Thinking About Who Jesus Really Is

This book was one that I was not too sure about as I read it, but my mind changed as I went along. Much of what Matt talks about I can relate to, we all have some weird and incorrect ideas about who Jesus really is and our walk with Him. It was interesting to see Matt's perspective on things and to really think about what he was saying. This is a book that will make you think, rethink, and question in a good way how you perceive things you think you already know. It would be a great discussion book for groups!

About the book:
Jesus is not a life coach, a movement leader, a cultural visionary, or a blessing dispenser—but you might not know that by listening to many Christians talk about their faith.

Feel-good slogans promote a caricatured Jesus made in our own image who cannot save us and leave us feeling guilty for not saving ourselves. Following the wrong Jesus disappoints us and produces anxiety, pride, and despair.

The first half of Getting Jesus Wrong recounts pastor and author Matt Johnson’s personal encounters with a string of false saviors—false saviors that many, especially young adults, will recognize. Johnson’s humor and transparency in recounting his own painful experiences will appeal to those who have tried a “brand” of Christianity and found it lacking.

The truth is, we all want something from Jesus. Some are just hoping for a little help to get through life—a new direction, a purpose that will get us up in the morning, an exercise plan, a way to get organized. But that approach to Jesus doesn’t result in real faith or love.

Whether we’ve followed a false Jesus or attempted to coopt the real Jesus, Getting Jesus Wrong ultimately offers us hope because it helps us see Jesus as he is. Getting Jesus Wrong shows that the message of the Bible is about Jesus coming to us as we are—which is good news for exhausted and disillusioned disciples. It shows us that getting Jesus right means a whole new way of thinking (the way up is down) and a whole new way of life (daily dependence on the one who knows the beginning from the end). Getting Jesus right gives us more than spiritual vitamins or a blueprint for living; it gives us a full, rich life spent exploring the depths of gospel love together.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the author:
Matt Johnson is a husband, father to two little girls, and is an armchair student of theology living in Seattle. He is also a freelance writer and editor. Until recently, Matt spent 7 years as an associate volunteer pastor in counseling and recovery ministry.

Find out more about Matt at https://www.therealmattjohnson.com.
Connect with him on Twitter.

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Leaving Religion, Finding Grace

This is a book I could not put down. I lovd every moment of reading it. I really appreciated how open and honest Kendra was about the horrible struggles they went through as a family and what she learned through it.

Kendra opens up about her walk with Christ, her doubts, her fears, all the while drawing you in to understanding how she grew to be more like Christ and that you can as well. She had no idea how little she really was walking with Christ until tragedy happened, and her eyes and those of her husband were opened to how life with Christ was meant to be more than just following rules and behaving in a specific way.

This is a transforming book and I highly recommend it to you!

About the book:
The “right” homeschooling philosophy. The “right” brand of theology. The “right” meal-planning, home-managing, keep-it-all-together parenting.

Kendra Fletcher, homeschooling mom of eight, had it all “right,” until it all fell apart. In the course of eighteen months, Kendra found her baby in a coma, ran over her five-year-old, and nearly lost her eight-year-old to a septic ruptured appendix. Lost and Found is the story of how God used those events to transform her family’s self-righteous religion into freedom in Christ.

Fletcher’s debut book is the gripping true story of how God used suffering to save her family from empty religion. As wave after wave of crisis hit, the Fletchers discovered that getting religion “right” wasn’t a good substitute for a living relationship with a loving God. Through their suffering, they learned about misplaced identities and false hope, and they threw themselves wholly into the arms of Jesus—where they found the grace they needed.

Fletcher, a well-known writer and conference speaker in Christian homeschooling circles, addresses the quiet legalism that so easily infiltrates Christian communities and exposes the dangers of focusing our hopes on the “right” ways of worship, work, and family life. More than a memoir, Lost and Found invites all of us to give up the things that hold us in bondage and find our value, worth, significance, hope, and identity in Christ alone.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the author:
Kendra Fletcher writes on faith and education for a variety of publications, including her blog. She is also a frequent speaker at homeschooling conventions, but she spends most of her time with her very large family. The Fletchers reside in California, where they play in the Pacific Ocean as often as possible.

Find out more about Kendra at http://www.kendrafletcher.com.
Connect with here on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

A Book That Will Make You Think, And That's A Good Thing

There are a lot of authors out there that write about how to embrace your faith more seriously and fully. Well, this author did a pretty good job. He is a very down to earth kind of person and transparent, a character trait I really appreciate. Noel offer some interesting perspectives on how we can be free to admit we are not perfect, but a work in progress. I may not agree with him entirely on doctrinal issues, but I think this is a great book to make you think, and that's a good thing.

About the book:
Christians are free in Christ, yet Christianity can feel like a prison. Unchained helps Christians who don’t feel that grace has changed their lives.

Often when people follow Jesus, they feel more guilty instead of more free. A powerful book for the spiritually restless, Unchained shows readers how to have a robust faith that celebrates their freedom in Christ without compromising their holiness as God’s followers.

Unchained turns to the person and work of Jesus Christ as the source of freedom—not just his work 2,000 years ago but also what he is doing today. As readers dig into the meaning of the freedom that Jesus offers, they will understand, perhaps for the first time, what true freedom in Christ means.

About the author:
Noel Jesse Heikkinen is a pastor at Riverview Church, a multi-site church of over 3,000 near Lansing, Michigan. Heikkinen also helps lead the church planting ministry Acts 29 and is the chairman of the board for the mission agency Reliant. He and his wife, Grace, have four children. 

Find out more about Noel Jesse at http://www.noeljesse.com.
Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Crazy Faith Coffee Is A Welcome Addition To Our Days!

I think all of you know that I am a coffeaholic. Seriously, the perfect beverage truly is coffee, so I was excited to learn about this coffee offered exclusively at Family Christian Stores.

Introducing Crazy Faith Coffee! John and Josee Waller spend each morning together with God and a cup of coffee. They created Crazy Faith Coffee with the idea that Crazy Faith gets you off the couch and out the door. No matter what is holding you back, Crazy Faith Coffee will move you forward-- with a jolt of caffeine.

I love the concept of this coffee as well as the flavor. As Christians, we need to have a crazy faith and be actively doing what the Lord has called us to do believing He will lead us each step of the way. And He always does! Sometimes we need a good jolt to help us get out the door and do what we have to. This coffee is exactly what you and I both need to get that little extra jolt in the morning. The flavor is fantastic. It's a rich, bold, and does offer a wonderful awakening sense as you sip it. A really neat thing is that the coffee is Organic and Fair Trade. I love that! It comes in regular and decaf and right now is only available in ground.

But the really neat thing is the story behind the coffee and the wonderful inspiration you get inside the coffee. Each bag comes with a small sealed pouch with a nifty little card in it. On that card is an inspirational story from the creators of Crazy Faith Coffee, John and Josee. The story will touch your heart and inspire you!

The bags of coffee come with a really easy to use pull tab on the front of the bag that has a resealable strip under it, so you can always keep your coffee fresh and sealed and not lose any of that wonderful flavor!

Crazy Faith Coffee is something I would highly recommend to you for multiple reasons. You can find it at your local Family Christian Bookstore or you can purchase it online from their website HERE!

Ooh, and check out the fantastic mugs they have too.

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

I Pray My Response Some Day Will Be "And It Was Beautiful"

For me, reading this book was an encouragement. Kara dealt with so much in her last few years on this earth and now she is rejoicing with her Lord. But while she was here, she spent time thinking about what was really special in her life and the grace that God so abundantly gave her. I was touched by her honesty and faithfulness in telling her story. I myself am not dealing with the physical problems of a disease, but my husband is and helping him as he walks this path has been a struggle. There are times I question if I am really doing what I should for him, am I really seeing his as I should through eyes of faith? Seeing Kara's honesty has helped me remember it is a day by day thing we walk, even a moment by moment thing. We are fighting a sin nature that does not want to give in and it will be a struggle. It's important to hang on to the things that will truly last and are important. My focus has shifted and I am thankful for that.

This is a book that will inspire you, encourage you, make you cry a little, and learn to remember how God showers us with blessings even in the midst of pain and suffering. it's a very good read!

About the book:
"I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it." -Kara Tippetts

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1QVAvgz

About the author:
Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Incessant Divagation

“MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS ABSENT” 

by Rick Jones, Son-in-Law of the Mother of the Minister's Wife

My mother-in-law passed away. Lois and I were discussing epitaphs . . .

That's not the opening to a bad joke. Lois's mother passed away on the morning of Friday, October 23rd. Ironically, that same morning I was telling Lois about some epitaphs I'd read while preparing for what I intended to be this edition of “Incessant Divagation”. That article will be out next Tuesday. This one is out early, as we're preparing for a 500 mile trip to attend a funeral.

When I heard the voice of Lois's brother on the phone, asking to speak with his sister, I had a premonition. I'm not a man who puts much credence in stories of psychic impressions, but as I gave the phone to Lois I felt certain that her mother had died. I was right. People who know much about me know that I enjoy being right – but there was no pleasure in it this time. I'm grateful to God that I was home and could be with Lois when she heard the news.

Patricia Wing was born Patricia Fairfield on June 12, 1926, in Cuba, New York. Her obituary tells me she enjoyed gardening, needlepoint, church functions and eating out. I didn't know much about her. Yes, I learned a significant amount of biographical information over the years as Lois spoke of her mother, but we didn't have much personal interaction. I do know that she approved of me before Lois and I became married. I joked that this proved she was a very wise and perceptive woman. Seriously, I'm not sure why she gave Lois a “favorable review” but I truly believe that if she had not, Lois would not have accepted my marriage proposal. Lois valued her mother's opinion. That makes Lois perceptive.

I'm not in a mood to share funny stories about my mother-in-law. I do want to share that she took her relationship with God – her “religion”, and she wasn't ashamed to be identified as a “religious” person – very seriously. That doesn't mean that she was harsh with people who didn't think or act like she did. She was very strict with herself, and her love of God inspired her to forgive and help people around her, whether or not they lived by her standards. She was one of those people who, when she said she'd pray for you, was making a commitment, not tossing out a quickly forgotten platitude. And if you knew she was praying, you felt like something significant was taking place on your behalf. 

Eighty-nine years of life gave her plenty of opportunity to compare events in her life with principles she studied from the Bible. She grew strong in her faith, seeing personally that God had spoken truth and fulfilled His promises.

Now that she has died, I believe she is experiencing a condition Paul wrote about: that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I'm sure she's having a wonderful time, and while we miss her, my personal opinion is that given her circumstances, she has better things to do than miss us. She had some rough times in her life, and the last couple of years were not pleasant, but those troubles are now far outweighed by the blessings of her current surroundings.