7 fascinating books [for your summer reading list]

Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading. And I love to read! With a few other things in my life slowing down temporarily I’m starting to work on my summer reading list.

I know that the books in this list will make me laugh, cry, think, create, and challenge me in many ways that I know I need to be challenged right now. It’s a list of books that I’m really excited about, so I thought I’d share it with you.

So take a look, let me know what you think, and share what stuff is making your reading list this summer. I’d love to hear what you plan to get into and why! And you’ll have an opportunity to get a free copy of one of these books (details at the end of this post).

Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously

Author: Kent Annan

Synopsis: This book, released before the earthquake in Haiti, is about Kent’s journey to living and working with some of the poorest people in the world.

Why it’s on my list: Kent seems to be an amazing storyteller, and has an incredible story to tell. Some of the things that he’s come to realize about the message of the Bible, and his resulting experiences will inspire and challenge anyone who dares to open these pages.

Want more?: book review: following jesus through the eye of the needle
And even more?: following jesus into haiti [an interview with @kentannan]

Love Mercy: A Mother & Daughter’s Journey from the American Dream to the Kingdom of God

Author: Lisa Samson & Ty Samson

Synopsis: A mother and daughter share the story of a trip to Africa that transformed their lives forever. Fighting an AIDS epidemic in a place overwhelmed by heart-wrenching poverty forced them to change and grow in ways that they never expected.

Why it’s on my list: Everyone I know who has touched this book has walked away in tears, and with a strong desire to sell everything and move to Africa. It’s apparent that the stories and experiences shared in this book are life-changing… not just for the people who wrote it, but also for those who read it.

Against All Gods: What’s Right and Wrong About the New Atheism

Author: Phillip E. Johnson & John Mark Reynolds

Synopsis: Written by a couple of brilliant, scholarly minds this book draws the Christian (and atheist) into a real conversation where we put everything on the table. It’s not as much of an attack on the principles of the New Atheism as it is an invitation to address some real, cultural issues.

Why it’s on my list: I enjoy a book like this that deals with real issues that face the church today, and the New Atheist movement is one that has launched a full-scale attack on the church. I believe that we (Christians) should always be ready to have intelligent conversation about these types of issues.

Want more?: book review: against all gods

Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement

Author: Dave Ferguson & Jon Ferguson

Synopsis: The key (as the authors of this book would propose) to the church winning the battle is that we (Christians everywhere) become more missional. This book provides a blueprint for starting a movement in the church that results in exponential growth.

Why it’s on my list: Being heavily involved in ministry in my church, I like to stay current with trends and thought happening with other church leaders. This idea of a missional church is one that’s gaining momentum, and this seems to be one of the landmark books on the subject.

Barbies at Communion: and other poems

Author: Marcus Goodyear

Synopsis: It’s hard to describe this one any differently than how it’s described on amazon.com… A collection of poems about Barbie dolls, theology, quantum physics, etc.

Why it’s on my list: I keep promising myself that I’ll get more in touch with my artistic side. So I’m picking this one up from my friend (and boss from HighCallingBlogs.com) Marcus Goodyear, because I really dig the poetry that I’ve seen from him so far.

God in the Yard: Spiritual practice for the rest of us

Author: L.L. Barkat

Synopsis: This 12-week course tells a unique story, but it will also invite you to personal growth. You’ll find various options for discovery and participation: free writing, writing response, physical and mental play, and blogging (or alternatives).

Why it’s on my list: This one comes from my other friend (and boss from HighCallingBlogs.com) L.L.Barkat. And no, I’m not trying to suck up to either of them, but I sincerely appreciate their work! I’m grabbing this one because it looks to be a promising handbook for building a deeper connection with our God.

The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist

Author: Craig Groeschel

Synopsis: In his latest book, Craig deals with this issue of the cafeteria-line Christian. The Gospel of Jesus isn’t a pick-and-choose theology, but one that asks us to fully believe in Him and Who He Is.

Why it’s on my list: Everyone I know who has looked at this book is raving over it. This seems to be one of the hottest books of the season, and for good reason. Craig is the real-deal, and his message is spot-on. I expect this book to challenge me and call me out for where I may not be fully living as Christ asks me too.

So that’s it! This is what I’ll be trying to work through this summer! Not too bad, huh?

I also want to give a shout out to a few books that were mentioned on the Facebook page when I asked what everyone is reading…

• Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – A cool retelling of the story of the prophet Hosea.
• The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley – Have you seen our group blogging project on this book?
• Father Fiction by Donald Miller – Gotta love Don’s storytelling skills.

What do you think of this list? What are you reading this summer? Leave a comment below, and you’ll be automatically entered for a random drawing to win a FREE copy of The Christian Atheist!

be ready [compassion and christian ethics]

I recently posted some questions that seemed to hit a sensitive spot for lots of people.

See it here: can you give me a ride? [a question in christian ethics]

While I wanted to generate some discussion around this question, I never expected it to spark as much interest as it did. But that was awesome, and I really learned a lot from the conversation that this has generated for me both online and offline.

So here’s what I learned:

I think that everyone agrees that when in a situation where somebody needs help, the appropriate Christian response is to help them. Where people tend to differ is in how they help.

Through this conversation I’ve become much more aware of other ways that I could have helped this young lady without having her jump into my car with me (creating a potential accountability situation). Some of the possibilities include:

• Call (and pay for) a cab
• Call someone to or ride with us
• Call someone (female) to come pick her up
• Call my wife to let her know what I was doing

All of these scenarios only require one thing… making a simple phone call.

But I’ve also learned that my knee-jerk response closed the door to any of these possibilities happening at all. This is why it is important to be willing to talk before responding.

If I had taken the opportunity to ask her about what was going on and where she wanted to go, I would have been able to gather some important information on how I might be able to best help her out.

Engaging her in conversation may have given me the opportunity to even make suggestions. If she told me that her husband (or boyfriend) was beating her, then I may have been able to direct her to a safe house or shelter for battered women. Regardless of what her need was, I only would be able to discover it by actually talking to her.

Even if I did talk to her and found some ways to help her, I’ve since realized that I wasn’t prepared to really help her out anyway. So I’ve decided that I need to have some phone numbers programmed into my phone. Some of the places that I would need to be able to call might include:

• A reliable cab company (or two)
• Homeless shelters
• Food banks/kitchens
• Safe houses/shelters for battered women
• 24-hour medical centers/clinics

If she needed to get to a safe place to sleep for the night, having these phone numbers at my fingertips would have allowed me to call ahead to ensure that we wouldn’t end up running all over town to find what we need.

I would challenge you to also be ready in the same way.

So what numbers did I miss? What other resources do you think we should always have at the ready so that we can respond (appropriately) with compassion when the time comes?

[devotional strategy #10] be ready for spiritual battles

by Andy Deane

Satan will fight you tooth and nail to keep you from your daily meeting with the Lord. He hates nothing more than seeing a Christian getting down to business with God, because he knows that such believers are dangerous to his kingdom of darkness. Watch out for these problems: 
 
The Battle of the Blankets
Almost every morning you will be tempted to hit the snooze button and sleep in and shorten or miss your time with God. Resist at all costs! Go to bed early enough and with thoughts of Scripture (the night before leave your Bible open to the passage you’ll read in the morning) and get out of bed immediately when you wake up!
 
Concentration
Your mind will easily wander. Make sure you are ready. Try praying out loud in a whisper to help you stay alert when sleepy. Avoid having your quiet time in bed. Take a shower, drink some coffee, and keep a notebook handy so that when your mind wanders to a task that you need to do that day you can write it down, and then forget about it until later. Take control of wandering thoughts. Keep bringing your mind back with quiet firmness and without scolding yourself.
 
Dry Seasons
Sometimes you won’t feel like you are getting anything out of your daily devotions. Just realize that obedience to truth is more important than following your emotions. Feelings come and go but the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). If you only had a quiet time when you felt like it, the devil would make sure you never felt like it. Dryness can be caused by:

Disobedience
Is there unconfessed sin in your life?
 
Your Physical Condition
Are you getting enough rest?
 
Rushing
Don’t try to do too many things. Be simple.
 
Routine
You have to watch out for staleness.
 
Selfishness
Start sharing your insights with others. Don’t hog them!

Satan’s most vicious attacks will come in connection with your desire to be diligent in your quiet time. He knows that if he can keep you out of the Word, he has defeated you. If he can keep you from spending quality time with the Lord at the start of a day, then he’s won the battle. Expect these types of attacks. Dropping your quiet time is usually the first step in spiritual backsliding. You must persevere!

Please Don’t Give Up!

If you miss a meal, it does not mean that you should give up eating. The same is true of your quiet time. It takes time to develop and maintain good habits. Remember, a habit is like a ball of twine: every time you drop it, many strands unwind. Develop good habits by doing your best to:

• Always be consistent, so that spending time with the Lord each day will become rooted in your life.
• Avoid exceptions that will take you away from your quiet time. Recognize that yielding to such distractions will only reinforce the idea that other things are more important.

 

CHECK OUT MORE METHODS   |   BUY THE BOOK!!!

About the author:

Andy serves as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in central New Jersey where he oversees a vibrant junior high ministry. In 2009 he published his first book Learn to Study the Bible: Forty Different Step-By-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply and Enjoy God’s Word. His greatest desire is to equip and inspire God’s people to dig into the Scriptures and begin comprehending and applying the richness of His Word into their daily lives.

You can follow him on Twitter at… @andydeane

[devotional strategy #9] favorite verse study method

by Andy Deane

Studying the Bible should be fun. On way to study the Bible is to use the “Favorite Verse” approach. This Bible study method works well if you start using it with a brand new Bible. Let me explain it to you. 

First you simply read a chapter of the Bible. Then pause and think about what your favorite verse was in the chapter. A favorite verse is the Bible verse that spoke the loudest to you. It may be a comforting promise that fits your present situations or a surprising accurate rebuke about a current sin in your life. Whatever it is that God chooses to reveal to you in that chapter remember to only choose one verse. This will help you to really think about the different verses in more detail. After you’ve chosen your verse underline it. Keep doing that for all the chapters that are in that book of the Bible. This can be done all in one sitting, or for larger books, over the course of a few days. 

Once you’ve finished the entire book then go back and look at all your underlines – one for each chapter. Really think about what your all-time favorite verse was for the entire book based on the verses you underlined in each chapter and circle that verse. This won’t be easy, but again, it will cause you to think more deeply about those verses (that’s a good thing)! Now that you’ve chosen your favorite verse for the entire book go back to the first page of that book and in the margins write a sentence or two about why you chose that for your book verse. This way you’ll be able to see which verse was your favorite book verse just by going to the beginning of that book in your Bible.

So, if you are studying the book of Philippians then you should have 4 favorite chapter verses underlined, and 1 favorite book verse circled. Do this for the entire Bible and you’ll have 1189 favorite chapter verses and 66 all-time favorite book verses for each book of the Bible! Imagine how valuable that Bible would feel to you after having invested so much time into it. And if you want to use this approach again to study the Bible then all you need to do is use a different color pen or highlighter. Try it out today!

Learn more by visiting the book’s official website at http://www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com.

 

CHECK OUT MORE METHODS   |   BUY THE BOOK!!!

About the author:

Andy serves as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in central New Jersey where he oversees a vibrant junior high ministry. In 2009 he published his first book Learn to Study the Bible: Forty Different Step-By-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply and Enjoy God’s Word. His greatest desire is to equip and inspire God’s people to dig into the Scriptures and begin comprehending and applying the richness of His Word into their daily lives.

You can follow him on Twitter at… @andydeane

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