BookPage recommends Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis as “A sweet story of enduring love and faithfulness,” praising the book’s ability to inspire and “paint a convincing portrait” of a couple who defeat the odds to make true love in marriage last.
To read the complete review, click here.
“Freedom is an essential component in all healthy adult relationships. We’ve all witnessed the results in world history, in fundamentalist religious groups, and in families where freedom is squashed. Members are not free to question, to challenge, to think differently than the group. They are not free to grow or be themselves without fear of retaliation. Instead, they have to do and say and be what the group or person in charge tells them. That is not healthy, nor is it God’s plan. Although God wants unity in a family and in the family of God, he created great diversity. We are to be ourselves and be of one mind all at the same time. This one-mind idea doesn’t mean melding ourselves into the desires or demands of another individual, but together living for a common purpose and goalthe kingdom [ … ]
“As I stared in awe at one particular scroll fragment from the book of Deuteronomy, I noticed four dots where the Hebrew letters for Yahweh should have appeared. Four dots. Then I saw it again in the book of Isaiah: “In the wilderness prepare the way of ” (Isaiah 40:3, esv).
And then it hit me just how deeply the scribes reverenced and revered the name YHWH. They wouldn’t say the Name. They wouldn’t even write the Name. And yet YHWH is the name that God said would be remembered from generation to generation (Exodus 3:15). And while God is exceedingly holy, He is also intimately personal. He reminded Moses, “I am
the God of Abraham,
Isaac and
Jacob” (verse 6).”
Excerpted from Knowing God by Name by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, and Mary Southerland (coming Aug. 6th)
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“In Deuteronomy 11:1819 we find instructions specifying how the Israelites were to impart God’s commands to successive generations. These directives also illustrate the way parents can convey important life concepts of honor day by day, moment by moment: ‘Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’ Scripture teaches us that unlike in tales or movies where time is condensed, heroic honor training in the real world occurs in the dailiness of life, in the midst of loss, pain, immoralityindeed, anything can provide an opportunity for teaching to occur.”
Excerpted from Raising Boys by Design by Dr. [ … ]
“The fruit from your life is how God receives His due honor on earth. That’s why Jesus declares, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8).
You bear inner fruit when you allow God to nurture in you a new, Christlike quality: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22).
You bear outward fruit when you allow God to work through you to bring Him glory. That would certainly include sharing your faith. The apostles saw every arena of life as an opportunity to bear fruit. Paul wrote, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV). Whether you’re chopping wood [ … ]
“My favorite exploit in Joshua’s life doesn’t get nearly enough airtime, if you ask me. From every angle, the storytucked away in Joshua 10showcases the kind of audacity we’re after. And it all hinges on a preposterous prayer. In fact, when you first hear it, you might even feel like it’s insulting or irreverent. But as it turns out, our God isn’t intimidated by long-shot prayers.
As the chapter opens, we read that five opposing Amorite armies were planning to attack
Joshua sized up the situation, summoned all his available courage, and delivered one of the most gloriously unorthodox prayers in the entire Bible:
O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. (verse 12)
Now can you see why I love this story? Joshua had the audacity to ask God to make the [ … ]
USATODAY.com recommends Burning Sky by Lori Benton stating, With a flow of tale reminiscent of the brilliant Laura Frantz, Burning Sky is, by and far, a story in the best sense of that word and debut novelist Lori Benton is a storyteller who should earn reserved seating in the historical romance section of your bookshelf.
To read more of the review, click here
