Tuesday, June 29, 2010

New Releases

Domesticated Jesus
Harry Kraus Jr.
P&R Publishing, June 2010
It's incredible, but the modern church has largely succeeded in domesticating Jesus . We have swapped a God-glorifying gospel for a lesser gospel where I is the central character. This is appalling (but so commonplace, it rarely warrants comment). Harry's honest, fresh, and involving journey of self-discovery helps you understand how his, and your, compromises have led to a down-grading of Jesus role in our lives. Do you want Jesus to be more alive to you than ever before? Don't domesticate him, set him free to live in the center of your life.

Mere Churchianity
Michael Spencer
WaterBrook Press, June 2010
Studies show that one in four young adults claim no formal religious affiliation, and church leaders have long known that this generation is largely missing on Sunday morning. Hundreds of thousands of “church leavers” have had a mentor and pastor, however, in Michael Spencer, known to blog readers as the Internet Monk. Spencer guided a vast online congregation in its search for a more honest and more immediate practice of Christian faith. Spencer discovered the truth that church officials often miss, which is that many who leave the church do so in an attempt to find Jesus. For years on his blog Spencer showed de-churched readers how to practice their faith without the distractions of religious institutions. Sadly, he died in 2010. But now that his last message is available in Mere Churchianity, you can benefit from the biblical wisdom and compassionate teaching that always have been hallmarks of his ministry. With Mere Churchianity, Spencer’s writing will continue to point the disenchanted and dispossessed to a Jesus-shaped spirituality. And along the way, his teachings show how you can find others who will go with you on the journey.

23 Questions About Hell
Bill Wiese
Charisma House, June 2010
23 Questions About Hell contains to-the-point answers to the questions that Bill Wiese has most been asked about hell since his best-selling 23 Minutes in Hell first released. Each answer is based on the Word of God, and the combined answers provide a fresh understanding about some of life's Whys as they relate to hell and eternity. This book will clear up misconceptions and presuppositions about God s character, and about who goes to heaven, and who doesn't. It clearly demonstrates that we are held accountable for our decisions in life. The book includes a DVD -- with Bill's amazing story and the lessons he's learned from his visit to HELL.

Has Christianity Failed You?
Ravi Zacharias
Zondervan, June 2010
In 2006, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) held an open forum at the Fox Theater in Atlanta to address the subject: 'Has Christianity Failed You?' Tickets were sold for the event and---to the complete surprise of everyone---the event was sold out with a capacity crowd of over 5,000. People lined up offering to buy tickets from folks in line for higher prices. Before the event, an RZIM cameraman walked the streets and asked people if they had rejected the faith they held at one time. One answered that, because of a Christian's rejection of his gay lifestyle he had done just that. Another answered that she had left her faith because she had fallen into adultery and could never live it down in the church. Others had their own reasons. Some said it was just intellectually untenable in an age of reason. They chose to come to the event to judge if there were adequate answers. It is estimated that for every one person who writes a letter or attends an event, there are one thousand who agree. If the Atlanta crowd was any indication, the question is real and troubling. Why is it that many live with silent doubt, many leaving the 'evangelical fold' for something else? Is there something wrong with the message, the communicator, the hearer...or is it all three? It's time to ask the hard questions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and why it seems as though God has made it so hard to continue believing. In fact, the son of a prominent U.S. Senator phoned me with that very question. 'Why has God made it so hard to believe in Him?' Such skepticism is not just representative of the hostile; it also represents many honest questioners. This book attempts to lay out the response to those within as well as those outside the Christian faith so as to understand what it is we believe and why it is so hard to do so. More to the point: Why it is actually so hard to deny God and still make sense out of life? In the end the answers should be both felt and real, with the added truth that God is nearer than you think. He desires that we sense Him very near to us and not distant. But closeness comes at a cost just as any relationship of love and commitment does.

The Rage Against God
Peter Hitchens
Zondervan, January 2010
Here, for the first time, in his new book The Rage Against God, Peter Hitchens, brother of prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens, chronicles his personal journey through disbelief into a committed Christian faith. With unflinching openness and intellectual honesty, Hitchens describes the personal loss and philosophical curiosity that led him to burn his Bible at prep school and embrace atheism in its place. From there, he traces his experience as a journalist in Soviet Moscow, and the critical observations that left him with more questions than answers, and more despair than hope for how to live a meaningful life. With first-hand insight into the blurring of the line between politics and the Church, Hitchens reveals the reasons why an honest assessment of Atheism cannot sustain disbelief in God. In the process, he provides hope for all believers who, in the words of T. S. Eliot, may discover 'the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.'

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New Release

Take Four (Above the Line Series)
Karen Kingsbury
Zondervan, June 2010
The Above the Line Series follows two dedicated Hollywood producers as they seek to transform the culture through the power of film. In Take Four, after Chase Ryan returns to his family and a job in his hometown, filmmakers Keith Ellison and Dayne Matthews finally ink a deal to have the nation's top young actor star in their current film. But at the same time, the actor takes a very public fall that threatens his reputation among his fan base. Meanwhile, healing happens for Andi Ellison in her relationship with God, her family, and those she loves, but is it too late? The new producers find they must truly act as missionaries in order to help save the film, their families, and the young movie star. Breakthroughs take place that the public will never know about, as the possibility of saving the world through film is finally a very real possibility.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New Releases

52 Things Kids Need from a Dad
Jay Payleitner
Harvest House Publishers, March 2010
God, please help me…another game of Candy Land…” Quite a few dads spend time with their kids. However, many have no clue what their kids really need. Enter author Jay Payleitner, veteran dad of five, who’s also struggled with how to build up his children’s lives. His 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad combines straightforward features with step-up-to-the-mark challenges men will appreciate:
  • a full year’s worth of focused, doable ideas—one per week, if desired
  • uncomplicated ways to be an example, like “kiss your wife in the kitchen”
  • tough, frank advice, like “throw away your porn”

And, refreshingly…

  • NO exhaustive (and exhausting) lists of “things you should do”
  • NO criticism of dads for being men and acting like men
Dads will feel respected and empowered, and gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their kids. Great gift or men’s group resource!

Surprised by Grace
Tullian Tchividjian
Crossway, May 2010
Tullian Tchividjian takes a fresh and creative look at a prophet's encounter with persistent grace, reminding us that we serve a good, merciful, and surprising God. God's compassion and pardon are utterly shocking in their lavish abundance-that's a lesson God himself pounded into the epic life-story of one man who kept resisting in whatever way he could. Surprised by Grace retells that man's true story-in a gripping presentation that will open readers' eyes wider than ever to God's relentless, purposeful, and inexhaustible grace. The man's name isn't new to anyone. It's Jonah, the famous Old Testament prophet. This fresh unfolding of his story seeks to recapture the staggering effect it had on those who first encountered it so many centuries ago-the same shock effect that's desperately needed today among those who think they know God's heart far better than they really do. In a powerful journey through unforgettable events and imagery, Surprised by Grace reveals how relentlessly God pursues rebels (a category that ultimately includes everyone), though he has every right and plenty of reasons to give up on us all.

Storm Warning (updated)
Billy Graham
Thomas Nelson, May 2010
An examination of the imminence of Christ's return in light of today's headlines and the events recorded in Scripture.The morning newspapers are jammed with alarming headlines and stories asking questions no one can answer. In Storm Warning,Billy Graham examines the problems facing America today compared with what is to come as revealed in the Bible. He answers the tough questions as only he can with astute biblical insight, and points to the hope and renewal found in Christ-for our families, our nation, and our world. Includes an in-depth analysis of the four horsemen of Revelation chapter six as well as insight on: Signs of the times The Apocalypse Standing before God.

The Heart of Remarriage
Gary & Greg Smalley
Regal Books, June 2010
Too often, couples enter remarriage unaware of potential problems and unprepared for the challenges stepfamily life will bring. The Heart of Remarriage takes a unique approach to success in remarriage by going straight to the heart, helping couples heal from the inside out rather than offering surface suggestions that may change circumstances but not the lives of couples and their families. Drs. Gary and Greg Smalley partner with remarried couple Dan and Marci Cretsinger to offer this marriage-changing idea: No matter what circumstances or challenges a remarried couple and their stepfamily face, the solution starts in their hearts. Remarried couples will learn how to examine their own hearts and heal them from the hurts of the past, so that they can be filled with God's love and let that love overflow to their family members. The Heart of Remarriage teaches readers how to create emotional security for every family member, and offers practical ideas for connecting at the heart level with their spouse, children and stepchildren. Couples will be encouraged to keep their hearts open and challenged to leave a family legacy of love.

The Witness
Josh McDowell
Tyndale, June 2010
Tracked by advanced surveillance technology, Marwan Accad is pursued by Middle Eastern authorities for murders he didn't commit. And even as he races against time to find his accusers and save himself---and those he loves---Accad grapples with what's beyond this life and what's eternal. A gripping story of a devout Muslim's conversion to Christianity. 384 pages, softcover from Tyndale.


Free Book
Brian Tome
Thomas Nelson, January 2010
"I am a fanatic about freedom. And I'm fanatical about coming at you hard in this book." Maybe you're not as free as you think you are. Even worse, you may have been duped into believing that a "balanced" life is the key to happiness (it isn't) or that a relationship with God is about layering on rules and restrictions (nope). Whether it's media-fueled fear, something a parent or teacher said that you just can't shake, or even the reality of dark spiritual forces bent on keeping you down, something is holding you back from the full-on freedom God intends for you. The Bible says, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Not fear. Not guilt. Not morality. Freedom. You can have the sort of joy you thought only kids could have. The day of freedom is here.

A Guy's Guide to Life
Jason Boyett
Thomas Nelson, June 2010
A Guy's Guide to Life: How to Become a Man in 224 Pages or Less
is a teenage guy's handbook to becoming a man with a healthy mind, body, and soul. What does society want of teen guys? To be independent, tough, and macho? To be a sensitive, caring metrosexual? To excel in school and sports and business? The challenges are many, and we haven't even mentioned the most important-and most frightening-topic of conversation: girls. The road to manhood is a perilous one. Guys need a guidebook, one that asks and answers the questions they're reluctant to discuss. They need a book that addresses the myths of manhood with a straightforward approach teenage guys will appreciate and absorb. Author Jason Boyett understands what many fail to realize-that somewhere between the awkwardness and braggadocio, the goofiness and the developing body, there is a real person struggling to make his mark on the world.

A Girl's Guide to Life
Katie Meier
Thomas Nelson, June 2010
A Girl's Guide to Life offers girls a fun, healthy approach to facing their adolescent years. This complete resource helps teenage girls deal with all the traumas, dramas, and triumphs in their lives. The book is divided into Body, Mind, and Soul sections to address the relevant issues in each area of a young woman's life. It's "the" book for any girl wondering what's happening to her body, soul, and mind during these crazy years. Revised and updated to include information on texting, sexting, and the viral cultural in which teens live, this book will help girls navigate their way through what can be a very tumultuous time in life. With conversations with real teen girls, a foundation on God and the Bible, and helpful tips and questions for the reader, girls will gain an encouraging and fresh perspective on their lives. A Girl's Guide to Life offers teen girls a new approach to facing their adolescent years.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

New Release

GrATTITUDE: Practicing Contagious Optimism for Positive Change
Ace Collins
Zondervan, April 2010
To most making it through tough times is never financially easy. Those who got through the periods of 'Great Depression' did so with grit, determination, a can-do spirit and a lot of courage. Best of all, they came out stronger too! Those who survive those challenges and come out with a solid self-concept, a loving family and grounded faith ridded themselves of spiritual and mental baggage that would have otherwise destroyed them. They had a lean mind to go with a toned body. As we gaze at the hard days in front of us, it is time to look back on some time-tested examples of those who thrived in tough times as well as those whose mental baggage caused them to crash and burn. The lessons in this book involve not as much what each of us can add to insure survival, but what we can shed from our minds to keep out spirits high and our attitudes on an even keel. In trying times or even when things are great a fit, lean, positive mind is the key to being happy.