Review: City On Our Knees

City On Our Knees
by Toby Mac

City on our Knees shares stories of Christians making a difference.  Some are willing to be martyrs, most are just willing to live a life radically devoted to Christ.  Some are are centuries old, some are very recent.  Mr. Mac spotlights these believers and shows how we can all apply wisdom from their lives. 

City on our Knees is a very enjoyable read.  The book itself has a really fun, artistic cover.  It would make a great gift to all the Toby Mac fans in your life as well as the young believers you know.  I think it can show the youth who are struggling to live out their faith as well as the typical me first generation what God can really do if you are surrendered to Him.  I will be excited when my children are old enough to read this book, for now I think I will lend it to my nephew.

I was provided a free copy of this book from Bethany House for the purposes of review, the opinions expressed are my own.

No More Christian Nice Girl
When just being good nice-instead of good- hurts you, your family, and your friends
by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer D. Degler, PHD

No More Christian Nice Girl is about how Christian women fall into traps of niceness instead of goodness.  The book explores the ways God has called us to be His good Christian women.  It is written in a way that is easy to read and has a story running through the book demonstrating the way a nice girl lives and how she changes, it is a good way to apply what the authors are writing about to a real life scenario.

Something about No More Christian Nice Girl just didn't sit perfectly.  I did enjoy it and think there are many valid points in the book.  I know what it is, it is that I just don't want someone to read this book and come away with an attitude of harshness.  I really did enjoy the fact that false niceness is a sin and Jesus wasn't always a "nice guy".  There are times in our lives when we have to stand up and do the right thing, standing for what is good.  I do not think I am a "Christian Nice Girl", but I do hope I am kind and balance out truth in love.  I do recommend this book for women, especially if they feel caught in a facade of being a "nice Christian girl" and really just living a life of self-protection.

I was provided a free copy of this book from Bethany House for the purposes of review, the opinions expressed are my own.

Review: The Church Awakening

The Church Awakening
An Urgent Call for Renewal
by Charles R. Swindoll

The Church Awakening is about the postmodern church.  Mr. Swindoll talks about the problems the Church is facing and how the Church is dealing with issues in the postmodern culture we are living in.  He points out how incorrectly some believers are dealing with them as well solutions to the problem.

The book starts out with where we are a Church.  Then Mr. Swindoll identifies challenges, struggles, solutions, and priorities, using the rest of the book to hash out those themes.

I really enjoy Mr. Swindoll's point of view on the issue and his transparency of how his church has failed in this very issue and what they have done to turn things around.  Directing believers back to the Bible and solutions from Scripture to be relevant in the society we are living in as believers.  The book itself is an easy to understand and is written for the layperson or a pastor.

If you would like to read a part of The Church Awakening to get a taste for the material there is a Book Browse available.

I was provided a free copy of this book from The Hatchette Group for the purposes of review, the opinions expressed are my own.

Review: The Church History ABCs

The Church History ABCs
by Stephen J. Nichols
illustrated by Ned Bustard
published by Crossway

The Church History ABCs is a trip through the alphabet with a major person from Christian history for each letter.  I really enjoyed this book, the illustrations are very nice and appealing to my children.  I haven't seen a book that give this great of information and summaries of the lives of saints who have gone before us.  Children are introduced to John Foxe, Charles Spurgeon, and John Newton and many more Christian history makers.  I can see this being a very helpful reference book to my children as they grow and a stepping point to learn more about some of other heroes of the faith.

There is also a Church History ABCs website.  It has some fun printable copywork, color pages, and timelines, even a "pin the beard on the theologian" game.  Great fun activities for homeschoolers using this book as part of a unit study or lesson.  

Find out more exciting Crossway happenings on their blog.

I was provided a free copy of this book for the purposes of review, the opinions expressed are my own.

Review: God and Sex

God and Sex
What the Bible Really Says
by Michael Coogan

God and Sex is supposed to be about what the Bible really says about Sex.  I found this book offensive, not for the subject matter but for the way it mocks Christianity.  I do not think this book at all portrays what the Bible really says about anything.

I was provided a free copy of this book for the purposes of review, the opinions expressed are my own.

Voices of the True Woman Movement Part 1

Foundations of True Womanhood 
The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood by Pastor John Piper

Pastor Piper started chapter one with clarifying from the Word of God the ultimate meaning of true womanhood.  He explained a little of what true womanhood is not.  I have heard Pastor Piper say before that "wimpy theology makes wimpy women".  I agree.  Understanding our Heavenly Father and what He wants for us will enable us to be strong women.  Pastor Piper gives several examples of women who are examples of true womanhood.  He explains some Biblical outlines for a true woman.  I enjoyed that Pastor Piper included a section dedicated to married women and single women, letting them know that God has a role for both and both are very important bringing glory to Christ.

So far this is a good book and an encouraging start.

Beyond Opinion

I am reading Beyond Opinion and I really like it so far, some of it is a little deep and mind stretching a bit more than I am used to, I am still around though :)  I have read a couple other books in the mean time and need to get a few more reviews up.