The Gift for All People

My disclaimer is: I am a huge Max Lucado fan. I have all of his books and when a new one comes along I jump at the chance to add it to my library.  Originally this was printed in 1999 but has been updated with a new title and I actually did not have this. It had different chapters highlighted from different books he has written. The thoughts on God's great grace fill this book of 127 pages.

Max tells us that God's gift of grace is limitless and we are so unworthy but he still offers grace.  We must never forget that God's endless grace is a free gift that cannot be earned. Hard to imagine a God that has such limitless love when we see ourselves as so unworthy with sins piled high and mistakes made over and over again.  We take detours and God puts us back on the path and extends strength through faith.  Do we take this gift for granted?  Yes, we do and what a high price that gift cost for God to give us.  His very son paid for it with his body, breath, and blood..  As you ponder the truths in this book you will see new insights and reflect on the gift of grace that God shares with us daily.  One of Max's best lines come in the chapter titled He Saw You. He recounts how alone Jesus was in the Garden and how Jesus can empathize with how we feel when we have be confused, plotted against, torn between two desires and how we beg God to change his mind and God says no.  On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision.  He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.  What a Savior we serve!.

This is easy reading and could be used for a daily devotional but one book that you would pick up over and over to reread the messages of God's love and grace to his people. I am sure that the gift for all people, will speak to you personally through these pages.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

 http://www.randomhouse.com/author/74949/max-lucado
 http://www.randomhouse.com/book/104170/the-gift-for-all-people-by-max-lucado

God's Not Dead 2

I did see the DVD God's Not Dead last year and was very impressed. Travis Thrasher is one of my favorite authors and having the chance to read the book to God's Not Dead 2 by him was exciting.  I just finished the book yesterday and the movie came out last week which I want to see and it will be interesting to see just how the book holds up to the movie version.

Grace Wesley is a high school history teacher when she is asked an honest question about Jesus in a public school.  Her reasoned response lands her in deep trouble in a court case that could cost her the career she loves. The principal and the superintendent and a zealous civil liberties group join forces against Grace wanting to expel God from the classroom and the public square-once and for all. Tom Endler is a lawyer with the teachers union who represents Grace.  What makes it interesting is that Tom doesn't even believe in the cause that he is representing.

The characters are updated  in this book so it is not necessary to have seen the first movie. This story did start out slow for me..had trouble getting into the story line but halfway through I found it to be enjoyable and was trying to see just how the lawyer is going to pull it off and get Grace acquitted. With each passing day, the name of Jesus is welcomed less and less in the public square.  If Christians don't take a stand today, will we even have the choice tomorrow?  Where will you stand?

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.
  http://www.travisthrasher.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6lG4GeEMI
https://www.facebook.com/GodsNotDeadTheMovie

Under Our Skin

Here is my disclaimer: I am a huge New Orleans Saints fan and did read Benjamin Watson's Facebook post after Ferguson and was amazed by his writing. These are two of the reasons I picked this book to review.  I was not disappointed at all.

Each chapter of Under Our Skin deals with Mr. Watson's facebook post.  The titles are:
Angry,Frustrated, Fearful, Embarrassed, Sad, Sympathetic, Offended, Confused, Introspective, Hopeless, Hopeful, and Encouraged.  This book expands on his thoughts about serious and troubling issues facing America today.  How can Americans with different skin tones relate to one another? The author wants people to have serious, healthy discussions on race and racism.  When we focus on another persons skin, we miss the reality of our own sin.  The times we have judged others and the bias and prejudice in our own hearts. Wow, these are powerful words that make self examination hard but needed. The author shares many personal experiences and wisdom he has learned. A quote from the book. "Individually we may feel as if there's not much we can do.  But maybe we underestimate what God can do through us".

Under Our Skin helped me as an older white female  to really see inside someone with black skin.  Benjamin Watson helped me grasp his thinking, motives, prejudges and the perception black people feel in a "white world".  This is a book I will re-read just to remind myself that change can start with me.  A must read for everyone because we are all on planet earth to get along.  "God gives race a new meaning, it's called the human race, may we always remember this".

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy to review just for my honest opinion.

Abundant Life in Jesus

The title says it all...what we all want, Abundant Life in Jesus.  Being a fan of Nancy Guthrie's bible studies, I was excited to see she had written a devotional.  This devotional is different from the other devotionals I have, and I have a lot.  How do we experience God's blessings?  Nancy Guthrie shows us that experiencing God's blessing is not merely getting good things from God.  The essence of blessing is God himself. But God does not force himself on anyone who does not desire him. The daily devotional is written with scripture at the top but the blessings are written as if God was speaking to you and with a prayer at the end.  Here is an excerpt to see just how it reads.  This life I've called you into is not about doing for me, it is about receiving from me.  I am serving you by blessing you with acceptance, forgiveness, freedom, and joy.  So let my goodness to you fill you up and spill out into the lives of others.

Not only is this devotional packed daily with insights from God along with blessings we all want but it is a beautiful leather book that is simply gorgeous.  I knew Nancy Guthrie wrote great bible studies but this devotional far exceeded my expectations. What a glorious gift for loved ones that want to see just how to experience God's blessings.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for my free copy just for my honest opinion.
 http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4964-0948-5.pdf

Street God

In the beginning his street name was Daylight. But he was a nightmare.
In the end I'm still Daylight. The difference is, my ultimate goal will never again be to become a street god.
I know now that I'm not the one who should rule.  I've given all of myself-the good qualities and the bad, the victories and mistakes--to the real God, and in his grace he's taking it all and using it for his goals, not mine.  It's his job to shine the daylight through me. Those word came from Dimas Salaberrios at the end of his story, and what a story it was.What intrigued me about this book was how a kid at 11 begins to sell drugs, then at 16 finds himself in Rikers Island prison.  He was so focused on being rich and a powerful ruler in the hood...or die trying. You follow Dimas as he rises through the drug world, goes to prison, sells drugs again and again in different places along with putting himself and others in a lot of danger. As you follow Dimas through the years and the dangerous journey he is on, you see just how God is in the background waiting for the right moment to show himself to Dimas. Here begins the rest of the story.

This was a book I picked to review because it was like no other I have ever read. I was intrigued by what a "Street God" was.  What I found, knowing very little, about the drug culture was eye opening, to say the least. I was hooked when I got past just how common this is in our culture.  I wanted to know how and why these people did this especially since most times the deals can end in death. It was also fascinating to see how low Dimas would stoop to sell the drugs and even take them himself.  All the while God was waiting to save his life and offer him the chance to go back to the streets to proclaim the name of Jesus. This was the last paragraph of the book which I loved.  "Dare to offer him all of yourself-even those parts that cause you deep pain or regret.  Then just watch what he will do through you.  Watch the break of daylight shine.

What a book, what a story. We see how God works behind the scenes of Dimas's life and reminds us of how God works behind the scenes of our lives. Please pick up a copy to read..you will not be sorry.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest review.

http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4964-0278-3.pdf

The Message 100

There are a lot of bibles on the market for readers to purchase. Every so often a new bible format comes out that really brings the bible and the stories alive for the reader. The Message bible has been around for a few years in both old and new testament. Eugene Peterson translated from the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures and put the Message bible together. The Message combines God's Word with conversational English that is readable and understandable.

I have read the Message and loved how easy it was to understand.  I always felt like it was more in story form than the regular bibles I have read. Now, with the Message 100 bible, I can read it in a fresh new way.
The bible is designed into 100 reading that tell the unfolding story of God as he reveals himself to the people he loves. This bible is a collection of stories, speeches, prayers, and letters that will immerse you and you will see what God wants to teach you. You can do one reading at a time and go at your own pace. Each reading begins with a brief reflection from Eugene Peterson to orient you for what you are about to read. Enjoy the journey and see God in a whole different light.

This bible will be my Christmas gifts to family members this year because of how much this has impacted my life in reading this story of God in sequence.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for my free copy to read and review just for my honest opinion.

It's Good to be Queen

 

Come alongside as Liz Curtis Higgs, with her unique writing style, delves into the story of a queen that we know little about, Queen of Sheba. Her biblical story is found in 1 Kings 1 and ends with verse 13. Only 12 verses but packed with a lot of insight on this queen. The Queen of Sheba travels to Jerusalem to test the mind and heart of  King Solomon but she came away from that meeting with much more than she envisioned when she started her journey.

There are 10 chapters that will enlighten you with humor and truths.  Each chapter starts with a personal fictional narrative from the Queen of Sheba then the author enhances each verse in that particular chapter with lots of commentary. The chapters deal with boldness, openness, seeking wise counsel, honesty, encouragement, praising God, giving, receiving graciously, and ending well. Sheba not only left Jerusalem but her former way of life, her old gods, her old beliefs so she could put on the new self. She left he old life-full of disbelief, distrust, disobedience and embraced a new life that honors God. He journey was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Sheba didn't travel to Jerusalem to be changed, but she was. You will be changed after reading her story and it may challenge you as it did me in many areas.

Not only do we learn about the Queen of Sheba through story form and insights but there are lots of notes and references along with discussion questions and chapter by chapter study guides perfect for bible study.

Thanks to Waterbrook, Blogging for Books, for this free copy just for my honest opinion.