BOUND TOGETHER: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices By Chris Brauns

ABOUT THE BOOK

We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad.

Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin?
In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, “the principle of the rope.” Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Chris Brauns, MDiv, DMin, is the senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. His other books includeUnpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. Chris blogs at www.chrisbrauns.com.

MY REVIEW

When I first decided to review this book I wasn't sure what I would find in the book. Sometimes a book description can be a bit misleading and the book really isn't what you thought it would be about. This book, however, is exactly what it says it is. 

You have heard the saying, "giving someone enough rope to hang or save themselves." Pastor Brauns actually shows how the principle of the rope binds each and everyone of us together. 

This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read explaining and showing biblically how every single person, from the time of Adam and Eve to the end of mankind on this earth is bound together because of original sin; Pastor Brauns also explains how each one of us who have submitted to the cross of Christ are bound with Christ and that tie is greater than the tie of sin and death. He gives us a very clear and deeper understanding of the gospel.

For those who feel whatever they do doesn't affect anyone else, this book will be eyeopening. For those who are alone because of various reasons, this book will show them they really aren't, especially if they are a believer. They are members of the body of Christ, bound to other members and Christ Himself.

This book will change how you view your relationships with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, even with Christ. Written in a conversational style, Pastor Brauns gives us the bad news and the good news about being bound together, the bad news - original sin, the good news - the cross of Christ.

I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to have a better understanding of how original sin, mankind and the cross of Christ bind us together. 

Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan made this review possible by providing me with a free review copy of this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

 

 

 

PASSION: How Christ's Final Day Changes Your Every Day by Mike McKinley

ABOUT THE BOOK

Some people see Jesus' death as a historical footnote, buried in the past. Christians understand it is much more than that, and know it has transformed their future.

But often we don't realize how much Jesus' last day should change our present, too.

Walking readers through Luke's Gospel, US pastor and well-known author Mike McKinley looks at the events of the last day of Jesus' earthly life. At each point, he pauses to marvel at the love Christ has for His people; and shows how Jesus' people can learn from His passion, His care, and His integrity.

This unique book is perfect for both new and mature Christians. While great for reading at any time in the year, it's particularly helpful to read during Lent or Holy Week.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike McKinley was raised in suburban Philadelphia. He received a B.A. in Religion and Classics from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and an M.Div from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. In 2004, Mike was brought onto the pastoral staff at Capitol Hill Baptist Church as a church planter. In 2005, he brought a small group of people from CHBC to Guilford in order to help revitalize the church’s ministry. He has served as Guilford’s pastor since June of 2005. Mike has been married to Karen since 1997, and they have five beautiful children: Kendall, Knox, Phineas, Ebenezer, and Harper. In his free time, Mike loves to spend time with his family, reading all kinds of books and daydreaming about the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike is the author of several books and blogs regularly at Church Matters, the 9Marks blog.

MY REVIEW

The title and subject matter of this book intrigued me, so when I was given the opportunity to review it I just couldn't pass it up. 

I am glad I was able to review this book. It is extremely well-written, easy to read and one of the most thoughtful books I have read about the last day of the physical life and death of Jesus the Christ. 

Though it wasn't weighed down with the various gruesome descriptions of all the torture and agonies He endured that day on the cross and prior, it is still a weighty subject that was presented with a deep love for Christ and for those who do and do not know Him. 

At the end of each chapter Pastor McKinley gives us a few questions to ponder upon, a time for reflection, accompanied with verses from well-loved hymns that have been passed down through-out the church.

This is one book that though I chose to review it, I will cherish to read it again and again, throughout the years.

This review was made possible by Cross Focused Reviews and TheGoodBookUSA.

They provided me with a free e-book copy for the purpose of writing this review.

 

       

 

 

THE FOURTH FISHERMAN By Joe Kissack

ABOUT THE BOOK

We each came to a moment of brokenness; what we found there was God. And he was enough.

 

It was the subject of headlines around the world: Three Mexican fishermen in a small open boat without any supplies, drifting for more than nine months and 5500 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Through blistering sun and threatening storms, they battle starvation, dehydration, hopelessness, and death. Their lifelines? An unwavering faith and a tattered Bible.

Thousands of miles away, Joe Kissack, a successful Hollywood executive, personified the American dream. He enjoyed the trappings of the good life: a mini mansion, sports cars, and more. He had it made. Yet the intense pressure of his driven and high-powered career sends him into a downward spiral, driving him deep into suicidal depression, insidious addictions, and alienation from his family. His lifelines? A friend and a Bible on the table between them.

Thoughtfully told with candor and humor, Kissack weaves together the incredible true voyage of fishermen adrift in the sea and his own life’s journey as a man lost in the world. It is a story that will buoy your spirit and renew your hope and faith.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Kissack is a speaker, author, screenwriter, film and television executive, publisher, and entrepreneur. His job descriptions cover a wide spectrum, from working on a farm and cleaning out refrigerated beef trucks to serving as a senior executive for Sony Pictures. His speaking engagements also vary, as he provides inspiration for charities, churches, and business conferences. Joe lives in Atlanta with Carmen, his wife of twenty-six years, and their two daughters.

JOE KISSACK'S WEBSITE: http://www.thefourthfisherman.com/

WATCH JOE'S VIDEO: http://www.thefourthfisherman.com/the-fourth-fisherman/video.html?view=featured

Here are a couple of websites about the fishermen: 

www.msnbc.com/id/14410580/ns/world_news-americas/t/fishermen-we-never-gave-hope-be-saved

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/lost.fishermen.survived.thanks.to.fish.and.faith/7340.htm

 

MY REVIEW

I read The Fourth Fisherman a couple of times. Not because I had a hard time with the book, but because there was so much truth in it, that I didn't want to miss a single point.

This is an extremely well-written, honest story about Joe, how he was lost on the inside; and three fishermen who were lost on the outside. How does that make sense? The three fishermen had faith in God though they were lost at sea and Joe had a life most people would have been envious and he was lost without any faith.

I found the intertwining of what could have been two separate stories to be on spot. He is very open about his various addictions before he submitted his life to Jesus. He bares his life and heart to everyone and then shows them how he was changed by faith in Jesus. Throughout this revealing story about a successful man falling, he tells the story of the three Mexican fishermen who were lost and how they survived all those months at sea.

There is so much more I want to say about this book. However, I believe it would be best for you to read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed and you may find yourself reading it a time or two more.

It is an emotionally packed, true story about real people and real events.

This review was made possible through Blogging for Books and abovethetreeline.com by freely providing me with a review e-book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

FEARLESS by Eric Blehm

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators.

 

When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, but he was ready: In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote “I’m not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this Earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me.”

But long before Adam Brown became a member of the elite SEAL Team SIX—the counterterrorism unit that took down Osama bin Laden—there was a fun-loving country boy from Arkansas whose greatest goal had been to wear his high school’s football jersey. An undersized daredevil, prone to jumping off roofs into trees and off bridges into lakes, Adam was a kid who broke his own bones but would never break a promise to his parents … until he grew older, and his family watched that appetite for risk draw him into a downward spiral that eventually landed him in jail.

FEARLESS is the story of a man of extremes, whose determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

FEARLESS is the intimate story of a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as just that—fearless.

Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown was a highly decorated combat veteran with numerous awards including the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals (total: 5), Iraq Campaign Medal (Total: 3+), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (Total: 4+), Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Expeditionary) Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon (Operation Iraqi Freedom), Combat Action Ribbon (Operation Enduring Freedom), and numerous other personal and (and confidential) unit decorations.

Click here to see the book trailer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About Eric

Eric Blehm is a bestselling and award-winning author of nonfiction books. In 2006, he won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season (HarperCollins), a gripping account of the disappearance of legendary National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson; The Last Season was also named by Outside magazine as one of the ten “greatest adventure biographies ever written” in 2009. Blehm’s next book, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Only Thing Worth Dying For (HarperCollins, 2010), was hailed by former congressman Charlie Wilson, of Charlie Wilson’s War, as a “must read” among books about the current war in Afghanistan.

In 1999, Blehm became the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger unit on a training mission. His access into the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters began to gain widespread embedded status with the U.S. military in the War Against Terror. Blehm’s immersion with the Rangers is what led him to the previously untold story of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who operated in the hinterland of Taliban-held Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For), as well as to his current book: Fearless (Waterbrook/Multnomah; Random House). On sale in May 2012, Fearless is the heartrending and inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, who overcame tremendous odds in his rise to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.

Blehm is the founder of Molly the Owl Books, the independent publishing company behind Molly the Owl—his popular nonfiction children’s book about a barn owl and her family—which won the 2011 Nautilus Award and the 2011 San Diego Book Award. Currently, he is working on his next nonfiction book, which takes place during the Cold War era.

Blehm lives in Southern California with his wife and children.

His website is http://www.ericblehm.com/

MY REVIEW

We all need heroes in this world. We need people who we can look up to and emulate. We need people with integrity, honor, humility, strong faith and belief in the Living God, Jesus Christ. Someone who loves God, Country and Family more than they love themselves.

Adam Brown was just one of those heroes. He was a strong military team member of the SEAL Team Six. His life before becoming a SEAL wasn't perfect. He had many flaws. But the one thing he did have was an inner drive that wouldn't quit. He didn't believe in quitting.

I was so encouraged reading about Adam Brown and his life. So many times I was brought to tears over his struggles as he became one of the top SEAL Team members. I laughed over his various antics and crazy stunts he would pull. And my heart went out to and broke over the various lives he touched in such humble ways. 

Eric Blehm's style of writing is alive and impacting. Reading Fearless, was almost like reading a novel, easy to read, smooth, and riveting. I couldn't stop reading it, even though I knew what would eventually happen to Adam. Blehm kept me glued to the book because he knew there was more to Adam's story than his bravery in the face of danger. 

Fearless is the incredible story about an incredible man who would tell you, if he were here, that his wife and his brothers were the hereos, he was just doing what he believed he was suppose to do.

This e-book review copy was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of reviewing by Blogging for Books. 

Buy the book

 

THE JESUS SCANDALS by David Instone-Brewer

ABOUT THE BOOK

30 scandals uncovered in historical sources

If tabloid newspapers had existed during the first century, Jesus would have featured constantly in the headlines, linked with scandals of all kinds. Details of these were recorded in historical documents by both his friends and his enemies. They provide insights into Jesus' life and teaching that have been obscured by the centuries. They tell us what his contemporaries really thought. These scandals include:  

• his parentage and accusations of alcohol abuse and fraudulent miracles
• the dubious status of his followers - poorly educated, ex-prostitutes and the certifiably mad
• his anti-religious teaching on temple practices, eternal torment, easy divorces and judgement in this life
• his thoughts of suicide, shameful execution and impossible resurrection

Faithful to the biblical text, this carefully researched book can be read as a whole or as stand-alone chapters.

Suitable for house group leaders or discussion starters.

TO READ CHAPTER EXCERPTS AND MORE CLICK ON THE LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Revd Dr. David Instone-Brewer is a Baptist Minister who was seconded to the academic world by his denomination. He is now the Senior Research Fellow in Rabbinics and the New Testament at Tyndale House in Cambridge. He has written several academic books and articles on early Judaism and the Bible, as well as regular contributions to Christianity magazine. Other interests include computer programing and lowbrow movies.

MY REVIEW

The Jesus Scandals: Why He Shocked His Contemporaries (and still does today) is a great book for small bible study groups and individual bible study. Why? Because Dr. Instone-Brewer has taken thirty scandals that not just shocked Jesus' contemporaries, it also challenged them and their religious beliefs. 

These scandals may also shock you, challenge you and your religious beliefs as well. 

I found several things in the book that caused me to re-examine how I look at things like divorce, Easter, and even finances. 

Instone-Brewer takes a look scandals in Jesus' life, among His friends, and in His teachings, using historical references from Jewish historians and plenty of bible references.

Looking at these scandals from the eyes of the Jewish people of that time makes reading the New Testament more understandable. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand why Jesus would say something like forgive someone seventy times seven. Read "Bitterness and Hatred" to find out why. 

There is just so much I want to say about this book but fear of spoiling it for you. So all I will say is READ IT! It is worth your time. It will open up the New Testament for you in a marvelous way. 

Reading this book will give you a better understanding of those who wrote the New Testament, who the writers were trying to reach at that time and it will give you a better understanding of how it applies to your life. 

Dr. Instone-Brewer's compassion and love for Jesus and the church comes through each page in this well-written, easy to understand book.

Kregel Publications provided me with this free review copy. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review.