Friday, October 19, 2012

Radical Question & Idea by David Platt



This is a very short introduction to his first and second book Radical and Radical Together. It is a very quick read but it has a powerful message in it. I think it does a solid job of introducing you to his other books. I love the opening example of how the church meets in a closed country in Asia where being a Christian can get you killed. These people gather to worship God and pray together no matter the cost. I think he does a good job getting his point across and it is a powerful message to remember the church is about people, not buildings and programs. The church can get caught up in materialism the same way we can personally while we pursue our "American dream". A good, challenging read.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

I didn't know much about the story of the three fisherman who survived 9 months on the open ocean. What an amazing story of survival that is. Mr. Kissack weaves his story in along with the story of the fisherman and while I was wondering how they were intertwined it did become obvious in the last half. It's amazing how two stories can be so different yet have obvious parallels. While the fisherman were desperately clinging to their faith to survive, Mr. Kissack was trying to figure out how to survive his "successful" life without faith. It wasn't until complete brokenness he called out to God and was rescued. As he began pursuing the story of the fisherman it took a whole lot of faith in God to continue, especially when it didn't make sense to others. I was inspired by this story but I would love to hear more about the fisherman's side. This book felt more like an intro to the bigger story that's coming soon.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Sinner's Creed by Scott Stapp

I really enjoyed Scott Stapp's memoir. It was definitely revealing and from the heart. I was impressed with his writing. You can tell he is a poet and and his heart is in the writing. The environment he grew up in was quite terrible and its no wonder he was confused with who he was and who God really was.  Having a father who beats you and puts himself in a position of him and God being one and the same would definitely cause some confusion in one's life. Scott sure has a firm knowledge of the Bible. He kept trying to reconcile the God He knew from the Bible and the God that was displayed through his step-father and Christian's he knew. I love that his song writing reflects his knowledge of the Scripture. I do find it interesting that their band took so much heat for being called a "Christian" band just because of some of his lyrics. It's so clear to me that his lyrics were filled with brokenness and searching. He is very candid about his struggles with addiction, depression and not being the Christian he knew he should be. This is a great read for anyone who has struggled with depression or feeling like you have to be perfect in order to please God.  After reading this book, I had to find my old Creed music! I'm glad to know the band is back!

I received this book free from Tyndale publisher in exchange for my review.