Review for "The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews

I should mention that I have not read the previous "David Ponder" novel, so this was my first introduction to both the author and the main character. In "The Final Summit", David Ponder is escorted by the archangel Gabriel to a summit of "Travelers" (important characters from world history) with the challenge of saving humanity from destruction by God. To do this, they must correctly answer the question, "What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?" This question and the debate over the answer comprise the main portion of the book. Various characters from history, such as Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, and several others both well and lesser known, offer their unique perspective on the question and its answer. The narrative becomes a mix of history lesson and philosophical discussion, which is actually presented in a colorful and interesting manner.

This was a light read and I enjoyed it, yet not one that I will likely revisit. I enjoyed the history lesson and seeing the characters brought to life. Since it was my first exposuree toi David Ponder, the recap at the beginning of the book of his prior experience (in a prior book) was helpful. Even so, I felt it was too long and bogged down the interest of the plot. The question posed by the author is audacious to say the least, especially when he claims his characters find "the" answer. The intellectual debate over ideas is interesting, but not what I expected from a book billed as "action adventure." I was disappointed with the triteness of the final "correct" answer (I will not spoil it for future readers!) Still, I believe the author somewhat succeeded in creating an interesting look at history and philosophy set in a fictional setting, although not with exceptional quality. 3 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from BookSneeze, part of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Review for "Couples Who Pray" by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt

"Couples Who Pray", written by husband-and-wife team Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, is a fresh look at the benefits of prayer to a marriage. The authors use their case study of couples who took a 40 day challenge to pray with each other as encouragement for others to do the same. Couples who engage in prayer together will receive wonderful benefits in their marriage, including increased communication, better lovemaking, greater satisfaction with the marriage, intimacy, longevity in the relationship, and weathering the storms of life. The book is full of personal stories of several couples to illustrate the author's claims.

This is not a spiritually deep book! In fact, it is on the light side and relies too heavily on personal stories in my opinion. The biblical foundation is there but the spiritual side of prayer is only dealt with on a surface level. The emphasis seems to be on the wonderful benefits WE get out of prayer as a couple, rather than focusing on God (who is the intent and object of our praying.) However, if you have a spouse who is less spiritually inclined than you are, this book may be perfect for them. It was not a selling point for me that most of the couples cited in the book were celebrities; I would rather have heard from ordinary people like myself. Still, it was not a difficult read and it did inspire me to try praying with my own spouse, so the authors' purpose was accomplished!

I received this book for purposes of review free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers and the BookSneeze blogger program. I am not obligated to give a positive review. 3 out of 5 stars.

Review for "Soulprint" by Mark Batterson

In a market where self-help books promise to help you be a better you, this book stands apart! In Soulprint, author Mark Batterson wonderfully articulates the truth that God must be at the center of who we are meant to be. He uses imagery from art to describe the process of becoming the unique "you" that God designed you to be as allowing God to chisel away the roughcut stone from our life and reveal our true selves. People can go through their whole lives deriving their identity from what they do, becoming like others, living up to expectations, self-improvement, or past history. God designed each human in His image but unique to themselves. We will never rest in our unique identity until we stop trying to become someone we are not, and allow God to reveal who we are. Batterson beautifully brings this truth to light through five scenes from David's life.

This book was a delight to read. It brought to life the stories of King David and his writings in a way that made me closely identify with aspects of my own life. Many self-improvement books leave you with big "to-do" list of things that you soon run out of willpower to sustain. This book was a relief, describing many things we can let go of. Yes, there are practical suggestions of things to do on a self-discovery journey. These are helpful tools to help us treasure the memories of our past and redeem the circumstances of our life, past and present, to allow God to shape us into the masterpiece He has in mind. I found this book encouraging, uplifting, insightful, challenging, and releasing. I recommend it highly.
I received a copy of this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Review for "Fasting" by Scot McKnight

Fasting is one of those ancient disciplines that is seldom practiced by many Christians. In his book, "Fasting," Scot McKnight makes his case for the relevance of this discipline in our time. He proposes the definition of fasting as "the natural response of a person to a grevious sacred moment in life." Through this lens he views and explains many biblical and historical examples of fasting. Honest discussion of reasons why one should fast, as well as why one should not, help to dispel myths or misappropriations of this means of grace. In order to understand fasting, McKnight leads the reader to explore the idea of "whole-body spirituality" - a perspective which has been lost in recent generations.

McKnight writes with depth and honesty about a discipline he obviously knows well. For someone who is looking for a biblical discussion about fasting, this book offers many insights. I was disappointed that the book was repetitive and redundant, coming back to the same points chapter after chapter. I also found his treatment of the current mindset somewhat disparaging and negative, which is not really necessary since his presentation of fasting is attractive and positive enough to make the reader interested. There are some good nuggets of truth in there, so it is a worthwhile read for anyone serious about pursuing this discipline.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers (BookSneeze) for purposes of review.

Review for "Radical" by David Platt

"Radical" by David Platt has grabbed my attention like few books have. In it, Platt challenges readers to a deeper faith life in Christ. He does so by exposing how our "American dream" culture has influenced the way we approach church, our relationship to God... everything about our Christianity. Stories of his experiences with believers in other countries illustrate how shallow our experience really is. Platt beautifully retells the story of the gospel and compellingly urges believers to shed their comfort for a life of following Christ. We are not saved for our own comfort, but to bring God glory. And every believer is called to have global perspective on their participation in the kingdom of God.

Reading this book has awakened a deep hunger in my life for God. I am convicted by how little my life depends on the power of God, and how small my view of Christ's mission has been. Platt challenges his readers to a year-long experiment with 5 components. His experiment is practical yet radical. I am taking on the challenge, and I believe that anyone who does will find themselves living out a more authentic and potent faith - and one that reaches across the globe. Thank you, David, for taking the risk of following radically yourself, and being vulnerable enough to share your journey with us!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Review for "The Jesus You Can't Ignore" by John MacArthur

I review books for BookSneeze by Thomas Nelson Publishers, and this is the first book I honestly had to force myself to finish. In The Jesus You Can’t Ignore, author John MacArthur asserts that the image of a mild, meek, gentle, docile teacher is a faulty portrayal of Jesus. He wants us to see that Jesus was courageous, confrontational, powerful, and proclaimed the truth in forceful as well as gentle ways. I actually agree with MacArthur’s point and believe it is a picture of Jesus that we need to remember in our modern times, but I so disliked the way this book was written that I cannot recommend it.
The book begins with an overly long introduction which sets forth the author’s main purpose (in my opinion) – a diatribe against everything heretical, tolerant, and watered-down about the modern evangelical movement. The remaining chapters of the book walk through many of Jesus’ teachings and do contain some nuggets worth hanging onto. However, the book is littered with the author’s agenda and personal ire against a segment of Christianity today. The main point of the book is beleaguered and could have been made in a much more succinct way. This book may be a good reference if you are teaching on a particular sermon of Jesus, but otherwise is a chore to work through.

Review of "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado

Max Lucado is a master storyteller and inspirational writer! He has certainly lived up to both again in his latest book, Outlive Your Life. (I received a complimentary book as part of BookSneeze by Thomas Nelson Publishers, and am not required to give a favorable review.) The book is a call to compassion for the many broken, needy, poor, disadvantaged, lost, hopeless people in our world. The launchpad for this call to compassion are the stories of the early church from the book of Acts. As we’ve come to expect from Max, the stories of these men and women are brought to life in imaginative color. Some books on the topic of poverty and compassion leave the reader feeling depressed and overwhelmed. Not so with this book. The great need is not glossed over, in fact it is revealed, but in a fashion that leaves the reader inspired and challenged. Ordinary people once took unimaginable hope to their world! Their examples spur us on and stir our passion! What could God do if Christians today followed the example of Jesus and the early church and took on the evils of our world with compassion and hope? The book is not just a great read and a great story – it is a call to action that could result in readers who choose invest their lives and have an impact on the world now and into eternity!