Why Church Matters By Joshua Harris

Why Church Matters, formerly released as Stop Dating The Church, is a book by Joshua Harris that talks about a very important subject that some Christians need to seriously think about. That being that Jesus loves the Church, therefore you should love the Church as well. This is something that I personally struggle with because of the fact that there are so many denominations and churches, most of them formed simply because Group A couldn’t get along with Group B. Yes, I know that some of them have legitimate theological differences, but clearly that is not the entire reason for so many.

Never the less, Joshua does a very good job of showing that we all need to make a commitment to the Church to show that we are truly apart of Team Christian. Joshua even does a good job at listing several points that he believes are very important to consider as you look for your own local church to be apart of.

That being said, I feel like this book seemed too much of a monorail ride over the subject, instead of getting down to the ground and into the dirt. I am not sure exactly what more I would want but especially because of the fact that this is a re-release of this book, I would have preferred there to be more. I would recommend this book, at lest as a starting point, if you are having a hard time making the decision to go to church as it puts forth a good argument for going, but I am not sure this is a book that I would encourage everyone to go pick up.

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogging For Books book review 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.”

The Whole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

WOW!!! The Whole in Our Gospel is a hard hitting book that slaps you directly in the face. The book is part personal story, part statistical overview, and part get up off your butt and do something about this. The book is written by Richard Stearns and discusses his reluctance to becoming the president of World Vision, a problem that many can relate to in some way or another. It also shows how the Gospel is about, and has always been about, faith and works, a theological topic that is highly debated. All in all it is a hard hitting book that says look around at the problem of the world, most of them are still here because many members of the Christian Church have allow them to happen because they/we simply live within the walls of our churches and stay nice and comfortable with our American lives.

I find this book very relevant for the times when there are large masses of people around the United States ranting and complaining that they are the 99% and that they want the 1% to not be so greedy. Yet, they forget that no matter how hard they try to show how big and bad their alleged 1% are, they are Americans and in the Global scheme they are the 1% as well.

The Whole in Our Gospel is a book that everyone should read and probably should read at least once a year, so that their hearts continue to be broken by the brokenness of the world in which we live in. If you have not already read this book do so now. It will light a fire within you to do your part in helping heal the broken world we all live in.

Currently Being Read For Reviews

Currently, I am in the process of reading The Hole In Our Gospel: the answer that changed my life and might just change the world by Richard Stearns (President of World Vision USA). I also have Ascent from Darkness How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior by Michael Leehan and Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris in the line up. Please bear with me in the reading process as it is currently quickly approaching Law School Exam time.

The Vertical Self How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in An Age of Self Obsession

I received this book over a year ago to review. At that time, I read the book and started to attempt to put together a review that would properly state how I felt about the book. This task clearly became harder than one would think. Now, some time has passed and things in my life have changed as well. Remembering, that I still had to review this book, I re-read The Vertical Self.

With this passing of time has come a better appreciation for this book. Originally, I was not sure that this book achieved what it set out to do. Now, this book speaks directly to today’s culture of consumerism, where you can attempt to buy your identity at your local shopping center. Mark Sayers presses the point that we need to find our identity in something other than other people’s views. This attempt to find our identity in others is what Mark Sayers has called the horizontal self. An attempt that he tries to show will always leave us unfulfilled. As the name of the book suggests, the vertical self is Mark Sayers alternative to the horizontal self. Mark states that the only way to truly find yourself in this world of crazy consumerism is to find your identity in God.

I believe that this attempt at handling a very deep psychological and sociological issue in a small paperback book aimed at those who are not psychologist or sociologists has successfully pointed out a serious problem in today’s society. I recommend this book because it will make you take a serious look at determining why you believe and do certain things that you do.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com 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.”

Free Book*

So what is the deal about this Free Book*? Well first let me start by saying this book is not free. It will cost you whatever your favorite book provider will charge you. Now, with that out of the way. This is Brian Tome’s second book which is simply called Free Book* (worlds longest subtitle; OK not really but wow it seems to go on forever.) This book is about realizing that most of us go around day to day trapped in fear and slavery.

While this may seem strong most Americans are drowning in debt forcing them to work jobs they may not want to, simply to stay afloat. They have become slaves to their lenders. Or perhaps it’s any other number of things like alcohol, drugs, gambling, so on and so forth. Brian tries to help you to focus in on these concepts and become truly free. This is a Christian book as it uses many Bible verses, footnoted of course (not that Bible verses and footnotes make it a Christian book but it’s usually a fair sign).

However, this isn’t your typical Christian author. Brian is about freedom. I have even heard that he is very fanatical about it. He believes that this freedom comes from following advice that is for your own good. If your are looking to find a very scholarly sounding book then I would say this book is not for you, but if your looking for a book that makes you think about what your doing and tries to give it to you straight then perhaps you should pick this up. I recommend this book to you even if you aren’t Christian. The Bibical verses are indeed entrenched but I feel that most of it is still applicable to most peoples lives. However the points and conclusion made in the are applicable to virtually any one’s life and situation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review 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.”

Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover

Are you sick and tired of having debt up to your eyeballs? Is there usually more month left then your money? Do you have flabby, wimpy, money muscles? Then you need a Total Money Makeover. Now in its third edition Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover is a hard hitting financial workout that has serious proven results. In 2009 there was over $23,972,100 in debt paid off using Dave’s plan, and that number only counts the people who called The Dave Ramsey Show on a Friday.

So is this book basically a math book with tons of formulas and equations. Nope, not at all. Dave is a firm believer that financial fitness is 20% head knowledge and 80% get off your butt and do it. While I don’t know about the first and second editions, I know the third edition is packed full of stories of people who got sick and tired of being financially sick and tired and began to live life, as Dave says, like no one else, so that later they can live like no one else.

Is this a quick and easy plan. Definitely not, this is one of those get down in the trenches and prove that you want it kind of plans. It wont take a lot of knowledge to do the plan, but your going to have to put the effort in. So, if your ready to be strange and become debt free, then I recommend picking up Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover for the proven plan and the tons of motivational help. Get Gazelle Intense and Get Free!!!

Tithing:Test Me In This

Tithing:Test Me In This by Douglas Leblanc is book seven in the Thomas Nelson Ancient Practices series. The series takes a look at several aspects of many ancient religions with a slant towards how they apply to Christianity. In this book the topic is tithing. However, instead of a heavy, scholarly discussion about what tithing is and how it is to be acted out, Douglas Leblanc has decided to use his journalistic skills and set off across the country to tell the stories of several individuals that have made tithing an essential part of their lives.

I am not sure I would recommend this book to others as a book to learn about the practice of tithing. There is very little concrete discussion about what the ancient practice of tithing is or was. Occasionally there is some discussion of this, but it is brief and mixed inside people’s stories. Further, I find the theological messages within the book to be confusing and problematic. It is not the main message that you should tithe that I find problematic, but the overall sense that the book tries to to imply that if you tithe, God will grant you wealth. With that being said, I did enjoy reading the stories of those who Douglas Leblanc choose to interview. So, overall, I am not sure I would recommend this book unless perhaps it was in the bargain rack. I just don’t feel that in a series devoted to the ancient practices of religion that this book holds up its end of the deal.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com 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.”

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is a truly inspiring book that will make you rethink the way you are living. The book starts off with Donald describing how his life had sunk into a funk after writing his successful New York Times Best Seller entitled Blue Like Jazz. He explains that life had become somewhat meaningless and that his days consisted of mostly sitting in his comfortable chair, eating ice cream, and watching Oprah.

Until his life was given an inciting incident, a phone call from a movie director. The director’s desire was to turn Blue Like Jazz into a movie (www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com). However, the book needed to have a little artistic license taken with it in order to make it a better story, regardless of the fact that Blue Like Jazz was a true story about Donald’s life. This sets Donald off on a quest to learn to tell a better story with his life. This book is that story. It is a truly inspiring tale that will make you want to tell a better story too. This is a must read.

One of the points Miller makes about telling a better story is that you have to “save the cat”. Well, ok not necessarily a cat but the point is you have to show that you’re a good person because only actions speak. So, if you’re interested in picking up this book and want to start telling a better story yourself head over to the Mentoring Project, an organizations founded by Donald Miller himself, agree to make donate at one of the preset levels and receive a free signed copy of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. (http://thementoringproject.org/donate.html)