can be used for individual study or for those who are teaching or leading a Bible study group. It presents information in a concise, visually appealing, and informative manner. The entire book is beautiful in its presentation.

I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review. 

What If Jesus Was Serious About Prayer by Skye Jethani

 

In the introduction the author states, “The truly radical Christian is not the one whose life appears extraordinary, but the one whose unseen communion with God is extraordinary. Living radically is about prayer, not prominence.” For the Christian who wants to live radically for Christ, this book about prayer is for you. It challenges some pre-conceived notions you may have about prayer.

The book is divided into six sections which include short chapters with creative illustrations. The sections are: What Prayer Is (and Isn’t); Keep It Simple (and Unceasing); It’s Off to Work (with God) We Go; Learning to Pray (Like Jesus); The Truth (And Nothing but the Truth) So Help Me God; and Prayer Changes (How You See) the World.

In the end, prayer is not about getting what answers we want, it is about desiring more of God Himself. This is a very helpful and practical book which I highly recommend.

I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for this honest review