Keeping the Faith by Lianna Davis

Keeping the Faith by Lianna Davis ISBN-13: 9780802419316 Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: Jan. 7, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In a culture of subjectivity and "speaking your truth," we need to know how to lovingly fight for our biblically-based, truth-filled faith. That’s where Jude comes in. With a combination of humility, genuine love, and doctrinal faithfulness, the biblical writer Jude teaches you how to treasure the gifts of salvation, the faith, the Church, and—most of all—Jesus Christ. By unpacking Jude’s meaning-laden words, we can learn to keep ourselves for Christ, even as Christ is ably keeping us for Himself.

You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn as you walk verse-by-verse through this small epistle. You’ll learn why Jude uses metaphors like waterless clouds and wild waves, what was going on in Jude’s time theologically and why it matters, why the warning passages can be a deep comfort to the believer, and to appreciate new dimensions of your belonging in Christ. Get to know the oft-neglected voice of Jude, be comforted and challenged in your faith, and build community as you gather friends and study His Word together in Keeping the Faith.


My Review:
Keeping the Faith is a 6 week long Bible study on Jude. Each week had an introduction and 5 days of study. Each day would start with a verse or two from Jude and a cross reference verse from another book of the Bible that related to the same topic. The verses in Jude were not always studied in order but were topically grouped. The author then gave a prayer and provided some commentary on the verses, including useful insights and word studies to help the reader better understand the verses. Next, she included study prompts that further tied in other verses from the Bible. She concluded each day with reflection questions about what was learned and how that affects your life. I felt that the author did a very good job of explaining the verses and tying them into the rest of the New Testament. Overall, I'd highly recommend this Bible study.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Created to Draw Near by Edward T. Welch

Created to Draw Near by Edward T. Welch ISBN-13: 9781433566387 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Crossway Books Released: January 7th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Many Christians prefer to keep God at a safe distance--a distant God makes fewer demands. They imagine God has rules just for the sake of obedience, missing the point that God delights in making them holy so they can draw near to him. God's plan from the beginning has been for his people to draw near to him as a kingdom of priests.

In 40 short, meditative chapters, Ed Welch traces iterations of the priestly job description from the garden of Eden to the heavenly city. Along the way, believers will discover their identity as royal priests and learn what it means that they were created to be made holy as they draw near to God.


My Review:
Created to Draw Near talked about what it means to be a priest of God, how God wants us to draw near to Him, and what He's done to allow us to draw near to Him. The author started by looking at the Garden of Eden, then talked about Moses and Mount Sinai, looked at the tabernacle and the symbolism found in the tabernacle and the priestly clothing. He looked at the sacrifices and the feasts and how Jesus is a later fulfillment of these. He explained how Jesus is our tabernacle, our high priest, the final sacrifice that allows us to draw near to God, how we are priests and saints, and other Old Testament/New Testament imagery. The author is very fond of finding symbolism in things, some of it widely accepted and some of it I've never heard before. At the end of each short chapter, there were two personal application questions. I appreciated that he used verses from and studied the Bible to make his points. I'm not sure that I agree with his repeated theme that mankind (including Adam and Eve before the Fall) were always meant to wear priestly clothing. He seems to believe that the fact that Adam and Eve were naked and didn't know it was a bad thing, and their nakedness always needed to be covered. Overall, though, I felt like he did a good job showing how Jesus fulfills the promises and symbolism found in the Old Testament.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Momentum by Colin S. Smith

Momentum by Colin S. Smith ISBN-13: 9780802413864 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: October 4th 2016

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the Beatitudes, the Son of God tells us about the life that is blessed and about the people who are blessed. But Jesus does more than just describe a blessed life, He gives us a way to actually pursue it. If you want to make strides in overcoming sin, growing in godliness, abounding in good works, and enjoying intimacy with the Lord, this book is for you. And if you have lost hope that any of these things are possible, this book is especially for you.


My Review:
Momentum is a Christian living/spiritual growth guide. He provided step-by-step suggestions on how to get unstuck in your spiritual life. Basically, you recognize your need for God, mourn over your sins, place your strength under God's control, and these things lead you to long for righteousness, forgive others, want God to free you from habitual sin, and make peace when in a conflict with others. Wholeheartedly following God can lead to persecution, so he also talked about whether you should stand or flee persecution. For each step that I mentioned above, he had a series of actions to help you achieve that step. Like for forgiveness, he provided actions that you can do that will prepare your heart to offer forgiveness to another.

His steps are loosely based on the Beatitudes, and I didn't always agree with his interpretation of them. For example, he mentioned mercy ("Blessed are the merciful"), but his focus was on forgiveness because that worked best for his overall theme. I also didn't agree with his argument that we don't have to forgive someone unless they repent first. Also, I believe that the "Blessed are those who mourn" includes mourning over the effects of a fallen world, not just our own, personal sins. Overall, though, I thought that he made some good points and that his step-by-step suggestions were useful and usually God focused (rather than a "just try harder" to-do list).


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Men Who Met God by A.W. Tozer, Gerald B. Smith

Men Who Met God by A.W. Tozer, Gerald B. Smith ISBN-13: Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: November 15th 2017 (first published May 1986)

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A. W. Tozer's Men Who Met God is a survey of seven biblical figures who had the tremendous experience of walking and communing with God in some fashion—in the coolness of the afternoon, through a burning bush, in personal discussion, or by another divinely inspired method. Originally preached as a series of sermons by A. W. Tozer at Southside Alliance Church in Chicago.


My Review:
Men Who Met God looked at the lives of Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel and how experiential knowledge of God (not just head knowledge) made a difference in their lives. The author briefly summarized that person's life and drew several lessons from their lives to apply to today's Christian walk, like God pursues us, we should revere God, be humble, listen to and obey God, be completely committed to God, etc. And then we will be courageous for God.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Genesis to Revelation Scripture Memory Guide by Ed Strauss

A Genesis to Revelation Scripture Memory Guide by Ed Strauss ISBN-13: 9781643522142 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Barbour Books Released: December 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
This powerful and practical guide book is packed with invaluable information on scripture memorization. Not only does it lay out vital, need-to-know scriptures for everyday life; it offers so much more, including an overview of all 66 books of the Bible, helpful hints and tips for retaining scripture, plus a comprehensive list of Bible memory verses in biblical order. You will come to understand and appreciate the value of scripture memorization as you learn that God’s Word offers comfort, inspiration, and guidance for everyday life situations.


My Review:
A Genesis to Revelation Scripture Memory Guide provides tips on scripture memorization and a collection of important Bible verses for memorization. He started off by explaining why it's important to memorize Scripture, and he gave nine tips about scripture memorization. He then gave an overview of the Bible, going book by book. He also talked about the different Bible translations. Most of the book was a collection of verses that he suggested for memorization along with commentary about the verse so you can better understand the intent and context. He provided verses about salvation, walking with God, the character of God, and things like worship, love, prayer, peace, suffering, and so forth. I had hoped for more information about how to better memorize the Bible verses, but this is a good resource if you want a collection of Bible verses to memorize.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Breaking Anxiety's Grip by Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Breaking Anxiety's Grip by Dr. Michelle Bengtson ISBN-13: 9780800735937 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Revell Released: September 17th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
We worry about our children, jobs, homes, health, and finances. News and social media feed our fears. The solution isn't to rid ourselves of the sources of anxiety but to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence--and then use the weapons of power, love, and a sound mind to fight back and live in God's peace.

Sharing her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety as well as the stories of others, Dr. Michelle Bengtson reminds you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace he promises you in spite of everything. She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety now, and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God's peace as a way of life so that you can break anxiety's grip.


My Review:
Breaking Anxiety's Grip is about fear, anxiety, and worry from a Christian perspective. The author started off by defining the differences between these three, then she talked about their root cause: lack of trust in God. After that, she talked about Bible verses about why we should trust God and how to fight fear, anxiety, and worry. She suggested things like reading Scripture, memorizing verses, and saying them out loud when combating fear. She also talked about gratitude, worship, having a journal of answered prayer, and things like that. Each chapter included personal stories of people who battled fear and how they handle it now. At the end of each chapter, she had questions that help the reader apply what was learned in that chapter. She also included suggested verses to memorize and songs to listen to. Overall, I'd recommend this useful and encouraging book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers ISBN-13: 9780830824847 Paperback: 176 pages Publisher: IVP Academic Released: December 3, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In first-century Ephesus, life is not easy for women. A young wife meets her daily struggles with equanimity and courage. She holds poverty and hunger at bay, fights to keep her child healthy and strong, and navigates the unpredictability of her husband's temperament. But into the midst of her daily fears and worries, a new hope appears: a teaching that challenges her society's most basic assumption. What is this new teaching? And what will it demand of her? In this novel, Holly Beers introduces us to the first-century setting where the apostle Paul first proclaimed the gospel. Illuminated by historical images and explanatory sidebars, this lively story not only shows us the rich tapestry of life in a thriving Greco-Roman city, it also foregrounds the interior life of one courageous woman--and the radical new freedom the gospel promised her.


My Review:
A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman is partly fiction and partly nonfiction and covered events from the point of view of a poor, married, pregnant woman in Ephesus who witnesses the events of Acts 18-20 and decides if she will follow Jesus (and no other gods). The story read like a documentary show that's primarily made up of fictional reenactments to illustrate the points. The purpose was to educate readers (in an entertaining way) about the cultural background of the first-century Greco-Roman church so that we can better understand the New Testament.

The book contained some nice black-and-white pictures of ruins and archaeological artifacts that illustrated information in the non-fiction sidebars or events in the story. A lot of educational material was worked into the story and additional information was provided in "sidebars" (which could take up whole pages) that were placed within the story.

In the fictional part, we basically followed the main character through her daily life, but with some significant encounters during that week and ending with a critical decision. I thought that the author did a good job with the educational points that she brought out. Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who aren't very familiar with the cultural background to the New Testament and who aren't interested in pure nonfiction books on the topic.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.