Tag: book

Nelson’s Compelte Book of Bible Maps and Charts – A Review

On By pastorjonathanIn books, discipleship, Ministry, spiritual disciplines1 Comment

Nelson’s Complete Book of BIble Maps and Charts, 3rd Edition is a very simple, helpful, and affordable reference book for the Bible.  I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in gaining visual insights into the Bible.   Bible maps are quite helpful in determining the movement of people (especially in the Old Testament as well as tracking Jesus’ ministry and Paul’s Missionary Journeys).  The charts are also especially helpful.  They helped me quickly get a grasp on the god’s worshiped in Egypt and the relevance of the ten plagues that God sent upon that land.

The book is choreographed with the Bible so that what ever book you are studying, all you need to do is look up that book Nelson’s Bible Maps and Charts and you will have the information you are looking for at your finger tips.  The pictures of geography or of biblical artifacts are sparse, but in a reference like this they are really beside the point.  The real value to this book is its ability to compliment your scripture reading or provide you with plenty of teaching aids.

There more detailed books available such as a Bible atlas, but I have yet to come across any that do such a wonderful job of providing all the relevant data at your finger tips for such an affordable price.  Easy to use, simple, and well put together.

Nelson’s Complete Book of BIble Maps and Charts, 3rd Editionis a great book and I highly recommend it. The retail price is $19.99 (paperback), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $13.59 (which is an amazing deal).  I gave it five stars.

Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a free review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.

“The Lightlings” (A Children’s book Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Fiction, parentingLeave a comment

The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul and Illustrated by Justin Gerard is a great book for parents to read to their children.  The story is a deep and rich allegory that plays on the theme of being scared of the dark.  The grandfather in this story shares about how some people are scared of the light and begins to tell his grandson about a race of people known as the Lightlings.

The book gets really interesting at this point as the story shifts from the comfort of a grandfather telling a story in a home to the magical world of the Lightlings.  However the world of enchantment is short lived as the Lightlings disobey their king and run to the darkness to cover their shame.  The story of grace and redemption in coming to the light then unfolds.

I really liked this book and where it was headed.  The book has a lot of strengths and can open the door for deeper discussion with your children.  Perhaps the greatest strength to this book is the list of 13 questions to ask your kids and scripture references that come at the end of this book.  This helps ensure that its not only a bed time story, but a teaching moment.

That being said, there are a few things that jumped out at me.  I was puzzled why the Lightling creatures needed to be created as fairy like creatures.  My daughter already gets fairies and angels a little confused. I think its the wings that do it for her.  All allegory breaks down at some point.  And while illustrating the run to the darkness, Sproul leaves much unsaid about how or why the Lightlings disobey the Light King.  In my opinion, as an allegory this is where the story is the weakest. That being said, all allegory breaks down at some point.

Over all it was a great book and I would recommend it for parents with young children.   The Lightlings is an excellent resource. The retail price is $18.00 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $12.24. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: A PDF of this book was provided for review by Reformation Trust Publishing. They will send me a complimentary copy after they see my revies.  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

Book Give Away (Living Life in the Zone)

On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Last month I wrote a brief book  review of Living Life In The Zone, written by Kyle Rote, Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew.  This month I have decided to give away a copy on the blog.  To enter for a chance to win all you need to do is read my review and then come back here and provide a comment on why you want the book (even if you want it to give to someone else).  I’ll randomly draw a name on Monday (February 8th, 2010) and announce the winner in the comments section here.  If you win I will also contact you via e-mail so I can make arrangements to get you the book (so make sure you fill that part out when leaving a comment).

Review:”5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow”

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow by R.C. Sproul is a great book.  Sproul does a great job of introducing 5 comon “means of grace” or tools that God uses to help us grow.  Each chapter is written in an engaging style.  Sproul uses an insightful story to draw the reader in, puts forth a solid case based on Scriputre, while pointedly drawing out application for Western believers.

The book is quite brief at 135 pages, but the content serves as a great introduction for new believers and a compassionate reminder for those of us who may have lost track.  This book seems like a great discipleship tool and aid to those who are longing to grow deeper.  The Sproul’s writing style is simple yet engaging.  This is a great book to give someone who wants to grow in their faith.  The books brevity and engaging style ensure that you don’t have to be an accomplished reader to get through it in a timely manner.

I suggest using this book as a discipleship tool. Maybe reading it for yourself and then passing it on to someone else.  I highly recommend it to anyone interested in growing deeper in their faith.  5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow is an excellent resource. The retail price is $15.00 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $11.70. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: A PDF of this book was provided for review by Reformation Trust Publishing. They will send me a complimentary copy after they see my revies.  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow – Book Give Away

Review: “Using Old Testament Hebrew in Preaching”

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

Ok to be perfectly clear on this and up front.  I do not enjoy Hebrew, but I enjoyed reading this book.  Using Old Tesament Hebrew in Preaching did challenge me to be dilligent in continuing my Hebrew studies as well as give me hope that I might use my Hebrew skills for years to come.  It is a very down to earth, practical and motivating book.  I applaud author Paul D. Wegner for bringing  such a relavent and timely book to my aid when I was doubting the relavance of Hebrew in my future ministry.

The book is made up of five brief chapters that are full of encouragement and motivation for Hebrew students to press on in learning the language.  All along the way Wegner is sure to provide tools, references, and recomendations to support and encourage the student in his or her pursuits.  Above all else, he challenges the reader to press forward in studying and using a language that can be very confusing and tricky (at least to this student).  He does a great job of taking a very large challenge and stripping it to bite sized chunks.

The retail price is $17.99 (Paperback). It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $7.70 (Which is a great deal). I give it 4 stars.

How to Get Free Books (Part 2)

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

If you are a blogger there are several publishing companies through which you can get free books. I will share my experiences with a few of these companies and how you too can get free books in exchange for a book review.

I first learned about the Blogging for Books Program through a random blog that I found while surfing the web for book reviews on books by one of my favorite authors.  I saw the banner above and followed the link to the blogger page.  I signed up but wasn’t contacted until a month or two had passed.  I had all but forgotten about it when finally I received an e-mail letting know that I would soon be notified about upcoming books.

The Blogging for Books Program by WaterBrook Multnomah, in my opinion, is by far the superior book review program.  Basically you log on to the main page, enter in your information and your interest.  A month or two later you may be invited to a blog tour via e-mail.  If you accept you generally receive a review copy a few weeks before the book comes out.  You write a review and post on your blog.  Write a consumer review like for Amazon.com.  Then you will need to send an e-mail back to the person who invited you to the tour letting them know where they can find the review.

Strengths to the Program:

You Get free books

You Get to choose which books you will review

You can review more than one book at a time

You get the books before the release date (you get to read it before the rest of the world)

You can often request a review copy to give away on your blog

Weaknesses

You only have a few weeks to read and review each book.  Its really not a weakness for me, but may be if it typically takes you longer to read a book.

WaterBrook Multnomah has streamlined the process and made it easy for bloggers to log in and figure out how things work.  I highly recommend the Blogging for Books program if you are an avid reader.  So far I have received and written reviews for 2 books through WaterBrook Multnomah. Compared to the other programs I give it a 5 out of 5.

Review: “Smart Faith” by J.P. Moreland & Mark Matlock

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

Smart Faith: Loving God With All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland and Mark Matlock is a great book geared towards students.  I really wish the book had been around when I was a teenager.  The aim of the book is to challenge young men and women to think about the Christian Faith and not just live off their parents faith or emotion.  The book is full of keen insights and practical challenges to help teens grow deeper in their capacity to think about the things of God.

The book is a great blend of Philosophy, Theology, and application.  The later chapters in the book are especially relevent as the authors move the reader from the realm of deliberate thought to the realm of living a fully integrated life.  This book is a great read for any teenager with a desire to grow or for adults with teenagers in their life.  I just wish it had been around when I was fifteen.

This is a very well written book that challenges the reader to dig deeper every step of the way. The retail price is $12.99 (Paperback). It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $10.39. I give it 5 stars.

Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by NavPress. There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

How to Get Free Books (Part 1)

On By pastorjonathanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

If you are a blogger there are several publishing companies through which you can get free books.  For the next few weeks I will share my experiences with a few of these companies and how you too can get free books in exchange for a book review.

I review for BookSneeze

I first learned about the BookSneeze program through Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt’s Blog.  I signed up and was soon getting free books for review.  The BookSneeze program in my estimation is one of the easiest programs to use.  Basically you log on to the main page, enter in your information, your interest, and request a book to review.  A week or two later you receive the book, read it and write a brief review.  Reviewers are asked to post on their blog as well as a consumer website like amazon.com.  After you have completed your review and posted a link to both your blog and your review on a consumer website you can request another book.

Strengths

You get Free Books

You have plenty of time to review the book

The program is easy to use

You can view other blogger reviews

Weaknesses

You can only get one book at a time

You get books after the have already hit the market

Thomas Nelson has streamlined the process and made it easy for even beginning bloggers to log in and figure out how things work.  I highly recommend the BookSneeze program if you are new to writing book reviews or new to blogging.  So far I have received and written reviews for 8 books through Thomas Nelson. Compared to the other programs I give it a 4 out of 5.

How to Get Free Books (Part 2)

How to Get Free Books (Part 3)

Book Review: “Tea With Hezbollah” by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized3 Comments

Tea With Hezbollah: Sitting at The Enemies’ Table, Our Journey Through The Middle East by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis is by far one of the best books I have ever read.  The authors take the reader on a thrilling real life adventure through the Middle East to have tea and discuss what it means to love your neighbor with many of America’s greatest assumed enemies. This book is full of eye-opening encounters that show a softer side of the Middle East not often portrayed in the West.

The interviews and introspection provided in this book are key in understanding the life experiences and mindset of those who live in the Middle East.  The book is faithful to seek varied perspectives along the way.  The insight gained from this book is key and has helped me personally understand and gain an interest in Middle Eastern affairs. I would highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in Middle Eastern issues.

This is a very timely and well written book that engages the reader every step of the way.   Tea With Hezbollah is a must read for 2010. The retail price is $22.99 (Hardcover) and is worth twice that. It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $15.51. I give it 5 Stars and would give it more.  It truly is a great book.

Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

Book Review: “Where is God,” By Dr. John Townsend

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

Where is God by Dr. John Townsend is not all that I expected it to be.   Quite frankly there are better books on the topic available in the market.   The author does an excellent job of taking the reader through a series of questions and shares great clinical insight from years of practice.  However the real insights don’t begin until near the end of the book.  It seems as though I was sitting down with a friend to hear his latest thoughts on why God allowed suffering.

I enjoyed the wisdom I gained from Dr. Townsend’s years of clinical experience, the few references to scripture, and the stories of practical expression of the question, “Where is God?”  A book like this aimed to be, needed to be grounded in scripture, up to date on relevant study and written by a man with years of clinical experience.  In the end I felt as though only the last requirement was satisfactorily answered.  Though Dr. Townsend has a well respected name in his field of work, I fear that is all that was driving this book.  Though I agree with him in many areas he left too much unfounded and unsaid. I have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.  For a topic this large a more complete treatment was necessary.

Where is God? is a book to read for anyone very unfamiliar with the scriptures and searching for a starting point. The retail price is $22.99 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $15.63. I gave it two stars.

Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a free review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.