Discipleship Books - Page 4

Prison to Praise

Merlin R. Carothers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A heart change 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul writes about the ways of God seeming foolish to man.
In Isa 55:9 God says through Isaiah : For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In Prison to Praise, Merlin Carrothers shares with us something that sounds so foolish to my human ears. Unlike some other books, it doesn't have promises of great things like the Prayer of Jabez - only a heart change.
I was assigned this book as part of a Biblical Counselor program. I found others to read because this looked like a 'formula' book.
When my husband first starting reading this book, he was transformed - and encouraged me to read it....but still, my way was to put it off. One day I picked it up - and I was furious - "Praise God for the evil? Praise God for the bad?". I just couldn't line it up with my theology.
Then, I was in a crisis in my life - and anxious, fearful, and discouraged and in despair. When I prayed for God to hear my cry, the verse "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise" (Ps 100:4) came to me, with "be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" Phil 4:6.
I have spent a month listening to God open up this teaching to me, and show me "If this had not happened in your life, you would not have this blessing....If that had happened in your life, you would not have that blessing" as well as opening up stories in the Bible where the ugly looking things ended up being the path to glory. This book opened the door in my heart to a new relationship with the Father, only behind my salvation in 1969 and my Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1977.
I don't know the deeper meanings of the words, I can't speak to whether we give thanks 'in' or 'for', but I know that as I embrace the principles illustrated in this book, my heart is changed, fear is chased off, and I am in the presence of the Lord more and more, and in His presence is fullness of joy(Ps 16:11).

I didn't get cars, houses, lands or money - but I have the peace that passes understanding that keeps my heart and mind in Christ Jesus - I am walking in the joy Jesus wanted me to live in - and that is of far greater worth than anything on this earth!
So if you are ready to give up fear for faith, despair for hope, and confusion for clarity in Christ, pick up this book. To me, that is worth trying something that seems foolish, and I encourage it, I challenge you to read this book, and open your heart to God.

Editorial Review:

Many people list this as the most unusual book they have ever read. Millions say it changed their lives and introduced them to the solution to their problems. This is not a book about a prison with bars, but about a prison of circumstances-and how to be set free!

Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship

N. T. Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wow. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is my first time reading N.T. Wright's books, though I've read an essay and heard him speak. This is an unbelievable book. The first half of the book walks through the New Testament and describes each author's view of Jesus and what it looks like to follow Him. The second half seems to walk through some of the major issues of discipleship and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus. I loved it and will go back to it again and again.

Bishop Wright is my Hero 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

Twelve Ordinary Men

John MacArthur

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent and highly informative 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is another great work of expository teaching by Dr. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church and the president of Grace to You radio ministry. In this book, Dr. MacArthur looks at Jesus's twelve disciples. You've heard their names, but what exactly do you know about them? Well, when you get done reading this book you will feel like you know a lot!

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and wonderfully informative read. Dr. MacArthur does an excellent job of showing how Jesus called and trained the twelve to become His apostles, and then presented all of them as individuals - individuals from whom we can learn a great deal about who God can use and how.

Yes, I must say I really enjoyed this excellent and highly informative book. If you want to really understand the twelve apostles, then you MUST get this book. I give it my highest recommendations!

Editorial Review:

Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Jesus chose ordinary men – fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots – and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today's modern disciple - you.

The Pursuit of God

A. W. Tozer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 97 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This Version--Terrible Edition 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book is amazing and should be read by believers in Jesus, as well as people who "just go to church." This edition, however, is edited badly and unreadable at times. :( I've only gotten through the introduction.

The Pursuit of God 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book itself, The Pursuit of God, is wonderful and powerful. There were a few editing errors that I found distracting. Also, other editions have discussion questions that were missing in this edition. I always appreciate having those.

Don't buy this edition 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A classic book but a horrible edition. I have never seen so many proofing errors in my life. Not acceptable.

Editorial Review:

The Pursuit of God: This book is a modest attempt to aid God's hungry children so to find Him. Nothing here is new except in the sense that it is a discovery which my own heart has made of spiritual realities most delightful and wonderful to me. Others before me have gone much farther into these holy mysteries than I have done, but if my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame.-A. W. Tozer

Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View

Garry Friesen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Does God have a perfect will for each Christian? Can you be absolutely sure you’ve found God’s individual will for your life? Garry Friesen examines the traditional view of God’s will, then sets forth a different view that more accurately reflects biblical teaching. This new edition of Decision Making takes up the practical issues of choosing a mate, picking a career, giving of one’s resources, and areas of disagreement between Christians to give readers a new approach to knowing the will of God.

Mr. Friesen also addresses many of the arguments that have surfaced since the original printing of this book over twenty-four years ago.

Does God Have a Perfect Will for Your Life?

Does God have a perfect will for each Christian? Can you be absolutely certain of God’s specific will for your life? In this expanded twenty-fifth anniversary edition of his highly acclaimed work, Garry Friesen examines the prevalent view on God’s will today and provides a sound biblical alternative to the traditional teaching of how God guides us. This new edition includes these helpful resources: Study guide for small groups Responses to Frequently Asked Questions Guide to painless Scripture memorization

Friesen tackles the very practical issues of choosing a mate, picking a career, and giving in this fresh and liberating approach to decision making and the will of God.

Story Behind the Book

Most Christians have been taught how to find God’s will, yet many are still unsure whether they’ve found it. God does guide His people, but the question is, “How does He guide?” After “putting out a fleece” to decide which college to attend, Garry Friesen began pondering why it was so hard to find God’s will when he had so sincerely sought it. Was he the only one who did not have 100 percent clarity for every decision? Then a new possibility struck—perhaps his understanding of the nature of God’s will was biblically deficient. Maybe there was a better way to understand HOW God guides.

The Pursuit of God with Study Guide

A. W. Tozer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Pursuit of God Study Guide 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Tozer's The Pursuit of God is a deep, deep writing. Each reading reveals more of God and His purpose in our lives. The study guide, while faithfully following the format of the text, falls short of plumbing the depths of the text. It is a good starting point, but needs to be supplemented with teaching and discussion led by one who can reach into the depths the study guide leaves unexplored.

God Almighty, Lord of Glory! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Wow! I love this book & I am not finished with it yet. I am reading it slowly and savoring every word. I will read it again & again. I do not even want to use the study guide but intend to study this book with Scriptures by my side.

Food for the Soul 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

If I could recommend only one book besides the Bible, this book would be it. Written in 1949, it is a classic, and often quoted by more contemporary authors. Tozer provides practical insights and encouragement to those who hunger and thirst for God. His words are moving, inspiring, relevant, and profound. Once you have read this book, you will want to keep it handy and refer to it often.

Editorial Review:

A classic best-seller. "Lord, I must speak of Thee" wrote Tozer, "lest by my silence I offend against the generation of Thy children."

Grace Walk: What You've Always Wanted in the Christian Life

Steve McVey

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Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

This one book makes all the difference! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book taught me how to let the Lord drive my life. Right from the start it helped to redirect that "Oh! I gotta DO SOMETHING!" energy and refocused it into learning about the Lord wants me to do. It taught me about listening to the Lord, trusting in the Lord, and even about recognize some of the devil's tricks. It's an excellent book for the Christian who feels that God loves them MORE if they DO MORE THINGS. In truth, we just simply need to BE with the Lord. Don't believe me? Go read it yourself!

Editorial Review:

Now with a fresh cover! The nearly 200,000–selling Grace Walk has helped thousands of believers leave behind the “manic–depressive” Christian walk: either running around trying to perform to be acceptable to God—or thinking they’ve failed Him again and wondering if they’ll ever measure up.

Living the grace walk gets Christians off this religious roller coaster. Using his own journey from legalism into grace, Steve McVey illustrates the foundational, biblical truths of who believers are in Jesus Christ and how they can let Him live His life through them each day.

As they experience their identity in Jesus Christ, Christians will come to know “Amazing Grace” as not just a song but as their true way of life.

Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God

Kay Warren

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Inspiring 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Although Kay Warren is an Evangelical Christian and I am a Conservative Rabbi, I found her honest, personal portrait inspiring. Her tale reveals that by listening for and responding to the Divine call to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, she expanded her horizons, deepened as a person, and strengthened her relationship with God.

Brutally honest and outstanding book! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Kay Warren is an extraordinary woman and should be praised for writing this shocking and enlightening book. She reveals how she became "seriously disturbed" after reading a magazine article in 2002 focusing on the AIDS pandemic. She was stunned and distressed that the article stated there were 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. The statistics were staggering and horrific! She couldn't understand how this could be happening without her knowledge. She wondered why people weren't doing more to stop this pandemic. After much research on HIV/AIDS, she realized she couldn't sit back and ignore these people.

It took courage and self-sacrifice for this pastor's wife to leave her warm, comfortable California home to journey into the midst of the AIDS pandemic in Africa in 2003, and later to other parts of the world plagued with the AIDS pandemic. Her journey took her to areas where young children and adults were dying each day from this insidious disease. In some way, she felt she had to do something to alleviate their suffering by sharing her love with them. She witnessed the social stigma, rejection, persecution, and shame these people faced daily. It would have been easy to simply forget that this tragedy was a reality. Yet, this special woman realized that she couldn't ignore the call from God to "act up" and reach out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

While away from home, she discovered that she had breast cancer. Shortly after this battle, she was diagnosed with another form of cancer. This wasn't enough to stop a woman on a mission. She knew her mission in life and had said, "Yes" to God.

This is a brutally honest account of her journey into HIV/AIDS activism. As an AIDS activist myself, I felt so much admiration for Kay Warren. Her activism struck a chord within me. I know how my elderly mother felt when she was battling HIV/AIDS due to a tainted blood transfusion while undergoing heart bypass surgery in 1983. She was one of the first victims of HIV. She kept her illness a secret because she feared rejection. Many of the people Ms. Warren met felt dirty and ashamed of their illness. I know my own mother did even though she was infected through a blood transfusion. It's difficult to imagine that the stigma still exists after 25 years of the AIDS pandemic. Kay Warren teaches us we should not sit idly by while these people suffer in silence. I totally agree with her. Hopefully, others will hear her message and join the fight.

Being the wife of Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in California, she believes that all churches must take an active role in educating people about HIV/AIDS. What a difference this would make.

In "Dangerous Surrender," Ms. Warren teaches us lessons about love, acceptance, courage, compassion and faith. It wasn't always an easy or pleasant experience, but the desire to do the will of God surpassed any hesitancy she might have experienced. I applaud Kay Warren for her generous gift of love and acceptance to those in need of compassion and understanding. This book taught me to say "Yes" to God and not question His ways.

"Dangerous Surrender" was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If more people were like Kay Warren this world would be a better place. We all have a choice in life. We can sit and simply watch the pain and evil in the world or we can make a decision to ease the suffering of those in need by surrendering to God's will as Kay Warren did. I highly recommend this outstanding book.

A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS

Editorial Review:

A rare book by an uncommon woman, Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren, dares you to go deeper with God and his purposes on earth. Destined to be a classic, it will shake, challenge, and stretch you to become more than you’ve ever imagined. Your world is waiting.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold (Yesterday's Classics)

James Baldwin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

No book is better for introducing children ages 6 to 9 to legendary historical figures than this collection of stories admirably retold by James Baldwin at the beginning of the last century. Selecting the best of our literary heritage, Baldwin cast it into a form that delights children of all ages. Beginning with stories of heroes from British history, including King Alfred and the Cakes, King Canute on the Seashore, and Bruce and the Spider, the book moves on to tales of other lands. From Ancient Greece come stories of The Brave Three Hundred, Alexander and Bucepahlus, and Diogenes the Wise Man. Introducing the history of Rome are the Story of Cincinnatus, Horatius at the Bridge, and Julius Caesar. The stories of William Tell, Arnold Winkelried, and Robin Hood impart a bit of the flavor of the Middle Ages. Rounding out the collection are a number of timeless tales that show heroes in action: Damon and Pythias, The Sword of Damocles, Picciola, and The King and His Hawk. Children naturally take a deep interest in such stories. The reading of them will not only give pleasure but will help to lay the foundation for broader literary studies since nearly all are the subjects of frequent allusions in poetry and prose. Young children will enjoy having these stories read to them, while older children will delight in reading them to themselves.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence

Ruth Haley Barton, R. Ruth Barton

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Winner of a Christianity Today 2005 Book Award! To seek to fill a book with words about moving beyond words into solitude and silence is a daunting task; it is laughable really, if one sees the irony in it all. I have found myself . . . drawn to the task and yet somehow strangely resistant. On the one hand, I have been drawn to the task because my journey into solitude and silence has been the single most meaningful aspect of my spiritual life to date. . . . On the other hand, I am aware of the continuing challenge solitude and silence represent in my own life. Even though it has been well over ten years since I first said yes to God's invitations to enter more intentionally into these disciplines, I still find it challenging to protect space for these times apart which so deeply satisfy the empty places of my soul. Ruth Haley Barton describes how she has discovered the real presence of God--the God who is present through the practice of solitude and silence. Her book invites you to meet God deeply and fully outside the demands and noise of daily life. It is a call to the adventure of spiritual transformation--an adventure that will lead you to freedom and authenticity, allowing you to become the person God created you to be. In Invitation to Solitude and Silence Barton offers spiritual guidance for your journey, helping you to hear God's call more clearly and showing you concrete ways to say yes. Chapter by chapter she combines teaching and reflection on different aspects of the journey with activities and disciplines that will help you to practice solitude and silence. Barton offers the prophet Elijah as a biblical guide for your journey. And she offers her own perspective to help you understand the ups and downs you might experience along the way. The beauty of a true invitation is that you really do have a choice. You can say yes or no. God is waiting for you to respond to him from the depths of your desire for relationship, belonging and transformation. Will you say yes? Features & Benefits

* Invites you to meet God deeply and fully outside the demands and noise of daily life

* Clearly explains classic spiritual disciplines

* Shows how you can practice--and benefit from--disciplines

* Combines teaching and reflection with activities and disciplines

* Describes an approach that works for both introverts and extroverts, introspectives and activists

* Offers the prophet Elijah as a guide

* Draws on Barton's own experiences

* Provides biblical grounding

* Written from an evangelical perspetive

* Barton is cocreator (with John Ortberg) of the devotional curriculum An Ordinary Day with Jesus