Giveaway - Viral by Leonard Sweet

The other day I had the opportunity to read and review Viral by Leonard Sweet. As you may have read in my review, it was not exactly what I was expecting. That being said, there was still some great quotes and useful information in the book.

When I received my review copy, I was sent both a print version and an e-book version. I would like to give the print copy away to an interested reader.

This is a very simple giveaway. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me how you utilize social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) in your ministry and how effective you find certain technologies. You will receive one entry for your comment. You can also earn additional entries into the drawing by Liking my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter. When you have done those things, please leave me a comment letting me know what you have done.

I will select one person at random to receive a copy of the book on Thursday. Best of luck and happy reading!

Book Review - Viral by Leonard Sweet

I was initially very excited about reading Viral by Leonard Sweet. As a youth pastor, I am very interested in ways to utilize and leverage social media for ministry purposes. Sweet uses his book to discuss Twitter, Google, iPhones, and Facebook in the text. He approaches each of these items from a Christian perspective, offering insight in ways that he believes they should be used in an attempt to bring about revival.

Dr. Sweet has a tendency to be a bit too postmodern for my liking. While I consider myself fully in what he calls the Googlers, I have difficulty with some of the things that Sweet discusses as the direction that Christianity needs to go.

Having said that, I did appreciate the metaphor that Sweet used in his section on iPhones. In this particular section, he describes the way that an apple is eaten whole and an orange is broken into pieces. This is a way that many individuals treat their Christianity and their lives. They break it into sections, keeping one part from another.

Overall, I believe there are individuals who will like the book, but it was not necessarily what I had anticipated. I was hoping for a more practical guide for utilizing social media. While this book touches on social media and Sweet's apparent love for it, this book fell short of what I was looking for.

I was provided a review copy of Viral by Waterbrook Multnomah as a part of their Blogging for Books program. I was not required to give it a positive review.

Goodbye, Maurice Sendak

       As many of you have probably heard, Maurice Sendak passed away yesterday. Mr. Sendak was a children's author, most famous for Where the Wild Things Are. He wrote many other books, some good, some bad, but none more powerful than Wild Things.

I am writing this because my son loves the work of Maurice Sendak. For the longest time, he had me read Where the Wild Things Are every night before bed. We read it so many times that he memorized the book. There was even a time when we borrowed the cartoon from the library and he watched it over and over. We played a game where I would start to recite the book (I had it memorized too) and he would finish the lines.

Mr. Sendak died as a result of complications from a stroke. I heard several interviews from him on NPR and I caught a very sad line. He was talking about a friend who believed in Heaven and hell and life after death. Mr. Sendak then went on to talk about how life was so hard for unbelievers like himself. It made me sad because I knew, from his own admission, that Maurice Sendak did not know Jesus and had not had his sins forgiven. That thought brought tears to my eyes.

Mr. Sendak, I want to thank you for the joy that your books brought to my little boy. I want to thank you for the wonderful memories that you have allowed me to have with my son as a result of your books. And I pray, that somewhere along your journey through life, someone shared the Gospel with you and you made a decision to accept the gift of salvation, even though you claimed otherwise. Mr. Sendak, you will be missed.

Book Review - Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

If I can be honest, I had little knowledge of Joshua Harris. My limited interaction with him was watching a group of students read I Kissed Dating Goodbye when I was in college. The mean-spirited part of me joked that they kissed dating goodbye because they weren’t going to get kissed anyway, so it was no big loss. I was vaguely aware of other books that he had written and I knew that he had a church relatively close to where I live, but that was it.

I had the opportunity to read Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last and I am very glad that I did. This book is a combination of autobiography and entry-level theology text. Harris shares a number of stories from his life growing up and shows how each of these events led to him digging and building his life on the elements of the Christian faith. Given the “celebrity” status that Harris has, you would think that he either lived a completely perfect Christian life or that he was a reprobate sinner who experienced a miraculous conversion. Neither is the case. Harris had a fairly typical Christian life growing up, one that was, unfortunately, void of much doctrinal training. Throughout the text, he shares how he came to understand that doctrine was not dry and boring or a weapon to bludgeon others with. It was the key way that we come to know and experience God.

As I was reading the book, I found myself constantly stopping to share quotes from it on Facebook and Twitter. As I said above, it is an introduction to systematic theology, barely scratching the surface on a number of the elements. The ones that are covered include Jesus, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and the Church. And while it is an entry-level book, there is enough meat to satisfy the reader and cause him to be hungry for the "meatier" texts that Harris references throughout.

Joshua Harris is an incredible writer. I found myself devouring the book and looking forward to when I could sit down to read it again. As a youth pastor, I am now contemplating how I can incorporate the ideas from the book into our weekly youth group Bible study. At the bare minimum, this book will definitely be found on the top of a recommended reading list.

It should be noted that a copy of Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last was provided to me by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for a review. I was not required to give it a positive review, even though the book warranted one.

Book Review - The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook by Jeff Kinley

I recently had the opportunity to read The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook: Slaying the Living Dead Within by Jeff Kinley. I firmly believe that this book was written to cash in on the current popularity of zombies, but that does not take away from the serious nature of the book. I am a big fan of The Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman, so reading this book was an easy choice.

I will admit that I was not the target demographic for this book. My belief is that this book would be best used by a youth group or college Bible study. However, as a youth pastor, I can see the benefit of the book. The book is broken into two parts. The first part is a fictional story of two brothers who live in a world overrun by zombies. Society is attempting to exist and function as normal, but there are more and more attacks each day. This section of the book is exciting and informative. Unfortunately, as zombie stories must go, it is also filled with tragedy and death. The story is certainly not for the squeamish.

The second part of the book serves an introduction to several theological terms that Christians need to be acquainted with. I am currently working on memorizing Romans 6 and many of the ideas presented by Paul in this chapter were touched on by Kinley in the book. Again, given the “zombie” nature of the book, this is probably not a book for everyone. Kinley uses the zombie motif to his advantage, at times using the grotesque in order to make his point. One particular example deals with taking a trip into the depths of our soul to see the absolute darkness of our sin nature.

Given the graphic nature of the material, I would not recommend this book to everyone. However, the material is too important to be ignored. Usually theological matters are ignored. The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook serves as an excellent tool to introduce some to the devastating effects of sin.

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.”

Some Thoughts from Onward by Howard Schultz

Over at one of my favorite blogs, there is a post about the 12 books a youth pastor should read in 2012. One such book is Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. I recently began reading the book and I must say it is quite remarkable. While I am not finished with it yet, I did come across two great quotes that have made me to do a lot of thinking about the way that I would like to do ministry.

There is a word that comes to my mind when I think about our company and our people. That word is "love." I love Starbucks because everything we've tried to do is steeped in humanity.
Respect and dignity
Passion and laughter
Compassion, community, and responsibility
Authenticity
(Onward, pp. 4-5)

---

When we love something, emotion often drives our actions.

This is the gift and the challenge entrepreneurs face every day. The companies we dream of and build from scratch are part of us and intensely personal. They are our families.
Our lives.

But the entrepreneurial journey is not for everyone. Yes, the highs are high and the rewards can be thrilling. But the lows can break your heart. Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable.
(Onward, pp. 8-9)

While I cannot tell you that this is a great book or a terrible book, I can tell you that I am enjoying what I've read so far, even if I did feel a bit disingenuous reading a book about Starbucks while drinking a delicious frozen coffee from Sheetz. My review should be up soon.

Book Review - Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley

In his book Enemies of the Heart, Andy Stanley discusses the four emotions that many individuals face that can be destructive to their hearts and to the relationships they have with others. These emotions include guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. Stanley begins by addressing the symptoms that many individuals have that indicate that there is something terrible taking place. He lets us know that some of the indicators include statements like “I can’t believe I just said that;” “I don’t know where that came from;” and “That’s not like me.”

After addressing the four deadly emotions, Stanley then provides the reader with four spiritual exercises that can be implemented to combat and neutralize the emotions. He also provides a discussion of lust and why it is important to fight these emotions for the future of our children.

I found this book to be an easy read, but it was not one that I found to be particularly enlightening. I am a fan of the books that Andy Stanley writes that deal with leadership and youth ministry. This book came across as being very shallow and, at times, a little sugar-coated. While I did not research it, it would not surprise me to discover that this book was based off a sermon series that Stanley did at his church. Others may find this book beneficial, but I did not. It was not a bad book, but it was not something that I typically read.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not asked for a positive review.

Free Kindle Books Worth Looking At

In light of my post about preaching from a tablet, here are some Kindle books that may be worth looking into. The price can't be beat: all of these books are being offered for FREE (at least for a limited time).

Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn

Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up by Francis Chan

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

And, for those of you who haven't gotten your Kindle yet, you may want to think about picking one up. It is a great ministry tool and good item to have in general (at least in my opinion).

Kindle Fire

(HT to Tim Challies for the book list.)

Three Reasons I Love My Kindle

I have had a Kindle for about a year and a few months ago my wife bought me a Kindle Fire. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, a Kindle is a portable e-book reading device. They have become hugely popular since they were first introduced on the market and many think they will eventually replace physical books, even if there is some push-back to that thinking.

Here are three reasons why I love my Kindle.

1. The Kindle allows me to carry a large library with me anywhere I go. I am a book guy (much to the chagrin of my wife). I love to read and try to read and learn as much as possible. One of the big problems about books, though, is that they take up a lot of space. Carrying two or three books can be quite a problem, especially if the books are fairly large. The Kindle reduces the size and allows me to carry my whole library in my pocket.
   
2. The Kindle allows me to highlight and take notes in the book - without damaging the book. I struggle with the idea of writing in a book. It is so...permanent. I have highlighted and written in books before, only to go back years later and have no idea why I did so. The Kindle allows me to highlight passages for later use and I can simply un-highlight later on if the passage is no longer relevant.
   
3. I do a lot more reading on my Kindle. This may be because I skim a little more. It may also be that I carry my Kindle nearly everywhere I go. My Kindle Fire functions like a tablet, so I can get email, connect to Evernote, and even check Facebook (if it is available). By constantly having it with me, I can get a lot of reading done in a short period of time, even if it is just a paragraph or two at the copy machine or red light.
   

There are a lot of other reasons I love my Kindle, but those should be enough for now. Do you have a Kindle? Why do you love your Kindle?

A Song of the Rescuer

My boys and I have been reading through The Jesus Storybook Bible each evening before going to bed. This is a truly wonderful book that takes many of the classic stories of the Old and New Testament and shows how Jesus fits into what is more than just a great story for Sunday School.

Last evening, we read about the birth of John the Baptist. Here is a little sample of that story:


Because God loves us with a Never Stopping,
Never Giving Up, Unbreaking,
Always and Forever Love -
Heaven is breaking through!
He is sending us a Light from Heaven
To shine on us like the sun
To shine on those who live in darkness
And in the shadow of death
To guide our feet into the way of peace

Bloodlines by John Piper - Available for Free Today

I am very grateful to the ministry of John Piper. He has been influential in the lives of many of the preachers that I listen to and I read a great deal of his sermons as I prepare for mine.

One of the great things about John Piper is his generosity. This is shown through the vast amounts of material that he gives away at his website, DesiringGod.org. At this site, you are able to get audio sermons, sermon transcripts, and PDFs of books that he has written.

Today, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, John Piper is giving away copies of his newest book, Bloodlines. It is available in a PDF format by visiting the link below. I don't know how long it will be available, so it is best to hurry.

Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper.

Book Review - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

A few posts back, I wrote about my desire to read 50 books in 2012. I realize that it isn't quite 2012 yet, but I started my reading list a bit early. Here is a short review of the first book I read.

Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret tells the story of a young man named Hugo. Through a series of tragedies, Hugo finds himself alone without any adults to take care of him. In order to avoid suspicion, Hugo, who lives in the train station, spends much of his time making sure that the clocks at the station are functioning, a job that belonged to his drunken uncle. When he is not fixing the station's clocks, Hugo is busy stealing mechanical pieces to fix an automaton, a special mechanical man that had once belonged to his father. Hugo is convinced that if he is able to fix the automaton, it will have a special message for him from his father, a message that will save his life.

There is much more to the story, including a stolen key, some mysterious pictures, a mysterious old man who refuses to talk about his past, and a trip to a film library, but to give away too much will steal from the story. The text is beautifully written, but perhaps even more entertaining are the wonderful pictures that help the story to move along. Selznick has drawn some amazing pictures that help to push the story forward. These are not used to simply illustrate the story, but to tell the adventure as well.

This book is written for a younger audience, but it deals with a portion of history that many adults will be intrigued by as well. I hope that many will pick up the book and enjoy it as much as I did. It has also recently been made into a film, Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Three Books on Prayer

One of the classes that I am taking this semester is entitled "Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare." As a result of this class, I am being convicted that my prayer life is not what it should be. In fact, I recently preached on this very topic. Part of that conviction has come as a result of three different books. I would highly recommend that you pick up all three and spend some time prayerfully going through them.

Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders by Dave Earley. There is much that I could recommend to you about this book, but it is better if I simply quote Dr. Ergun Caner: "Do NOT read this book if you want information. Read this book only if you desire a transformation. It will drive you to your knees."

The Necessity of Prayer by E.M. Bounds. This short little book packs a lot of punch. There is enough "food" here to keep a hungry pray-er fed for years. It is packed with Scripture and is conversational in tone. Well worth your time.

Quiet Talks on Prayer by S.D. Gordon. This book reminds me a great deal of Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon. The format is that of a lecture transcript, but it is packed with nuggets that will convict and challenge you.

If you desire a stronger, more fervent prayer life, I can't recommend these books more highly. Of course, as Tim Challies wrote recently, "I want to be a prayer warrior, but I find that I'm more of a read-books-about-prayer warrior," we need to make sure we are putting what we read into practice.

Review of Radical Together by David Platt

David Platt’s new book, Radical Together, picks up where his last book left off. He examines what happens when the entire of church begins a journey of abandonment to God. Platt states that he wants “to consider what happens – or can happen – when we apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to our communities of faith.”

In doing this, Platt examines six key thoughts that deal with the church and then expounds upon each one. These thoughts include the idea that one of the worst enemies of Christians are the good things in the church, the Gospel that saves us from works saves us to work, the Word of God is essential in the work of the Gospel, it is not necessary to have the “right people” in order to build the “right church”, we can hasten the end of the world by sharing the Gospel with all peoples of the world, and Christians are to be selfless followers of a self-centered God.

This is a book that will challenge the reader to live a deeper life for Christ. It will challenge the reader to want to share his faith with those around him. It will challenge the reader to spend more time in prayer for unbelievers in his community and for unreached people groups around the world. It is a book that would be best read in a group where individuals can discuss the ideas and dreams that are certain to result for reading it.

My only concern with the book is the overt emphasis placed by Platt on the need for world missions. I am a strong believer in world missions, but it seemed that Platt was suggesting that world missions should take precedence over local missions. It is my belief that there needs to be a balance. We do not need to simply see those around us as a means to reaching the world. Our friends and neighbors are a mission field that must be reached, just as much as those across the world.

Author’s note: I was provided with a free copy of Radical Together for the purpose of this review.

Books by David Platt:

Let's Play a Game - Books for New Believers

I really enjoy reading. I love having books and I am especially fond of my Amazon Kindle. And while I am very good at picking out books for me, I don't often know what books to recommend for new believers.

With that in mind, I came up with this hypothetical. What books would you purchase for new believers if you were given a gift card to Amazon.com for $100? What books or materials would you purchase for them to help them grow into a stronger Christian?

I don't get too many comments on my posts, but in order for this to work, you will need to list out the books you would buy. This way we can help each other out. Stick with Amazon.com because that is where the "gift card" is to. Also, stay under $100 because that is all the "money" you get; any overage comes out of your pocket.

Good luck and have fun! I'm excited to learn about the new titles. You can access Amazon.com by clicking the link below:

Amazon.com

One of the Many Reasons I Love Josh Hamilton

I am currently working my way through Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back by Josh Hamilton. I don't want to go too much into his story, but let's just say he was on top of the world, he hit rock bottom, and we serve a gracious God.

As I was reading today, I came across this story that he told about a boy named Ashley who was a part of the high school baseball team. Ashley had Down Syndrome and served as the team's bat boy. One day, after a tough loss, Ashley had convinced himself that it was his fault that he had lost the game, even though he did not play at all. He sat crying on the bus because he was afraid the other boys were upset with him. Below is the interaction Josh had with Ashley.

---

“I’m sorry, Josh,” he said. “I’m sorry I lost the game.”

This was ridiculous, of course. Ashley didn’t hit or pitch one ball, but I couldn’t put it that way for fear of hurting his feelings.

“Oh, no, Ashley,” I said. “No one person ever loses a game for a team. We win as a team and lose as a team.”

Immediately, Ashley’s face brightened. He stopped crying and smiled at me as the tears streaked down his cheeks.

“Josh?”

“Yes, Ashley.”

“Does that mean I’m part of the team?”

“Of course it does, Ashley. You know that.”

His smile turned to laughter. He reached over and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tight with a big hug. For the rest of the ride home, if you had looked at Ashley you would have sworn we just won the state championship.

---

I have three boys and I am, through God's grace, raising them to be good men. It is my prayer that they will grow up to have the same character as Josh Hamilton.

---

If you want to read more about Josh Hamilton, you can get his biography at Amazon.com.

Reading Through Radical Together by David Platt

I was recently given a preview copy of Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God by David Platt. The book is written to describe what could happen if individuals in churches would work together to achieve the purposes of God.

My plan, as I am reading through the book, is to write my impressions on each chapter. There are six chapters, each dealing with an aspect of the gospel that is often misunderstood and how it should play out in lives that are devoted to Christ. Like I said, I will be reading through the book and writing about my impressions as I finish each chapter.

I would love for you to go on this journey with me. We may go to the same church or we may go to different churches in different states, but the fact remains that every church should be working to accomplish the great things that God desires. Please pick up a copy of the book and add your thoughts to mine as we read through this book together.

Learn more about the book in the video below, then, if you so choose, buy it from Amazon.com.

Four Great Books on Sale for the Kindle

One of the best purchases that I have made recently is my Amazon Kindle. I take my Kindle almost everywhere that I go. I love having my own personal library in my pocket. I also love the fact that I can carry multiple copies of the Bible with me. My personal favorite is the English Standard Version.

Today, in my email, Amazon.com sent me notice of a big book sale they were having on Kindle books. Glancing through it, I found four titles that were very interesting to me. These titles are on sale for a greatly reduced priced, but only until July 27. The books listed below are on sale for $2.99! They regularly sell for $9.99, so this is a really good time to pick up some great books. While I have not read these books yet, I have heard great things about all of them and I am looking forward to enjoying them and sharing my thoughts with you at a later time.

WEIRD: Because Normal Isn't Working

Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus

The Christian Atheist: When You Believe in God But Live as if He Doesn't Exist

Stuff Christians Like

Please note: these books are only available at this price when you buy them for the Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, you can purchase one here. You can also visit Amazon.com and find the Kindle software for your portable devices.