A.D. 33 by Ted Dekker

Wow!

First, let me state that I am a HUGE Ted Dekker reader. If Dekker wrote it, I want to read it. This was no exception when given the opportunity to review his latest book A.D. 33.

From the very first page I was captured by the story of Maviah, the Bedouin queen. Her desire to follow the teachings of Yeshua but also not abandon her heritage and people was a powerful struggle throughout. Such drama was riveting and had my attention on every page.

Take a journey with Dekker and Maviah in the ancient Middle East in this thriller of a story. You may just come away changed.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Book Group in exchange for my honest review.

Rooted by Banning Liebscher

Roots are the source of life for all plants. The roots spread through the earth for nutrients on which to survive. The stronger the roots, the stronger the plant. Remove the roots and the plant will die. Such is a great metaphor for those being rooted in God and Jesus Christ.

In his book Rooted, Liebscher gives three soils where God may plant a person for growth. Those three are:

1. Intimacy
2. Serving
3. Community

These three are requirements for the full development of anyone whom God chooses to develop and a man/woman must understand this so as to not fight back where God's plants them.

I found this book to be a great encouragement  in this phase of my life, with special attention to the first soil: intimacy. This section really focused my thoughts on finding God as He calls to me and how to develop intimacy with him.I recommend this book to just about any Christian who may feel uprooted from God and purpose and suggest they take time to allow the words of this book to penetrate deep.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Multnomah is exchange for my honest review.

NIV, Life Connect Study Bible by Wayne Cordeiro

Most Bibles that I have come across that mentioned growing deeper usually have a devotional element to them. While this can be a good attribute, I find that some of the thinking has been done already for the reader. This can take away from the available riches that may be deeper if the reader were only to dig further.

The NIV Life Connect Study Bible is a bit different.

This Bible has sections where the reader can write down what impacted him/her. By doing this, the depth of understanding is enhanced as the reader is given the option to reflect and meditate. In my opinion, this is how someone grows deeper in their spiritual life.

However, this Bible is not an ideal devotional Bible as its weight is a bit heavy. If a reader would like a more easily transportable Bible for devotional reading, look elsewhere. Also, the sections for writing are not on every page and have more of a summary affect as they are placed at the back of books or in strategic locations.

That said, this Bible may be a great resource for those who have time to meditate on what they read but do not wish to carry another book like a journal or notepad. I prefer a journal or notepad which makes this Bible unattractive for my devotional reading. The choice, as always, is up to you.

*I received this Bible from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.