Changed by Fatih

In Changed by Faith by Luis Palau he presents to the reader Jesus Christ. He takes a look at what many Christians take for granted in having Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. He invites the reader to let Jesus be the directing influence in all aspects of his or her life. He backs this up with many pin point scripture references. You will also find many encouraging stories from his life and the lives of other believers who have allowed Jesus to be the director of their path.
I really enjoyed reading Changed by Faith. I found the book to be encouraging and inspiring. It prompted me to pray through how I am using my life right now for the Lord and how I can truly let Him be my Lord and Master in every aspect of my life. I would recommend this book for the young believer as well as the seasoned veteran of the faith. Luis’ testimony and that of others paired with scripture is a powerful tool to challenge each of us to truly live our lives completely for the Lord.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Max Lucado's Hermie and Friends DVD Box Set

At the end of this last week I received a copy of A Bug Collection DVD Box Set by Max Lucado. It contains stories for young kids designed to teach them about prayer, bee-having, and getting along with others. Each DVD is about 45min long including an introduction and conclusion with Max and Hermie talking about the story and learning the same lessons.
When we received the DVD set we were looking forward to having another fun movie for our kids to watch that would reinforce good behavior and values. We watched the story Busby and the Grumble Bees with our son. My wife and I understood the message and our son could identify it as well, but we were disappointed with how it was presented. Most of the story focused on the bad behavior with the characters learning to do the right thing at the end. But as a result the songs and actions that our son remembered and repeated were mimicking the bad behavior that the story was trying to illustrate as being bad. In addition Max’s comments before and after didn’t model what we would like our kids to do. I previewed the other 2 discs and they followed the same pattern. I understand the lessons that they are trying to teach, but I would prefer the bulk of the story and songs to mimic good behavior and values.
I would not recommend these to other parents and we will not be showing them to our kids.

Questions Christians get asked and answers

I recently received a copy of The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask by Mark Mittelberg. Mark focuses his minister on apologetics oriented outreach and went to the Barna Group to find out what were the questions Christians feared the be asked the most. Each section of this book addresses a specific question and works to provide the reader with scripture references and a practical knowledge base needed to respond appropriately. At the end of each chapter is a summary, tips for talking about the issue and questions for group discussion.
I was intrigued to find out what the questions were. While I didn’t find myself surprised that the included questions were being asked, I don’t know that I would have put them all in a top 10 list. I appreciate Mark’s style writing. While books like this can easily be geared towards winning the argument, it was refreshing to read solid evidence and have it applied with the final goal of winning others to Christ. It is important for Christians to know what they believe and why they believe. Not forgetting that Christ died for us all and that we need to speak the truth in love. This book is a good reference for Christians to think through some of the hot topics in today’s society. I would also recommend that after reading through it the reader should take some time with their pastor for a more solid foundation.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

A fun children's bible

I was looking forward to receiving a copy of the newest children’s Bible, Read and Share: The ultimate DVD Bible – Volume 2 by Gwen Ellis. Having young kids (ages 3 and 1) it is fun to get new books to read together to give some variety to the stories that they are already getting familiar with. This book contains 105 bite size bible stories and also comes with 2 DVD’s following along with the book. It contained a nice mix of both Old Testament and New Testament stories.
Each child’s bible has its pros and cons. They all leave out large chunks of scripture, but have fun artwork and try to boil key passages down to simple messages of God’s love, etc. I found this bible to have a nice blend. It was fun to read through with our kids using the small amount of scripture included to reflect on more of the whole story that my wife and I could share in more detail with them. This was true for both our kids. The DVD’s were a nice bonus and a special treat to show the kids. It is nice to have some fun movies to show them on special occasions. While I don’t think this is the best book ever (and I don’t know if I have one) I would recommend it as a good option to parents with young kids.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program

Voices of the Faithful – Book 2 by Kim P Davis and Beth Moore

This is a one year devotional containing the stories of Christians from around the globe. Each month has a different theme with each day having a verse followed by a related story and a short prayer. The appendix of the book contains reference material regarding missions. This includes a message from the International Mission Board, how to pray for missionaries, the church’s roll in missions and information about the authors.
I appreciate the heart that this book was written with. I have a heart for missions and that is what initially attracted me to the book after reading its brief description. I do like the stories of missionaries serving around the world and how the Lord provides for them. Hearing the testimonies of how the Lord provides is good and healthy for fellow believers to hear.
While I like most of the content, I don’t think this fits as a devotional very well. It fits more as stories to read than insight on scriptural truth to start the day with. The appendix at the back does have some good general information and exhortation to pray for those in the mission field.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program

On This Day in Christian History by Robert J Morgan

On This Day in Christian History by Robert J Morgan states it is a compilation of “365 amazing and inspiring stories about saints, martyrs and heroes”. Each page is a short historical entry with an accompanying Bible verse. In the back there is a topical index so you can search for similar historical accounts. Overall the book offers a quick and easy read to get small glimpses into how others of faith lived.
I like history and I especially enjoy reading accounts of believers, so after reading the title of this book I was immediately drawn to it. I have enjoyed reading though the accounts and I have marked numerous entries for future reference. While it does not label itself as a devotional it is laid out in that manner, but I would not recommend this book as such. The accounts vary greatly in how “faith” is portrayed and I would not recommend them as all being good examples to model. As is the case with church history, much was done in the name of Jesus, but it doesn’t mean it was right. I was pleased that for the most part the accounts were written in a historical and objective style. In addition, I found many of the scriptural references to be a stretch with the entries. But in all, it is an enjoyable read.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program

The Prophecy Answer Book by David Jeremiah

The Prophecy answer Book by David Jeremiah is a pocket size compilation of answers to common questions regarding Bible prophecy. It covers current events, the rapture, the tribulation, the Antichrist, the second coming, the millennium, and the new heaven and the new earth. Each section lists commonly asked questions followed by a brief 1-2 page answer. The answers are often tied to scripture references and historical evidence where applicable.
I have a few other Bible prophecy books by various authors and this is by far the most condensed. David addressed some of the most common questions considered the brevity of his book he does a decent job of providing insightful answers. There were several answers that left me wondering what his real point was, but for the most part that wasn’t the case. He seemed to contradict himself on separate answers regarding his belief of soul sleep. All in all I didn’t read anything really new or different given his pre-tribulation view. I do like maps and condensed lists of information and this book has some nice ones.
In the end I think this is a nice quick reference that will entice someone to do more homework and study further to understand the basis for the answers to these good questions. I would recommend this for someone who has studied very little prophecy, but for anyone who has already spent more time studying prophetic sections of scripture they will find this book to brief.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program