Christ's Bridge: Zondervan Publishing House

Showing posts with label Zondervan Publishing House. Show all posts

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Rediscovering Discipleship by Robby Gallaty (Book Review!)

Rediscovering Discipleship: Making Jesus’ Final Words Our First Work

By Robby Gallaty

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian Ministry / Discipleship

Published by- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 240

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, ISBN 978-0-310-52128-0, $15.99

Jesus asked all of his followers to go and make disciples, but many of us do not know how to do it.

In this book, Robby Gallaty point us in the right direction with specific steps. One of the first things we need to do is to understand Jesus and the time period in which he lived, and what his lessons mean to us. We then need to learn how to properly build our discipleship groups and how to make them work.

There are lot of helpful endnotes and appendix.

About the Author- Robby Gallaty is married with two boys. He is the founder of Replicate Ministries and the Senior Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church. He wrote Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple who Makes Disciples and Firmly Planted.

My thoughts-

I thought this book was excellent. It was filled with useful and practical information to help people learn what it means to be a disciple and how to do it.

My favorite part of this book was the section where it talk about how we need to know about Jesus’s methods, before we start it ourselves. I learned how important it is when reading the Bible to think about what life was like for the Jews at that time, so I can better relate to the stories being told. This would especially apply to the parables.

The appendix with the answers to frequently asked questions was high on my favorites too, because it discussed in greater detail what to do with your small group of disciples.

It is important to make and equip disciples, so they can go and do the same. We need disciples in the world to spread the word of God.

I recommend it to every adult.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Rediscovering Discipleship, by Robby Gallaty, 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.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Gospel Conversation: How to Care like Christ by Robert W. Kellemen

Gospel Conversations

By Robert W. Kellemen

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion / Christian Ministry / Counseling & Recovery

Published by- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 397

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, ISBN 978-0-310-51615-5, $18.99

Gospel Conversations is the second book in the Equipping Biblical Counselors Series. The best way to learn is by doing, and this is exactly what Robert Kellemen discusses in this book.

This book begins with the reader learning the four compass points of biblical counseling:

Sustaining: "It's Normal to Hurt."
Healing: "It's Possible to Hope."
Reconciling: "It's Horrible to Sin but Wonderful to be Forgiven."
Guiding: "It's Supernatural to Mature."

This book is broken down into steps and can be used as a training manual for lab and small-group interaction.

About the Author- Robert W. Kellemen, ThM, PhD, has written thirteen books. He is the executive director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

My thoughts-

This book was very thick and full of useful information for learning how to become a well-rounded Christian counselor.

I liked the tweet-size comments. It helped to condense the chapter into something that was easy to remember. The wide margins made it easy to take notes. There were also a lot of questions that could be answer individually or in a group situation. There was a lot of detail and case studies to help people in group settings.

If you are going to read this book, I would highly recommend reading Gospel-Centered Counseling first. The author, Robert Kellemen refers to this book often. I wish that I had read that book first. He does stress how important it is to know the Bible. He added a lot of forms about the different aspects of counseling in the appendix. One of the forms I thought was important was a goals form.

Christians need counselors and they need them to counsel them in the most comprehensive way. I think this book and the other books in the series will help equip people to be better counselors. I recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Gospel Conversations, by Robert W. Kellemen, 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.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Gaining by Losing J. D. Greear (Book Review!)

Gaining by Losing

By J. D. Greear

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Religion /Christian / Pastors

Published by- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 256

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- hardback, ISBN 978-0-310-51524-1, $19.99

Jesus wanted his disciples to take the gospels to the corner of the earth. He knew they needed to be sent and not gathered. Today’s churches focus on gaining numbers and keeping them, not sending them back out to do the work that needs to be done.

It is the opposite in J. D. Greear’s church, The Summit Church. His goal is to properly educated them, so his leaders, givers, and volunteers can go out and win people to God.

In this book he discusses 10 ways that your church can focus on God’s mission of reaching everyone.

About the Author- J. D. Greear is currently the lead pastor of The Summit Church in North Carolina. The Summit Church under his leadership has grown from 300 to nearly 9,000. Greear has his Ph.D. in Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Greear and his wife have four young children.

My thoughts- I enjoyed reading this book and I learned a lot about what churches around the world need to be doing, planting churches. I also learned why it should be done and how to do it.

I know of churches that have tried to plant a church, but they did not succeed. I think it would have been successful if the pastor and the people interested in planting the church would have read this book. There needs to be a plan to follow and more people excited about it.

Greear’s plan is for all members to go on to plant churches and be different types of missionaries. He knows that to fill the Great Commission, the members of the church need to move on. The way to gain is to lose. It is not about keeping the members in the church. It is about growing and teaching others about God. I liked how he included a lot about his church and the way that they have done and are doing things.

The appendices were helpful, “Setting Up an International Missions Strategy” and “Developing a Domestic Church Planting Strategy.”

I think that all church leaders need to read this book, so they can empower their members to grow.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Gaining by Losing, by J. D. Greear, 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.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Rebels by Jill Williamson (Book Review)

Rebels (The Safe Lands, Book 3)

by Jill Williamson

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Teen Fiction / General

Publisher- Blink (Zondervan)

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 393

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73577-9

Rebels, by Jill Williamson, is the final book is The Safe Lands series. Omar and Mason have been publically sentence to Liberation. Levi is the newest leader of the group from Glenrock and he is still trying to save them from the Safe Lands. His new wife, Jemma, is the Safe Lands Queen. He needs to rescue her, keep his people safe, and find out what happened to Omar and Mason.

Are Omar and Mason still alive? Will Levi be able to be the leader he needs to be to save the people of Glenrock and Jack’s Peak?

About the Author- Jill Williamson currently lives in Oregon with her husband and children. She enjoys working with teenagers and gives writing workshops.

My Thoughts: It is always sad when a series comes to an end. Rebels, by Jill Williamson, is the third book in The Safe Lands series. It was just as exciting and mysterious as the other two book, Captives and Outcasts.

My favorite character was Omar. I especially liked him because he grew into a man in the three books. He especially grew in character depth during the third book after he was sentenced to Liberation. While he was Liberated he overdosed and was detoxed while he was in the hospital. After he was detoxed he did everything he could do to save the people of Glenrock and Jack’s Peak.

I always thought Levi, since he currently leads the people from Glenrock, would be the strongest person mentally and morally. He was not. It was the people who were the weakest like Omar and Shaylinn who grew in their walk with God. I guess Levi was too set in his ways to really grow. He would probably have a better live when he was able to live what is a normal life for them. He did try new things though, like becoming the Owl after Omar was liberated and taking his wife, Jemma, with him on a rescue mission.

I really thought this was an excellent conclusion to the series. There are many more things that happen to everyone, but I am not going to give out any spoilers. You will need to find a copy and read the book yourself.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

Rebels - http://www.amazon.com/Rebels-Safe-Lands-Jill-Williamson/dp/0310735777/

Author Website - http://www.jillwilliamson.com/

Links to my reviews of the other two books:

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Rebels, by Jill Williamson, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Blink (Zondervan). I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Merlin’s Nightmare by Robert Treskillard (Book Review)

Merlin’s Nightmare (Merlin Spiral Series, Book 3)

by Robert Treskillard

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Juvenile Fiction / General

Publisher- Blink (Zondervan)

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 432

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73509-0

In Merlin’s Nightmare, by Robert Treskillard, Merlin has been running and hiding from his enemies for some time now and he would like to stay home and grow old with his family. Arthur is now eighteen and he is eager to be on the battlefield. He does not know that he is the High King, because everybody close to him has kept him safe throughout the years.

Now it is the time that Merlin is going to have to stop hiding himself and Arthur. They are going to have fight to keep their country safe. The Saxenow are coming from the south, Picti from the north, and something else from the west.

Morgana, Merlin’s sister, is about to let herself known to all and unleash werewolves to destroy everyone. What will happen? Will Merlin be brave enough to face his fears? Will Arthur be crowned king?

About the Author- Robert Treskillard currently lives in Missouri with his wife and youngest child. He has a BA in Biblical; Theological Studies. He is a software developer, graphic artist, and bladesmith.

My thoughts-

Merlin’s Nightmare, by Robert Treskillard, was an exciting conclusion to the Merlin Spiral Series. There were a lot of exciting extras in this book The subject matter was exciting too, Merlin and Arthur, two of my favorite subjects.

I liked the pronunciation guide, and the glossary. It is always important to know as much as you can about the setting and those two items helped me understand and visualize everything that was happening. There were also maps in the front of the book that I used to follow where the people were living and fighting. I thought the beginning of the book was interesting, because he used people and subject matter to highlight what had happened in the other books. I liked that, because I like to read a synopsis of what happened in the other books in a series.

I was glad to read that Merlin was finally able to accept that God had sent him to do an important task. God often tells us what we need to do in our lives. We need to make sure that we are listening to him and following him. It took Merlin many years to do what God was asking of him. I hope that it does not take me that long to listen to God.

I really liked this book and it was a good conclusion to the series. I am looking forward to reading the next series, Pendragon Spiral. It will continue Merlin’s story. I know that many grownups and teens would like to read this book.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

Merlin’s Nightmare - http://www.amazon.com/Merlins-Nightmare-Merlin-Spiral-Treskillard/dp/0310735092/

Author Website - http://www.KingArthur.org.uk

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Merlin’s Nightmare, by Robert Treskillard, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Blink (Zondervan). I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul (Review)

One Realm Beyond (Book One of the Realm Walkers)

by Donita K. Paul

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Teen Fiction

Publisher- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 416

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $12.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73580-9

In One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, Cantor D’Ahma is ready to become a realm walker. He leaves his mentor and goes through the portal to the realm where he will find the dragon who will help him on his adventures.

A mor dragon named Bridger finds Cantor and is determined to stay with him. Cantor wants to find a different dragon. They find that the realm is unlike what his mentor taught him. It is a lot more dangerous and most of the Walkers Guild had become corrupt.

He makes friends with Bixby and Dukmee, but will they be able to help Cantor? Are they to be trusted?

About the Author- Donita K. Paul currently lives in Colorado. She is a former teacher and has won multiple awards.

My Thoughts- One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, was an awesome book! I could not stop reading it. The dialogue were very well done. I was able to laugh and cry with them. With the seriousness of their various situations, it was great to have a comedian like Bridger.

Bridger was not only an extremely talented shape shifting mor dragon, but he was very funny. He would use his humor to diffuse situations and draw people to him, especially Cantor. Cantor did not want Bridger as his constant.

Paul did a wonderful job of including the idea of God and the spiritual world as C.S. Lewis and Chuck Black did in their series. There were many times that I would come across phrases about character and strength that really struck me. They made me want to be stronger in the Lord, read His word, and be more like Him. Paul has written a book which will be a classic for many generations. The Lord has blessed her with a gift that she has fortunately shared with us, the readers.

I highly recommend that both teens and adults read One Realm Beyond, Book One in the Realm Walkers. You won’t be disappointed.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

One Realm Beyond - http://www.amazon.com/One-Realm-Beyond-Walkers/dp/0310735807/
Author Website - http://www.donitakpaul.com/

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Outcasts by Jill Williamson (Review)