The Grace of God

Andy Stanley is one of my very favorite communicators; I have heard him speak numerous times at the Catalyst Conference. He brings new light to scripture as he draws insight for the Christian life and leadership that I had never seen before. Most of my interaction with Stanley’s thoughts and ideas have been within the realm of leadership, so I was excited to read a book of his that fell outside those boundaries. The Grace of God is not a leadership manual but an examination of biblical history and God’s grace which runs through it.

In The Grace of God, Stanley turns his keen exegesis to the subject of grace instead of leadership. He examines how the grace of God was present from the Garden through the early church and beyond. The book shows how God’s grace has always been present and highlights the lessons we can learn about grace from people like Rahab, Jonah and the repentant thief crucified alongside Jesus

There wasn’t anything particularly earth-shattering or paradigm-shifting in The Grace of God. The book feels like a sermon series on grace that was turned into a book. That isn’t a slight against the book; if it is based on sermons then they were great sermons. A book like this, though, seems to be more encouraging and edifying than thought-provoking and challenging. As an encouraging and edifying book about God’s grace, though, The Grace of God does superb job of examining grace biblically and applying those lessons to our everyday lives.

This book was provided for me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Adventures in Booga Booga Land -- Vol 1

The introduction episode introduces us to the Marty the monkey and Gerard the Giraffe. Each adventure relates to the parables of Jesus. Episode 1 conveys the parable of The Workers in the Vineyard with its story of how Marty and Gerard get a job and learns that the boss, Stan, can be generous to others who don't deserve it. Episodes 2 portrays Marty and Gerard as the Wise and Foolish Builders. The final episode, The Lamp under The Bowl, features our heroes building a lighthouse and keeping it lit. These stories are appropriate for early elementary aged children.

I watched the DVD with my 6 year old son. Personally, it lacked substance for me, but he enjoyed it. The animation and silly situational comedy reminded me of several cartoons that come on the kids channels that contain such questionable material. There were instances of minor violence, Marty's improper use of power tools and Gerard's using dynamite to explode the rocks, but over all it was nothing compared to what is found on TV. I didn't find it offensive, but then I don't leave power tools laying around for my son to find.

The lighthouse episode totally lost me. It was unclear what the light was that Marty and Gerard were catching in the bottles that eventually provided light for the lighthouse.

I was provided this DVD for free in exchange for my review through the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze program.

"Big Red" Holy Bible - Contemporary 3-D Art

"Big Red" Holy Bible - Contemporary 3-D Art

Published by Thomas Nelson

This is a wonderful Bible for young children. The art is fantastic. My son was ecstatic when he received this Bible and absolutely loves the art included in this edition. This is the same “Big Red” Bible that Thomas Nelson has been selling for years, but now they have pictures in the Bible. This nearly perfects an already excellent Bible.

This particular translation is the International Children’s Bible translation and is very easy to read. It is written on a third grade reading level, so by the age of eight, a child should be able to read it.

This is a wonderful Bible, and I would recommend it for anyone who needs an easy to read Bible. Anyone who has a difficult time understanding the Bible or anyone who has a difficult time with the English language, would greatly benefit from this version of the Bible.

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.”

You Were Made To Make a Difference - Max Lucado

Out Live Your Life

You Were Made To Make a Difference

By Max Lucado

I recently received Max Lucado's newest book Out Live Your Life(You Were Made To Make A Difference). Max Lucado is, in my opinion, one of today’s greatest Christian authors. He has a simplistic way of writing that makes anyone feel that they can relate to his stories.

I was happy to see that 100% of his royalties from Outlive Your Life products will benefit children and families through World Vision and other faith based compassion ministries.

At a time that my heart was already being burdened for the hungry, neglected, and abused - this book came at a perfect time. Max Lucado reminds us of the 12 disciples going out and changing their world and encourages us to do the same.

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.”

A Christmas Prayer - Amy Parker

A Christmas Prayer

By Amy Parker

This book is a wonderful Christmas book for children that doesn’t focus on Santa Claus or any of the other fictional characters usually associated with this wonderful time of the year. The story is that of a small child who wanders through his house on Christmas night praying a prayer of thanks and blessing for all the things around him, ending with a prayer to God for the greatest Gift of all.

I would recommend this book for anyone with a small child who wants to have a Christmas book that includes the true reason for Christmas.

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

Lee (The Generals) Goodness in Action - John Perry

Lee (The Generals) Goodness in Action

By John Perry
Published by Thomas Nelson

This biography of Robert E. Lee focuses on what an caring and compassionate person General Lee was. This book was written in a way that holds your attention and the story has a nice flow to it. After reading this book, you feel that you really know Robert E. Lee as a person and not just as a General of Confederacy. It is intriguing to discover that one of the south’s best known Generals believed that slavery would not continue and that no country could morally survive with one people enslaving another.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the life of Robert E. Lee or anyone intrigued by history, in particular the Civil War and that time period.

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

The Butterfly Effect - Andy Andrews

The Butterfly Effect

By Andy Andrews

This book explains the Butterfly Effect. It is a concept that basically says that any action can have a ripple effect and change things for years to come. It gives a background on the theory and then includes two stories showing how this effect works. One is of a Civil War Colonel and the other is a story explaining how actions of a few people have saved the lives of billions of people.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to show their children how a person’s actions can affect the world forever. And if you want a similar book in a more childlike format, please consider A Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews. Both are truly wonderful books.

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