Review of “I Lift Up My Soul” by Charles Stanley

If you like devotional works like Our Daily Bread you'll like I Lift Up My Soul" by Charles Stanley. Each day of the year, you can begin your day with a Scripture reading, a key verse, and a devotional thought from Charles Stanley's writings. Readings are taken from several of Stanley's previous works: Pathways to His Presence, Seeking His Face, On Holy Ground, and Into His Presence. It's a very sturdy hardback volume, great for a Christmas present. The devotional selections are written in typical Charles Stanley fashion—he puts the cookies on the bottom shelf. Some will find this to be just what they need, and others may find it mundane. That's not to say, however, that the selections are without any depth. The selections do cover some deep topics, but they are stated in a very simple, straightforward fashion.

 
Personally, I enjoy a little more challenging material in my devotions, but I am definitely keeping this book on the shelf as a resource. It's absolutely perfect for either a new Christian, or a believer who is new to daily devotions. It's a great tool for beginning that daily discipline without being overwhelmed.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Review of Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals

Gutsy. That's what this book is. Who writes a book about planting churches in rural America? Um, let's go down the list… Like, nobody that I can think of. Shannon O'Dell truly is "breaking all the rurals" with this one, yet, refreshingly, he's not really proposing some new strategy or gimmick. I've read my fair share of church-growth books, and I usually come away sick of all the hype, which is why I was suspicious of this book initially. But instead of finding another "follow these five steps and your church will explode" manual, I found an open and honest story of how God is using an initially reluctant pastor to ignite a new vision for the lost souls of rural America. Now, don't get me wrong—O'Dell also outlines some decisions and changes that he made to his ministry model that helped in this process, but they are surprisingly biblical things, instead of cheap faddish things.

What a blessing to encounter a man, writing about church growth, who is humble enough to admit that, while he planted, God gave the increase.

Shannon's book is long overdue. While the writing is not phenomenal or earth-shattering (give the guy a break, it's his first book), the heart behind the writing shines through—a heart that beats for a group of people long since forgotten by most visionaries and success-cravers. This book is, in a sense, ground-breaking, and I commend O'Dell for continuing to break the rules and actually daring to publish a vision for reaching rural America. May God use this book to ignite a fire in your heart.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Review of THE TREASURE OF GOD’S WORD: Celebrating 400 years of the King James Bible

This book is the kind of book you receive as a gift, let it lie around collecting dust for a few years (because it was a gift), and when you think Aunt Hilda won't remember that she gave it to you, you slip it into the yard-sale pile. This book is beautifully bound with gilt-edges, and it would look beautiful on any coffee table or bookshelf. If you're looking for a decorative book for people to casually thumb through at your coffee table, this is your book. But if you're looking for a book to read about the development of the King James Version, don't waste your $17. The actual information contained in this book pertaining to the KJV could be printed as a magazine article. What information is there is encyclopedic knowledge, not in-depth research. To space out the articles enough to create a book, the publishers inserted Scripture passages from the KJV, arranged by topic. I suppose if you're looking for a topical reading plan for your devotions, this book could also be useful that way.

Sadly, not much time was put into "treasuring God's Word" when this book was compiled. It's inspirational, beautifully bound, but not worth $17 (unless you're Aunt Hilda looking for a gift!).

Disclosure of material connection: I received this DVD free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance witht the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."