Defined - Stephen and Alex Kendrick

Inspired by the Kendrick brothers’ new movie OVERCOMER, and written by the best-selling author team behind The Love Dare and The Battle Plan for Prayer. Defined is an exciting new resource, published by B&H Publishers, about discovering your God-given identity and embracing the wonder of who you were created to be.

Defined is a simple yet deep book that guides the reader on the path to discover their identity in Christ. I love the short chapters that give a solid truth that is easy to grasp, but that also share other Scripture the reader can turn to for a further understanding of what the authors are saying. There is also a short prayer at the end of each chapter that you can personalize for yourself. Divided into 5 parts, this makes it even easier to help each person "overcome" the doubts and fears that have built up within the individual. There are also group discussion questions at the end of the book so this book can easily be used in a small group setting.

I enjoy the Kendrick Brothers movies and find them a source of encouragement, especially for believers who are facing trials and temptations. This book is a fabulous resource for those who have seen Overcomer. Seeing the film first is not necessary. It is inspired by the movie, but not about the movie. However, like the characters in the film, we sometimes get so caught up in our lives, especially the failures, that we forget about who we are in Christ. The Scriptures, stories, and wisdom in this book are sure to make an impact. I highly recommend it. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book at no cost to myself from Icon Media Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Radiant - Priscilla Shirer

Did you know that God’s light can shine through every facet of your identity? Radiant is an invitation for teen girls and young women to enjoy a candid conversation on identity with bestselling author Priscilla Shirer. You’ll hear reflections on life lessons she’s gathered from her teen years until now. She’ll show you how the light of God’s Word shaped her identity, and she’ll teach you how it can change and shape your life as well.

The book is less than 150 pages, but each page will touch the heart of the reader and make a positive impact. Priscilla Shirer is one of my favorite Bible teachers and this book appeals to me in spite of being well beyond the age of the intended readers. I wish there had been a similar resource available during my teen and early adult years. It is divided into 4 parts to walk you through various seasons and each ends with something To Think about and To Take Away. There are also paragraphs encouraging you to Read This, Say This, and Believe This. The outer beauty of the book (I love the purple cover with the gold lettering!) makes me smile, but the inner beauty being taught within the book makes this an excellent book for a young woman.

Radiant is published by B&H Publishing as a resource for further study with the film, Overcomer, by the Kendrick Brothers. Priscilla has a role in this film as a caring high school principal. I also highly recommend you see the movie!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book at no cost to myself from Icon Media Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Core 52 - Mark E. Moore

With Mark E. Moore's Core 52, you can learn the 52 most important verses in the Bible in a year. If you devote fifteen minutes a day, you can master one verse per week.

"While there are lots of one-year Bible reading plans, few help you understand the words that you're reading. What if we could introduce you to a Bible reading plan that would dramatically increase your mastery of the Bible in one year? Mark Moore coaches you through 52 of the Bible's most important verses. These are the "core" of the Bible. Each verse clears the path to master and manage dozens of other verses that run along the same principle path. At the end of this journey, you will move from curiosity about the Bible to competence in the Bible. It is the quickest onramp to understanding the whole of God's Word for your life."

My Review: This book is an excellent resource to use for memorizing new Scripture weekly, and for putting it into practical use. Ranging from topics like Creation, Jesus and Moses, Covenants, Communion, Baptism, Leadership, Racism, Resurrection, and more... there are answers to many of the questions people ask about Christian faith. We know that various denominations interpret some things differently than others, but this book does not appear to sway the reader to a particular denominational belief but explains what God's Word says while including diverse viewpoints to give a deeper understanding.

Each of the 52 chapters provides a verse to go with the topic along with several pages of in-depth study as well as sharing the key points. For those who want to pursue the subject further, there are 5-day plans with additional info. Do you want more? Check out the Overachiever Challenge! Finally, if the reader still wants to dig deeper, Moore gives you a Bonus Read suggestion of another book source on the particular topic.

Basically, you can put in as little or as much as you wish each week, but at the end of a year you will be more knowledgable about Scripture for your own personal growth or to share with others who ask about your faith. I definitely recommend it for your personal library as a study resource.

As part of the Waterbrook Launch Team, I received a copy of this book at no cost to myself for review purposes. I am not required to write a positive review but asked if I will give my honest opinion.

#Waterbrook #PenguinRandomHouse

No Ocean Too Wide - Carrie Turansky

Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans--but was that the truth?

After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans' home before Laura is notified about her family's unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?

Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God."

My Review: We are introduced to the McAlister family in No Ocean Too Wide. When their widowed mother is admitted to the hospital due to illness, the 3 children (twins Katie and Garth, and 8-year-old Grace) remaining at home are placed into what they expected to be a temporary home. By the time the oldest sister finds out, the children have become among many British Home Children being sent to Canada. This is Book 1 of a trilogy and the focus is on Laura, the oldest, and Katie. 

The characters in the book are endearing, and sometimes frustrating with the decisions made at times, but this makes the story that much more relatable. The storyline of the British Home Children is one that seems unbelievable... yet it happened. The idea was built on a genuine concern about the best way to help children, but greed and evil also played a role in the lives of too many of these kids. There is also the matter of what was the cultural attitude of the early 1900s, including separation of classes. Laura is strongly attracted to the son of her former boss, but also has a distrust of wealthy young men. Andrew's interest in the child emigration program brings them together and provides a romantic, hopeful element to the story.

Author Carrie Turansky can be depended upon to develop characters you love and want to get to know better. The only thing I dislike is that... I want more of the people I met in this book but have to wait until the other books come out. I do recommend this heartwarming story of struggle, faith, love, and hope.

I received a free copy of this book as part of the WaterBrook Multnomah Launch Team. I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the book!

CSB He Reads Truth Bible

The CSB He Reads Truth Bible includes robust, well-crafted theological extras to draw the reader back to Scripture, increase biblical literacy, and foster a growing affection for God and His Word. Color-coded by genre, each book of the Bible features detailed book introductions, a reading plan with supplemental passages for deeper understanding, and full-color maps, charts, and timelines by the He Reads Truth team. In addition, the CSB He Reads Truth Bible features 66 key verses, artfully lettered to aid in Scripture memorization. This Bible invites every man to count himself as part of the He Reads Truth community of “Men in the Word of God every day.”

Features include: 66 hand-lettered key verses, 17 full-color timelines, 21 maps, 122 charts (including infographics and lists), and 4 illustrations, reading plans for every book of the Bible, one-year Bible reading plan, detailed book introductions, key verse list, smyth-sewn binding, two colored ribbon markers, and wide margins for journaling and note-taking.

The CSB He Reads Truth Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.

My Review: If you are looking for a new Bible for yourself or a special man in your life, I definitely recommend the CSB He Reads Truth Bible! There are timelines, background history, reading plans, key verses, and maps. If you are a note-taker, the wide margins will please you. The additional features included invite you to dig deeper into God's Word and develop a greater understanding of what was happening and how the stories may connect in other books of the Bible.

The only 2 problems I had are not going to be an issue for most. The print was a little smaller than I prefer, but it's a personal preference. Each page can be easily read for most people. The other difficulty for me is that the book weighs 3.90 lbs. I could hold it in my hand to read, but it was a bit heavy. (Of course, if it had larger print, that would have meant more pages and added weight.) 

The good, however, far outweigh the things that I had slight problems with, though. It's an excellent study Bible that will hold together through years of use. It would also make an outstanding FATHER'S DAY GIFT!


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The Logic of God - Ravi Zacharias

The Logic of God: 52 Christian Essentials for the Heart and Mind by Ravi Zacharias is a weekly offering on the topics that are important to Christians on why the Bible and God are still vital, relevant and life-changing. Ravi says, "I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds." Each week's reading provides Scripture, questions for reflection, and some practical application steps that apply to your life.

The book itself is a beautifully bound hardcover that is meant to be used frequently. It's not necessarily one you would normally read straight through but to be used in either your own quiet time and study or as part of a small group. Some of the topics are going to make more of a personal impact than others, but each is important as part of your faith-walk. I rushed through much for review purposes although some did cause me to linger a bit. I look forward to reading the book again as part of a weekly devotion. As always, Zacharias uses rational thinking, courtesy, intellect, and humor to challenge the reader to seriously consider the topic. 



I received a copy of this Zondervan published book from BookLookBloggers at no cost to myself for review purposes. I was neither influenced or required to write a positive review.

Ravi Zacharias website is RZIM.org.
FaithGateway.com 
Zondervan 
Thomas Nelson books
Amazon

Becoming Us - Robin Jones Gunn

Five young women, including beloved Gunn characters Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen, gather for a simple Christmas party and soon become unlikely best friends. Told from the viewpoint of Emily, a timid young mom going through a difficult season of life, the regular gatherings provide the much needed community she's longed for. As the women begin sharing their life stories in Becoming Us they are endeared to each other and find ways to challenge, encourage, and help each other become the nurturing mothers they wished they'd had when they were growing up. They see themselves as Haven Makers and unite to be remembered for what they do and not for what was done to them. (Amazon description)

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn brings together 5 young mothers who connect and form a close bond with one another. The story is told mostly from the POV of Emily who has recently moved from North Carolina to California with her husband and young daughter. Unlike the others, Emily's child is not a baby or toddler, so that plus being in a very vulnerable season in her life causes her to be hesitant about forming friendships within the group. When an unexpected event thrusts her into a shared experience, however, she allows herself to be pulled into the group.

The transformation of Emily from a shy, lonely, timid woman who has allowed family to shape her life into a person emerging from the shadows strong in faith, confident in herself, willing to take risks, and determined to do what is best for herself, her husband, and her child is an encouraging story for anyone who struggles to find herself. Both Emily and her husband Trevor make strides to lean less on their own thoughts, understanding, and indecisiveness and to trust fully in God... which also is a lesson observed and adopted by daughter Audra.

For the fans of Christy Miller and Sierra Jenson, it will be a treat to revisit them in "Haven Makers" series. I know Robin Jones Gunn through her "SisterChicks" books, but now I want to read more. I give Becoming Us 5 stars and look forward to reading future books about these friends.

I received a copy of this book at no cost to myself as part of the WaterbrookMultnomah Becoming Us Launch Team. All opinions are my own.

RobinGunn.com
WaterbrookMultnomah.com
Becoming Us on Amazon