Showing posts with label Cross Focused Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cross Focused Reviews. Show all posts

The Sin of Forgiveness by Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr.


Title: The Sin of Forgiveness
Author: Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr.

Book Information:
·     Publisher: CrossLink Publishing (2013)
·     ISBN:  9781936746354
·     Page Count: 168

How did I get this book: 
A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

Book in a Nutshell: 
Today’s “forgiveness” does just the opposite of what forgiveness is meant to accomplish put another way, secular forgiveness causes more harm than good. The one forgiving is never made whole again, while the sinner is left in the same wretched condition. But true Christian forgiveness  brings a blessing to all. We are to forgive, but it must be according to the example and teachings of Christ. Anything less is a sin.”

Review: 
The Sin of Forgiveness by Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr. explains what Godly forgiveness is and what it is not. It exposes Satan’s deceptions regarding the topic of forgiveness and backs every single point made up with an abundance of scripture. 

This book intrigued me by the title, as I first thought it to be an oxymoron. However, upon further explanation, the author’s point is valid and I see this work as a necessity.

It is quite disturbing to realize that regarding the topic of forgiveness, we have almost seamlessly transitioned from God’s original Biblical intent to Satan’s widely accepted counterfeit, producing the opposite outcome for both parties involved.

Forgiveness was indented as: “a healing process to whereby both can spiritually become whole again,” through regaining what was lost to sin for the granter of absolution, “while the sinner regains a rebirth ultimately seeking righteousness.” This benefits both the victim as well as the perpetrator with a clean slate.

The ‘Sin of Forgiveness’ or secular forgiveness that we have exchanged the above for, results in both parties being left with nothing. “One is denied rightful restitution and assurance the sin against them will not be repeated, while the other is left in the same wretched sinful condition as before.”

In ‘The Sin of Forgiveness,’ Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr. clearly explains our current-day dilemma by exploring the following (taken from the Contents): ‘The Importance of Context’, ‘The “Why” of the Lies about Forgiveness’, ‘”I’m Sorry” Is Not Good Enough’, and ‘Unconditional Forgiveness is a Lose/Lose’.

Then, he brilliantly puts everything in the context of Jesus and the example that He set for us in ‘Our Savior Tells Us If, When, and How to Forgive’. 
Not to disappoint, there is also a powerful ‘Conclusion’, ‘Questions & Answers’ section, even a way to contact Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr., as well as other books he has written.  

Forgiveness is a topic that we will all deal with numerous times over the course of our lives. It is paramount that we know where we stand, and how to proceed according to the example of Christ as well as what the Word of God teaches. Is your forgiveness “justly helping that person or giving them license for continued rebellion against God”? This book will help you to determine all of the above.

Quotes: 
“Forgiveness is at the very heart of Christian faith, so it is little wonder that Satan has spent so much time and effort distorting the exact essence of its meaning. His goal of replacing divine forgiveness with secular humanism has come to pass, as most of us now, on the subject of forgiveness, believe his lies instead of God’s truth.”

“As usual, Satan’s lies come wrapped in but a small portion of God’s truth. Secular practitioners also tell us that forgiveness is something we must do for our own mental wellbeing, as failure to forgive becomes a destructive emotional cancer. And therein lays a spiritual red warning flag, as God seeks sacrifice for one another. Only Satan seeks the best for self.”

The issue of forgiveness is that serious. Done right, it is a witness for the One we worship. Done wrong, it can help Satan make us a partaker of another’s sin.”

About the Author:
Edward Mrkvicka is a lay minister and counselor, and life-long Bible student. His religious writings have been awarded Best Christian Book of the Year, Best Christian Study of the Year, named a National Best Book Awards finalist, and a winner in the Christian Choice Book Awards. He has also been awarded the prestigious Faith Writers Seal of Approval.
His efforts on behalf of families, understanding adultery, and the devastating effect of divorce on children have earned him a United States Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.

 This review has also been posted on Amazon and Goodreads.


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Contentment, Prosperity, and God's Glory by Jeremiah Burroughs



Title: Contentment, Prosperity, and God's Glory 
Author: Jeremiah Burroughs 

Book Information:
  • Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books (2013)
  • ISBN:  9781601782328
  • Page Count: 144
How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

Review: According to page ix of the Preface, the author of Contentment, Prosperity, and God's Glory, Jeremiah Burroughs' "heart's desire was to serve the Lord and His kingdom in as great a capacity as He would allow." Also on pages xi-xii we see, "Burroughs could not in good conscience conform to such superstitions [897 of them imposed on all ministers by the King of England]. His personal conviction was as follows, "In God's worship, there must be nothing tendered up to God but what He has commanded. Whatsoever we meddle with in the worship of God must be what we have a warrant for out of the Word of God."

The inspirational character of Jeremiah manifested in his nonconformity, cost him his license, ministry, and income. He was slandered, persecuted, and eventually forced to flee his beloved country to Holland in order to escape arrest. Yet in spite of his circumstances, Burroughs' sermons consistently remained free of complaints. Why? Because of his view of contentment, that you can learn from reading this precious book. 

Is it possible to always be content, both in need, as well as in times of prosperity and abundance? Paul said it was in Philippians 4:2, and Jeremiah Burroughs discovered the secret, too. Are you curious about the rich content found within Contentment, Prosperity, and God's Glory? As you open this book like a chest, you are sure to find the treasure contained within to enrich not only today, but also your life and your walk as well.  

About the Author: Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) was a member of the Westminster Assembly and a prominent preacher among Congregationalists. Several of his works have been reprinted by Soli Deo Gloria Publications.

About the Series: Interest in the Puritans continues to grow, but many people find reading these giants of the faith a bit unnerving. The Puritan Treasures for Today Series seeks to overcome that barrier by presenting Puritan books that are convenient in size and unintimidating in length. Each book is carefully edited with modern readers in mind, smoothing out difficult language of a bygone era while retaining the meaning of the original authors. Books for the series are thoughtfully selected to provide some of the best counsel on important subjects that people continue to wrestle with today.

This review has also been posted on Amazon.

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The Romance of Grace by Jim McNeely III


Title: The Romance of Grace
Author: Jim McNeely III

Book Information:
  • Publisher: Vox Dei (2013)
  • ISBN: 9781935961970
  • Page Count: 148
How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

Review: Grace. In the Christian community, there tends to be much more material about what it isn't as opposed to what it is; Grace has been made out to be more of a scandal than a romance. However, Jim McNeely III tackles this subject head on and with a fresh approach in The Romance of Grace. 

"The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls, who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-46)

This book starts off with a Princess Bride movie reference, which is fantastic, and then it gets deep real quick, "Like Buttercup, we have a great lover who saved us and has promised to come for us. Yet we treat His love like garbage, as though it were nothing...our greatest sin is that we give up true love. We fall short- not of our obligations, but of glory." (pg. 12)

"Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives." (Romans 3:23)

There are also multiple perspectives discussed here in delightful detail:
          The Human Perspective: The Kingdom of Heaven as Treasure
          The Divine Perspective: The Kingdom of Heaven as a Pearl Merchant

The Romance of Grace sufficiently conveys how important we are to God, and also gives one of the best definitions for the term 'Grace' that I have ever heard: 

"God, by His own initiative, likes us. There is none of this nonsense about "loving but not liking" with God. In fact, He is extremely taken with us, to the point of sacrificing all else to have us. We are not battling an attitude in God in which He is constantly ready to condemn us and reject us, ever focused on our flaws and shortcomings. Rather, He sees something wonderful in us. He has dealt definitively with our flaws, sins, and shortcomings because He wants these things completely swept out of the picture. He is excited about us. We are greatly loved, even as we presently stand. God has joy over finding us! It was from joy over it that He sold all that He had: "Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2-5)"

Is it possible to say enough good things about this book in only one review? Regretfully, I don't think so. Just know that I gave it a strong five stars for very good reasons, and that you should go grab your own copy as soon as possible to find out why.

About the book: What if God sees us the way a man sees a woman he is infatuated with, and His main question is not how to make us moral but rather how to get us to fall in love with Him? In The Romance of Grace, Jim McNeely explores Bible passages that tell us what God really wants for us and what His love means. This is the love of a God who chose to give His life for ours, even carefully retaining His scars into the throne room of heaven and telling us in His very body, “I have gone to great lengths and great costs to say that I forsook all comforts for the love of you.” Join Jim in his exploration of life in God’s unconditional, redeeming, amazing grace.

About the Author: Jim McNeely is a teaching pastor and elder at Dakota Creek Christian Center in Blaine, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Betty, and their four sons. Formerly president of New Century Data, with clients such as Lockheed Martin and American Airlines, he now works as a programmer and database administrator in the health care industry.
Cool Extras:


  • Jim McNeely interviewed on episode 16 of Author Talks with Shaun Tabatt
  • Jim McNeely video interview about The Romance of Grace
  • Jim's Blog:  ThereforeNow.com
  • Jim McNeely on Twitter:  @JWMcneely
  • Jim McNeely on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/jim.mcneely
  • The Romance of Grace on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheRomanceOfGrace
  • Therefore Now Ministries on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thereforenow


  • Praise for The Romance of Grace:
    “It is time, as Robert Farrar Capon put it, to get drunk on grace. Two hundred-proof, defiant grace. That’s what you get here in Jim’s book. You won’t see a list of qualifications, and you’ll get no “footnotes.” What you’ll encounter isgrace unmeasured, vast and free. It will frighten you and free you at the same time.” —Tullian Tchividjian, Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and author of Jesus + Nothing = Everything

    “So often we turn our faith in Christ into a forcing mechanism, which doesn’t work in any event; and if anything, produces disillusionment or hypocrisy. TheRomance of Grace is a prophetic book. I believe that unless we heed its call, to put grace absolutely without condition and frontally as the be-all and end-all of the Good News, we will lose completely, and not just in “the eyes of the world” but in the failure of well-intentioned religious lives that tried to love and never knew how.” —Paul F. M. Zahl, author of Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life

    “In The Romance of Grace we are confronted with a truth that we may have previously rejected. It seemed too easy to embrace. It lacked obligation on our part and contradicted accusations we have given credence to for the majority of our lives on earth. Yet herein lies the truth—“Not that we loved God, but that God loved us.” This book will help to right the plumb line in your life.” —David Collins, author of Out of the Box, founder of Canadian Food for the Hungry International.
    This review has also been posted on Amazon.

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    Parenting On Your Knees: Prayers and Practical Guidance for the Preschool Years by Vicki Tiede



    Title: Parenting On Your Knees: Prayers and Practical Guidance for the Preschool Years  
    Author: Vicki Tiede

    Book Information:
    • Publisher: Pix-N-Pens
    • ISBN: 9781938092299
    • Page Count: 190
    How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

    Review: 
    "Arise [from your bed], cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street." 
    ~Lamentations 2:19

    "And He took them [the children up one by one] in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them." ~Mark 10:16

    Children are sweet blessings. Raising them can seem like the best of times and the worst of times. There are many moments where you feel overwhelmed or like you can't make it, but then that one unexpected moment happens that makes it all worth it. This cycle could be repeated several times a day. It is important to remember in those times of need or being stretched beyond what we thought our limits were, that we are never alone. Children are sweet blessings from the Lord, and He longs for is to share everything with Him, lean on Him when needed, and take everything to Him in prayer. 
    •  "God has blessed you with this little one, to love and care for, but He wants to share in the joys, hopes, worries, and fears for this child. He doesn't expect you to travel this road solo. Going to God on behalf of your child helps you remember you are not parenting alone." ~pg.3 
    • "...parenting is a process, not an event. It's a journey, not a destination...[when we parent on our knees, we are] eye-to-eye with our children and looking up at Jesus, who wants to co-parent with us." ~pg.5

    "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there." 1 Samuel 1:27-29

    God desires to spend time with you and to help you through this, and it is okay if that happens in creative and unexpected ways. Your prayer time may not look like anyone else's but that's okay. The goal is to connect with God in whatever way fits your current place on this ride called life.
    • "Time with God is not about academic study or getting through a certain amount of Scripture or any of that. It's about connecting with God. We've got to keep those lines of communication open, so use whatever helps. Sometimes I'll listen to music, other times I'll read, Scripture or a passage from a book; often I will journal; maybe I'll go for a run; then there are days when all I need is silence and solitude and the rising sun. The point is to simply do whatever brings me back to my heart and the heart of God." ~pgs.9-10
    • "When you pay your electric bills, pray that your children will know Jesus as the Light of the world. When you see a school bus, pray that your children will learn new skills and strive toward greater achievements. When you water your plants, pray that your children will grow healthy and strong." ~pg.10
    And what about quiet time? As a parent of multiple little ones, 'quiet' is the operative word. So what if the only time the house is quiet are those few minutes in between the kids being asleep for the night and you passing out as well? Never fear, Vicki Tiede offers helpful suggestions for this as well.
    • "As parents of little ones, you can do things such as: listen to worship music while you play with your children, pray in the car or shower, read Bible stories with your tots, listen to God in the middle of the night when you are up for a feeding." ~pg.11
    "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4  

    When praying for the character of your little ones, you can also pray that the Lord would help them to persevere.

    "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." ~Galatians 6:9

    There are many creative ways to integrate the prayer life that you desire with your current life of madness that seems to frequently knock you to your knees. Above is just a taste of some of the wonderful wisdom and knowledge you can find in this gem of a book. 'Parenting On Your Knees' by Vicki Tiede is packed full of quick and helpful tips, refreshing honesty, and tons of humor. This is a book that the parent with absolutely no time will be able to find time to read, and they will be pleasantly surprised to find more than they bargained for. 

    'Parenting On Your Knees' by Vicki Tiede also contains actual prayers that you can pray with blanks to fill in for your applicable person and situation. In addition to this, there are even places to write your personal prayers, places to write how God answered your prayers, and also parenting resources sprinkled throughout this delightful work in case you desire to read additional material on a certain topic. 

    I enthusiastically recommend this book and urge you to grab a copy for yourself as soon as you possibly can. Sometimes parenting may knock us to our knees, but after becoming equipped with the knowledge in this book, you will have knee pads to land on, as well as the tools to intersperse parts of the changes you desire to see, into the life that you already have. This difficult and rewarding time won't overcome you, the storm won't last, and God is waiting and ready to help you make the most out of Parenting On Your Knees.   

    About the Author: Vicki Tiede, MEd, MMin, is a Bible teacher; conference speaker; author of When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart (2012) and Plug Me In and Let Me Charge Overnight (2009). Her passion is to share God’s grace and faithfulness with women through the Scriptures. Vicki transparently relates life experiences that resonate and draw others into a lifelong pursuit of knowing God. Living in Rochester, Minnesota, Vicki is also a wife, homeschooling mom, and women’s ministries coordinator at her local church. You can learn more about Vicki Tiede and her writing at www.vickitiede.com. 

    An interview with Vicki Tiede about Parenting On Your Knees can be found here.

    This review has also been posted on Amazon and Goodreads.


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    Suffering Well by Paul Grimmond



    Title: Suffering Well
    Author: Paul Grimmond

    Book Information:
    • Publisher: Matthias Media
    • ISBN: 9781921896316
    • Page Count: 165
    How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

    Review: This book really spoke to me. For the past twenty-three years I have experienced pain, trials, suffering, and 'tests' on various levels. As soon as I find my way out of one, I am then qualified and trusted to handle the next level and pass another. I never knew until recently that the ministry of suffering was an actual thing. I found a comfort in realizing that my pain was not in vain. Armed with this new knowledge, my perspective shifted more from my temporary discomfort to that which is eternal. I now know that the more that I go through, the more qualified I am to help someone else. 

    I do have many things about my past that I regret; however, I have been forgiven by the blood of Christ and have been made righteous through Him. I know that it looks like a short distance from my head to my heart, but realizing that truth, accepting it, and then forgiving myself, has taken years of healing.

    One of the things that the LORD is currently teaching me is how to leave the past in the past, to let it go, and to just move on. As He promises, though, ALL things work for the good of those who love Him. Because I can identify personally with many situations, the scope of who I am able to naturally provide comfort, help, and guidance to feels like it has increased substantially.


    I have been praying for a long time that God would develop Christ's character in me and make me more like His Son, Jesus. I have come to realize that in order for that to occur,  it is required that I 'suffer well' through many of the same tests and experiences that He did. He is referred to as the Suffering Servant and His example is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about what it means to 'suffer well.'

    I feel like I am currently on my way out of a few trials right now. It is in surveying what I have learned from the "predictable surprise of Christian suffering" that I draw conclusions, and ultimately choose to reinforce or reconstruct my understanding thus far. 
    While pondering the lessons from my most recent 'ministry qualifiers,' I was given the opportunity to read and review Suffering Well by Paul Grimmond. Based on the back-story provided above, naturally I felt a desire to see what additional Bible-based information might be made available to me. 

    The deciding factor that 'sealed the deal' was the following statement by the author himself regarding this insightful book: "As I began to write this book, I thought I knew pretty much what I was going to say. But the more I read the Bible, trying to find the right passages to make the points I thought I needed to make, the more uneasy I felt." After reading that, I knew that I didn't want to miss out on anything, and that I absolutely had to know what Paul's Biblical findings were on how to 'suffer well.'


    Suffering Well is not limited to only addressing one kind of suffering, persecution, or trials. Reading the examples of the many things that other believers are going through around the world at any given moment in time, gives comfort to the reader. It caused me to shift my view from being introspective to realizing that on a corporate level, we all have a lot more in common than we may realize, and that none of what we may face is ever an isolated case.


    Here is just a taste of some of the treasures awaiting for you in 'Suffering Well': 
    • "She wants to meet God face to face and ask her questions. She wants to make Him give her some answers. Yet, for all of the anger and disappointment, in her frustration and grief her trust does not diminish." 
    • "Suffering is not really a philosophical problem. Suffering is experienced, not just contemplated; it's often an event in our guts before it's a problem in our heads."
    • "It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. To live is Christ, to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-21)"
    •  "I am persuaded that the key to suffering well lies in understanding the fullness about God's revelation of suffering. Almost ironically, this means we won't find God's true comfort unless we wrestle with the ideas that are initially confronting and even painful. And so a large part of what follows is a challenge simply to hear and accept God's view of suffering. We live in a world that refuses to look to God's truth for comfort, and we are affected by our world, so the pages of this book may be as disquieting as they are encouraging. I make no apology for that. I believe that God's unsettling truth is much better for us than pillow-soft platitudes. In other words, this book is more of an inoculation than a remedy. Its aim is to help us arm ourselves with the truth so that we're equipped to suffer well when the time comes."
    • "In the depths of God's riches are truths about suffering that are treasures beyond compare, if you are willing to see them.
    So are you ready to know that truth about suffering? How should we live as God's people in the face of suffering? What does it mean to suffer (and even die) well? Based on the Bible, what does God want us to know about Him and our world and suffering? What truth should we be armed with so that we're equipped to suffer well when the time comes?

    Suffering Well by Paul  Grimmond answers all of these questions as well as many more that you may have on your heart and mind. This book absolutely stands alone and is different from anything else that I have read on the topic of experiencing different kinds of pain. I am so glad to have the Biblical insight and knowledge that this book has provided in my life. I know I will be reading and enjoying it again. As far as a rating goes, this work deserves every single one of the five stars available. I highly recommend it and think that Suffering Well will greatly benefit every single person who reads it. This is a staple for every home library or book collection. Buy it as soon as you can!

    There are reasons for the storms in our lives. One purpose for hardship is to cleanse us. Because of our fleshly nature and the world that we live in, it is easy for us to develop self-centered minds. Sometimes we receive these storms in our lives to bring impurities to our attention. Usually a storm reveals the true nature of our hearts, and our initial reaction to that storm brings to the surface things that God is trying to get out of us, that we might not have been aware of otherwise. 

    Our trials do not sink us; on the contrary, they are often used to guide us back to godliness. God's work on us is not just for ourselves, either. It is designed to permeate humanity on a corporate level. Because we are able to remember how we felt and what we needed when at the time, we are then able to effectively reach out to others and comfort them. 

    Through suffering we also learn about God's sufficiency, His provision of strength, His character, as well as His comforting presence to help us endure our trials. Reflecting on the divine purpose behind our hardship can also help us to respond appropriately to them, fix our attention on the Lord, and cause us to be in a position where we become attentive to what He wants us to learn.

    We are reminded by the LORD in Isaiah 41:10 that we are to, "Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of righteousness and justice." 

    I have learned many times over from personal experience that God's strength is perfected in my weakness. Sometimes the LORD keeps us from suffering; other times He sustains us through it. In both instances, He is still faithful, He is still good, He understands us, and He loves us in a greater way than what we can ever comprehend. Jesus is always with us and He will never forsake us in our weakness. 

    About the Author: Paul Grimmond is a gifted and well-known Bible teacher, currently serving on the campus of the University of New South Wales. He is the author of Right Side Up, a book about the Christian life, and co-author with Phillip Jensen of The Archer and the Arrow, a book about preaching. Paul lives with his wife, Cathy, and their three children in Sydney’s east.


    An interview with Paul Grimmond about Suffering Well can be found here.

    This review has also been posted on Amazon and Goodreads.


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    Loving the Church by John Crotts



    Title: Loving the Church
    Author: John Crotts

    Book Information:
    • Publisher: Shepherd Press (2010)
    • ISBN: 9780982438749
    • Page Count: 140
    How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). 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.

    Review: First of all, I like that John Crotts dedicated this work to his fellow elders who he has served Jesus next to for several years. It is evident that he has a tremendous amount of love, admiration and respect for these men. Not only this, but he also took the time to follow this page with a personalized expression of his thanks to the entire team at Shepherd Press as well as conveying what each person did to help him. 

    Already, Loving the Church has left a good taste in my mouth, increased my mood, and then I see it- a wonderfully organized table of contents that is as follows:

    Section I: What Is God's Family?
         Chapter  1  Common Grounds
         Chapter  2  The Church/ Family Disconnect
         Chapter  3  The Value of the Church
         Chapter  4  Defining the Church
         Chapter  5  Describing the Church
         Chapter  6  Filling Out the Body

    Section II: How You Fit Into God's Family
         Chapter  7  You and King Jesus
         Chapter  8  You and the Elders
         Chapter  9  You and the Deacons
         Chapter 10 Building the Body
         Chapter 11 No Body Part Left Behind
         Chapter 12 Digging Deeper

    After all of this wonderful content is a Notes section that cites every material used to research and contribute to Loving the Church.

    The introduction, prior to the first chapter, summarizes the theme of the book in a way that comes across as very true, authentic, and interesting: 

    • "As long as believers are battling sin, even more work will be required to strengthen families so they can be what God intends for them to be."-pg. 11 
    • "Amidst all the calls for husbands, wives, and children to fulfill their biblical roles, sadly, very few people emphasize God's family as a vital element, and that is a terrible loss both the particular families and the particular churches of which they could have been a part...the contribution of every believer to the church's fulfillment of its God-given mission is valued and essential...regardless of one's marital state."-pg. 12

    One of the things that I like the most about the way that John Crotts chose to write this book and convey his important message, is his brilliant use of fiction. Instead of the content coming across as a lecture, Crotts uses the story of people meeting in a coffee shop as well as their interactions with one another and their conversations to transfer information he intends to share with the reader. This accomplishes a softening of 'the blow' by making sure that the way he shares the importance of church will be conveyed in a loving way as opposed to a harsh confrontational one that might turn others off. In addition to this beautiful balance, the author also manages to pull it off in a way that is both intriguing and captivating:   
    • "As the barista created Kevin's White Chocolate masterpiece, he eyed the muffins. He wondered if it would be worth the damage. Kevin settled into his chair and offered John another oversized smile along with a couple of oversized banana nut muffins. These were soon reduced to crumbs as the men started talking."-pg. 14
    • "Of all the reasons John had heard for a family missing Sunday school, he had never heard of a guy staying home to teach his own children the Bible...John responded by sharing some of his own victories and failures as a spiritual leader in his home. He was thrilled to see Kevin stepping up. But even as he praised the moves Kevin had made, he wondered if there was more to the story."-pg. 15
    Regardless of what place you are in with your spiritual walk, worship, and church practices, I really believe that Loving the Church by John Crotts has something beneficial to offer everyone. After all, as page 22 simply states, "We all love the Lord, and are trying to figure out what His church is supposed to be." 

    I may not have agreed 100% with every single principle expounded upon in Section II, but I do understand why the author felt the need to write this book, and I identify with that. I also feel that he did the absolute best job that he could (you can't ask for more than that), and that it is impossible to experience all that this work has to offer from cover to cover without seeing the evident fact that he has a heart both for Jesus, as well as all of the people that Christ died to save.

    John Crotts did an incredible job of tackling this very touchy subject, as well as presenting it in a way to make it palatable and well-received. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him for recognizing the need, developing what he thought was the best solution, and then marketing that answer to the target audience in a way that they could both understand and handle. Loving the Church is an obvious labor of love (in more ways than one). 

    About the Author: John Crotts has been the pastor and teacher of Faith Bible Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia since 1995. He graduated from Liberty University and received his M. Div. from The Master’s Seminary. He serves as a board member of the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals. He co-authored the book Tying the Knot Tighter: Because Marriage Lasts a Lifetime with Martha Peace, and is the author of Mighty Men: The Starter’s Guide to Leading Your Family and Craftsmen: Christ-Centered Proverbs for Men.

    This review has also been posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

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