Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Stealing from God by Frank Turek

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.


Does God exist? This question has been asked by millions of people and has also caused some heated debates. Many people have wrestled with this question and have let their opinions be made known.

Among these people are atheists who will answer the question with an emphatic NO! They then give their reasons/arguments for the non-existence of God and some even resort to belittling those who do not agree.

However, what if atheists, while trying to reason against God, are actually giving reason to believe in God? This is the question that Frank Turek addresses in his book Stealing from God.

While is it impossible to scientifically prove God (faith is required) there are items that point to God and must be overlooked to assume there is no God.

For example, someone will say that killing animals is wrong. From where does this person get their moral sense of right and wrong? If God does not exist then it comes from within. However, that would also mean that the hunter who kills believes that what he is doing is right. Both would say that it is right for them to believe as they do. Which one is right? With no source of ethics, both of them are and both are wrong.

Yet, if there is a source of ethics, a source that gives right and wrong, should not we follow it? That source is God and He has given us directions on how to live. Atheists cannot accepted God but use methods that come from Him to disprove Him. Thus, as Turek lays out, they steal from God.

A fascinating book and one that must be read by those who are in a non-Christian college. It will give great aid to answer questions that are not easy to explain and will serve well to those who find themselves desiring answers. 

Friday, January 9, 2015

Ask It by Andy Stanley

*I received this complimentary copy from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for honest review

Note: this is an updated and revised edition of The Best Question Ever.

Have you been faced with a decision and were not sure how to proceed? Are there more than one option to a question facing you? Wouldn't it be nice to have a way to determine the correct choice?

In his book, Ask It, Andy Stanley shows that there is such an option in the form of this question: is it wise? By asking this question a person will be confronted, not with what is right, but more so to what is best.

The importance of this difference is this: it may not be wrong to eat chocolate cake but if I am trying to lose weight, is it wise? No, it is not. Notice the difference? One addresses the ethical aspect while the other addresses the ramifications.

That is the underlying theme of what is discussed; thinking long term. Wisdom seeks to make decisions that are best, not only for the present, but also for the future. Ask It does an excellent job at laying the foundation to the reader that a life of wisdom is greatly preferred to a life of pragmatism.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Churchless by The Barna Group (George Barna & David Kinnaman, General Editors)

*I received this complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

The unchurched is a term given to those who do not attend church. They may not be opposed to church, they simply choose not to attend. Why? That is the question that Churchless address.

In this book, statistics and research is given to show that most unchurched are not citing issues like hate speech or church scandal. Neither are they giving responses like disdain for tithing or other financial issues.

In truth, most do not attend church because they do not see the value of doing so. They see church members speak of love and joy and yet do not see such aspects in the lives of those that attend. I must agree on this point.

Many churches teach the love of Jesus and His peace but the attenders seem to be depressed outside the church walls. The unchurched see this and say "no thank you."

However the research in this book shows that many would change their view of churches if the members did things like: grieve with them, get to know them, appreciate some of their interests, not act so click-ish. By doing these, connecting with those who do not attend church is the best to get them to become interested in attending, so say the Barna group.

I found this book a good read and the research an excellent support. It was insightful and informative and a good resource for those who are scratching their heads when it comes to reaching the unchurched.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

NKJV Note-Taker's Bible

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start off by saying that I am a note taker at seminars, classes, and sermons. I have found that it helps keep me focused and I retain more of what I hear.

For sermons, wouldn't it be nice to have a Bible where you could write notes without having to bring an additional item like a journal or wire-bound notepad.

Enter the Note-Taker's Bible.

The first I noticed was the ample space on each page for notes, comments, etc. for study, devotional, There is about a two inch margin on each side of the text for note taking as well as a decent space below the text to do the same.

The Bible itself is not heavy so there isn't much to sacrifice in portability to have the additional space for personal comments.

However, I found the text of the Bible smaller than I would have liked. This makes reading a bit difficult. I would have preferred a slightly heavier Bible with a large typeface than a lighter Bible with a small typeface. That said, I give this Bible a three out of five stars due to typeface.