I recently finished reading Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream. My life was seriously impacted by this book. I’m still processing my thoughts on this, and probably won’t articulate them as clearly as I need to in this post, but I’m going to give it my best shot.

I may repost this at a later date reflecting the continued progression of my thinking on this.

To state it simply, Radical changed my life. David Platt has written a simple, yet profound, treatise of how we approach Christianity in American culture today.

We have a faith built largely upon convenience. Our faith doesn’t cost us a lot, like it does for millions of people around the world. And, as a result, we have become complacent in our Christianity. We sit back and receive, receive, receive, instead of giving of ourselves for the sake of Christ.

Platt addresses this idea in many different areas throughout Radical. He starts off describing what radical abandonment to Jesus really means. Are we willing to change for Jesus? Or are we too comfortable with the status quo?

You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.

If Jesus is who he said he was, and if his promises are as rewarding as the Bible claims they are, then we may discover that satisfaction in our lives and success in the church are not found in what culture deems important but in radical abandonment to Jesus.

A Work of Heart : Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders is an older book. Published in 2000, it’s been around for a while.

I picked up a copy probably around 2002 or so, on the recommendation of the minister at the church where I was serving at the time. It has rested on my shelf since then. I never got around to reading it.

I decided that now was the time. And I’m glad that I did. A Work Of Heart is a excellent book detailing the circumstances in life that God can use to shape spiritual leaders.

McNeal starts off with the first section of the book detailing the lives of four great leadership examples in the Bible: Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. He dedicates a chapter to each of these four lives, detailing how God shaped each of them for the leadership positions into which each one was placed.

Part two is much more in-depth. These chapters examine the six areas that McNeal identifies as “heart-shaping areas.” Here is a brief synopsis of each of the six:

I have always enjoyed history. Unlike Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, I’ve never confused John Hancock and Herbie Hancock. History has always been a strong subject and I’ve developed a keen interest in it over the years, especially in American history. One particular genre that I love to read are the biographies of great Americans.

So when Thomas Nelson Publishers announced a new series, called The Generals, I was intrigued. I received Lee from Thomas Nelson, and devoured it in two evenings.

Lee: A Life of Virtue tells the story of the life of General Robert E. Lee, most famous for his leadership of the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. But he was much more than that. In fact, he has been called the greatest soldier in America, perhaps even in the world.

Lee is a short book, just over 200 pages, and so doesn’t receive the in depth look that others have accomplished in multi-volume works. However, author John Perry does a great job of introducing Lee to his readers, and examining his life with them.

Since the book is shorter than other works on Lee, Perry is forced to gloss over much of the U.S. Civil War, hitting only the high points, focusing specifically on Lee’s involvement.

Lee: A Life Of Virtue is an excellently written, concise review of the life of one of the greatest military minds in American history. If you enjoy reading biographies of historical Americans, pick this on up and read it. You’ll love it!

If you are interested in reading Lee: A Life Of Virtue, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I received a copy of Max Lucado’s new book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference, yesterday afternoon. And last night, I sat down and read it.

In this book, Lucado approaches the topic of “You were made to make a difference.” He does this by taking a look at several of the stories in the first few chapters of the book of Acts.

Outlive Your Life is very easy to read. I was somewhat disappointed though. I expected another book along the lines of his last, Fearless (read my review of Fearless here). Unfortunately, this one isn’t as gripping. Lucado tells several very interesting stories that reinforce his point of each chapter. But it just seemed as if the depth wasn’t there, as indicated by the fact that I completed the book in just over three hours. I will add, though, that it was difficult to put down during that time.

Don’t get me wrong: the premise and main idea of Outlive Your Life are great. But this book just feels like it was churned out because it was time for a book to be published. I didn’t feel the same depth as in previous Lucado books.

Outlive Your Life is a great idea. However, if you are looking for a challenge, this may not help you much.

If you are interested in reading Outlive Your Life, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Congratulations to Shalene who is the winner of our contest to give away a copy of Randy Singer’s Fatal Convictions.

Shalene will recieve a gift certificates good for a copy of the book from her local Christian bookstore. If she does not live near a Christian store, or the store won’t accept it for some reason, it can be redeemed directly through Tyndale. All of the instructions will be on the back of the certificate. Along with the certificate for the book, Shalene will also receive a signed bookplate from Randy Singer. Tyndale House Publishers will handle the mailing of the certificate and book plate. I will notify Tyndale House of the winner, giving them the winner’s name and address, once I receive that information.

Congratulations, Shalene! Please contact me with your mailing address so I can forward it to Tyndale House Publishers.

Note: The winner was determined by using Random.org’s generator. I entered the total number of legitimate comments and it gave me a random number to determine the winner.

Looking for more info about Fatal Convictons?
Read my review of the book.
Read a Q & A session with author, Randy Singer.

If you are interested in reading Fatal Convictions, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Andy Andrews tells the powerful stories of two men in his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters.

The first is the story of Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Andrews details how, because of Chamberlain’s actions in this battle, the United States is a unified nation today. And if the outcome of Chamberlain’s actions was different, the USA would not exist in the manner in which it does today, potentially changing the course of 20th century history and the spread of democracy around the world. It’s amazing that one man’s decisions can be so pivotal…

The second story is the tale of Norman Borlaug, ABC News’ Person of the Week in 2004. Who? Who in the world is Norman Borlaug? He is the man responsible for hybridinzing a high yield variety of corn and wheat, saving the lives of over two billion people as a result.

But is Norman Borlaug really the one responsible? Or does the credit go to the man responsible for creating Borlaug’s research opportunities? Or does it go to the person who influenced this man’s life as a child? Or does it go to the family who saved this person’s life. Or…

Just how far does the chain go back? How many people have taken their turn in this chain of people and events that resulted in Norman Borlaug’s action?

The point is this: each and every life on this planet matters. You influence the people around you; and you have no idea just how far reaching that influence can be.

“How far forward would we have to go in your life to see the difference you make? Every single thing you do matters.”

The Butterfly Effect is a quick and easy read; and yet the impact very well could be earth changing.

Put this simple little gift book on your shelf today!

If you are interested in reading The Butterfly Effect, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Andy Andrews tells a powerful story of changing lives in his children’s book The Boy Who Changed The World.

He takes the story of Norman Borlaug and tells it in a fashion that will captivate children of all ages. I know this is true, because it captivated all four of my kids. They were spellbound.

Andrews tells the same story in his book The Butterfly Effect, written in a manner that is more appealing to adults. You can read my review of The Butterfly Effect here.

Titus

In The Boy Who Changed The World, Andy Andrews has taken the same story and written it on a children’s level. And he has done a great job telling the story. After reading it aloud to my four children, here’s what they had to say about it:

Titus, age 6: “I liked it that Norman changed the world. And I liked that other people changed his life so he could change the world.”

Lydia

Lydia, age 8: “I liked that Norman ended up helping 2 billion people with food. And everyone was always helped out by someone else. It’s true: everything I do matters.”

Hannah, age 11, wrote her own blog about this story. You can read her post here.

My family and I really enjoyed reading The Boy Who Changed The World together. I’m sure your family will enjoy it as well. This book is well worth the investment of a little money and time. And your family will love it!

If you are interested in reading The Boy Who Changed The World, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”