Letters To A Birmingham Jail edited by Bryan Loritts

This is an important book for all Christians to read and to help them understand how to pursue Christ exalting diversity. Beginning with Dr, Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," 10 Christian leaders address the problems that still plague the church in the area of racial reconciliation. The contributors of various ages and ethnicities address that only Christ can bring about true unity, but that the gospel also demands justice. No longer can the church remain passive in the area of racial inequality and prejudice.

The contributors included are John Perkins, John Piper, Crawford W. Loritts, Jr., John Bryson, Bryan Loritts, Sandy Wilson, Albert Tate, Charlie Dates, Matt Chandler, and Soon-Chan Rah. These authors present their own unique response to Dr. King's letter and it makes for fascinating reading and much food for thought.

I would highly recommend it to all who truly want to learn more about how the church can become a truly multi-cultural church. For me, I will begin by reaching out to those who are not like me in the body of Christ. We can each make a difference to bring about reconciliation between races and cultures.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.

Chase The Lion by Mark Batterson

"Chase the Lion" is a call to arms to pursue God-given passions and to set God-sized goals. Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, D.C., encourages the reader with examples from Scripture and real life stories to illustrate his idea of being a Lion Chaser.

Some of the principles he includes are: go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention; face your fears; burn sinful bridges; blaze new trails; live for the applause of the nail-scarred hands; and don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God.

This is an encouraging and challenging book for any Christian who desires to pursue their God-given dream or come along someone who has one and share in the adventure. The impact you make will not only make a difference now but have ripple effects in years to come.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
       

Messiology by George Verwer

George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization, one of the world's largest  missions organizations has coined the term "missiology." The term has to do with how God can use our failures and messes and use them for His purposes. This is basically a collection of thoughts as the author reflects back on over 60 years in ministry.

Throughout the book, the author also shares many books which have impacted his life. He challenges the reader to focus on the big picture in Christianity and to work together despite some of our differences in worship styles, leadership roles, etc. He challenges those who are caught up in any form of legalism that hinders the work of the Gospel and points out that God can still use those with whom we may disagree.

There are many helpful insights in this book and it is a short book. The downside is that the thoughts he shares are somewhat disjointed and the book overall does not flow well. Overall though is a worthwhile read.

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

Warfare Praying by Mark I. Bubeck

There are many books out on prayer, but I found this book especially practical and helpful. The author shares personal examples to illustrate the truths he presents. The battles we face are not against people and circumstances as they are battles in the spiritual realm. Pastor Bubeck addresses the issue of spiritual warfare and how to use the Word of God and prayer to do battle. The book is divided into sections entitled: The Supremacy of Christ; The Work of the Holy Spirit; The Whole Armor of God; and The Weapon of Prayer. I especially appreciated the section on the armor of God and the in depth description of each part of the armor and its practical application.

Also after each chapter there is a prayer to apply what has just been presented. At the end there are several pattern prayers given for revival. I think this is a book I will refer to often during my prayer time.  

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.

Leading KidMin by Pat Cimo and Matt Markins

Leading Children's ministry in the local church is a challenge. As our culture is changing and demands on families increase, leaders in Children's ministries are challenged to reach out to families and their children. Working within the local church and making sure the ministry is aligned with where the church is headed is also a challenge. Pat Cimo and Matt Markins challenge leaders to look at the big picture and give leaders tools to lead and implement change.

There are a lot of helpful illustrations and leadership principles outlined in the book. While it is mainly geared toward those who are full time or part time employees in Children's ministries in a local church, volunteer leaders in smaller churches can also benefit by reading the book. The principles presented can apply to all those involved in working with children in the local church.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.

The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life by Colin S. Smith

This book presents new insights into the 10 Commandments. The subtitle of the book is "Finding Freedom in God's Commands." Usually when thinking of the 10 Commandments, people think in terms of do's and don'ts. Pastor Colin Smith takes a different approach in taking each commandment and fleshing it out, making it meaningful and practical in every day life.

He contends that we know what God's love is like by understanding the 10 Commandments. True love involves faithfulness, truthfulness, trustworthiness and contentment. He writes that these are the dimensions of God's character and that is why they are the dimension of love.

For example, the reason we do not commit adultery is because God is faithful; the reason we do not bear false witness is because God speaks the truth; and so forth. God is love and He calls us to live a life that reflects His character. Living this kind of life does not come naturally and we all struggle against our own sin nature. The 10 Commandments is where God meets us in these struggles and teaches us how to build healthy relationships with Him and with others.

There is a study guide in the back of the book which helps to discuss each commandment further and apply it directly to your life. It would be appropriate for both individual and group study.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.

Discipling As Jesus Discipled by Dann Spader

The focus of this study is to study the life of Christ and in doing so understanding how Jesus made disciples. Based on John 17, the guide can be used as a small group or individual study to go for 10 - 12 weeks or could be adapted to go longer. There are 4 to 5 days of personal study leading up to the weekly group meeting.

The goal is for individuals to take what they learn and apply to their own lives first by living out His character and His priorities. Then the task is to make disciples who can make disciples. Following the great commission in Matthew 28, as Christians we are to go out and befriend unbelievers and share with them the gospel. When they become believers in Christ, you "baptize" them in identifying with the work and mission of Christ. And then you equip them to live as Jesus lived and help them to make disciples themselves.

Making disciples was the focus of Christ and should be ours as well as followers of Jesus. Not only do we need to continue to grow in our faith, we need to share that faith, make disciples and equip them to do the same.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.