What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers with Steve Rogers

About the Book:

What Every Christian Ought to Know provides readers with a well- organized, well-reasoned grasp of such topics as salvation, eternal security, prayer, the Holy Spirit, resisting temptation, finding God’s will, as well as the authority of the Bible and how to understand it better. A valuable volume for new Christians and young disciples, it’s also a suitably instructive resource for believers of all ages.

This new edition includes an introduction from Steve Rogers, president of the Adrian Rogers Pastor Training Institute, plus discussion questions for personal reflection or group study.

My Opinion:

In today’s world where Christian can mean whatever one wants it to mean, real Christian’s must be able to be distinguished from the world and those who claim Christianity in name only.  There are some things that Christians must know, that are Biblical truths, that other ‘feel good’ churches want to dismiss because they make others uncomfortable.  I think the two chapters that really spoke to me were on eternal salvation and baptism – these are two big issues in my family with me on one side, knowing where I’m going when I die and that baptism by immersion is a Biblical mandate but not having my husband agree with me.

 

 

The one thing I would have liked to see included would have been every Christian ought to know that Hell and Heaven are real, as this is becoming a divisive issue in many churches today.  Among other subjects covered there is the Bible is the Word of God, how to handle temptation, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and others.  This is a good starting point for new Christians or those who have been Christians for awhile but still are on sure footing with their faith.  The authors don’t beat around the bush however it’s written in a friendly style and I even sometimes found myself chuckling out loud by some random thought the authors included.  I’d say this one is a must read for every Christian who is a Christian or who wants to be stronger in their faith.

 

 

**Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book through B&B Media in exchange for my own opinion, no other compensation was given.

CWA: Growing Great Kids by Kate Battistelli

About the Book:

Successful adults don’t happen by accident. It takes wisdom to raise your children with a strong sense of their destiny in God and a deep knowledge of their gifts and callings.

In Growing Great Kids, Kate Battistelli shares what she and her husband, Mike, learned about parenting during the journey of raising their daughter—Dove Award–winning recording artist Francesca Battistelli. Using anecdotes to illustrate the insights she and her husband gained, she provides practical advice including:

• How to dream God’s big dream for your child
• The value of humility and integrity
• How to interpret God’s seasons in a child’s life
• The power of a parent’s words, and more

About Kate Battistelli:

Kate Battistelli is a wife, author, speaker, former Broadway actress, and mom to one of Christian music’s most celebrated new recording artists—Grammy-nominated, Christian contemporary singer-songwriter Francesca Battistelli.

Kate currently volunteers at ESTHER Single Mothers Outreach and is thoroughly enjoying her newest role as grandmother to Francesca’s first child, Matthew Elijah.

My Opinion:

I was a little unsure when I first began this book – Kate Battistelli is the mom of Francesca (we love her music in our house) but I couldn’t help but think of the assumption, she is not going to have any idea what it takes to raise children if a family has more than one.  However, this book isn’t so much about raising children as it is about making sure they grow to love and serve the Lord – and it doesn’t matter if you have one or 20 children – this is something every godly parent can help another in.  So after I got over my “well you only one and I have three” mentatlity – I really dug into this book.

Kate relates that she knows there are differences in families with more than one child, and she also tells of how she and her husband struggled for years with not understanding why the Lord only gave them one – but again her book isn’t about discipline or telling moms of many children how to raise their children – it’s about relationship both within the parent and child bond and ultimately with the Lord.  I also enjoyed knowing that she is a veteran homeschooling mom, so she can relate to what it takes to be with your child 24 hours a day and being both parent and teacher.  Lately the Lord has been working on my heart in regards to my words – toward my children and husband.

In regards to that Chapter 2, The Power of a Parent’s Words, spoke greatly to me – it’s nothing in our house (as hubby and I also grew up with this) jokingly calling someone a goober or what have you.  Only as our children get older have they taken to telling us that it hurts their feelings and makes them feel bad themselves.  WOW!  Okay, so you can say the Lord has really been working on me – I take care not to call them stupid or to tell my son to quit crying because that makes him a sissy – but if I use terms even jokingly that can also tear them down and that doesn’t make strong children or adults all it does is make adults with lots of issues – I can’t control my husband but I can control my tongue.

If you are wanting some ideas on how to grow your children with a heart for the Lord then look no further than Growing Great Kids, if you have more than one and are thinking she can’t possibly know what it’s like, then please take my word for it that Kate does indeed have a lot to teach us moms regardless of the number of  children we have.  This is going to be a book that has a place on my bookshelf for a long time and something that I know I’ll be coming back to especially when I need some inspiration or to know where to turn in Scripture (as this book is chock full of Scripture).

**Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book through Christian Women Affiliate Review Crew, in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.

FIRST Tour: Just Too Busy: Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical by Joanne Kraft

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Joanne Kraft

and the book:

Just Too Busy: Taking your Family on a Radical Sabbatical

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (June 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to
Susan Otis/Creative Resources for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanne Kraft is a sought-after speaker who loves to encourage women. She has been published in Today’s Christian Woman, In Touch, ParentLife, Kyria and P31 Woman magazine. A leader of Inspire Christian Writers, she serves as a marriage study group leader, and works as a 911 dispatcher in Sacramento County, California. Kraft is married and has four children.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Just Too Busy is one mother’s story of getting off the merry-go-round of her family’s over-commitment. When everything their life seemed like a marathon race, Joanne Kraft and her husband decided to take a “radical sabbatical”—a year-long absence from any of their four children’s organized after-school activities. Memories made, new traditions started, lessons learned, and how their family’s legacy was enriched are shared, spiced with a liberal helping of light-hearted humor.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (June 1, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0834126095

ISBN-13: 978-0834126091

AND NOW…Click the LOOK INSIDE! Button to view the FIRST Chapter:

My Opinion:

This is a book that I read in one day, it had me laughing and even sometimes wanting to cry but I found it to be wonderfully enlightening on our culture today that says we must go, go, go and do,do, do.  That being said we are a busy family, thanks to my mom my son takes martial arts twice a week, my oldest is in dance once a week as is my other daughter and all go to Awana and they are all in 4H once a month as well.  Some would say, whew!  For us it doesn’t feel busy, I guess since we homeschool we don’t have to compete with school sports, homework, etc so we have more hours than a family who has to have a strict bed time and awake time.  My children do these activities because they want to, not because they are forced and they are early enough in the day that we are all home by 6:30 or 7 at the latest.  That said there are still things that rob our time – and that is what I thought was great about this book.

She has great ideas for family devotions (how many times have you thought I’m too busy to do devotions or I’m too busy to have a set prayer time?), and how to deal with other time thieves like Facebook, computers, game consoles, T.V., etc – it doesn’t have to be just about sports, dance, and other extra-curriculars anything that makes one “too busy” to attend to your family.  One thing I took issue with was when she was writing about the Enemy (AKA Satan) and how to have an abundant life and she mentions “Ask a person who is morbidly obese what he or she would pay for self control?” (page 89) – not everyone who is obese, morbidly or otherwise, lacks self control (my husband and I are both obese) even with portion control, carb counting, cutting out soda, etc we still can’t lose the weight.

Overall, this book was fantastic and it really has me motivated to cut back and start doing more – in fact just last night my oldest told me I spend too much time on the computer (she didn’t want to hear the fact that she spends way too much time on her iPod, but I digress) so it seems it’s a God thing that I had this book to read and review, as I’ve been convicted and we’ll see where life leads as far as the busyness that can often creep in when you least expect or think about it.

What a Son Needs from His Dad by Michael A. O’Donnell

 

About the Book:

He may be a little boy asking you to play catch today. But what about the years to come? Will you continue to be an important influence, helping him realize the potential God has given him?

As a man, you know a lot of what your son will face, and no one is in a better position to prepare him for life. Michael O’Donnell’s insights offer simple but powerful techniques to help you start your son on the road to maturity. You can build the father-son bond you want and lead him into a healthy, well-balanced manhood.

What a Son Needs From His Dad will give you proven day-to-day strategies to:
•    instill character and strong spiritual values
•    develop responsible habits toward work and money
•    dialogue about sexuality and prepare him for marriage
•    encourage godly friendships with other boys and men

Be the man you want your son to become and launch a relationship with him that will last a lifetime.

My Opinion:

Okay it’s probably obvious I’m not a dad – but I do have a son and I enjoy reading books that give me insight into raising my son.  My husband and I disagree on how we should raise our children – and so when I had the chance to review this book, I wanted to read it so I could understand what my son needs.  I liked that the chapters were short, so that in the event if my husband ever wanted to read it, he would feel overwhelmed with the wealth of knowledge that is included.  While the author does focus on the physical, boys need hugs and kisses from their dads, he also focuses on the spiritual – boys should see their dads reading the Bible and leading family worship, and the emotional – never call your sons names like sissy or make fun of them.

I really think this is a book that dads should read, if they aren’t sure of their leadership within the home and need a push to leading the family in worship, if they aren’t sure how to guide their son without yelling and name calling, this is the book that will provide a great starting point and help steer dads in the right direction.  Even if the dad is a great leader and already knows how to cater to his sons emotional, physical and spiritual well being this book will still give great insight into what every son needs from his dad in order to grow into a husband and dad who loves the Lord one day.

**I was provided a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.