The Divine Conspiracy
by Dallas Willard.
This is one of the best books I've read! I
recommend it highly. On a strictly personal note, this book helped me
to emerge out of the sorrow and confusion I experienced during mourning. It
reminded me of what it is to be a Christian, and how far from it I can
wander. This book is straightforward and encouraging. It's not
really a simplistic "how to" book about Christian discipleship, and for that
I am deeply thankful. It is both challenging and encouraging.
From a review on Amazon.com:
"Dallas Willard, an acclaimed theologian and professor
of philosophy at the University of Southern California, fulfills the longing
of many Christians who want to live as true disciples of Christ rather than
distant dabblers. Likewise, he scoffs at consumer Christians who are simply
banking on admittance to heaven as their payoff for attending church. Or
worse still, those who use Christianity to advance their political agendas
rather than their spiritual ones. But this is not a scolding book. Rather,
Willard devotes his efforts to discussing specific and inspiring ways to
develop a discipleship to Jesus--not as an act of sacrifice or even one of
spiritual luxury--instead, as everyday people committed to the teachings of
Christ. "The really good news for Christians is that Jesus is now taking
students in the master class of life," writes Willard. "So the message of
and about him is specifically a gospel for our life now, not just for dying.
It is about living now as his apprentices in kingdom living, not just as
consumers of his merits." --Gail Hudson
Draw Close to the Fire (Finding
God in the Darkness) by Terry Wardle
Terry Wardle is a minister, seminary professor and
author. He was the keynote speaker at all my retreats at Pastors of
Excellence at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland Ohio. His name may
sound familiar to you, because I've quoted Terry on numerous occasions in my
Sunday messages. I find his writing to be intelligent, honest and practical.
From Amazon.com:
This book lays out the source of healing and charts the
path toward healthy relationships and spiritual maturity. How do you respond
when you find yourself facing a dark and difficult valley? Most of us want
to hurry through the tough times. But when we draw close to the fire of
God's presence, we discover priceless treasures found only in the darkness
of difficulty and discomfort. For those experiencing the darkness of deep
emotional wounds, this book lays out the source of healing and charts the
path toward healthy relationships and spiritual maturity.
Draw Close to the Fire is starkly personal and authentic.
Wardle shows us how to find God and our own wholeness by
embracing emotional pain rather than running from it. In so
doing he is not just telling us what works for him. He is
standing on the shoulders of the wisest people in history.
--Dr. Robert E. Coleman, Director, Billy Graham Institute on
Evangelism, Wheaton College
The best book I have read in a
long time. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
Wardle's honesty and realistic approach are both refreshing
and disarming. --Robert S. McGee, author of The Search for
Significance, and founder of the Rapha Treatment Centers
The
Best Question Ever
by Andy Stanley
Publisher's Description:
We’ve all done dumb stuff in our
lives. We all have regrets. Yet none
of us plans to mess up our
lives. Why, then, does it keep
happening?
Life doesn’t have to be that way.
You can fool-proof your life…as this
book shows. God’s promise and
pattern is for something better.
In The Best Question Ever,
Andy Stanley effectively teaches the
practical and lasting value of
simply asking this question about
our actions in all of life’s arenas:
What is the wise thing for me to
do, in light of my past experience,
my present circumstances, and my
future hopes and dreams?
This book probes for honesty
—it pushes us to open our eyes to
reality and helps us expose the
little (and big) self-deceptions we
have.
Prepare yourself.
You are about to be introduced to a
single question that will
revolutionize the way you make
decisions.
Over the past twenty years, speaker
and author Andy Stanley has shared
the power of this question with
thousands of students and adults all
over the country. In this
ground-breaking new book, Andy
provides you with a filter through
which to evaluate every
decision in every arena of
your life. As you are about to
discover, the Best Question Ever
will bring clarity to decisions
involving your finances, your love
life, your schedule, even your
career.
People everywhere agree that their
greatest regret could have been
avoided had they asked the Best
Question Ever and then acted on
their conclusions. A time-tested
truth that has immediate
application, the Best Question Ever
has the power to change the
trajectory of your entire
life.
Story Behind the Book:
After continually making decisions
that were short-sighted and hasty,
Andy Stanley sought counsel. In
Ephesians 5:15 he read, "Be very
careful, then, how you live—not as
unwise but as wise." It was there
that Andy discovered what he
considers to be The Best Question
Ever.
The Best Question Ever
is available for check-out in our
church library!
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Evangelism
for "Normal" People by John Bowen
For
many people, "evangelism" is a bit like taking cough medicine.
Folks know Christians are called to share their faith, but they
prefer not to. Embarrassed by
images from TV evangelism, quick-fix religion and conversion techniques,
we find ourselves asking, "does something as wonderful as Jesus have to
come off looking so badly?" How then do we share our faith effectively,
and do so free of guilt and
apprehension? John P.
Bowen, professor at Wycliffe College in Toronto, Ontario, has written Evangelism
for "Normal" People, a book that offers a refreshing and
productive alternative to the technique-oriented approach to evangelism so
often associated with many North American churches.
Relying
on Biblical interpretation, and interspersing it with every-day stories of
people leading others to Jesus Christ, Bowen shows that evangelism is not
about techniques or split-second decisions.
More often than not, evangelism is "best understood as a
process," one which takes time and requires sensitivity.
This approach seeks to address some of the criticisms of people who
view evangelism as intrusive and even unkind.
Gone is the urgency of the now-or-never approach to conversion, to
be replaced with a relational approach to evangelism that makes sharing
the gospel less intimidating.
Ever
wondered how you can best share your faith here at FPC and in our
community? This book will help
you find ways to reach out to others naturally and effectively.
Evangelism for "Normal" People is available for
check-out in our church library.
