Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family by Steve Farrar

This is the second book that I've read by Steve Farrar and I'd have to claim him as an authority on men and men living a Godly life according to their calling as men in Christ. In this day and age, I think it's important for men to learn how to live as men and how to take care of their family as God has instructed. This is the type of book which goes against the grain of the typical secular philosophies and teaches men how to finish strong when so many men of faith, which have come before, have failed.

Steve is straight forward in his writing style and doesn't soften the message to avoid offending someone. He lays out his opinions with Biblical and modern day examples, and either you agree or you don't, but in the end Steve will make his point without compromise.

It was evident that Steve worked hard on this book and he made sure to seek the advise of those around him to fine tune and polish off this subject so that it made an impact and a lasting impression enough to assist others in finishing strong. I get the impression from reading this book that he truly cares for the reader and I can tell that he weeps for those that he knows will read this book and later fail to finish strong.

One of my favorite sections in the book Steve speaks about, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, and how Covey recommends that each person create a personal mission statement. Steve thought that this was good advise and wrote his mission statement which was one short sentence, "Don't screw up". I think this section had the most impact on me because as a husband and father of four, I just don't want to screw up. I didn't get the impression that he was talking about being perfect but rather going through the mistakes of life with integrity and fortifying my life with sound direction.

To avoid screwing up, Steve recommends building on four things to stay upon Jehovah:

• Staying In... The Scriptures
• Staying Close... To a Friend
• Staying Away... From Other Women
• Staying Alert.... To the Tactics of the Enemy

Another aspect I enjoyed about Finishing Strong was Steve's use of the Old Testament. I liked how he ventured into unfamiliar territory and used extreme examples to demonstrate how to avoid failure but best of all how to finish strong. In one of his greatest examples in the book, Steve uses the life of Manasseh as an example of finishing strong. Manasseh, who's that you ask? I said the same thing and that was the point that Steve brought out. I won't ruin this section of the book for you, but suffice it to say that Manasseh was probably the worst example of moral living but more importantly we learn from his story that no one is beyond the saving power of God and if He can change Manasseh's life to the point of finishing strong then no one is beyond God's love.

The book finishes with a great illustration called, "156 Buck Naked Miles to Bighorn". As I mentioned at the start of this review, Steve has a way of bringing out the John Wayne in his books and this story of John Coulter and his foot race for his life is no exception. Steve masterfully uses this American legend and compares him to Joseph in Genesis 37 to show how men of character finish strong despite the odds.

If you're interested in finishing strong and learning how to fortify yourself for your family and the battles ahead, then start with this book and take the words contained in its pages to heart and glean the riches it directs you to which are found in the Word of God.

Enjoy!

The Man God Uses: 14 Characteristics of a Godly Man by Chuck Smith

It's a simple book with a simple outline. Take 14 characteristics of a Godly man, dedicate one chapter per characteristic and expound on the subject. Add to this the support of solid Biblical Scripture and the element of an uncomplicated Gospel and you have a book which packs a punch in a small package.

This is the style of Chuck Smith, uncomplicated and straight to the point. Chuck has a way of simplifying the Gospel message to the point where it's effective and easy to practice. This book is an easy read and I would recommend reading one chapter per day as a supplement to your daily, alone time with God. (Not spending time alone with God? Why not? May I suggest Chapter 1 in this book, "Prayer"?)

Chuck's philosophy to teach from God's word is evident in this book and God's word is not far from each topic. I particularly like how he builds from one chapter to the next using the book of Acts. I also liked how he not only pointed to the success of the early Church and Apostles, but also noted good intentions, by these same people, which went wrong. These lessons help us avoid the same pit falls.

Chuck throws in Chapter 15 to wrap things up. "WHAT KIND OF MAN DOES GOD USE? God uses the man who comes to the cross daily; who has no ambitions for himself. God uses the man whose life brings honor and glory to Christ. God is looking for the person who refuses to seek after the applause of men; who, like Jesus is centered on submission to God's will. He is looking for that person who is willing to present his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

ARE YOU WILLING?"

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Mike Yankoski

Alexis and I recently participated in the 30-hour famine. During a youth conference for the 30-hour famine, there was a guest speaker by the name of Mike Yankoski. Mike spoke about an activity he threw himself into which he and a friend dropped themselves off in 6 major cities in the U.S. and lived the life of homeless people using only their guitars as a means to peddle for money. I was moved by Mike's speech and later learned through a friend that Mike wrote a book detailing their adventures in homelessness. I purchased the book and read it during a flight I took to Florida.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and Mike Yankoski's experiment in this particular area of social discovery. It's intriguing to think, "What would it be like for someone like me to shed all comforts of a blessed life and to learn what it's like to be homeless and live on the streets?" This is precisely what Mike did and he details it in his book, Under the Overpass with a humble writing style which never becomes preachy. I was anxious to read the book and found myself flipping the pages and reading it to the end in one sitting. I was fascinated by the stories he told and appreciated the progressive storyline which concluded with a summary of vital take aways from his adventure.

One of the things I appreciated about Mike's process was that he did not make the dubious assumption or conclusion that he would truly understand what it's like to be homeless. In the back of his mind he understood that at the end of this adventure he would go back to being a college student with a loving family of support and living the blessed life. He also understood that at a moments noticed if something went wrong and his life was in danger, he could call one of numerous sources to help him out and escape his situation. He humbly understood that he was just a visitor and an observer of a life style which couldn't be adequately explained through text book studies. I believe it was this humble observed approach which kept me flipping pages and appreciative of what I was reading.

The stories were fascinating but I think what made this book so powerful was it's ability to challenge the reader and to get reader to think, "what would I have done in this situation?" Some of Mike's experiences with various Christian churches and how they responded to Mike's homeless condition, although appalling, was not a shock. I've been guilty of crossing the street to avoid the homeless and I've fumbled with my radio at plenty of traffic lights to avoid my eyes getting locked onto a cardboard sign asking for help for a veteran. It's situations like these that Mike found himself in and it was interesting to see how various people responded and it was equally as intriguing to think of how I would have responded in these certain situations.

At the end of the book, I found myself with a better understanding of the difficult plight of the homeless in America. I came away with a sense of action in my heart while at the same time recognizing that there are no simple answers to this enormous problem. I was thankful for Mike's personal testimony at the 30-hour famine conference and I was equally thankful for Mike journaling the details of his American adventure in this book and giving me a glimpse at a life I would have not otherwise known from the comfort of my home.

Please take a moment to read this book, I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I have.

"'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" ( Matthew 25:40 )

Touchdown Alexander by Shaun Alexander and Cecil Murphey

This review is about the book called, Touchdown Alexander: My Story of Faith, Football, and Pursuing the Dream by Shaun Alexander and Cecil Murphey. Written from Shaun's perspective, it's a recounting of various events in his personal life with the main focus on his faith and football career.

I received this book from my father and since it was short, I decided to read it right away. In the past my father has given me articles and magazines based on athletes who have faith and over all I've enjoyed them. This book, however, was iffy for me. At times, it reads like a high-school kid speaking about the rough life of dating, partying with friends and the difficulties of choosing one college among hundreds of offers, while at other times, it's a pleasant read which speaks about things like his football career from high school to professional and his walk of faith.

I throughly enjoyed reading the chapters about Shaun's various professional football seasons. The inside stories he gave about his football experiences gave me insight to the inner workings of football and gave me more appreciation for the types of things that football players deal with. One of my favorite inside stories was about his professional draft from college to NFL football when the Seahawks picked him up. It was interesting to read where he was, what he was doing and how his faith played a part in the whole ordeal.

Shaun's walk of faith is inspirational. It was evident, from the pages in the book, that he gives as much of himself to the Lord as he does to football. Shaun thanks the Lord for his gifts, the discovery of his gifts and his ability to use his gifts to share the good news. One of the ways that Shaun exercises his faith is by volunteering with various christian organizations like FCA. He began volunteering before his professional career and continues to volunteer now that he's a professional football player. It was evident from his book that his faith is about more than just giving God credit when he gets a touch down. I also thought it was nifty that he chose his uniform number by the verse which represents himself; Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. "

I was glad that I picked up the book since I'm a newly indoctrinate fan of the Seahawks (becoming one after moving to the Seattle area). I will take my new found respect for Shawn and his beliefs with me when I watch the Seahawks play and I'll let others know that although I thought the book was rough in some spots it's worth the read.

Saint by Ted Dekker

Saint the latest book by Ted Dekker is keeping with the Dekker tradition and not a bit disappointing. I find it difficult writing reviews for Ted Dekker's fiction since too much detail would ruin the story for someone looking to pickup the book. I would have to say that if you have enjoyed Ted Dekker suspense in the past you'll love this one and if you're looking for a Christian fiction alternative writer in the traditions of Stephen King, James Patterson or Michael Crichton, Dekker's books are the way to go.

A helpful tip about this book that I learned from experience, is that although the story stands on it's own there's definite ties to Showdown an early book by Dekker. I was so anxious to read this latest thriller that I didn't realize that it had a correlation to Showdown and found out that I should have picked up Showndown first. It would be my recommendation to read Showdown before Saint since Saint refers to it often.

I received this book from my wife for Christmas and lost some sleep getting caught up in late nights in the suspenseful story line of this book. Dekker has a way of writing an allegorical story without patronizing the reader. I'm not the quickest in picking up the story behind the story or understanding the bigger meaning but in reflection I believe that one of the things that this story covered was the importance of understanding oneself and each persons contributions to the truth found in the Lord. I particularly liked how the story unfolded and revealed the true nature of the assassin training given to the main character. Without spoiling the story line, I really think that Dekker understands that his audience is largely Christian and I think he plays a lot with ethical norms and just when you think he's about to cross the line things seem to line up differently then expected. I like how Dekker cleverly nods to the Christian tradition by inserting basic Bible school theology like the one he makes with the story of Samson and the abilities of the main character. Dekker also pays homage to his colleague Frank Peretti (and co-author on House) which is one of the aspects I really enjoy about reading Dekker's books.

One word of caution: I would give this book, as I would with most of Dekker's books, a PG-13 rating for violence. The subject matter of the book follows assassins and one of the main villain's of the story is rather ruthless.

Thr3e - Ted Dekker (now a Motion Picture)

Those who know me know that Ted Dekker is my favorite Christian fiction author. Recently, I told my father that I get afraid to pick up a Ted Dekker book because I end up loosing sleep from not being able to put it down once I start. My wife got me Ted's most recent book, Saint, for Christmas and likewise I'm enjoying it immensely (book review soon to follow).

Thr3e was my first introduction to Ted Dekker and ever since I have been a fan of Dekker's works. Thr3e is a suspense thriller that gets a running start in the first chapter and every time you think things are letting up the action gets more intense. The story is built with layers and everytime you think you've got a handle on things new angles are introduced. The characters are rich and the suspense real and from the moment you pick up the book from chapter one you long for Kevin to beat the psychotic on the other end of the phone. If you have shied away from Christian fiction in the past but you are ready to make the leap this is a great place to start. You won't be disappointed.

From the back of the book:

"Kevin Parson is driving his car late one summer day when, suddenly, his cell phone rings. A man who identifies himself as Slater speaks in a breathy voice: We're going to play a little game, Kevin. You have exactly three minutes to confess your sin to the world. Refuse, and the car you're driving will blow sky high. END CALL."

I recently found out that Thr3e will be released to movies in January of 2007. I'm equally excited about the fact that the producer of the X Men movie has done this movie. You can see the trailer and visit the official movie website at: http://www.foxfaithmovies.com/thr3e/ .

Ted had the following to say on his blog article entitled, They're going to crucify us this year, "In 2007 three of my stories will rock the boat with increasing intensity. The first will be the movie Thr3e on January 5th, which is a first of its kind: A movie adaptation of a Gold Medallion 'Christian' novel that doesn't look at all 'Christian' on the big screen. It's a parable, and, like many of the parables Jesus himself used, it doesn't dwell on the church or God. Just a story to illustrate a desperately needed truth. Like many in his day, many in today's church will cry foul.The movie is clean, no offensive language, no sex, rated PG 13 for some frightful scenes. Already the Christian community is divided on the movie. They all love the story, but some are put off by the lack of an invitation to rush the alters at the end. One major Baptist magazine gave it high marks, another one trashed it for not being Christian or clear enough. The reviewer didn't even get the point. Reminds me of the disciples 2000 years ago. "

J is for Jesus: The Sweetest Story Ever Told

Zondervan Publishing (publisher of The Purpose Driven Life and Praying the Names of Jesus) is a fantastic publisher of inspirational books and Zonder Kidz is a childrens division of the publishing company. This Christmas season, a book caught our eye called, "J is for Jesus: The Sweetest Story Ever Told" and we bought it for our family fun nights. We went a step further and purchased some candy canes to eat while reading the book. The kids (ages 3 to 11) loved the book which was filled with colorful pages. The book follows a set of kids who listen to a story from the candy maker and his explaination of which features of the candy canes represent which aspects of the Christmas story. We also enjoyed it's evangelistic ending proclaiming the good news of salvation.

I was orginally concerned that this book was going to make the dubious claim (an experience we've had at churches before) that candy canes were invented for a Christian Christmas purpose but I was put at ease when discovering that this story was written from a fictional perspective and just telling of a good story. The candy cane was used as a paradigm to drive the Christmas story and was successful in elevating the message over the candy cane.

I hope your family enjoys this story as much as we do.

A Case for Christmas by Lee Stroble

The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger

This is another book in the list of Case for... series by Lee Stroble which explores the evidence to support the Biblical accounts of the Christmas story.

Like my other Christmas book reviews this is another short read and easy to pick up during the busy holiday season. For those who have never read one of Lee's books, this is a great introduction to his apologetic works. Lee speaks with easy interviewing style narratives and engages the reader with well researched and authoritative references.

Some readers maybe furstrated that this book is a subset of the Case for Christ book, but I would appeal that this is a Christmas holiday centered book and a good reminder of the apologetic arguments which are relevent to the season.

In many ways, Lee's books are really geared for Christians affirming their faith. In this respect, the arguments Lee presents are put in plan understandable terminology and lend to the reader enough information to research further if needed. Another aspect of Lee's books is that it may help lead an agnostic or someone on the fence to Christ, but those not believing the Gospel message will have issue with the use of "experts" clearly on the side of Christianity. Rather than getting an opinion from both sides, Lee's approach is making the assumption that the arguments for not believing the Christmas story (or anything Biblical for that matter) are already evident in the world and he approaches his sources with those arguments and asks his sources to rebutt them. With this in mind, I think the greatest strength of Lee's books is in the fact that he has sought out experts specific to the area of study of each argument. These sources then use sound critical analysis and verifiable evidence to support their beliefs and opinions.

In otherwords, I think you're either going to agree or disagree with Lee Stroble and I think most of that will have to do with your position prior to picking up the book. Likewise, this is a great gift idea for those curious about the facts or details of Christmas and those looking for a solid foundation for explaining the faith that is within themselves.

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." - 1 Peter 3:15-16

If you like this book or are looking for other similar books I would recommend the following:

• The Case for Christ
• The Case for a Creator
• The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Fully Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today

The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale - Ted Dekker

The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale

By: Ted Dekker

Imagine a place and time where Christmas has been banned and the very mention of the holiday is offensive. Imagine also that during this time December 25th means nothing more than a holiday to celebrate good will and prosperity. The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale by Ted Dekker paints a clear picture of this time and a boys struggle to learn the origins of the forbidden holiday.

Ted Dekker is by far my most favorite Christian fiction writer but I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with this tale. It's a good story in the context of the Christmas season and sure to entertain the children but misses much of the mystery and suspense of a great Dekker thriller. I'm not so disappointed with the elementary story line as much as the predictable story plot. Ted Dekker is known for his edge of your seat, up to the minute suspense and unfortunately there was none found here. He could have created a children's Christmas classic while at the same time tapping into his suspenseful side but instead he managed to create a loving but unfortunately forgettable holiday dud.

If your looking for a quaint Christmas story to replace many of the secular holiday tales then this is a good alternative but if you're looking for a typical Ted Dekker classic pass this one by and get Dekker's newest thriller.

The Christmas Candle - Max Lucado

The Christmas Candle

by: Max Lucado

No one would have guessed that a humble candle maker from a tiny village in London would be accountable for so many people's hopes but this is exactly the position that Edward and his wife would find themselves in one Christmas season after an angel visits them at night. A candle, a village and the hope of a single blessing beyond comprehension only scratch the surface in this dynamic story of God's love.

Max Lucado truly writes as one inspired by God's spirit and this Christmas story is no exception. This book is a great little story during the busy Christmas season. It's an easy read with a profound message and when the craze of gift buying and long lines hits, it's a nice reminder of the hope that comes on Christmas morning.

Learn more at: http://www.maxlucado.com/