The Grace of God by @andystanley : Book Review
The topic of Grace has had countless authors and theologians look at it from every angle. Many come at the topic from a theological perspective... and that is very appropriate! Stanley writes about the topic of grace with the heart of a Pastor. In typical Stanley style, he writes in a very conversational, easy reading rhythm.
Beginning in Genesis and proceeding through the entire Bible, Stanley touches on many very familiar stories from Scripture. He looks at them through the lens of grace. How was God active in the lives and circumstances of some popular and not-so-popular Bible characters. At times, it feels like Stanley is sitting across the bistro table having a conversation with his reader, wanting his reading to see the incredible measure of God's grace, not just in the pages of Scripture but also in the reader's own life.
If you've listened to Stanley speak, you'll feel right at home reading this book. It wouldn't surprise me if this book is a compilation of messages that Stanley has preached in the past. The book is full of some great quotes that have made it into my collection for future use.
It won't take you long to read this book, but it's impact on your spiritual walk will take much longer to digest.
You can pick up your copy of this book at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or ChristianBookDistributors.
Love and Respect for a Lifetime : Book Review
I received a copy of Love and Respect for a Lifetime by Dr. Emerson Eggrichs from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze program.
After more than fifteen years of working with marriages in the local church, this is one of the best books I've come across that addresses the passage that has caused debate in our culture. Dr. Eggerich expounds on Ephesians 5:22ff to show that men need to feel respected and women need to feel loved.
The concepts presented in the book are found in the title. A woman's deepest need is to feel loved. A man's deepest need is to feel respected. The key is found in the word feel. Intent isn't the issue. Through clear and pointed illustrations, Dr. Eggerichs shows how you can meet the deepest need of your spouse.
This book could be used as much as reference book, with simple step-by-step examples of actions you can do to communicate your love effectively to your spouse.
If you've read the original Love and Respect book, this little distilled version will serve as a great reminder. It's the type of book that could find a home on your coffee table and be used as a gentle reminder to yourself.
If you've not yet read the original book, this edition will give you a ten thousand foot view of the authors teaching about the deepest needs of each gender.
If you're not an avid reader, this would be a great book to pick up.
Death of a Burden
As I have been going though my current transition I have noticed an interesting pattern.
While going though the emotional journey of loss, I have attempted to cognitively process those very emotions. I have noticed a parallel to what is known as The Five Stages of Grief.
In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduces the idea that there are five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance/Resignation.
Full-time ministry provides a unique environment where the work circle, the social circle and the worship circle are identical. When there is a loss of the work circle, it has a direct impact on the other circles. The loss of a ministry role results in the loss of relationships and also results in a loss of a church home.
The process is very similar to the five stages of grief.
Going through the loss of both the ministry role and the associated relationships has been painful. But like the winter, it precedes the new life of spring.
Looking back on the last few weeks, I have come to a place of acceptance: I no longer have the burden for my former place of ministry. It has died. I no longer stay up at night dwelling on how to help the people grow in their faith. I no longer wake in the early morning hours burdened with the needs of he people.
God has created a opening through the process of loss. An opening that is ripe with anticipation for the next God-given burden!
Value Added Living
I was recently thinking about the value that group life has added to my life. I grew up in church, a pastors home even. I can remember when I was a child being sick on Sundays and having to go and spend Sunday morning in my father’s office instead of in my bed. Going to church on Sunday is so normal to me that when I’m on vacation I feel guilty if I don't find a church to go to.
That being said, there are huge benefits that I’ve gained in my life over more than a dozen years in structured group life. Benefits that exist, not because of Sunday mornings, but because I’ve chosen to live in close proximity with other believers.
1. Confession: As I have built the relationships within a small group of friends, I have found that trust grows, acceptance flows, and therefore confession is able to happen. I am able to express the things that God is putting his finger on in my life and I find the support and love of friends.
One for All!
My wife and I took our son to go see Madagascar 2 a while back. I remember that there were enough one-liners in the movie to provide enough chuckles from me that I didn’t fall asleep. There were two lines that caused me to whip out my phone and make a note to myself right away. One line was: “They’re New Yorkers, they’re just rude and angry people.” Okay, so it struck me as funny, what does that say about me? 
The other line that I wrote down was much deeper and much more deep. The zebras were running as a herd and you hear one make this comment: “It’s one for all, and all for all.” Did you read that properly? "It's one for all, and all for ALL."
What I'm Thinking...
- Cost of superbowl commercials is so highroad corporations have sold other companies product placement options. 19 hrs ago
- If you don't already use Dropbox: Use this link to learn about it and sign up: http://t.co/BwqUBmFc 2 days ago
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- Is you already use Dropbox, you can get upto 768mb of additional storage for free: https://t.co/9oB8DT6h 2 days ago
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