Review of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Novelization by Greg Cox

Review of SPARK by Jason Jaggard

Rating: 4 out of 5

SPARK by Jason Jaggard is a battle cry for people embrace the risks it will take to make a positive impact on the world and in our individual lives. Even more than that, it is a call to embrace community, to change the world while realizing that God is about creating a community of people who will deeply care about and transform their world.

I picked up SPARK because I knew that Jaggard had once served alongside Erwin Mcmanus at Mosaic in LA. McManus is one of my favorite authors and speakers. What I loved about this book, that I also love about McManus’ teaching is the focus on helping people to reach their God-given potential. God created people to do great things, but in our fallen nature, we often settle for mediocre living. Jaggard refers to us as sleeping giants in need of awakening. SPARK is very much a motivational book, and Jaggard calls people to embrace life.

The common thinking is that to make a truly transformational impact on the world we must do something big and spectacular. We may not believe we have what it takes. However, Jaggard shows us that a large fire starts with a small spark. For us, it’s the small risks that we take that compound to create transformational change.

One of my favorite chapters of the book was about the perceptions and ideas that we have ingrained in our minds that might cause us to not see new patterns and new ways of doing things. We become blinded by our own learning capacity, or as Jaggard puts it, “learning ourselves to death.” We have to learn to think differently, and we have to learn to let others into our lives. We weren’t meant to live life alone. Jaggard prescribes Spark Groups in which the people involved are the content, and the whole point is to challenge each other to take small risks that will make a big impact on their individual lives and in their world, then discuss these risks after they’re taken.

If I were to change anything about the book, it would be to add a bit of clarification. Jaggard encourages readers to embrace life, and he defines this life as life in Jesus Christ. Readers of this book may be Christian or non-Christian. In fact, I think the ideas would be appeal greatly to a non-Christian audience. But a clearer explanation of what Jesus came to do through the gospel would have been well-placed. Not that it was completely missing, just a bit vague.

I loved the format of the book. Short paragraphs and interesting stories throughout make the reading very easy. SPARK is full of very practical wisdom on leading a great life. Jaggard makes you want to live a great life, and that’s a mark of a great communicator.

Review of SURFING FOR GOD by Michael John Cusick

SURFING FOR GOD by Michael John Cusick is a book about the struggle men often have with sexual addiction, but even more than that, it is a book about the profound power of the gospel of Jesus to set people free from the slavery of sin. Cusick walks men through the source of their struggles, revealing what their hearts are truly desperate for and how the slavery to sin acts as a counterfeit to their desperate need for an intimate relationship with God. The book seeks to empower men through a clear exploration of the gospel and give hope of being better men.

The book gives a lot of practical help for battling the struggle, but the chapter that I found the most illuminating was the chapter on being addicted to your own brain chemistry. While the chapter is specifically about sexual addiction, it also reveals how any sinful behavior can become firmly ingrained in us by the neural pathways we create in our brains by giving in to our temptations over and over again.

SURFING FOR GOD is a great resource for men seeking to be men of integrity and men centered on the gospel. It’s an incredible exploration of the transformative process the gospel takes on our hearts.

I received this book for free for review from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com, and the opinions contained in this review are completely my own

Review of LET'S WRITE A SHORT STORY! by Joe Bunting

Who the Book is For: Fiction Writers

Rating: 5 out of 5

I love writing stories, and I’ve always wanted to write and publish a novel, but a novel is a long and strenuous journey. Though I’ve written 60,000 words of a novel I started a couple years ago, I just can’t find or justify the time to finish it at this point in my life. But another thing I’ve always enjoyed doing is writing short stories. I’ve written several, but I’ve never really seen them as anything more than for my own benefit. A few people have read my stories and enjoyed them, but I’ve never thought I could get one published.

Joe Bunting of The Write Practice blog just released a new ebook called LET’S WRITE A SHORT STORY! It’s a concise and practical guide to writing short stories and why a fiction writer should spend time focusing specifically on writing short stories. Bunting does a great service to writers in providing the encouragement and direction to write stories and going through the emotional risk of submitting them for publication. If you don’t know how to submit a short story for publication, Bunting’s book will guide you through it. Bunting shows that writing short stories is great practice for larger fictional works, and it’s a source of inspiration to actually complete a story.

LET’S WRITE A SHORT STORY! leaves fiction writers with no excuses and every reason why they should make the goal of writing a short story and submitting it for publication to a literary magazine in the next month. In fact, that’s exactly what Bunting is calling readers to do. Check out the book’s website at http://www.letswriteashortstory.com>letswriteashortstory.com

Review copy provided by the author

Review of SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE by Mel Lawrenz

SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE by Mel Lawrenz is a book that looks at the subject of leadership from a distinctly biblical perspective, and the interesting thing about the book is that, though it’s written by a pastor, the principles contained in it aren’t just for church leaders. Lawrenz shows that leaders from all walks of life, in every area where leadership is required, are called to be influencers. Spiritual influence is powerful because it is guiding people with the best of God’s intentions for people in mind.

SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE is about the spread of the kingdom of God, and Lawrenz spends a lot of time talking about engaging with God and serving as a vehicle of leadership. Another high point of the book is how to deal with failure, looking at how to properly categorize failures and learn from them.

Influence is vitally important for people who take their leadership roles in people’s lives seriously when it comes to the potential of spreading God’s kingdom. SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE is a great resource to help people think through how God wants to use them to impact people’s lives.

I received this book for free for review from Zondervan, and the opinions contained in this review are completely my own

Review of SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE ENVIRONMENTALISTS? by Dan Story

Environmentalism isn’t something I’ve thought about a whole lot. I’ve always believed that God intended his creation to be taken care of, but I’ve never really given it much intentional thought. I decided to check out Dan Story’s book SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE ENVIRONMENTALISTS? because I like to read a wide variety of topics, and it is an interesting question. Story lays out the common misconception that Christianity does more to neglect the environment and encourage others to do also than people who don’t embrace Christianity.

The book carefully lays out the Biblical idea of human stewardship over God’s creation. I enjoyed this book because of its passion to show God’s love for the nature he created. Story also shares many personal stories of his own journey with environmentalism and how his faith has shaped his understanding of it. I especially loved his discussion of God’s intention to restore his creation in a new heavens and new earth.

I must confess that it was difficult to read this book and not feel convicted about my own neglect of the care of God’s creation. Fortunately, Story gives some very practical steps on what Christians can do to care for the environment on a daily basis.

I received this book for free for review from Kregel Publications, and the opinions contained in this review are completely my own

My Review of WHY HOLINESS MATTERS by Tyler Braun

Who the book is for: Christians
Rating: 5 out of 5

WHY HOLINESS MATTERS by Tyler Braun is a thoughtful exploration of the biblical concept of holiness in a Christ follower's life. Braun writes from the perspective of a Millennial exposing the Millennial generation's characteristic avoidance of holiness. Holiness is a concept that can be greatly misunderstood because the Bible calls us to be holy because God is holy, but God is so completely other than us. Braun does a great job of helping us understand what holiness is.

The book is refreshing because Braun takes us on a journey through his own exploration of holiness after a loss of innocence. The chapter on wrath was insightful in showing the seriousness of sin and God's wrath toward it, yet also revealing that God's wrath isn't just something he does; it's something we choose by suppressing the truth of God.

One of the primary insights I found in the book is the motivation for holiness. Braun shows that holiness is about a refocusing of our affections on Christ. Genuine love for Christ is the only way to find lasting transformation.

I loved the final chapter on the artistry of our lives in pursuit of holiness. God saves us to give us the opportunity to live a new creative life in holiness and obedience to God.

WHY HOLINESS MATTERS is a call to a generation to abandon all other things that pull on our affections yet fail to satisfy. It's about reordering our affections toward Christ. It's a fairly short book that paints a motivating vision of what life with God could be like.

Review copy provided by the author