Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs

Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs by Bodie Hodge, Laura Welch Illustrator: Bill Looney ISBN-13: 9780890515587 Hardcover: 22 pages Publisher: Master Books Released: March 2nd 2011

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
A fascinating presentation on dragons and their biblical connection will shed light on the truth of their existence and connection to the last living dinosaurs. Powerful, fire-breathing, fantastic beings that have left their legacy on this world and can now only be found in the pages of ancient texts.

Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs is a juvenile nonfiction title enjoyable for all ages! It takes you back to the days of these amazing creatures and their presence in various cultures including Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Read of thrilling historical battles between dragons, and saints, and their ability to terrorize medieval castles. This title is case bound and beautifully presented using original illustrations, envelopes, fold-outs, gatefolds, and more! 24 pages and 11 spreads of substantial quality, unique content, and all at a great


My Review:
Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs is a collection of accounts about dragons found throughout human history and about how the descriptions of dragons often match those of dinosaurs. The target audience is ages 8 through 12 (and older, including adults). The book has pages that flip out for larger illustration, doors that can be opened to see what is behind them, envelopes that contain folded accounts of dragons, and other interactive features. The authors included recorded legends about dragons found around the world, from ancient times to more recent ones. They even quoted where dragons are mentioned in the Bible. They also explained how an evolutionary viewpoint that dinosaurs died out millions of years ago prevented some people from making the obvious connection between dinosaur bones and dragon legends. Overall, I'd recommend this book to kids interested in dragons and dinosaurs.


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.

Uncovering the Mysterious Woolly Mammoth by Michael & Beverly Oard

Uncovering the Mysterious Woolly Mammoth: Life at the End of the Great Ice Age by Michael Oard, Beverly Oard ISBN-13: 9780890515082 Hardcover: 72 pages Publisher: Master Books Released: June 1st 2007

Source: Bought it.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
How did the Ice Age end? How did men survive during the end of the Ice Age? Where have mammoths been found? Discover the science behind the Ice Age World. The questions of what happened at the end of the Ice Age and why the woolly mammoth disappeared have been asked by many. Unfortunately, the answers given are usually in line with an evolutionary world view. Author Michael Oard gives biblically and scientifically sound answers to these relevant questions for young readers in an exciting story of one boy and his family. Follow Tungus and his tribe as they travel to a better climate away from the dust storms at the end of the great Ice Age. Learn how people lived, the challenges they faced in daily life, and why the woolly mammoths disappeared while the Ice Age was ending.


My Review:
Uncovering the Mysterious Woolly Mammoth is a look from the biblical perspective at the causes of the Ice Age and what we know about how people lived during that time and what happened to the woolly mammoths. Much of this is written in a fictional account from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old boy living in what is now Germany and a 12-year-old boy who migrated with his family from Siberia. We see how they live now and the two tribes talked about how things changed in Siberia. Both the story and the nonfiction scientific explanation after it seemed aimed at 10- to 12-year-olds (and older).

The nonfiction section explained how the worldwide flood described in the Bible would create the correct conditions to cause an ice age and dust storms, the evidence of which we see still today on the landscape. The authors also talked about the mass extinctions of large animals around this time with a focus on the extinction of the woolly mammoth. The illustrations showed scenes from the story and had a realistic (though somewhat blurred) look. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want an overview of the science and archaeology of the Ice Age from a biblical perspective.


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.

The True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley

The True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley, Bill Looney (Illustrator) ISBN-13: 9780890513880 Hardcover: 72pages Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group Released: June 1st 2003

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
God always has a plan; God always has a man. The plan: destroy the wickedness of the world. The man: Noah. How would you feel if you knew that God was going to destroy the world, and you had been chosen out of millions of people to continue the human race? This book is not just Sunday school material for kids, but the thrilling adventure of Noah comes to life through the dazzling, detailed illustrations and the exciting True Story of Noah s Ark. The images of the interior of Noah s ark are like nothing you ve ever seen before. The people and cities depicted here are certainly more advanced than what you ve been led to believe - these people weren t cavemen! They invented metals and musical instruments; they were skilled craftsmen; they built grand cities -all before the Flood. And this is not fiction - it s all biblically and historically based.


My Review:
The True Story of Noah's Ark is a children's hardback book about life before the Flood and the making of Noah's Ark. There were colorful illustrations along with text explaining what life would've been like before and during the Flood. The author used the information included in the Bible and then filled in some information based on reasonable speculation. Overall, I'd recommend this to any Christian who wants to have a children's book about this event as this book is more accurate than most and gives an accurate idea of how big the ark really was.


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.

The Deity of Christ by John F. MacArthur Jr.

The Deity of Christ by John F. MacArthur Jr. ISBN-13: 9780802415110 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: January 3rd 2017

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Almost two Millennia ago, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”—and people have been asking the question ever since.

Many answering the question today have a decidedly different view than Peter offered in his faithful response. In the early days of the church, Gnostics balked at Jesus’ humanity. Today, it’s his divine nature that’s under attack. It seems almost monthly that new bestselling books appear detailing how alternative gospels portray an earthly Jesus, devoid of divinity. Theories proliferate online that Jesus’ deity was concocted during shadowy closed-door councils by power-hungry church leaders.

The Deity of Christ by John F. MacArthur is a biblical defense of Jesus’ deity and a clarion call for believers to rise up and defend this core doctrine. Both new and seasoned Christians will benefit from MacArthur’s clear take on the relevant Bible passages. They will come away with rock-solid assurance that Jesus was indeed the unique son of God and a deeper, more profound appreciation of Christ’s love for them.


My Review:
The Deity of Christ is an in-depth Bible study on the deity of Christ. The author focused on verses that are attacked by cultic groups and skeptics. He examined New Testament passages that talk about different proofs of Jesus's deity – his authority over demons, sin, disease, and so forth – and Jesus's claims to deity as well as the apostle's claims that Jesus was God. He took each passage and provided verse-by-verse commentary (including word studies). The tone was formal and somewhat academic rather than casual. The commentary was very focused on what Scripture has to say about Christ. Overall, I'd recommend this Bible study to those interested in what the Bible says about this 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Captivating Grace by Zondervan

Captivating Grace ISBN-13: 9780310452652 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: December 30th 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, and To the Glory of God Alone—these are the Five Solas and the basis for this beautiful collection of devotions. The writings within each theme are drawn from the books, sermons, and commentaries of the most influential figures of Reformed thinking, including Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Charles Spurgeon. Each entry in this daily devotional includes a Scripture and a short reading.


My Review:
Captivating Grace is a 365 day devotional with each devotional taking up one page. Each devotional had the date, a verse, and two to three paragraphs quoted from a Protestant reformer or famous preacher. The book was divided into five sections based on the Five Solas: Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, and To the Glory of God Alone. The quotes were sometimes related to the day's verse and sometimes only related to the section's theme. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, and Jonathan Edwards were frequently quoted but there were also other people like Theodore Beza, Ulrich Zwingli, and Francis Turretin.

I was disappointed that the cover almost immediately started to separate from the rest of the book. And I'm not hard on my books. There was a fair amount of repetition. For example, there were several days in a row that covered that the Bible was written by God, but these comments were made by different people. The quotes primarily showed what the different preachers thought relating to the Solas. I suppose I expected the quotes to provide more insight into the verses (or the verses to be more related to the Solas) rather than this devotional being a collection of statements about where they stood on certain topics.


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.

Colossians by Joyce Meyer

Colossians by Joyce Meyer ISBN-13: 9781546026143 Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: FaithWords Released: March 31st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Let the wisdom of Colossians transform relationships in every area of your life -- home, church, and even the world -- with this study guide from renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer. Paul's letter to the Colossians reminds us that as we have died with Christ, so, too, do we need to die to our sins. It encourages us that because we have also been raised in Him, we must submit to Jesus and adopt qualities motivated by Christian love.


My Review:
Colossians is a Bible commentary on Colossians that can be used for personal Bible study or even as a devotional. The author provided the Bible verses in the book (often using an amplified version). She covered several verses at a time and worked her way through Colossians. She talked about each group of verses and brought out insights to improve our understanding. She stayed focused on the verses rather than telling funny stories, but it wasn't highly academic or difficult to follow. It's written at a layman's level and contained short enough sections that it could be used for daily devotional reading. She included questions for personal reflection along with space to write in your answer. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to better understand Colossians.


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.

That Way and No Other by Amy Carmichael

That Way and No Other by Amy Carmichael ISBN-13: 9780874863031 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Plough Publishing House Released: March 3rd 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Amy Carmichael left everything to become a missionary in India. But then seven-year-old Preena, fleeing sexual slavery, threw herself on the newcomer's protection. Could Carmichael relinquish a religious vocation to become a "nursemaid"? A picture of Jesus washing his disciples' feet came to her mind, and "the question answered itself and was not asked again." Joined by a growing team of Indian women, Carmichael founded Dohnavur, a community of households that has provided family for hundreds of girls who might otherwise have been sold into prostitution.

The practical wisdom in these selections were taken from her many books.


My Review:
That Way and No Other talked about Amy Carmichael's work and what she felt it meant to be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus. The first quarter of the book was descriptions of Amy Carmichael's life provided by others to give context to Amy's writings. They talked about her work in India rescuing young children from sexual abuse in Hindu temples. The rest of the book was written by Amy Carmichael. She sometimes talked about things occurring with the children (how she learned about the abuse, rescuing a child, raising the children), but they were more tidbits than full stories. Since this is a collection, the book didn't have a tied-together feel. She mostly talked about topics like praying. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in Amy Carmichael's work and thoughts.


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.