He Chose the Nails

He Chose the Nails, by Max Lucado (LUH-KAY-DO….read the book and you’ll understand the pronunciation assistance) has produced a rather interesting look at Christ’s death. He unpacks the different elements of the crucifixion – the nails, crown of thorns, garments, ridicule, etc. – and explains their importance for the Christian. He digs into the minutiae of the event which we are guilty of overlooking due to familiarity with the story. I enjoyed this read because Lucado has a wonderful gift of turning a nice phrase – what I call a “snippet statement” – and that ability forces them into your memory. As an example, read chapter 14 because this entire chapter is one of these “snippet statements.” These wonderful phrases are the delight of the book and reveal his ability to convert complexity into simplicity. My only complaint is the size of the book. As quotable as Lucado is, I would love to have seen more depth in the analysis of these implements. Bringing in historical context of these items would have added much more to his overall goal. The book is only 151 pages, but it, in fact, is much less. The actual text starts on page 3. Further, the transition between chapters takes at least 2 pages (and sometimes 3); therefore, the actual text, with its 15 pages, hovers around 120 pages. I do understand this was a light treatment, but I simply craved more depth because the author piqued my interest. I do like how the book was ended – with study questions for each chapter. These allow the reader to dig further into Scripture and to go beyond what Lucado placed into his short chapters. Overall, the book is accessible, easy to read, interesting, and worth your efforts at reading. It will take you no time at all to breeze through He Chose the Nails; however, I suggest two readings. The first would be a quick read to cover the breadth of the book. The second read, however, should be more deliberate and slow. I encourage you to use this as a 15 day devotional prior to Easter and to couple it with the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Pertinent Philosophy on the Presence of Providence

Before launching into a review of Mitch Stokes’ A Shot of Faith to the Head, I must first confess some intrinsic bias. I have graduate and undergraduate degrees in history and, in both instances, minored in European Intellectual History. I present that information for one reason – this type of philosophy manuscript rests squarely within my “wheelhouse” or area that I enjoy reading. Typically, defenses of belief in God tend to become overly deep and are inaccessible by most Christians; or, in other words, they are written for the Christian intellectuals or philosophers. Stokes has NOT done that with his brilliant book. I have several words that can be used to describe A Shot of Faith to the Head: scholarly, delightful, witty, deep, enthralling, genuine, and powerful. He has the ability to breakdown a complex subject into terms that allows an everyday Christian to arm themselves against supposed rational attacks against irrational belief in God. Stokes tackles opposition by atheists through a unique scaffolding approach. Instead of writing long chapters, he chunks them into smaller divisions that can be read and reread without much time. Each short section advances and argument that the next chapter builds upon. As an aside, I do suggest that you start reading at the beginning to fully feel the force of his philosophy at the end. Stokes' scaffolding reveals he has the heart of a teacher and the mind of an intellectual. Teachers want to make sure that students know, understand, and do what has been provided while intellectuals desire the advancement of particular complexities. He accomplishes both in this wonderful read. One of the grand parts of his work is at the end of every chapter. Stokes has a short section entitled “For Your Arsenal.” The author provides short bullet summaries of the major ideas in that chapter. These allow a reader to access the vital ideas and review. Further, if the book has been set aside for some time, one simply needs to reach those scaffolding bullets to remember all that went before. That way, you can quickly jump back into the depths of his analysis. As I blazed through the first section, I began to detect a problem within his philosophy – namely, that he was purely advancing a philosophical thesis for believing in God, thereby, removing God’s grace from the entire scene. That assumption soon proved false due to the dazzling section on pages 55-57. I will not spoil that for you but will say this – he provides one of the most clear and cogent statements for how one will come to believe in God. There is definitively a “wow factor” or “aha moment” here! Quite frankly, I do not like Christian works that advance an author’s thesis that peppers in some Scripture while primarily utilizing neat little stories or quotes from humans. While Stoke utilizes that very format, I can honestly say that I completely overlook that issue. It is rare that I am giddy for books with so little Scripture; however, A Shot of Faith to the Head is a must read for any serious Christian. It will not let you down and you will not be disappointed. As a reader, you will emerge stronger than before with a better understanding of the “basic” tenets of belief in God and the Christian faith (you’ll understand the play on words there after reading it). Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Christians has some needed Next Steps

The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons, unfortunately, does not stand up to the quality of the first, major work he produced – unChristian. This book starts off with a bang as he introduces his idea and begins to lay the foundation for the dual choices he presents later. He goes back to that first book and reproduces some of the research on the world’s perspectives of Christians. He does provide a harrowing forecast for Christianity in our modern times because, for the most part, Christians have disengaged.

After his opening chapters, he presents a contrast between what “next Christians” (whom he calls “restorers”) should be doing rather than what they are currently doing. Those actions are: (1) provoked, not offended; (2) creators, not critics; (3) called, not employed; (4) grounded, not distracted; (5) in community, not alone; (6) civil, not divisive; and (7) countercultural, not relevant. It is here, within these discussions, that Lyons’ work reveals signs of weakness. I do realize that big name individuals have endorsed his manuscript; however, I hope to clearly outline my objections with opinion and analysis of his arguments.

Before I go on, I highly recommend that anyone struggling with questions of God’s will and their current workplace read chapter 7 very carefully. In my mind, this was the strongest chapter of the book that provided a cogent analysis of our situation. We cannot continue to separate our current occupations from “real ministry” that God has provided. As Lyons says, “work provides the only real contact many Christians have with outsiders” (p 109). That reality is a sad one that must be changed. We cannot be lights in this world (Matthew 5:16) without being in the world.

My major problem begins with his early chapters as he describes the differences between “separatists” and “cultural.” He advocates for a more middle ground and wants “next Christians” to be “restorers.” These individuals take both extremes, merge them together, and make Christianity relevant in our pluralistic and relativistic society. While that sounds great, Lyons seems to be reacting to his stringent upbringing. For instance, he readily and perpetually acknowledges that he grew up in a separatist home and all of his examples swing to the “restorer” or even “cultural” side.

In one of his examples for a restorer, he concedes that the positive example may have made “unjustifiable compromise” and that separatist concerns may be “valid” (p 88). Those very statements undercut his argument for this individual being a restorer. Remember, restorers are the middle ground; however, that example seems to indicate Lyons advocates for more cultural solutions instead of those advanced by separatists. Maybe I am reading too much into this particular example, but it fits the pattern that his personal pendulum may have swung from separatist to cultural.

Another issue that I noted is with chapter 6 – Creators, not Critics. This chapter was incoherent, weak, and thoroughly disappointing. He opens with the mention of some cultural magazine named Paste that is supposedly run by two Christians. Other than discussing the topics covered by this print media, he makes no case for how this periodical creates beauty and advances the cause of Christ. Throughout, he uses esoteric terms like beauty and common good but never truly connect them to our purpose in life – glorify God as we live in the redemptive grace He alone provides.

Lyons own example in this chapter 6 creates major problems with this theory. For instance, in detailing the appeal of Paste, he noted they created culture “not by censoring music with questionable lyrics” (p 91). So, this cultural journal glorifies God by including and discussing material that a holy God may consider offensive? Lyons omitted completely any reference to Psalm 101:3 (NIV) that says: “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” He also fails to consider the implications of Philippians 4:8 (NIV): “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” I cannot know the mind of God, but would questionable lyrics fit the principles advanced in either of those two verses?

My overarching issue with the work is its structure. Christians are to be followers of Jesus; and as a follower of Jesus, I should be consumed by study of His word. Lyons utilizes snippets of Scripture here and there to bolster one of his points. Instead, I wish he would have stated specific Biblical examples and then peppered in the modern, human examples that match the Word of God. For instance, he mentions that Zacchaeus was changed by Jesus and not instructed to change his occupation. Rather, Jesus told him to live as an example within his profession. Where was the detailed analysis of that entire scene that could have bolstered his argument? It was missing other than a few, random lines.

There are some good qualities in this read – like the chapter on employment – and the last several contrasts are quite wonderful. Chapters 7, 8, 10, and 11 are highly relevant and authentic for us to consider. At times, Lyons has a tremendous ability to turn a wonderful phrase. At the end of chapter 6, which I have already unpacked, Lyons has two SUPERB paragraphs. While those thoughts stick with you, the examples he selects detract from them. If I can spend as much time as I did in pointing out my issues of this chapter while having positive things to say about the rest, my suggestion is simple: either rewrite chapter 6 or throw it out altogether.

Despite my reservations, I think it is worth a read to find some of those buried nuggets.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. 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 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Good Chase but Needs a Tweak

The Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson serves as a solid read for any person struggling with uncertainty and making decisions related to God’s will for their life. Batterson coined a term “inverted Christianity” to reflect the modern worldview - we do not follow God but want Him to follow our dreams and our passions. His solution is nothing new but his approach brings a smile. Batterson references the Celtic word for the Holy Spirit which, when translated into English, means the wild goose. In other words, we need to exchange our penchant for safety and predictability for a spiritual adventure that glorifies God.

To accomplish this task, Batterson discusses 6 cages that we can become trapped within, and those cages serve as the chapters for his book. The six cages are: responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear. He describes each in detail and points out the fallacy while also providing some solutions to circumvent then. To conclude the book, he fills the last 3 pages with one-liners that summarizes the previous points. That format is a great way to allow those ideas to “stick.”

Batterson’s overall conclusion is solid. He admonishes us to live every day as if it were our last. Page 170 contains a sobering quote that I have to include in this review. He says that we must “remember, ultimately, it’s not about you. It’s about the One who wants to write His-story through your life.” That change in focus releases anyone from the cages of life as they recognize that God is always in control.

My sole issue rests in the fact that this is a great book with great thoughts but it is “goose light.” Batterson spent a great deal of time dealing with his church and other neat stories, but I would like to have seen a more detailed exegesis of Scripture. If we are supposed to chase God (i.e. the wild goose chase), then should that pursuit not begin and end with His recorded Word to us? He seemed to bring in Scripture where it fit his point rather than operating from the perspective that here is what God’s Word says and now we must apply it in this fashion. While some people may view that as semantics, I do not. If God’s Word, the source of all truth, is the foundation upon which we can base our knowledge of God and our eternal destiny, then it must serve as the pillar of any discussion about chasing God.
Despite my reservation of the format, this is a must read for those wrestling with the direction of their life. I would temper that recommendation by suggesting a detailed read of the Romans!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. 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 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The Dependence of the Declaration and Constitution

If you are looking for a quick, easy, soothing read, then The Founder’s Key, by Larry P. Arnn, is not the book for you. Dr. Arnn, the president of Hillsdale College, has produced an in-depth, philosophical, and succinct explanation of what has happened in modern America. He boldly and courageously attacks the tenets of modern liberalism and exposes some of its foundational flaws. This work is not so much an attempt to define or defend conservative thought but it blasts the underpinnings of its opposite.

The thesis of the book advances the notion that, contrary to popular belief, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are greatly related. Current constitutional thought declares that the former document is liberal and the latter is conservative. Supposedly, the Declaration of Independence, authored by Jefferson, espoused freedom and cast a wide net for rights while the Constitution, authored by Madison, promoted restraint and limitation of powers. The two are not mutually exclusive as taught in most American colleges and universities.

The congruity between the documents is what Dr. Arnn calls the “founder’s key.” I do not want to spoil the revelation of that key, so I will turn to a grand quote in the conclusion: “The central precepts of the American government are found in the Declaration of Independence, and they encompass the inseparable conceptions of nature, equality, rights, and consent….Constitutional rule operates in service of these principles” (119). There, in two sentences, Dr. Arnn destroys one of the pillars of progressivism.

After he has completed the aforementioned analysis, he then provides the reader immediate access to these documents – the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Then, he has carefully selected works from The Federalist Papers that continues to show the congruity between these two documents and the founding fathers. Therein, though, is my only complaint – he should have spent more time developing these ideas rather than just 130 pages. He did an admirable job in those pages; however, the topic is just too important. I hope he writes sequel and continues this work.

To return to these Declaration and Constitution principles, it is incumbent upon citizens to know and exercise the rights that we have been graciously given. The Founder’s Key is deep, thought-provoking, and intellectually stimulating. As a former history teacher, these are the works that I passionately love.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cheating by Design

When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley is a re-release of a 2002 book entitled Choosing to Cheat. I can only assume that the title change is due to untoward implications of the phrasing; however, the previous title certainly would have captured your attention. The most recent title provides a clear understanding of the book’s topic – work and family collide in that both demand your all-too-scare time but only one can be the winner in that struggle.

Stanley divides his book into 2 parts: (1) Inside the Cheating Heart and (2) Strategy for Change. In the first half of the book, he outlines the struggle for our time and offers a parable of “falling rocks.” I’m not going to spoil that one for you but will encourage you to read the book to discover it. Interestingly, he discusses work from both a professional and personal outlook. The personal outlook is for individuals that work at home and can allow the never-ending “to do list” to dominate quality time with the family. Throughout, he intersperses examples of couples that encountered difficulty because they did not spend the appropriate amounts of time with their families.

The strongest part of the book was the first half where Stanly established the clear problem – competition for our time. Throughout this part, he cleverly turns some great phrases, and a few of my favorites follow: page 28, “good intentions have never accomplished anything” and page 26, “your Creator doesn’t define your life by your career or the neatness of your pantry.” He does rightly hit the notion that we often say we do not have time to spend with our families; however, that excuse goes right out the window during a crisis. Rather than waiting for the crisis, we need to devote our time to our family members now.

The second part of the book provides some nebulous strategies to, as my title suggests, cheat by design. He postulates that someone will be disappointed because we cannot give everyone all of the time that they demand. Immediately after establishing that known fact, he begins his case for disappointed friends and coworkers rather than family. He accomplishes that case through a brief and not-too-deep study of the prophet Daniel.

Oddly, he says that he does not want to provide a prescriptive list to be followed as a solution; however, he does just that on pages 110 and 111. This latter part of the book lacked the strong ideas and clearly stated components of the first. He used a Biblical example that, for many modern people, would not work. I believe his thesis could have been bolstered through a conclusion that clearly delineated God’s design for the family. That simple structure is the heart of the entire matter as we exchange our selfishness for relational satisfaction.

All in all, not a bad read. In fact, the book can be digested quickly, and, therein, I believe is part of the problem. It’s brevity – only 133 pages – caused it to lack depth and specificity. Despite my perceived shortcomings, this book will not do you harm and it very well may help you balance the demands on your time. In my opinion, it just did not live up to his other works; thus, the middle rating.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. 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 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

A Different Daily Devotional

Moments of Truth, a daily devotional written by John MacArthur, continues his long line of scholarship based upon Biblical truth. You may be thinking that another daily devotional will be just like all the rest – short thoughts to be quickly pondered with a verse and concluding question. While MacArthur’s work does have that format, it is unlike any other daily devotional that I have seen. While each day offers meditations upon a verse of Scripture and a concluding question of reflection, the heart of the work rests in the short, daily entries.

These thoughts are short snippets from a wide array of MacArthur’s previous works that meet the subtitle of the book – “unleashing God’s Word one day at a time.” The author has a reputation for promoting the Truth, and this devotional retains that focus. While not printing new thoughts, this devotional does provide a reader something valuable. Readers are allowed to sample short parts of MacArthur’s other works, such as The Truth War, before committing to purchase that book. Additionally, these sections include the book name and page number for future inquiry.

The beauty of this work rests in its monthly divisions so that MacArthur’s truth thoughts are appropriately grouped by concept. For instance, look at an illustration of these monthly topics: January is beginnings (the start of the year), April is growing (the spring for flowers), June is marriage (the month for most weddings), and September is work (the month of Labor Day). A clever approach naturally draws the readers into the monthly themes.

This book would make a great gift for family and friends or it could even be purchased for personal enjoyment. These thoughts are a great way to start and end the work day, thereby, providing book ends for our daily labors. I highly encourage you to get a copy and see how God can use it in your life.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”