Evangelism Books

Sunset (Sunrise Series-Baxter 3, Book 4)

Karen Kingsbury

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

And They All Live Happily Ever After 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Baxter family saga concludes with this fourth book of the Sunrise Series although the author promises to use them as background characters in future novels. This is a stand-alone novel, but if the reader has kept up through the Redemption Series and then the Firstborn Series, this book brings back all of the characters and ties up all loose ends in a satisfying conclusion. There's a good bit of repeating, but perhaps this comes with the fourteenth book in a series.

Kingsbury has a way of telling a good story while allowing her readers to know the people who live in her books. Though varied personalities, they all are believable. Children's voices are especially well written such that I can see his head nod as he explains about dinosaurs or hear her plaintive wail when she wants her pacifier.

Warning: read it with tissues close at hand. Any Kingsbury fan will love this one. Discussion questions are included.

Editorial Review:

As John Baxter makes plans to marry Elaine, one of the Baxters enters into the most trying season of all. During a time of renewed love and hope for the future, the Baxters try to come together to establish the sacred ground of marriage and to chart a course for the future. Memories of times gone by meet with the changes of today in a story that proves only the support of faith and family can take a person into the sunset years of life.

The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

Brother Yun, Paul Hattaway

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Total reviews: 144 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Heavenly Review 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I think this book is really good. Its really well written and captivating. However, I'm hearing a lot of different opinions regarding the truthfulness of this story. So I'm not sure how much to believe. I guess I just need God to be my discernment on this one. But it is awesome to read about the Chinese culture and such.

An Amazing Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I had read a brief summary of the book before reading it, but I was not prepared for the impact it had on me. The punishment that Brother Yun had received in prision was beyond imagination, and yet he was able to praise the Lord for it. Many million were brought to Christ by the house churches which were established through his leadership. These groups are people who take the Gospel very seriously, and with their limited funds send out missionaries to other countries. His dedication is an example for the church at large today.

The Gifts in Acts are NOT Gone... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Wow... I am almost at a loss for words. My first impression is shame. I am ashamed of myself for my comfortable life here in America. I pray that God will move me and use me as He has moved and used Brother Yun. Something tells me Jesus' return is NOT far away.

The book is a absolute page turner. Best of all it is NON-Fiction. It is so encouraging to me as a Christian in California, USA. So far removed from any real struggle, any real persecution. It is as if I am part of the Church of Laodicea, though I am rich, I am poor.

Editorial Review:

A dramatic autobiography of one of China's dedicated, courageous, and intensely persecuted house church leaders. (20040603)

Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church

Michael, Horton

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Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Horton Dismantles the Alternative Gospel 5 out of 5 stars.
24 of 26 people found this review helpful.

It is no small thing to take upon oneself the name Christian. Though it was first used as a form of derision when unbelievers mocked the "little Christs," the name was embraced by the earliest believers. The term, even when used mockingly, nicely encapsulated what they sought to do, namely, to imitate their Lord and Savior. Sadly, in the centuries since then, the word has become far too ambiguous and now refers to any number of faiths that, in one way or another, honor or respect Christ or that have some historical connection to his teachings. Amazingly, some of those called by the name of Christ actually deny him--perhaps not his existence but at least his uniqueness and his divinity. In Christless Christianity Michael Horton argues that such denial of Christ may not be too far from home. More and more evangelical churches, he says, are now essentially Christless. "Aside from the packaging, there is nothing that cannot be found in most churches today that could not be satisfied by any number of secular programs and self-help groups." Many churches have tossed out Christ and continue on without him, sometimes not even realizing that he has been lost along the way.

This is not to say that American evangelicalism has already reached a point of no return or that every church has rejected Christ. "I am not arguing in this book that we have arrived at Christless Christianity," says Horton, "but that we are well on our way. ... My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for `relevant' quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has already achieved it for us; salvation is more a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God's judgment by God himself; and the Holy Spirit is an electrical outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that we can be." Jesus has become supplemental instead of instrumental to the church. As the church has focused on "deeds, not creeds" she has become increasingly irrelevant and unfaithful. Church has become just another area in which Americans can live out the American dream. "In my view, we are living out our creed, but that creed is closer to the American Dream than it is to the Christian faith. The claim I am laying out in this book is that the most dominant form of Christianity today reflects `a zeal for God' that is nevertheless without knowledge--particularly, as Paul himself specifies, the knowledge of God's justification of the wicked by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from works."

Amazingly, it is not theological liberalism that has drawn the church away from her creed, away from her biblical foundation. Instead, it is a kind of unbearable lightness--a faith that eschews biblical theology in favor of whatever happens to be the flavor of the day. Says Horton, "My argument in this book is not that evangelicalism is becoming theologically liberal but that it is becoming theologically vacuous. ... We come to church, it seems, less to be transformed by the Good News than to celebrate our own transformation and to receive fresh marching orders for transforming ourselves and our world. ... Just as you don't really need Jesus Christ in order to have T-shirts and coffee mugs, it is unclear to me why he is necessary for most of the things I hear a lot of pastors and Christians talking about in church these days."

Horton offers a description of this brand of "Christianity" that pervades so much of the evangelical scene these days. Following sociologist Christian Smith, he calls it moralistic, therapeutic deism. It offers this kind of working theology: God created the world; God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and most world religions; The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself; God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when needed to resolve a problem; Good people go to heaven when they die. Pause to consider much of the teaching you might find on your television on a Sunday morning and you'll see how apt a description this is. Horton traces this through Finney, through modern day Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism and into the pulpits of Joel Osteen and other popular smooth talking preachers. He describes the kind of can-do spirit that allows such preachers to thrive. "When looking for ultimate answers, we turn within ourselves, trusting our own experience rather than looking outside ourselves to God's external Word." And here is where the Osteen's of the world are so skilled--they simply reflect and direct human wisdom back at humans all the while pretending as if they gleaned this wisdom from the Word of God. He shows that such preachers, while appearing to perhaps teach a kind of freedom from the law, actually do the opposite, burdening people with a new kind of legalism. "One could easily come away from this type of message concluding that we are not saved by Christ's objective work for us but by our subjective personal relationship with Jesus through a series of works that we perform to secure his favor and blessing. God has set up all of these laws, and now it's up to us to follow them so we can be blessed." This kind of Christianity makes God merely a means to an end rather than an end in and of himself.

In an insightful chapter discussing "how we turn good news into good advice," Horton shows how Christians are prone to turn indicatives into imperatives. In other words, we take a statement of fact and turn it into an exhortation. This, too, drives people to a form of legalism in which they are ultimately responsible for their own salvation and sanctification, even without understanding or embracing the gospel message. "Across the board in contemporary American Christianity, that basic message seems to be some form of law (do this) without gospel (this is what has been done)." He deals well here with the constant exhortations in the church today to "be the gospel," amazed at the hubris of such a statement. "[Unbelievers] may not like our message anyway, but at least they might be relieved that we have stopped holding ourselves up as the way, the truth, and the life. If the message the church proclaims makes sense without conversion, if it does not offend even lifelong believers from time to time so that they too need to die more to themselves and live more to Christ, then it is not the gospel." St. Francis' exhortation to "Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words" has never offended a soul.

Final chapters look to "your own personal Jesus" and the resurgence of Gnosticism and to "delivering Christ," examining the relationship between the message and the medium. Horton notes that men like Barna and so many others are advocating a wholesale abandonment of the institutional church. "Instead of churching the unchurched," he laments, "we are well on our way to even unchurching the churched." Here he speaks of the critical importance of the local church and says "the faithful ministry of Word, sacrament, and discipline is the mission" of the church. "A genuinely evangelical church will be an evangelistic church: a place where the gospel is delivered through Word and sacrament and a people who witness to it in the world." He calls for the church to narrow its commission from fixing all of the world's ills to simply returning to the basics. "The church as people--scattered as salt and light through the week--has many different callings, but the church as place (gathered publicly by God's summons each Lord's Day) has one calling: to deliver (and receive) Christ through preaching and sacrament." Of course Christians, the church as people, should pursue justice and peace, but this ought to be done through common grace institutions along side non-Christians rather than through the church as a place. The church needs to mind its own business and get its own house in order.

In the final chapter, Horton calls for resistance. "What is called for in these days, as in any other time, is a church that is a genuine covenantal community defined by the gospel rather than a service provider defined by laws of the market, political ideologies, ethnic distinctives, or other alternatives to the catholic community that the Father is creating by his Spirit in his Son. For this, we need nothing less than a new Christian where the only demographic that matters is in Christ."

Through all of this I'd suggest the most important statement in the book may just be this: "It is not heresy as much as silliness that is killing us softly." This is where the book may be most useful for the conservative Christians who are the audience most likely to read it. All of us can fall into silliness without tossing aside the gospel. We can hold fast to Christian theology, even while allowing silliness and levity to pervade the very fabric of our church. A once-serious institution can become overrun by programs and purposes that slowly erode the gravity and simplicity of the church's unique calling. This book is a call for the church to return to its biblical foundations and to remain true to those convictions. It is a clarion call and one that Christians would do well to heed. Christless Christianity is an excellent and timely book and one I would not hesitate to recommend to any Christian.

Editorial Review:

Is it possible that we have left Christ out of Christianity? Is the faith and practice of American Christians today more American than Christian? These are the provocative questions Michael Horton addresses in this thoughtful, insightful book. He argues that while we invoke the name of Christ, too often Christ and the Christ-centered gospel are pushed aside. The result is a message and a faith that are, in Horton's words, "trivial, sentimental, affirming, and irrelevant." This alternative "gospel" is a message of moralism, personal comfort, self-help, self-improvement, and individualistic religion. It trivializes God, making him a means to our selfish ends. Horton skillfully diagnoses the problem and points to the solution: a return to the unadulterated gospel of salvation.

Mark of the Lion : A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure As the Dawn (Vol 1-3)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 263 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Improved my faith. A MUST READ! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I was steered towards this series when I mentioned to a friend that I hadn't read a truly "life-changing" book in a while. Boy was she right! I found myself with a renewed fire for the Lord after reading each one of these books. Even through some graphically violent scenes, the peace of the message shone through. I wish I had read slower because now they're over. Maybe I'll pick them up again in a few years and find something new to love!

Editorial Review:

This classic series has inspired over half a million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the 10th anniversary editions of this beloved series. These editions include a new foreword from the publisher, a new preface from Francine Rivers, and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.

#1 A Voice in the Wind: Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.

#2 An Echo in the Darkness: Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul.

#3 As Sure As the Dawn: Atretes. German warrior. Revered gladiator. He won his freedom through his fierceness . . . but his life is about to change forever.

Redeeming Love

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 566 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this splendid retelling of the biblical story of Hosea, bestselling author Francine Rivers pens a heartbreaking romance between a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her; the story also functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love for his people. Redeeming Love opens with the Gold Rush of 1850 and its rough-and-tumble atmosphere of greed and desire. Angel, who was sold into prostitution as a child, has learned to distrust all men, who see her only as a way to satisfy their lust. When the virtuous and spiritual-minded Michael Hosea is told by God to marry this "soiled dove," he obeys, despite his misgivings. As Angel learns to love him, she begins to hope again but is soon overwhelmed by fear and returns to her old life. Rivers shines in her ability to weave together spiritual themes and sexual tension in a well-told story, a talent that has propelled her into the spotlight as one of the most popular novelists in the genre of Christian fiction. This is one of her best. --Cindy Crosby

Finding Noel: A Novel

Richard Paul Evans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When I wrote my first novel, The Christmas Box, I never imagined it would become an international bestseller. It was a story for my two (then) little girls. But as I wrote, I realized that it was also for my mother -- to ease her pain over losing a child. My mother was my staunchest supporter and my biggest fan. A receptionist at a doctor's office, she would sell my book (sometimes by the case!) to patients in the waiting room. When The Christmas Box hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, no one, including me, was more excited than my mother.

I lost my mother on Valentine's Day of 2006. After weeks of struggling with my grief, I decided I would write a story for her. As she loved Christmas, I chose to write a Christmas novel, my first since The Christmas Box.

Finding Noel is about how people come into our lives for a reason. It is a love story about Macy and Mark, two young people from different worlds.

I'm sorry that this Christmas, for the first time since I became a writer, I won't be able to present my mother with a copy of my book. I think she would have enjoyed reading it. But, then again, I'm not certain that she hasn't.

As you read Finding Noel, I hope that you enjoy the journey and feel the same powerful emotions I felt as the story came to me.

Fondly,

Richard Evans

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples

Thom S. Rainer, Eric Geiger

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not sure I would pay the full price for this again.... 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is as skewed. The statistics are skewed and the survey findings are not able to be generalized to the overall population. There was no random sampling, and so the findings were significant because they surveyed significant churches and failing church.... several times the data in the form of graphs show something totally different than what they state their findings are, which makes the skewing even more evident than usual, if they had let the data say what the data says, and not force the data to try and say what they want it to say their findings probably would be not substantial and would not need to have a book written.

Editorial Review:

The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.

Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.

Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.

Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.

It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It

Craig Groeschel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is a great resource and should be a must read for all pastors. I would encourage the pastoral staff to read it together and go through the study questions. It can really challenge the team to go to the next level!

IT 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the #1 Leadership book on my shelf at the moment. Fresh, real, and to the point. I encourage every leader to pick this book up for a inspiring challenge to their personal relationship with Christ and their organization's comittment to pursuing God's presence.

Fabulous 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I highly recomend this book to anyone in church leadership. I picked it up at a conference and loved it so much that our church staff if now doing it as a group book study. Craig Groeschel is a kingdom oriented leader that we can all learn from.

Editorial Review:

Craig Groeschel, founder of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK), witnessed a powerful presence from God that he calls It at work in many churches. What is this transformational force? How can you and your ministry get—and keep—It? Combining in-your-face honesty with off-the-wall humor, this lively book tells how any believer can obtain It.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

Nancy Guthrie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An anthology of Advent readings collected from the writings and sermons of 22 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers.

Between purchasing presents and planning travel, enjoying holiday pageants and attending parties, it is all too easy for Christmas to silence the sacredness and crowd out a quiet anticipation of the season’s truths. So when editor Nancy Guthrie decided she wanted a reflective book of Advent readings that would help her pause and consider the riches of Christ come to earth, she embarked on what she calls “a sacred adventure,” putting together such a collection herself.

The result—this special volume—draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as Whitefield, Luther, Spurgeon, and Augustine, and from leading contemporary communicators such as John Piper, J. Ligon Duncan, Randy Alcorn, John MacArthur, Francis Schaeffer, R. C. Sproul, Skip Ryan, and Joni Eareckson Tada to beckon you and your family into the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation and birth.

With its high view of Scripture and its focus on the gift of Jesus, this lovely book is sure to ready your heart and mind for a fresh experience of “Immanuel, God with us” this and every Advent season. Open the cover and discover what Christmas was meant to be…

A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 139 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful on so many levels ... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Well written ... check.
Historical ... check.
Spiritual ... check.
Adventure ... check.
Romance ... check.
Characters you love ... check.
Characters you don't ... check.
Pondering when you set it down ... check.
Today's reality revealed ... check.
Lessons for life ... check.
Growth in your heart ... check.
Inexplicable deep meaning ... check.
Wish you read it earlier ... check.
A hunger for more ... check.

Bon Appetit!

Glad I Found This One 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book was recommended to me by multiple people and I found out why once I read it. It is my new favorite book, and Francine Rivers is definitely a new favorite author. Francine Rivers knows how to create an exciting story plot and bring you into it with vivid descriptions and believable characters.

Another Amazing Read from Francine Rivers! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

From Jerusalem to Rome to Ephesus, travel with Hadassah, a young slave girl, as she clings to her faith in the face of the decadence of Rome in "A Voice on the Wind". As usual, Francine Rivers crafts a beautiful work of fiction full of poignant and thoughtful moments that touch the heart. There is also plenty of action as the author brilliantly draws the reader into the breathtaking locations of her tale. She brings Biblical characters to life beside her fictional creations in this wonderful novel. I highly recommend this novel and am proud to have it in my collection.

This book also contains a very helpful glossary of terms and an invaluable discussion guide for use with any reading group.

Editorial Review:

Rome comes alive in this tale of Jewish Christian slave girl Hadassah. Her story encourages readers to represent Christ in their world.

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