The Peace God Promises (Zondervan, 2011) Ann Spangler begins her book by first defining what peace is not- finding the perfect relationship, job, etc.; solitary or selfish; wistfully “if only” (situational). In order to truly experience peace, we must embrace the One who brings it (Jesus) and live as His disciple. The first step in […]
The Calling (Concordia Publishing House, 2010) Author Kurt Senske divides his book, which combines Biblical wisdom with secular strategies, into 3 major parts and a short concluding section. He sets the stage in Part 1 by defining significance as that which must flow from our Christian faith, involves the need to discern the role God […]
A Better Way to Think (Revell, 2011) How many thoughts do you have each day? Depending on how active your mind is, you may have more than 45,000! In large part, those thoughts shape you. When your first response is emotional, that emotion is designed to alert and focus you rather than direct your actions. […]
(Zondervan, 2008) John Ortberg introduces Know Doubt (previously titled Faith and Doubt) by emphasizing that “when we take seriously the reality of faith and doubt, the most important word in the phrase is the one in the middle. While faith and doubt often are considered mutually exclusive terms, philosopher Michael Novak suggests that doubt is […]
How to Handle Adversity (Thomas Nelson, 1989) In his introduction to this book, Dr. Charles Stanley tells us that adversity is handled in one of two ways- either people are committed to the process of spiritual maturity and growth or they put themselves in what the author calls a “spiritual coma”, unable to change their […]
True Courage (David C. Cook, 2011) Author Steve Farrar bases this book on the Biblical Book of Daniel, specifically the true courage Daniel displayed in every criswis he faced. The bedrock of Daniel’s true courage was that he knew God rather than merely of His existence. True Courage has two unique traits: (1) it enables […]
Trusting God (Navpress, 2008) Author Jerry Bridges introduces his expository Bible study on the sovereignty of God with one question requiring a two-fold answer from the reader: “Can you trust God?” In other words, is God dependable (worth of trust) during times of adversity and do you have a strong relationship with God so that you […]
Second Guessing God (Standard Publishing, 2006) Brian Jones begins his book with a foundational quote from Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) in which the philosopher states that authentic belief in God consists of a passionate heart mixed with anguish, uncertainty, doubt, and despair. Without those elements, one simply believes in the idea of God. In […]
The Upside of Adversity (Regal Books, 2006) Os Hillman thought he had it all. Operating his own 10-employee advertising agency as a Christian witness, he became nearly financially independent by the age of 42. Os and his wife had just purchased a 13-acre estate and were drawing up plans for their dream home. Shortly after […]
Putting Your Past in Its Place (Harvest House Publishers, 2011) In Putting Your Past in Its Place, Dr. Stephen Viars draws on more than 20 years of ministry as a pastor and biblical counselor to address the role that the past plays in one’s present-day life and craft an appropriate response founded on God’s authoritative, […]
The Adversity Advantage (Simon & Schuster, 2010) This book is co-authored by Paul Stoltz, Ph.D and Erik Weihenmeyer. Dr. Stoltz has spent decades studying adversity and is the creator of the Adversity Quotient, a measure of one’s posture with respect to adversity. At the center of one’s AQ is the CORE (Control-Ownership-Reach-Endurance). Erik Weihenmeyer bacame totally […]
The Blessing of Adversity ((Tyndale, 2011) Barry C. Black grew up in Baltimore’s inner city, the son of a self-sacrificing, prayer warrior mother and an alcoholic father. At the age of 8, his mother brought home a thick, old record album containing two sermons of Peter Marshall, chaplain of the U. S. Senate from 1947 […]