Uncovering the Life of Jesus by Rebecca Manley Pippert

Uncovering the Life of Jesus: Six Encounters with Jesus From the Gospel of Luke

By Rebecca Manley Pippert

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion /Christian / Nonfiction / Bible Study

Published by- The Good Book Company

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 61

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, ISBN 978-1-91030-763-2, $9.99

Uncovering the Life of Jesus, by Rebecca Manley Pippert, is a Bible study that shows six encounters with Jesus, like the prodigal son, Zacchaeus, and the blind man.

Each chapter has questions, historical context, page for notes, Bible verses (NIV), and a section about how that chapter was relevant to us today.

This study is taken from the book of Luke

Sample of the Book.

About the Author- Rebecca Manley Pippert is married and has four children and one grandchild.  As well as being an author she is a speaker and the founder of Salt Shaker Ministries.

My thoughts- I thought Rebecca Manley Pippert’s book, Uncovering the Life of Jesus, had a lot of great information and thoughtful questions. 

While I enjoyed all the parts of this book.  I liked having the historical context of the six different encounters.  It was helpful for me to know what people would have thought when the prodigal son returned or what the Jews thought about the tax collectors.  I liked having the specific Bible verses in the book.  I was glad she used the NIV Bible, because it is a version that is easier to understand.

I thought the questions she asked were thought provoking.  I thought it was great that she had her comments to this book on the internet. 

I would recommend this study for people who want to learn about Jesus.  It would be perfect for a small group study.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Uncovering the Life of Jesus, by Rebecca Manley Pippert, for free through Cross Focused Reviews.  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.  All links were current when posted.

When Sinners Say “I Do” from Dave Harvey (Review)

When Sinners Say “I Do:” Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage

From Dave Harvey

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian Life / Marriage

Published by- Shepherd Press

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- DVD

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- DVD (ISBN: 978-1-63342-092-2, $59.99)

Everybody is a sinner and when you add marriage to the mix, problems can and will happen if there is not a great deal of understanding and mercy.

In these eight sessions, Dave Harvey shares God’s word and his own story to help people who are thinking or marriage or already to overcome their conflicts.

The sessions are:

1. Sin – Part 1
2. Sin – Part 2
3. Design
4. Contentment
5. Mercy – Part 1
6. Mercy – Part 2
7. Sex
8. Stubborn Grace

About the Author (Speaker)- Dave Harvey currently lives in Florida with his wife.  He is the founder of www.AmICalled.com.  He is the Pastor of Preaching at Four Oaks Community Church.

My thoughts-  There was a lot I liked about When Sinners Say “I Do” and some I did not like about it.

I am going to talk about what I did not like first, that way we can concentrate on what I did like.  I found all of Dave Harvey’s movements very distracting.  I tended to concentrate on his swaying instead of what he was saying.  I would have had more luck listening to this as a CD or MP3.  The other thing I did not like was the retail price.  I think $59.99 is way to much to ask somebody to pay.  (I realize I received it to review, but I would never be able to afford it.)  It would be best purchased by a church or study group.

There were eight very interesting different lectures.  While they were all very different, they had several commons themes, marriage, sin, and mercy.  He also talked about being content.  I thought Harvey did a good job picking the best Bible verses and quotes to go with his discussion.

I would recommend this video to couples who are thinking of getting married or who already are. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received When Sinners Say “I Do,” by Dave Harvey, for free through Cross Focused Reviews.  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.  All links were current when posted.

The One O’clock Miracle written by Alison Mitchell and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

The One O’clock Miracle: A True Story About Trusting the Words of Jesus

By Alison Mitchell

Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Christian / Religious / Children

Published by- The Good Book Company

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 32

Age Group- Children (Ages 3-6 is best)

Description of Book- hardback, ISBN 978-1-910030-743-4, $14.99

The One O’clock Miracle is the second book in a new series, Tales that Tell the Truth.

This story is all about the healing of the official’s son and the faith the official had in Jesus.  It is based on John 4. 

Book Sample.

About the Author- Alison Mitchell is involved with Growing Young Disciples and is the Children’s Editor at The Good Book Company.

About the Illustrator- Catalina Echeverri is currently based in London and is a freelance illustrator and designer specializing in children’s illustrations.

My thoughts- I thought The One O’clock Miracle was well written and told a story, which is often often overlooked. 

One of the best parts of the book was the end, where it discussed which part of the Bible this story came from, John 4:46-54.  I read the story, then I read the verses in the Bible (I read the NLT.)  I was very impressed with how Alison Mitchell took the verses and turned them into a story.  Her story was different, because she added dialogue and specific phrases.  One of them was, “he walked and walked – and sometimes ran.”  This was done to make the story more interesting for the readers and listeners. 

The illustrations by Catalina Echeverri were whimsical and told the story of the miracle.  I especially liked how she drew the illustrations to show some of Christ’s other miracles (water to wine).  These illustrations happened when the father was talking to the mother about going to Cana.  The addition of different insects made these pictures fun to look at.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has young children in their lives.  It is the perfect way to show children one of the miracles Jesus performed.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The One’ O’clock Miracle, by Alison Mitchell and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, for free through Cross Focused Reviews.  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.  All links were current when posted.

Honest Evangelism by Rico Tice with Carl Laferton

Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus Even When it’s Tough

Written by Rico Tice with Carl Laferton

(I received this book for review purposes.)

 

Genre- Christian / Nonfiction

Published by- The Good Book Company

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 105

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, ISBN 978-1-90991-939-6, $13.99

Honest Evangelism, by Rico Tice, is a short, information packed book about why and how we should evangelize to others.  This book discusses why we should be ourselves, why we do not do it (when we should), how to get started, and what we should say to others. 

Book Sample.

About the Author- Rico Tice currently lives with his family in London.  He is the founder of Christianity Explored Ministries. 

My thoughts- I thought Honest Evangelism, by Rico Tice, was well written.

It was a short book at 101 pages, but it was full of information discussing how we should evangelize to others.  I really appreciated this book, because I know we need to tell others about Jesus, but I was not sure how to get started.  I learned that it is mostly about being the best person I can be with Jesus (being myself) and just telling others about Him.  It is o.k. to be the one who plants the seeds.  I do not have to be the one who brings the person to Him.  There was an entire chapter dedicated to this.  Tice gave examples of different people (Peter, Paul, the blind man in John 9, and the woman at the well in John 4) who were brought to Christ or brought others to Him.

There was an excellent list of resource books in at the end of the book.  Topics covered were the gospel, apologetics, and more.

This was a very helpful book for me.  It helped me realize that what I am currently doing as a mother, wife, friend, and stranger is the right thing.

I highly recommend this book to you.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Honest Evangelism, by Rico Tice, for free through Cross Focused Reviews.  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.  All links were current when posted.

Acts: EP Study Commentary by Guy Prentiss Waters (Book Review)

Act: EP Study Commentary by Guy Prentiss Waters

Genre- Christian / Nonfiction / Commentary

Published by- EP Books (Evangelical Press)

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 614

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, list price $44.99, ISBN: 978-1783970032

Acts: EP Study Commentary, by Guy Prentiss Waters, is a study commentary on the Acts of the Apostles.  It covers each of the verses in the book of Acts along with well documented commentary and an application section for each grouping of verses.

About the author- Guy Prentiss Waters is a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

My thoughts- I have read other study commentaries, but I have never read one that was easy for me to read and full of useful information.  I really enjoyed reading and learning from Guy Prentiss Waters.

One of the best parts of this study was the application section in each chapter.  In that section I learned many ways to apply what I learned in Acts to my life. 

One part I was not sure about was the version of the Bible verses.  Waters rewrote each of the verses himself, so I spent time comparing what he wrote with my NLT version.  I found that what he wrote was accurate.  I was glad.  I did not want to be reading something, which was not accurate to the Bible.

I really liked the commentary, because it was written in a way I could understand and was not boring.  There have been so many times when I have read a book and I either could not understand what was being said or it made me sleepy.

I think this was an excellent book.  I highly recommend it to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Acts: EP Study Commentary, by Guy Prentiss Waters, for free from Cross Focused Reviews. 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. All links were current when posted.