The Best Question Ever

In The Best Question Ever, Andy Stanley successfully teaches the sensible and lasting value of simply asking this question about our actions in all of life’s areas: What is the wise thing for me to do, in light of my past experience, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams? 

Prepare yourself. 

This book digs deep for honesty —it pushes us to open our eyes to truth and helps us expose the little (and big) self-deceptions we have.

You are about to be introduced to a single question that will revolutionize the way you make decisions. 

He argues that asking yourself this question will help you in making decisions, avoiding financial ruin, saving your marriage, sparing yourself from painful emotional scars, help you to never get caught up in addictive sin, and guide you toward the fulfillment of your dreams.

People everywhere agree that their greatest regret could have been avoided had they asked the Best Question Ever and then acted on their conclusions. A time-tested truth that has immediate application, the Best Question Ever has the power to change the trajectory of your entire life. 

 I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Pastor's Wives

This is a story that is centered around three women and how their lives interact, while their husbands pastor a big mega church.

It is interesting to see how each woman relates to the responsibility of being a pastor's wife.  In real life there are struggles and this book deals with a lot of those issues.   Although there were some things I didn't agree with, such as inter faith, it was a very good read.

 received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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 Bondservant's Life

When I first received my copy of this book to review, I thought Oh no, It's huge. It's heavy-looking. I wasn't sure I was up to reading something like this right then.

I'm not thinking that anymore. It is physically huge and mentally heavy -- in fact, I'll confess I haven't even finished reading it yet. But that's because I'm slowly  digesting the thoughtful insight and wisdom in this wonderful work.

This is a big, broad study of what is involved in taking on the covering of "bondservant" of Christ. It analyzes scripture in depth; it describes ancient covenants and the different covenants in scripture; and ultimately (I see by the table of contents) gets into spiritual warfare.

Now, this is not light reading or easy reading. This is one to plot out a half hour every day starting in the new year to read, meditate over, and pray through. And I highly recommend doing that. For the serious believer wanting a serious relationship with Christ, I can't think of anything more beneficial than to truly understand and absorb the principles related here.

The Bondservant's Life was a book that not only challenges your understanding of what it means to follow God but also lays the foundation in helping you understand the Bible as a whole. This book defines what it means to be a bondservant of God. The key verse of this book is Revelation 1:1 where Jesus is revealing the things that are to come to his servants. The author then explains how the book of Revelation is written to God's servants and until we understand what it means to be a servant of God, then we will not be able to understand the prophesies in this book. The author then explains in detail what a bondservant is all about. To do this, he goes back to the Old Testament law and describes bondservants in the nation of Israel. Bondservants were people who willing stayed and served their masters because of their love for their masters. Every Christian is then called to serve God, our master, out of our love for Him. A bondservant's life will be characterized by pursing God through his word, live a life of complete obedience to God and walking totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Every single Christian is called to this radical commitment to God.

What does it mean to fully follow and abide in Christ? When you truly call Him Lord, just what are you saying? John Brenner Chandler details what a life like that entails in The Bondservant's Life.

Chandler uses the term bondservant to describe what I've usually heard as being wholly devoted. I had heard of being a slave to Christ, but Chandler uses the stronger term of bondservant, which denotes a person choosing to remain a slave, and to remain with his master.

After explaining what a bondesrvant is and chooses, Chandler goes into detail about the life a bondservant of Christ lives. He talks about many aspects that our Christian lives should contain: prayer, giving, and even fasting. He tells about how we will be opposed when we try to live right, and what the destination of our lives will be.

What does it mean to fully follow and abide in Christ? When you truly call Him Lord, just what are you saying? John Brenner Chandler details what a life like that entails in The Bondservant’s Life.

Chandler uses the term bondservant to describe what I’ve usually heard as being wholly devoted. I had heard of being a slave to Christ, but Chandler uses the stronger term of bondservant, which denotes a person choosing to remain a slave, and to remain with his master.

He uses both individual verses and passages from the Bible, and focuses on people that illustrate what a bondservant is. Chandler has quotes from various other writers and teachers, and there are some of them I don't know, and a few that I have questions about. However, the quotes he uses do not appear to be Biblically wrong as far as I can tell.

I won't deny that this is a long book, it is one of the longest I've read. But it needs to be long to hold all of the information that it does. I don't recommend trying to sit down and read it all the way through. Not because of it being long, but because you need time to think about what is written. No matter how long it takes to read it, I believe it is time well spent.

I received this book from BookCrash in exchange for this review.

Adventuring Through the Bible

This book is a helpful study guide to use beside your Bible. It has helped explain many passages. Also, it follows scripture giving you a better understanding overall.

I find this book helpful in preparing to read each book of the Bible. It gives a thorough overview of the times, the purpose, the people involved, and the mindsets of the areas. The book is not a Bible in itself; it is a companion.

I would recommend for all who would seek a scholarly approach to biblical answers to the Bible's content.

It also has wonderful pictures and illustrations, graphs and charts, along with practical  applications.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

S Factor Diet

This is an interesting book, with some good ideas on what can cause our weight gain and cravings we may have.  It also has some good solutions on how to curb those cravings.

You will also find some recipes that you can make, labeled for your particular type.   All in all a good book, but some may find the diet a bit restrictive.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Pleasing God

Pleasing God by R.C. Sproul is a worthy spiritual resource for anyone who desires to align their life with the Word of God. Readers will walk away with a clear understanding of what is expected from those who would claim to be a Christian.

What does right thinking look like? What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? What enemies are at war within us? What evidence can we look for in our lives to show we are, indeed, pleasing God in all we do?

These questions are answered along with many more. Sproul also touches on various issues such as conversion, forgiveness, pride, integrity, laziness, carnal Christianity, doctrines of faith and many more key subjects. Simply said, Pleasing God is an all-encompassing guide through the process of sanctification in the believer’s life.

Pleasing God consistently points readers to the Word of God—knowing it as well as believing it. Without knowledge of the Bible, a person cannot understand how to please God.

Pleasing God is not overly-complicated or lengthy. It presents truth in an easy-to-understand manner. Readers will come  away from this book with a changed motivation to actively pursue God, put Him first, know His Word more, and persevere in pleasing God in every aspect of life.

God's Love

This is a splendid book for those who are concerned or perplexed about the justice, mercy, love and "hate" of God... This book sinks into your consciousness, and after reading it, you will think of the contents well after you read this book. Easy to understand, this book is a winner for layman, students, and clergy.

In this book, he gives a detailed analysis of God's love. He attempts to answer some very tough questions about God's love, that are worthy of investigation, such as does God really love everyone? Does God really hate certain people mentioned in specific passages of the Bible? And how does a God of love require the sacrifice of His own Son for the redemption of mankind?

Overall, R.C. Sproul does an excellent job "digging deeper" into the notion of the love of God. He uses numerous Bible passages, and takes a somewhat studious approach when presenting his points.

I do recommend this book for any Christian searching for a deeper understanding about God's love. This book will challenge, and hopefully expand your understanding about this topic.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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 Full Armor of God

The author brings up some interesting thoughts about the world around us today..from wiccan to shamanistic groups, and more involvement with the occult.

Interesting outlook on what Paul would find in today’s world….how would Paul look at our television, he would find Satan using this media to hit our culture with pagan ideas.

The author reminds us how ignorant we are of these things, especially in our churches today.  If pressed, most of us would say that we believe Satan exists, and that Satan is real, but the notion that demons might be the cause of many of our spiritual, emotional, and even physical problems is foreign to most Americans.

A great look at the book of Ephesians, taking us through the armor of God, how to use them and how to close the doors that we open to demons.  I found this book very inciteful, and well worth the read.

I would recommend this book for Bible study, and for personal study.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Awesome Science DVD

This is such a great teaching tool from Compel Media.  It is filled with facts about Mount St. Helen's, the content is amazing, my 8 year old really enjoyed watching this film.  I would highly recommend this for homeschooling, children's Sunday School classes, children's or teen's Bible studies.   I like that it takes the creationist view of nature.

There is also study guides available, printed by Master Books, that would be a great follow up after viewing these DVDs.

I would like to mention that there are other DVD's in this series that I would highly recommend as well:

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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 Trial

The author did an excellent job in writing this account of Adam and Eve and the temptation from the serpent.

In a very unique way, he brings us into the court room watching It unfold, and brings us the account of the fall in a true trial form.

The acts, actions, and omissions of a husband, his wife, and an accomplice are on trial, and the fate of the world is being weighed in the scales of justice. You may have heard the story of Adam, Eve, and the Serpent before. You may even have told the story to others; but never quite like this.

This is a great book for all to read.


I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Bible Stories That End with a Hug

This is a cute little book that is excellent for parents, grandparents, or any care giver, with younger children.   I can't think of a better way to introduce the gospel in our young people's lives; it has a  straight forward message and is easy to read.  It has 75 easy to understand stories, with lessons that apply to our children's daily life.

  The illustrations are beautiful, and eye catching for young children.

The book contains messages such as Will God meet my needs? (Elijah in 1 Kings 17:2-6) and how  can I learn to pray?  (Daniel 6).  

What a great way to share a hug with a child!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Grace

What an amazing book by Max Lucado.    What do we think of when we say "grace"?  In this book he clearly defines grace and what God has done for us.  He continues with excellent illustrations and examples to show us what has been done for us, and what we can do for others in our lives.   This book was a real eye opener and I truly enjoyed every page. It also comes with a readers guide in the back.  I feel that this is an important book for all to read.

I feel that this book is good for all Christians, those new to the faith and those who have been believers for a long time.  Grace is a subject that we all need to think and learn more about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One to One

This is a great book I just finished reading.  It provides a one on one reading program that you would do with another person.   I enjoy this idea and think it would be an amazing discipleship tool for anyone interested.

It also has many helps and suggestions that would help one set up a program like this.  It also contains a question sheet; resources that you can copy and use.