Jesus is ___________.

Jesus is _________. is an interesting book, written by Judah Smith. I haven't read anything by him, so this was a first. I think that his target audience is the more younger crowd... college and twenty-somethings but the book's subject matter is for everyone. Its just that how he says it, with the humor and all the references to movies and other current media makes me think he's talking mostly to a younger group.

The book started with him saying that his was a more 'outreach' program, to get people talking and thinking about what Jesus is like. Jesus is __________. And it does get a conversation going and that can really help folks truly reflect on what their experience or ideas of Christ, perhaps trading in a negative idea for a more positive one.... because after all, Jesus is beautiful.

It's actually a pretty good book that I could really see my children enjoying and engaging in.

Who Do You Think You Are - Review

I recently read Mark Driscoll's book Who Do You Think You Are. I have read many of Driscoll's books and tend to like much of them, but sometimes in his blog, tweets, facebook page, his tone comes across as not-so-nice, and I definitely don't agree and hold many of his views. Still, I respect much of his writings and looked forward to this book.

I was quite surprised that this book's tone was NOT as harsh and I expected it. This book is about finding your identify in Christ. This is not a new topic; I've read several books already about this, but this book is worth reading, partly because of the personal stories that are highlighted throughout the book. This book questions and provokes you to take a look at your life, but not in a judgmental tone; more like a pastoral way.

I enjoyed this book and do think that it is worth reading, especially if you have questions about the whole 'identify in Christ' thing or if you struggle in that area.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze review program. I was not required to write a favorable review.

A Year with G.K. Chesterton

A Year with G.K. Chesterton

This is a good book, especially if you're a fan of Chesterton. Basically it is a year of "Chesterton" devotional readings... one for each day of the year. There's a Bible verse, a selection of Chesterton writings and a "On This Day"with some fun facts about Chesteron or his writings.

If you are an avid Chesteron fan you'll enjoy this book but if you are just getting into Chesterton, you might love this even more, as it gives you a taste of him in small chunks. Chesteron's wit, sense of humor and use of language is brilliant and tis is a great introduction to his work.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

Jesus: A Theography

Jesus: A Theography by Len Sweet and Frank Viola is one of those books you want to read again, because there is so much to process. It's an excellent book that is bound to make you think deeply. Though written for the 'average' person, it still contains much deep, rich material and thoughts.

As he states in the introduction, this book sets out to show that ALL the Bible is meant to reflect and point to Christ.

"Let's face it. The Bible is often viewed as a disjointed array of stories, events, laws, propositions, truths, ethical statements, and moral lessons. 

But we will demonstrate in this book, the sixty-six books of the Bible are woven together by a single storyline. Of of the best ways to look at the twenty-seven books of the New Testament may be to see them as a commentary on the Old Testament. The entire Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are unified by a common narrative. And once our eyes are open to see that narrative, everything in both Testaments gels into a coherent, understandable, and amazing story. 

And what is that story? Well, it's not enough to call it "salvation history" as many people do. 

No. It's the story of Jesus Christ. 

The end product of biblical Christianity is a person -- not a book, not a building, not a set of principles or a system of ethics -- but one person in two natures (diving/human) with four ministries (prophet/priest/king/sage) and four biographies (The Gospels). But those four biographies don't tell the whole story. Every bit of Scripture if part of the same great story of that one person and that one story's plotline of creation, revelation, redemption and consummation." 

If you are a fan of Frank Viola or Len Sweet you'll love this book. I recommend it. 

Red Letter Revolution

Red Letter Revolution is a book by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo. There's a trailer promoting it that says they don't shy away from the controversial subjects, and that's true. This book talks about lots of relevant topics today, including racism, homosexuality, immigration, politics, war and violence, Islam, national debt, etc.

The different, interesting twist on this book is the way it is written; it is written more as a dialogue between Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo. You'll either like this style or dislike it, but for me, it worked and it was good to see the different (at times) views and insights from both men, especially seeing as they differ generationally.

I don't expect you'll agree with EVERYTHING in this book and I think the authors know that; what they've done here is start a dialogue not only with each other, but as a starting off point for you to wrestle with this topics and have dialogue of your own with others.

The subtitle of this book is: What if Jesus Really Meant What He Said? It's a question that bears much looking into and this book takes a deeper look into it.

I received an ebook copy free from Booksneeze. I was not required to write a favorable review.

grace - Max Lucado

There are so many great books out there on the topic of "grace" that I was skeptical if another book was needed. I've read many books on the subject of grace -- from Philip Yancy's classic What's So Amazing about Grace? to several others, including Andy Stanley's The Grace of God.

But Max Lucado's book on grace is not just "another book on grace"..... It's Max Lucado, who brings his own thoughts, writing style and especially stories to the publishing world. For that reason, this book is worth reading and I think most will enjoy it, plus the subject of "grace" -- though so simple in many concept, is incredibly difficult to truly fathom in practical terms.

If you love Max Lucado, you'll love this book and if you are wanting to understand grace better, you'll also enjoy this book.


I received a copy from Booksneeze and wasn't required to write a positive review.

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life

My family loves It's a Wonderful Life and have already gotten so much out of the movie, that I was excited to read this book. It is, in some ways, a devotional book, though weekly. (52 lessons = 52 weeks) It seems designed to make you relate to a spiritual truth and think on it in terms of how it is played out in the movie. Some chapter titles are, Look for the Best in Others, All that Glitters is Not Gold, Prayer Changes Things, etc. Plus, there are some nice tidbits about the movie.

If you are a fan of It's a Wonderful Life, you will probably enjoy this book. While it can be repetitive (some of the lessons seem the same, just with a different illustration), it is still a fun book and can easily be a good discussion starter for a small group.

I received this book free from Booksneeze and was not required to write a favorable review.