Thursday, April 26, 2012

Tender Warrior by Stu Weber

Tender Warrior - Stu Weber         Strong men should also have a tender side to them. It rounds out their manliness. Being tender doesn’t take away from but adds  to a complete man. 
            In sixteen chapters Weber maps out the need for completeness. He dissects the areas into personal, family, friends  and occupation. He ends each chapter with discussion starters for small groups or individuals who are using this book  He titles these A Man Faces Himself and A Man Meets With His Friends.
 Weber shares  his life with the reader. It has been said that a good example is better than any lecture. In this area he does fine. He also uses Biblical illustrations of  how men acted in the period they lived. He attempts to show you are an example to others.
It is a highly interesting book. I found myself stopping from time to time in the reading to think through what I have just read.  And when I came to the discussion helps at the end of each chapter I spent some time going over them. This is something I don’t normally do. But he has such a style of writing that makes you want to respond.
 It has been subtitled Every Man’s Purpose- Every Woman’s Dream- Every Child’s Hope.
   I recommend this for all men and maybe their girlfriends. It is also useful for a small group study. Take your time. Don’t rush it.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Empty Promises by Pete Wilson

Empty Promises     We all seek our value somewhere. In fact, we were created to have value. We can get our value from others or from things or from God. When we seek value from other things and not from God, our creator, we fall into idolatry. And when we fall into idolatry we are pursuing empty promises. Wilson contends.
            It is so easy to get seduced by these empty promises. We were all created to have a need for worth and acceptance. We tend to fall into traps which Wilson points out.
            We can start to become like that which we seek after. If we seek after things like money, fame, and position we lose our purpose that God has created us for. It is so easy to allow subtle little idols to creep in to our daily existence. This book gives us things to think about.
            Empty Promises is written for the Christian. It holds your attention while at the same time making you consider your response. to God. We need to worship something. That which we dwell on tends to become our object of worship, Wilson points out .
The book  is filled with bullet point lists. It comes across as a lecture in places. It can be sectioned into two parts. The first half presents the proposition that we are making idols to take the place of our creator. The second half points out the solution using biblical snapshots to illustrate the answer.       
            Wilson does a fair job of presentation. I feel this book should be read by  the person who needs to be reminded just what he is worshipping. It helps set his mind on the proper object of worship.    

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A Shot of Faith by Mitch Stokes, Phd

 
A Shot of Faith (to the Head)This is a book we have been waiting for. It will help the Christian confront the world view of the common man. By common I mean your neighbor maybe even those who read this book.
            The going explanation for things existing is something called Evidentialism. This is the reasoning that we can only know what we see. It states that  rational beliefs require sufficient evidence Yet we have been told by science that there is not enough or sufficient evidence for the belief held by Christians that there is a God. Stokes states and proves that that is just not true.
            The view taken in this book is a philosophical one. As you read it the tone draws you along. It is if a friend were walking beside you.
            I found this a very well written and easy to follow explanation. It ends with a look at science and evil mentioned as the two straw men the atheist  uses to prove their view of the world. Stokes shows how they are on unsteady ground. We need to stand our ground and keep a dialogue going with the non-believer. We need to be able to answer his explanation with a sound reasoning. We may not be able to convince him of our view of reality, but we should not sound unlearned.
            This book should be helpful  for everyone. I liked it and found it a good introduction to apologetics.
            I received this book from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own and not those of the publisher.