Holes can only be filled by the Holy

FOUR STARS:
REVIEW: {W}hole by Lisa Whittle

In this book, author Lisa Whittle walks the reader through how to truly become whole. We all have holes in our life story that can only be filled by God and Whittle shows how to give Jesus access to those holes so He can fill them.

She focuses on three main holes in one’s life: the hole of religion, the hole of roles, and the hole of experiences. I highlighted, dog-eared a great many pages of the book for the truth in which they spoke into me and holes from which I suffer.

Throughout the book, Whittle weaves her personal story with Scripture and action points to help the reader fill his/her own holes. At the end of each chapter she poses poignant questions for the reader to consider. Sitting down the book after each chapter and pondering on the questions are worthwhile.

In the Appendix she offers results of a 2010 research study conducted by Barna Research about how Christians feel about their self-perception, their priorities in life, their intentional service for God and more. The results are very eye-opening.

At the end, she writes one of my favorite things in the book: “We claw and grasp and reach and strain to stay afloat by our own efforts. All the while Jesus wants us to face the end of ourselves so He can fully begin.”

*Tyndale House Publishers has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book.

REVIEW: Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere

TWO STARS: Looking for more meat for my lioness teeth to tear into

As an animal lover, I was excited to get this book and read about how women are supposed to be lionesses to wake up and change the world.
The author states that since Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, we are to be the lioness. I really like that picture!

But then the book fell short for me. There are some good quotes which caused me to ponder, though, like the one from Matthew Arnold (a 19th century British poet and philosopher): “If ever there comes a time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known.”

Overall, unfortunately there just didn’t seem to be enough meat for my lioness teeth to tear into. Maybe it wasn’t the book, though, maybe it is me—a pastor who is already fierce and wants to become fiercer. I believe this book is more aimed toward women who need to first discover and embrace they are a lioness, not those who already know they are.

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

REVIEW: The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven by Kevin and Alex Malarkey

FIVE STARS
I had some people in my congregation tell me about this book, so I was excited to finally read it.

It is about a young boy and his father who were in a horrific car accident. The boy was in a coma for months. During those months, he said he was in heaven with Jesus.

The boy, Alex Malarkey, was the first child to ever undergo the surgery made famous by actor Christopher Reeve, and Alex is still confined to a wheelchair.

The book is written by both father, Kevin Malarkey, and son, Alex. Alex contributes at the end of each chapter giving his own personal account of what happened.

The heart of the book is that while Alex cannot function fully in the physical world, but he can operate in the spiritual world in remarkable ways.

The Malarkey family is Christian and the book contains many uplifting stories of how God has blessed and provided for the family through the tragic accident. It is a stirring book and a worthwhile read.

Jesus loves the Church thus should we

REVIEW: Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris

As a pastor, I was definitely intrigued by the title of this book, Why Church Matters, because I know someone people who think otherwise. As excited as I was to dig into the book, I ended up being a bit disheartened as the information given was not that deep. This book might be helpful for a new Christian, but for long-time Christians, the book may not bear much fruit.

Author Joshua Harris offers some simple answers to Why Church Matters, the most clear-cut being that Jesus loves the church thus so should we. He compellingly reminds us that we are living stones of Christ’s church and corporate worship “glorifies God in ways nothing else can.”

The bright spots in the book are all the powerful quotes on the importance of church he brings in from other preachers such as Mark Dever, C.J. Mahaney, Paul David Tripp, Chuck Colson, John Piper. Harris also offers a “Ten Important Questions” section which readers can use to help find a church home. As a pastor, it was interesting to check my own church against these questions to see where my church stands.

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

REVIEW: Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson

I have been a big fan of author Mark Batterson after I read his first book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.

Primal is about how when all the superficialities are stripped away, what is the primal essence of Christianity? Batterson breaks the book down into four parts to answer this intriguing question:
1. The Heart of Christianity
2. The Soul of Christianity
3. The Mind of Christianity
4. The Strength of Christianity

Batterson is masterful at using illustrations and this book includes many science illustrations to get his points across. While he also utilizes Scripture in the book, I wish he would have used more Scripture. The science stories seem to trump Scripture stories throughout the book.

Nevertheless, I found myself making notes, underlining and dog earring almost every other page in the book. It is just chocked full of so many nuggets of wisdom. One chunk that I was drawn to was when Batterson asks the question: “So how do you stay energized?” I was captivated by that question, as I am sure many others are, because life sometime saps the energy out us. Well, Batterson answers the question this way: “Stay in the will of God…pursuing God-ordained passions and going after God-sized dreams is the way we produce energy. Nothing is more energizing.” (p.146) What a great answer and reminder that God will give us sustaining energy when we serve Him.

A Discussion Questions section at the end is also a nice feature of the book—it can be used with small groups to explore the concepts even deeper and more personally.

While it is a very good read, if you have only one choice, I prefer and highly recommend Batterson’s first book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day over Primal.

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

REVIEW: The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life by Robert Morris

Informative and illuminating.

Author Robert Morris says one of the most frequently asked question he receives is “How can I know the will of God?” Morris says the answer is the Holy Spirit. “The reason more Christians don’t know the will of God is that they don’t have a friendship with the Holy Spirit—the One inside them whose job it is to reveal all truth to them,” Morris writes. Amen—who wouldn’t want MORE truth revealed to them?

This book sheds light on who the Holy Spirit is and also shows the benefits and blessings the friendship with the Holy Spirit will bring.

Admittedly, this book was a little dry at first and it seemed almost like reading a textbook, but after pushing through the first two chapters, I found the rest of the book (a total of 20 chapters), a much easier read. In fact, I highlighted and dog-eared many pages that I plan to refer back to as I serve as a pastor in ministry.
This book does a nice job of highlighting the history of Pentecost and its meaning. It also covers misconceptions of the Holy Spirit, which is beneficial because some Christians have an apprehension about the Holy Spirit. Morris seeks to educate people about this very important third person of the Trinity.

If you seek to know more about the Holy Spirit and want to discover how to have more of the Holy Spirit in your life, this book is made to show you the way.

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

REVIEW: In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars by Mark Batterson

I had a problem with this book—it cost me more than 10 highlighters! I think I used up an entire highlighter before I finished the first chapter alone. I couldn’t stop highlighting the words of wisdom and profound, insightful biblical truth found throughout the book. There is hardly a word not covered in yellow.

Author Mark Batterson is a masterful writer that makes biblical stories jump off the page. The Scripture text that is the focus of the book is an obscure passage found in 2 Samuel 23 that tells of Benaiah, a mighty, bold warrior who killed a lion. Through this story, Batterson gives readers seven skills that will help them chase the “big lions” in their lives.

A nice feature in the book is at the end of each chapter, readers are given “Points to Remember” that summarize the chapter in a few bullet points as well as questions for readers to consider and ponder as they begin their lion chasing adventure.

This book touched me and provided me much needed Christian counsel during a time when risk was called for in my walk with God. Batterson writes in the book: “The greatest opportunities were the scariest lions. Part of me has wanted to play it safe, but I’ve learned that taking no risks is the greatest risk of all.” Amen!

This book has made me want to be a lion chaser and more of a risk taker for Jesus. If you have the guts and gusto to step out in faith and chase lions for God, read this book and allow it to walk alongside you in that adventure. But a fair warning: If you get this book, get a pack of highlighters to go with it—you will need them!

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