Book Review: The Assist, by Brian Smith

The Assist-- a game-changer.

Those who know me know that I love sports. If you are reading this review on the site of The Sunday Morning Quarterback, you obviously can recognize this too. One question that I have been asked often through the years is this: how can someone glorify God through sports? In this book, Brian Smith of Athletes in Action endeavors to answer this question on many different levels, from winning and losing to the gray areas that are often prevalent in sports.

This book provides an excellent Biblical perspective on sports. It is able to do this for one reason-- its foundation is in the right place. By putting the issues of "Glory" and "God" first, this book is able to keep the rest of the Christian outlook on sports in perspective.

It is critical for any Christian athlete, coach, official, and fan to have a Biblical basis for sports. This book, specifically addressed to athletes, provides a good Biblical basis for a Christian's sports worldview. I know that the author's ministry is primarily to athletes, but I would fully support future books directed to other sports participants-- the coaches, officials, and fans. A very good book, and for me, is worth 5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Assist-Gospel-Centered-Glorifying-through-Sports/dp/1632961814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519832054&sr=8-1&keywords=the+assist+brian+smith

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Smith, Brian. The Assist: A Gospel-Centered Guide to Glorifying God Through Sports. Houston, TX: Lucid Books, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lucid Books, in exchange for an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Men Who Love Fierce Women

Powerful and insightful. Highly Recommended.

I'm going to shoot straight here: I loved this book. When I first requested to review this book, there was something about it that drew me to it. I received the book and realized why:

This book is about me.

Yes, I know the Wagner's wrote this book about their marriage. Yes, I know that I am still not engaged (sorry about that Kaitlin!). Yes, I know that our relationship is still strong. But for me, I need to change some aspects of my life. The author's talk about fear, ingratitude, and pride: I exhibit all 3. This book really made me look inside my heart and see what I need to do going forward. This is one of the easiest ratings I have ever given: 5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Men-Who-Love-Fierce-Women/dp/0802414656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519744115&sr=8-1&keywords=men+who+love+fierce+women

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Wagner, Leroy and Kimberly. Men Who Love Fierce Women: The Power of Servant Leadership in Your Marriage. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Brand Fans, by Aaron C.T. Smith, Constantino Stavros, and Kate Westberg

Perhaps nothing excites members of our society more than sports. Many of us love sports and have our own favorite teams. These teams have found ways of marketing to individuals that have succeeded. This book seeks to investigate these secrets and shed light on them for anyone in business or another consumer generated part of culture. 

Chapter 1 introduces us to the brand “game” that is played by sports teams all over the world and how this branding moves people from emotion toward their team to engagement with their team. Chapter 2 looks at the players in this brand game—specifically, us as the fans of these teams. Chapter 3 details how the brand game has changed with the fans more involved and how these fans really do control what the marketing departments put into play. Chapter 4 looks at how each team becomes a community with its fans, almost to the point of being a tribe. Chapter 5 delves into the longevity of fandom, and how many take this fandom of one team throughout their entire lives. Chapter 6 repackages the brand game in the digital age, showing how the different sports brands use the digital market to their advantage. Chapter 7 gives even more details on bringing in fans and how to continue to enhance a team’s market. Chapter 8 concludes with some remarks about how the future of brands and fans will play out.

As a Christian and a sports fanatic, I read this book from 2 different perspectives. From the Christian side—there are ways that we can bring people into our church and do a better job of “marketing” Christianity. But that does not mean that we should sacrifice our beliefs and most importantly the Gospel. From the sports side, I appreciated this look at the different marketing techniques that teams use and will be looking for the different principles used as I watch sports and view sports teams going forward. For these reasons, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319488530

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Smith, Aaron C.T., Constantino Stavros, and Kate Westberg. Brand Fans: Lessons from the World's Greatest Sporting Brands. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Devotional Fitness, by Martin Radermacher

When it comes to society today, one of the things that we value above all is physical fitness. Many websites and books are dedicated to this very topic. This book, while about fitness, also explores the religious side of physical fitness and the role that religion plays in people exercising in their daily lives.

Chapter 1 of this book is merely the introduction to the book itself. Part 1 gives the background to the research with chapter 2 covering previous works on the topic and chapter 3 giving the goal, theory, and method of this specific work. Part 2 dives into the research material, with chapter 4 looking at how the ideal body has been shaped through the years and chapter 5 detailing a history of how evangelicals have viewed and used the physical body through history. Part 3 is an analysis of all that has been mentioned previously. Chapter 6 gives practical resources to implement better practices of devotional fitness. Chapter 7 looks at the environments that this devotional fitness exists in. Part 4 gives some concluding remarks in two chapters, with chapter 8 reconsidering the results that have been found and chapter 9 giving the final word of the book.

This book presents some interesting thoughts. I feel that the church should do different physical things to help reach out to their community and to improve the health and well-being of the church itself. This book will present me with some things to think about as I venture into full-time ministry. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319498218

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Radermacher, Martin. Devotional Fitness: An Analysis of Contemporary Christian Dieting and Fitness Programs. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Dickens, Religion, and Society, by Robert Butterworth

Charles Dickens was one of the most prolific authors of his time. Many of his stories are still read today. Here’s the kicker though—many of his stories also had religious undertones. This book explores Dickens’ takes on religion as well as society.

Chapter 1 specifically looks at Dickens and religion. Chapter 2 looks at his responses to the Christian social attitudes of his day. After these introductory chapters on Dickens and religion, the next 5 chapters are spent covering individual books on this topic:

• Chapter 3—Oliver Twist
• Chapter 4 introduces the next three books.
• Chapter 5—Bleak House
• Chapter 6—Hard Times
• Chapter 7—Little Dorrit

Chapter 8 transitions from religion to society, with a specific look at Dickens and politics. 2 more books are covered in this section:

• Chapter 9—Barnaby Rudge
• Chapter 10—A Tale of Two Cities

Chapter 11 concludes the book with Dickens and sentimentality and what it really meant to him.

I felt that this book was an interesting perspective on Dickens. The religion of authors often plays a huge role in their writing, and this did not change for Dickens. Societal perspectives also contribute to writings and Dickens was a master of using and abusing society in his writings. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137558701 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Butterworth, Robert. Dickens, Religion, and Society. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Thanks for Asking, by Mike Larsen

Questions Asked, Questions Answered

We live in an age of questions. If there is a topic to discuss and a question to ask, we tend to ask that question. Things of God are no exception to this. Mike Larsen, the pastor of Encounter Christian Church in Bellflower, California, allowed the people of his church to ask him and his staff questions. These questions turned into a sermon series and eventually this book.

This book seems to be written directly from the sermons that were given. The style is very sermonic, and thus, very conversational. Rather than becoming a high and mighty discussion of certain topics, Larsen brings the topics discussed right to where the layman can understand.

The topics discussed are:

• Evil

• Alcohol
• Divorce
• Homosexuality
• God's will
• Religions
• God's judgment
• Suffering

Questions are often asked about all of these topics, and through Biblical study, Larsen does a good job of answering these questions. He is very thorough in his analysis of each issue and presents very good illustrations to show how the principles can be applied.

Personally, I found this book to be a very good resource for me as a future pastor. It's not because I could take each of these chapters and preach it straight as a good sermon, although that could probably be true (NOTE: I never plan to do that and plagiarize this great work). But for me as a future pastor, this great book is an example of how to handle very difficult questions. For these reasons, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Asking-Equipping-answers-questions/dp/1632961792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518723217&sr=8-1&keywords=thanks+for+asking+larsen

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thanks-for-asking-mike-larsen/1127695624?ean=9781632961792

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Larsen, Mike. Thanks for Asking: Equipping God's People with Answers to Life's Tough Questions. Houston, TX: Lucid Books, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lucid Books, in exchange for an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Can God Defeat Terrorism?, by Scott Solana

A legitimate question with Biblical answers

When we consider our world, we often think about the constant terrorist threats that arise. We fear ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other groups that have threatened our country and our military. It is only natural to then ask the question, "Can God defeat terrorism?" Through examples from the books of Jonah and Nahum, Scott Solana finds that God has defeated terrorism and can do it again.

In these 2 books, the nation of Assyria is the Biblical terrorists. Their rule and conquest were characterized by turmoil and torture. What we would consider terrorism now, was what they did on a daily basis to Israel, Ammon, Moab, and any other nation that was living in the Middle East. But God, through His great grace in Jonah and His great power in Nahum, was able to defeat that terrorism.

This book was a new look for me. I had never considered that Assyria was truly a terrorist nation. But this provides a new perspective for me on what God wants to do with those people. He wants to show them His grace, just as He did for Nineveh. For these reasons, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Can-Defeat-Terrorism-Scott-Solana/dp/1633570576/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518722738&sr=8-1&keywords=can+god+defeat+terrorism

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Solana, Scott. Can God Defeat Terrorism?. Colorado Springs, CO: CrossLink, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Book Crash book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: The Air I Breathe, by Louie Giglio

When I think of my life, I truly believe that the one word that must describe it in everything I do is worship. Louie Giglio feels the same way. As the founder of the Passion movement, he has seen worship grow and change for years. Yet here in this book he defines what worship truly is.

This book makes worship into a lifestyle, as it should be. Every person on the planet is programmed to worship. What we choose to worship is up to us. Giglio does a good job in teaching about putting our focus on Christ in our worship. While this is not the best book on worship that I have ever read, it is a good one. Giglio's book poses good questions to us in worship (literally, with group discussion questions at the end). For these reasons, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/Air-Breathe-Worship-Way-Life/dp/0735290717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518721516&sr=8-1&keywords=the+air+i+breathe+louie+giglio

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Giglio, Louie. The Air I Breathe: Worship As a Way of Life. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Blogging for Books book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: The American Exception, Volumes 1 & 2, by Frank J. Lechner

America—an exceptional nation. This is the basis of this series of books. I have included both volumes of this book in the same review because they really do flow together. Frank J. Lechner in these 2 books looks at perspectives on the thinking that the American nation is truly exceptional.

VOLUME 1: Chapter 1 introduces the idea of the “American Exception.” While it is often easy to define America as exceptional, there are others who would scoff at this. Therefore, it is important now to study the exceptional nature of America. Chapter 2 looks at the different perspectives that people have on the American Exception. These perspectives are the American perspective, Tocqueville’s perspective, the Socialist perspective, and the Anti-American perspective. Chapter 3 looks at the American Exception regarding religion. Megachurches, evangelicalism, civil religion, and missions are all discussed. Chapter 4 deals with the American Exception and the law. Capital punishment, adversarial legalism, the Constitution, and the U.S. in international law are all topics under examination. Chapter 5 is the last chapter of volume 1 and looks at the American Exception in sports. Baseball, football, racial issues, and world sports are discussed at length in this chapter.

VOLUME 2:Chapter 1 of the second volume continues by looking at the American Exception in the realm of economics. Housing, financial market growth, opportunity and mobility, and the U.S. in world economics are all looked at here. Chapter 2 delves into the American Exception in different government programs. Healthcare, welfare, citizenship regarding race, and immigration are all looked at here. Chapter 3 looks at the American Exception in the media. Music, TV, media moguls, and the U.S. in global movies are all looked at. The final chapter of these 2 books is the American Exception in America’s power. The war on terror, military force, America’s mission, and the U.S. in the global empire are all looked at here. 

Since I reviewed 2 books for this, rather than out of 5 stars, I will rate these books out of 10. America is truly an exceptional nation, but we have much work to do to keep it that way. These books provide good perspectives on that. For these reasons, I give these books 8 stars out of 10.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137587169 AND http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137587190

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Lechner, Frank J. The American Exception, Volumes 1 & 2. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: The Ulysses Delusion

What makes a good novel good? This is the question presented by Cecilia Konchar Farr in The Ulysses Delusion. For too long there has been a consensus that has remained unchallenged. There are novels on best-seller lists and in other places that Farr questions the positioning of. Her point in writing this book then is this: “I just want us to start talking, authentically, realistically (xix).” So, let’s talk, and see what we can find an answer to our initial question.

Section 1, “The Crime,” deals with the crime that has become literary criticism. Farr attempts to right that crime. In chapter 1, Farr argues for a different take on criticizing the novels that we read. Chapter 2 delves into the class biases that inherently exist in the novels that we choose. Section 2 then takes principles and goes into case studies. These are studies on:

•  Chapter 3 – Lolita      
•  Chapter 4 – Oprah’s Book Club      
•  Chapter 5 – “Chick Lit”      
•  Chapter 6 – 50 Shades      
•  Chapter 7 – Jodi Picoult     
•  Chapter 8 – Atlas Shrugged      
•  Chapter 9 – Harry Potter      

Section 3 is composed only of Chapter 10, which presents Farr’s final goal of this book- a new way of book critiquing. Her emphasis here is clear: find out why you think a book is good. I have to agree here. Not all the books that I have reviewed are good. I have not enjoyed them all. Some of them are by good authors, yet I have not liked them. But we must each decide why we think a book is good. For this reason, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137553621

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Konchar Farr, Cecilia. The Ulysses Delusion: Rethinking the Standards of Literary Merit. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016. 

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

The End of Our Rights

As Americans, we know our rights. Nothing is more precious to us in the world than the rights and freedoms that we hold dear. Those rights were fought for and hard earned. As Americans, we desire to live our lives to the fullest and use our rights to the fullest. But are we willing to sacrifice our rights for others?

You see as I have lived more of life, I have found that we as Americans sometimes get so concerned with OUR right that we fail to think of others. We think of our right to say what we want, yet we ignore the right of another to privacy. We think of our right to publish what we want on our social media, but do we truly value our relationships with others when considering what we will post? This is just not Americans though. 

This is Christians. 

We exalt our right to wear something but don’t think about the person who may be tempted to sin by just looking at us. We exalt our right to listen to whatever we want but don't think about the person who associates what we are listening to with the sinful actions of his past. We, too exalt our right to speak our minds but do not think of the reputation that we are giving to Christ by running our mouths. 

When will we learn? When will our relationships with our brothers in Christ become more important than personal right? When will the name of Christ become our priority in life, rather than a petty feud over what we're putting out on our social media? Have we become so much like the world that these things mean nothing to us?

We have a perfect example of this in Jesus Christ. He gave up His rights to come here to earth. What were His rights? How about Heaven's throne, the holiness of God, the praise and adoration of the angels. And what did He give that up for? He left Heaven's throne for a Roman cross. He left the holiness of God to have that same God turn His back. He left the praise and adoration of the angels for the mockery of men.

I write this today from my heart. I am calling for believers everywhere to have the mind of Christ in this (Philippians 2). Sacrifice your right for your relationship with Christ to grow stronger. Sacrifice what you feel you deserve to exalt His name. Give of yourself to help your Christian brothers grow. 


PHOTO CREDITS: https://captainjamesdavis.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/usconstitution.jpg

Book Review: 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith, by Gregg R. Allison

What do I believe? This question is something that any Christian should ask himself. And in this book, Gregg Allison endeavors to help the Christian find that. His method is this: 1) understand the doctrine, 2) enact the doctrine, and 3) teach the doctrine. This is an effective method to not only know what we believe and why we believe it but also to be able to share those beliefs with others.

While he uses good methods, and many of the teachings are Biblically true, one of the problems of Allison's book is the inherent Calvinism in his teachings. While this does not affect every doctrine and teaching, it certainly affects teaching on salvation. While this is an ideal book to teach some other doctrines, believers are better off going elsewhere to specifically look for teachings on the doctrines that are affected by Calvinism, like salvation. For these reasons, I give this book 3 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Core-Truths-Christian-Faith-Understanding/dp/0801019125/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518117986&sr=8-1&keywords=50+core+truths+of+the+christian+faith

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Allison, Gregg R. 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Baker Book Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Nullifying God, by Dr. H. Robert Wilson, Ph.D.

We live in a world where evolution is widely accepted as scientific fact. Yet what viable evidence has been produced to confirm this? In all reality, evolution has remained a hypothesis, with little to no evidence to send it on to the status of a scientific theory, let alone a scientific fact. So what is the end game of evolution?

Dr. H. Robert Wilson, Ph.D., wrote Nullifying God as a response to evolution's claims. As a former evolutionist himself, he knows what they teach and believe. Now, after converting to Christianity, he knows why they believe what they do. In summary, evolution teaches what it does merely to mitigate Christianity and to nullify the God of the Bible. Why do they do this?

There is only one reason why these actions make sense for evolutionists-- power. Dr. Wilson writes, "Is evolution in effect pushing us to become independent of God? The answer is unequivocally 'yes.' (128)" This mentality keeps evolution in power and eliminates any responsibility that we have to God, along with conviction.

This book, while title Nullifying God did an excellent job at nullifying evolution. It presents good evidence for any layman to refute the claims of evolutionists, along with some arguments to defend our faith. Dr. Wilson's book is an excellent study in understanding what those who are against us believe so that we are prepared always to give an answer of the hope that lies within us. For these reasons, I award 5 stars out of 5 to this book.

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/Nullifying-God-Evolutions-Scientists-Challenge/dp/1620202123/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518117494&sr=8-1&keywords=nullifying+god

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Wilson, H. Robert, Ph.D. Nullifying God: Evolution's End Game, A Scientist's Challenge. Greenville, SC: Ambassador International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Ambassador International book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Adolescents, Rapid Social Change, and the Law, Editied by Roger Levesque

Modern society is a raging fire. It’s constantly changing, often making life difficult to gauge for people of all ages. But this especially applies to adolescents—our pre-teens, teenagers, and college aged kids. I am one of them. This book is dedicated to helping families, guardians, friends, and mentors of young people help those same young people navigate through social changes.

Chapter 1 introduces the concepts that will be featured in the different sections of this book, each unique. What is labeled as part 2 of the book deals with the media, and the dangers that lie therein. The issues here are:

• Ch. 2—Protecting Youths from Themselves
• Ch. 3—Protecting Youths from the Sexualized Media
• Ch. 4—Protecting Youths from Online Predators
• Ch. 5—Protecting Youths from Sexting

Part 3 of the book looks at the education system and protecting the students in our schools. This book talks about:

• Ch. 6—Protecting Youths from Racial Discrimination in Public Schools
• Ch. 7—Protecting Financially Disadvantaged Youths
• Ch. 8—Protecting the Sexual Identity of Youths (LGBT) in Private Schools

Part 4 of this book moves to the family unit. The problems discussed here are:

• Ch. 9—Protecting the Income of Financially Successful Youths
• Ch. 10—Protecting Youths’ Relationships with Deployed Parents
• Ch. 11—Protecting Youths from Trafficking

This book could have been so much better in one very specific way: it needs to acknowledge that there is a God in Heaven. When God is recognized as the authority, it makes many of the principles in this book much easier to implement into society (other than the chapter on LGBT movement). Personally, I agree that protection is needed for youths in all areas but that of the LGBT movement. We are created in the image of God for a heterosexual relationship between 1 man and 1 woman for 1 life. But the absence of God in this book takes away the most essential element of protecting youths. Many of the principles present are good and can be implemented under God. But only then can youths truly be protected. For these reasons, I give this book 2 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319415338

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Levesque, Roger, Ed. Adolescents, Rapid Social Change, and the Law: The Transforming Nature of Protection. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: 100 Days with Jesus, by Diann Cotton

Gorgeous book, Great material

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I feature (when I get around to it) a study entitled "A Portrait of Christ." In this study, I look at the attributes of Christ in every book of the Bible. This book, 100 Days with Jesus, goes a step further and looks at 100 different attributes of Jesus Christ.

I personally found this book to be very enjoyable and doctrinally correct. The beautiful and compact design of the book makes it a perfect coffee table devotional book. Every Christian desiring to know more about their Savior should read a book like this at least once in their lifetime. 4.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/100-Days-Jesus-Glimpse-Person/dp/1462740979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518018114&sr=8-1&keywords=100+days+with+Jesus+cotton

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Cotton, Diann. 100 Days with Jesus: A Daily Glimpse into the Person of Christ. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the BH Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Progress in the Pulpit, by Drs. Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix

Progressing with the power of the first volume.

After receiving the first book by Vines and Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit, I was so blessed. When I found this second volume that they released, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. I was not at all disappointed!!

Vines and Shaddix wrote this volume specifically for the seasoned preacher/pastor. They wanted to be able to help people who have been in ministry for an extended period of time continue to improve. Every detail of this book was carefully crafted. This is an amazing volume and an essential for any preacher's library. 5 STARS OUT OF 5!

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Pulpit-Grow-Your-Preaching/dp/080241530X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517945908&sr=8-2&keywords=progress+in+the+pulpit

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Vines, Dr. Jerry and Dr. Jim Shaddix. Progress in the Pulpit: How to Grow in Your Preaching. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: A Philosophy of Israel Education, by Barry Chazan

When education is mentioned, Israel’s past is often brought up. Many great doctors and religious figures have received their training in Israel. This short book is a written analysis of the relational approach that the Israeli people take to education in their country. 

Chapter 1 gives the philosophy that Israel has toward education. From the tasks that they perform to the education of the homeland to the identity that is taught to their students, everything falls in line with this uniquely Jewish perspective. Chapter 2 talks of the new rise of education in Israel. The people who are involved seek to make Israel’s education system relevant as it once was. Chapter 3 gives the culture of Israel’s education system. The educator himself and the rituals involved are all very unique.

As with some of my more recent reviews, this was merely a review of the subject, with little to no subjective material present. This was a nice history of what Israel education was and what it can be. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319307787

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Chazan, Barry. A Philosophy of Israel Education: A Relational Approach. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: How Harry Cast His Spell, by John Granger

A Useful Tool to Solve "The Harry Potter Dilemma"

One of the most discussed and criticized books/book series in the realm of Christianity is the Harry Potter series. Many reject the series due to the witchcraft present, while others accept the series because of its redeeming qualities. John Granger (no relation to Hermione), in what is now the third edition of his book analyzing the Harry Potter series, does not make judgments for the reader. Rather, he presents the facts that he has found on both fronts and allows the reader to make the call for himself.

This book is split into two halves. The first half is an analysis of the series as a whole. Granger in this section looks at things in series like magic, prejudice, identity, even down to the names that Rowling uses. In the second half, Granger looks at each book specifically, with a chapter each on The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and three chapters on the final book, The Deathly Hallows. Each of these chapters presents a special analysis of a particular aspect of the book in question that can help the reader understand the story better.

One choice that I will have to make as a future pastor/youth pastor is how I will deal with what I will refer to for a long time as "The Harry Potter Dilemma." No matter where I go there will be people on both sides of the argument. I will have to be respectful of all. I have not landed on one side of the argument or the other yet. But this book will help me make a good, strong, reasoned decision. For these reasons, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Harry-Cast-His-Spell/dp/1414321880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517944934&sr=8-1&keywords=how+harry+cast+his+spell

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Granger, John: How Harry Cast His Spell: The Meaning Behind the Mania for J.K. Rowling's Bestselling Books. Carol Stream, IL: SaltRiver, 2008.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Tyndale Rewards program. It is my policy to give an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

TYNDALE REWARDS PROGRAM:

https://myreaderrewardsclub.com/

Book Review: Redemptive Leadership, by Joseph Bucci

When it comes to leadership, we often think of great men, both past and present, from military leaders like Alexander the Great and George Washington to sports leaders like Phil Jackson and Tom Landry to church leaders like Jonathan Edwards and Dr. David Jeremiah. But one distinguishing factor of truly great leadership is covered in Redemptive Leadership. This is the trait of leading people who are recovering from mistakes that they have made and turning them into leaders themselves. In this book, the authors specifically look at this trait from a management perspective.

Chapter 1 looks at the American people and how they view redemption. The author finds that most Americans do, though they lack a Biblical perspective on what redemption really is. As Christians, we know that redemption is the process of Christ paying the punishment for our sin and setting us free from that bondage. Chapter 2 gives the why—the reasons that we should even study this type of management and leadership. Chapter 3 gives examples of redemption in management literature- things that have already been written on the topic. Chapters 4-9 details the research findings of various statements: 

• Chapter 4— “Managers reflected on the decision making that led to the first termination, but then they reviewed the rationale for bringing someone back (45).” 
• Chapter 5— “Managers sorted through organizational issues with stakeholder groups, but then they carefully considered the proper placement of the returning employee (54).” 
• Chapter 6— “Managers created structured agreements with conditional acceptance, then they communicated clearly and directly about conditions and consequences (62).” 
• Chapter 7— “Managers were moved with compassion and empathy for the reinstated employees, but then they acted to ensure that the process for reinstatement demonstrated justice and fairness (72).”
• Chapter 8— “Managers offered support and encouragement to the returning employee, but then they carefully scrutinized the returning employees work, with greater follow-up frequency and continued, consistent discipline (80).” 
• Chapter 9— “Managers balanced the need (sometimes desperation) for good workers and their belief in second chances with the facts: these employees had displayed aberrant behavior and had previously failed at this opportunity (89).”

Chapter 10 reviews the previous chapters and their findings and gives ideas on how to implement those ideas into everyday management. Chapter 11 makes the case for using redemptive management as a viable strategy. Chapter 12 gives a case study on redemptive management. Chapter 13 shows that there are some limitations to this research, so the manager should proceed with caution when implementing this. Chapter 14 gives a few additional thoughts from the perspective of faith.

I enjoyed this book. I felt that it hit the mark of where Christians should be looking. There are often situations where people made mistakes but now want to make things right. I believe that we should do as God does—forgive and give second chances, even when someone does not necessarily deserve it. For these, reasons, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319313429

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Bucci, Joseph J. Redemptive Leadership: Offering Second Chances As a Value-Added Management Practice. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Religion and the American Presidency, Edited by Mark J. Rozell and Gleaves Whitney

When it comes to thinking about America, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the religious freedom that we enjoy here. This country was founded on religious, Christian in fact, principles. Many laws that we have were implemented from the Bible itself. With the most important political figure being the president, it is only natural that the office of the president would have been affected by religion. Religion and the American Presidency is a summary of the different religious beliefs that several presidents have held throughout history.

Chapter 1 is merely an introduction to religion and the presidency, including presidential campaigns. Chapters 2-14, the remainder of the book discuss the individual presidents and how religion affected their lives.

• Chapter 2 – George Washington
• Chapter 3 – Thomas Jefferson
• Chapter 4 – James Madison
• Chapter 5 – Abraham Lincoln
• Chapter 6 – Harry S Truman
• Chapter 7 – Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Chapter 8 – John F. Kennedy
• Chapter 9 – Jimmy Carter
• Chapter 10 – Ronald Reagan
• Chapter 11 – Bill Clinton
• Chapter 12 – George W. Bush
• Chapter 13 – Barack Obama
• Chapter 14 – Donald Trump

There is not much to analyze with this book. With it being a history of the religion in these Presidents’ lives, not much subjective material is present. That being said, some personal bias will always reign, especially when politics are involved. This book did a good job of avoiding that as much as possible. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319621746

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Rozell, Mark J. and Gleaves Whitney. Religion and the American Presidency. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: How To Be a Perfect Christian, by The Babylon Bee

A Satirical Look Modern Christianity-- Classic Babylon Bee

For several years now, The Babylon Bee has been recognized as one of Christian satire's loudest voices on the internet. Articles posted almost daily mock what we perceive as norms in modern Christian circles, with culprits from the everyday Christian to Joel Osteen to Tim Tebow to Veggietales. And now, the familiar satirical voice is coming to the world in book form.

For those of you who are not into sarcasm and satire, let me warn you-- this book is absolutely full of it!! There is not a page in this book which does not feature a sarcastic remark. As one progresses through the book, he must realize that by joking about everything that we want, the authors are pointing out the true silliness in some of the arguments that we have as believers. I truly appreciated this. The one thing that I did not appreciate was the author's use of actual parts of Scripture as satire. For example, at one passage the author references the book of Revelation and the letter to the Ephesian church in that book. For my own part, I found these references to God's Word as disrespectful. 

But despite these occasional disrespectful parts, I found this book to be hilarious and quite eye-opening about the stupidity of some arguments. For these reasons, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.  

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Perfect-Christian-Comprehensive-Spiritual/dp/0735291527/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516637821&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+be+a+perfect+christian+the+babylon+bee

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Ford, Adam and Kyle Mann. How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living. New York: Multnomah, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Blogging for Books book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: Peace and Resistance in Youth Cultures, by Siobhán McEvoy-Levy

Rebellion and Peace.

2 qualities that have become the norm in society ever since the fall of man back in the Garden of Eden. Written on the pages of history are rebellions and treaties, revolutions and alliances. This book seeks to look at the modern view of these 2 ideas, as is evidenced in the literature of today’s youth, specifically the Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series. Now I know that neither of these series has been particularly well-received in Christian circles. What I am seeking to find from this book is not an analysis of these series. Rather, I am looking for the mindset of our culture now that people all over our country and our world have read these books.

Part 1 gives what it says are the “theoretical and historical foundations” of this work. This begins with how our culture so deeply desires peace, as is evidenced by every part of popular culture. It continues by defining youth, an often-overlooked part of our society, but also the very future of it. Youth is often seen on both sides of the rebellion and peace that are seen in society. Part 2 goes into the textual analysis of rebellion and peace. First, the author finds war and peace in the Harry Potter series, then compares part of the series to the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The author then continues doing this with The Hunger Games series, with a chapter on the peace that can come after a legitimate rebellion. Part 3, which extends from chapters 7-11 centers on this subject: can the mindset that we see in these works of fiction of overthrowing an oppressive government and finding peace translate into the mindset of the culture that we live in.

Ultimately, I have found that the most popular entertainment of our day will translate into what people believe. If they surround themselves with something, they will ultimately take it to heart. We must be careful when exercising the spirit that these books can sometimes spread. Not every situation that happens deserves to have a full-fledged rebellion. There must be a balance, and I feel that at times the protagonists of both series can get out of that balance. But when it comes down to what is right and what is wrong and the government violating those principles, we must continue to honor and respect the government. These books, while not always demonstrating that respect, can teach us this very lesson. Honor the government, and let God guide us in what we should do. For these reasons, I give this book 3 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137498700

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

McEvoy-Levy, Siobhán. Peace and Resistance in Youth Cultures: Reading the Politics of Peacebuilding from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Violence in Southern Sport and Culture, by Eric Bain-Selbo

When it comes to sports and violence, the sport that comes to mind most often is football. And no place is more famous for football than the American south. This group of people is absolutely crazy about this sport, as modern-day gladiators line the field, waiting for their turn to hit somebody. But when it comes to the south, the other thing the people there are known for is religion. It is known as the “Bible Belt” for a reason, with a church seemingly on every corner. With sports viewed as an expression of religious rites, how then does it quantify having violence within? This book details all of that through a football game format: 4 quarters and overtime when necessary.

The first quarter looks at religious violence. This has obviously grown more prevalent over the last several years. Islamic terrorists wage their jihad (holy war) around the world. People from other religions commit violent acts in the name of their deity. It has, unfortunately, become a part of the lives of some religion. The second quarter deals with the violence of football. Bruising blocks, pounding tackles, and hard hits characterize every aspect of this game. The author does not at all support what he deems as irrational violence. He believes that it is unnecessary and that we should most definitely have second thoughts about viewing this game and supporting it. But, as the third quarter elaborates, this game in the south has become a religion. People religiously go to college football games on Saturday. They paint their bodies, pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for tickets, and show a sense of devotion to their specific team that spans for generations. The fourth quarter finally sums up the conclusions of the author, which I have attempted to lay out above. 

When it came to this book, I did not know what to expect. But here are a few thoughts: 1) I do not necessarily agree that the violence of the sport is irrational. The people who play this game love what they do. They would not dream of doing anything else with their lives now. That dedication to their cause is what is deemed as religious on the athlete’s part. 2) For Christians, I truly believe that we must look deep into our hearts when considering sports. While they may be important to us, we must not allow them to become the gods of our lives. We must be careful about this. For these reasons, I give this book 3 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319500584

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Bain-Selbo, Eric. Violence in Southern Sport and Culture: Sacred Battles on the Gridiron. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.