The Joseph Road by Jerry White
This is the crux of The Joseph Road: Not knowing one thing about the future, Joseph simply did good in whatever tasks or opportunities came his way. He had no bargains or promises given him, no “steps to success.” He was still a slave – a slave who was now a royal prisoner. Not much to write home about. He was an alien, a captive without possessions, without a promise, without a future.
- The Joseph Road, p. 47
Summary: The Joseph Road is written by Jerry White, international president emeritus of The Navigators. As the title suggests, the book is about the life of the Biblical character Joseph. Along the way, White mixes stories from his own life with the challenges that Joseph faced. This softcover book is 197 pages and includes questions for reflection at the end of each chapter.Review: As I grow older, I appreciate the story of Joseph more and more. Joseph endured all kinds of injustice and hardship. Just when things couldn’t seem to get worse, they did get worse. Year after year he suffered – with no end in sight. Through it all, Joseph was a model of character and trust. He continued to do the right thing – even when it would have been easier to turn his back on the God who already seemed to have turned His back on Joseph. The story of Joseph is one of the most remarkable and redemptive stories I have ever heard.
White does a great job drawing out aspects of the narrative I had never really considered and takes the reader through the story of Joseph in a way that is new, eye-opening and immensely applicable. I found the book equally challenging and comforting. I found it challenging because I clearly see how I have not been like Joseph. In the midst of my hardship, I have cursed God. I have taken matters into my own hands. I have sought revenge against those who have hurt me. I have lost hope for the future. My confidence in God has been profoundly shaken.
Meanwhile, I am reminded that God has a plan. God has a plan. No matter how confusing. No matter how painful. No matter how unpredictable. God has a plan. And God was with Joseph. Through all the heartache and loneliness and dejection, God was with Joseph. Stories like that encourage, provide hope and bolster faith. Looking back on the life of Joseph, God’s hand is clear throughout. In the thick of it, though, Joseph had many reasons to give up on his faith.
Overall, this is an excellent book for those struggling to see God’s goodness and questioning His lead. My only criticism is that I wasn’t always sold on what White inferred where the text wasn’t clear. For example, I had different thoughts as to what Joseph was going through during the times he wept. In one instance, White took it as a sign that Joseph had forgiven his brothers. I took it as a release of all the painful emotions that Joseph had been living with for so long. Also, White believes that Potipher likely knew that his wife was lying about the attempted rape, because Joseph probably would have been executed otherwise. I am not sure that I buy this because Potiphar “burned with anger” upon hearing the allegations (Genesis 39:19).
Rating: 5/5 (There is a lot to learn by digging deep into the life of Joseph.)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
This book was provided for review by NavPress. To learn more about or purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
Living Life in the Zone by Kyle Rote and Joe Pettigrew
He went on to ask if any of the men present had ever seen iron sharpened. He indicated that when it occurs, large sparks fly all over the place. Rough edges are broken away, sometimes torn away in big pieces. There are long, dangerous metal splinters left all over the floor to be gathered up. There are loud harsh noises made as one piece of iron contacts the other piece of iron. It takes strength, patience, and accurary to sharpen a tool made out of iron. So this phase that is easily spoken is actually quite difficult and dangerous to carry out.
- Living Life in the Zone, p. 189
Summary: Living Life in the Zone is a 40-day “spiritual gameplan for men” to be used as part of a men’s group or for personal devotions. The book is heavily oriented around sports and each day’s reading is divided into the following 7 categories:
- Thought of the Day – A short idea to ponder
- The Coach’s Corner – Discovering the relevance of God’s word in your life
- The Game Plan – What the word of God has to say about today’s topic
- Playmakers – Real life examples of men in the real world
- Time Out – Questions for personal reflection
- Today’s Assignment – Action items for today
- Home-Field Advantage – Praises and concerns you want to bring before God
The book has six sections:
- How do you know when you are “Living Life in the Zone”?
- Finding the Zone in Your relationship with Your Wife
- Finding the Zone in Your relationship with Your Children
- Finding the Zone in Your relationships with Your Friends
- Finding the Zone in Your relationships at Work
- Finding the Zone as You Look to the Future
The book seems to make the following assumptions:
- You are a man
- You love sports and possibly coach a team
- You have a wife and children
- You are more of a marginal Christian and your wife is committed
Positives: The strength of this book is the “Playmakers” section. These stories about well and lesser known sports figures were excellent in providing real life examples of people either living out or failing to live out the concept being discussed. Learning via the story method drives a multitude of points home according to the needs of the reader. Also, this book does a great job of making spiritual matters interesting for men who love sports and thereby reaches a key demographic.
Weaknesses: Many of the the scriptures chosen in the “Game Plan” section didn’t match the point being made. Also, persons not meeting all of the assumptions listed above will find this book less appealing. For example, I am a Christian male who loves sports. However, I do not have a wife and children and believe myself to be more interested in spiritual matters than this book assumes. So, while I enjoyed the stories and will have things to keep in mind should I one day have a family, I didn’t connect with this book as much as I thought I might.
Rating: 4/5 (Excellent book for the right audience.)
“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” – 1 Chronicles 29:17
This book was provided for review by the Thomas Nelson Publishing Group. To purchase this book on Amazon, click here. To learn more about the In the Zone organization, check out their website at INTHEZONE.org.
The One-Day Way by Chantel Hobbs
In one statement I can show you why your earlier attempts to lose weight and change your life failed. Something in your past convinced you that this time isn’t going to be any different from the rest. Deep inside, you didn’t believe you could change your thinking, your lifestyle, your habits, and your health.
You need to ditch that lie. You really can change, and in dramatic ways, if you will take one crucial step that will solve your lack of confidence. You can overcome old habits, old ways of thinking, and past failures by doing one essential thing: focus on today and today only!
The One-Day Way, p. 3
Chantel Hobbs is the perfect person to write this weight-loss book. She doesn’t write from an outsider’s point of view. Rather, she writes from the perspective of someone who lost 200 pounds. The title is a perfect summary of what this book is all about – instead of being overwhelmed by long range goals, take things one day and success at at time. If yesterday was a bad day, learn from it and let it go. You aren’t focused on yesterday. You are focused on today!I found this to be a simple, yet powerful book and believe the advice she offers to be right on the money. It is so easy to get overwhelmed when needing to form new habits. This book is full of gentle encouragements to focus on the present and forget about the future or past. It is also about momentum. Small successes have a way of snowballing into larger ones. Just getting started is the most important thing!
As Zig Ziglar used to say:
- You can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.
- A thousand mile journey begins with a single step.
- If you don’t take step one, you’ll never take step two.
- It takes a little time, sometimes, to turn the Titanic back around (okay, that was Amy Grant).
- You don’t have to be great to start, but you have got to start in order to be great!
Part of what made me appreciate this book is that I felt a connection with the author. I found her to be likable, humble, grounded, sometimes funny and always sincere. I especially enjoyed the inspirational first half of this book.
The second half, with eating plans and 30 pages of simple exercises that can be done with a medicine ball and resistance band, is more educational. It is not the most scientific material (no studies are referenced) and the advice offered in this section seemed standard (e.g. eat a big breakfast, drink a lot of water, have smaller but more frequent meals).
The heavy focus on the mental aspect of weight-loss is a great approach. Most people know what to do and it is a question of actually doing it. A slight criticism is that the goal to lose weight could have been grounded more in the context of a larger life narrative. (See this excellent post on resolutions by Donald Miller to know what I mean.)
Overall, this is an excellent resource for those who are discouraged and overwhelmed. The book offers a chance to start over and its pages are rooted in realistic hope. It is also a great book to read over and over again in order to renew your mind and fuel that hope.
Rating: 4/5 ( First half was dynamite. Second half was similar to other weight-loss books.)
“Do not despise the day of small beginnings…” – Zechariah 4:10
Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four. You can learn more about her and her other books at her website. This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. To learn more about or purchase this book at RandomHouse.com, click here.
I have a free copy of this book to give away. Leave a comment (can be anything) and I will randomly draw a winner on Tuesday at 9pm EST.
Faith Path (workbook) by Mark Mittelberg
The fact is, people are not the same. They consider and weigh spiritual matters in differing ways. In other words, they’re on a variety of different faith paths. One person might say, “I believe what I do because I was raised with that belief.” Another relies on mystical feelings and experiences. Another wants logic and evidence; yet another says, “Why do I need your evidence when my heart tells me what to believe?”
- Faith Path, p. 11
Synopsis: The Faith Path workbook is based off the book Choosing Your Faith. Both are written by Mark Mittelberg and a sort of ”love languages”* for evangelism. Mittelberg has identified relativism, tradition/authority, intuition/mysticism, and evidence as paths of faith. He provides arguments as to why certain paths are flawed and describes how to engage a person based on the path that he or she is on. The book is an apologetic for the Christian faith and intended for both Christians and non-Christians, though the workbook seemed geared toward Christians.Faith Path is designed to be used in a group with the Faith Path DVD (sold separately). Many of the concepts in Choosing Your Faith are echoed in the workbook, but only highlights are included. The DVD contains eight to twelve minute videos corresponding to the eight workbook sessions. The idea is to meet with the group, respond to a few questions, take a quiz to determine how much you are influenced by that particular path, watch the video and then discuss the rest of that session’s questions. Other than suggested readings from Choosing Your Faith, there is no homework from week to week. A leader’s guide comprises the last 30 pages of this 141 page workbook.
Positives: I particularly enjoyed the chapters on elements of a confident faith and helping others overcome barriers to faith. Also, the author’s overall approach is well-organized and reasoned. A conversation regarding matters of faith probably won’t get very far if the participants are speaking the equivalent of different languages. Additionally, I found the leaders guide at the end of the book to be thorough and particularly helpful in emphasizing takeaways and breaking down the workbook questions one by one. Finally, there is a terrific emphasis on being respectful and seeking to win the person rather than the argument.
Negatives: There are repeated advertisements and encouragements to buy and/or give away copies of Choosing Your Faith – sometimes within pages of each other. I thought this was overkill, especially if someone already shelled out money for the book, workbook and DVD. Also, due to constraints of the workbook, I can see how a non-Christian reading this might be put off by how seemingly easily the author sets Christianity as the truth and dismisses other faiths.
Summary: While the workbook can be used on its own, you’ll get more out of the training series if you read the book as well. I recommend starting with the book and then purchasing the workbook if you’re involved with a group that would like to dig deeper.
Rating: 4/5
This book was provided for review by David C. Cook. To learn more about or purchase this workbook on Amazon, click here. To learn more about the book it is based off of, click here.
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. – 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
*If you’re not familiar with the love languages concept, it is based off of this book by Gary Chapman. The idea is that people tend to give and receive love by means of quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service and/or gift giving.
The Longview by Roger Parrott
The Longview is written to ministry leaders, but longview principles are for every Christian striving for authentically biblical leadership, whether in ministry or the marketplace. How will you choose to face the challenges of leadership? Will you choose to pursue immediate results – or will you choose to follow Christ and have the fortitude, vision, skill, and strength to understand that genuine transformation is gained through envisioning the longview implications of every leadership action?
The Longview, p. 10-11
Synopsis: As its name implies, The Longview is about defying the trends of short-sighted goal-making for quick returns by learning to lead for long-term significance. It is written by Dr. Roger Parrott, who is the president of Belhaven University, a liberal arts institution in Jackson, Mississippi. The book includes chapters on taking a long-term approach to leadership, keeping egos in check, managing conflicts of interest, humility, mentoring, spontaneity, accountability and vision.Positives: I have read leadership books in the past and figured that this would rehash older material. My expectations were low. I was pleasantly surprised by this book’s contents and enjoyed the reading. Parrott writes well and is passionate about the topics he has chosen to discuss. It was clear to me that he took pride in this work and truly had something to say. He has the experience to back up his points and openly shares about what he has learned over the years.
I particularly liked how Parrott compared making decisions to playing chess. Each move has ripple effects and should not be considered in isolation. He also has a great deal to say about addressing rumors and conflict, sharing credit, keeping a team on the same page and creating the right culture. Finally, egos are a huge problem for leaders and I loved how he dealt with this early on. Underpinning everything is a desire to follow Christ.
Negatives: At times, I felt that this book was too narrowly focused. Parrott works as the president of a university and some of what he has to say would mainly apply to other university presidents or leaders of larger Christian organizations. Though everyone is in a position of influence, portions of this book don’t reach a broader audience.
Also, this isn’t really a negative, but I have no idea whether Parrott practices what he preaches. I would be curious to know what students and subordinates would have to say. Finally, this is nitpicking, but I scratched my head at his interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 (p. 13) and wasn’t crazy about the places where he referred to Belhaven as “my institution”. Though the author came across as a person of humility, the statements of possession worked against the chapter on ego and he does not own the school.
Summary: Persons in leadership positions or with an interest in organization behavior will benefit from reading this insightful book. I have not seen many books which so skillfully inform cross-disciplinary leadership with Christian principles.
Rating: 5/5 (Fresh and informative.)
This book was provided for review by David C. Cook. To learn more about this book, or purchase from Amazon, click here. You might also want to check out the book’s website.
Learning to Soar by Avery and Matt Willis
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
- Deuteronomy 32:11, NASB
Learning to Soar is based off of Deuteronomy 32:11 and has four parts. The first part is how God uses hardships to move a person to a place where he or she is willing to change and align with God’s purposes (God stirring the nest). Part two is about having patience in the presence of God while He works out His plan (God hovering over the nest). Part three is about putting faith in action (attempting to fly) and part four is about fulfilling your God-given potential (learning to soar).
This is a joint effort between a grandfather and twenty-something year old grandson. Most of the writing belong to the grandfather, with short anecdotes by the grandson interspersed every few pages. The authors have done a lot of work with missions and this clearly influences their writing.
This book has quite a buildup. First off, there are four pages of testimonials. After the dedication and table of contents, there is a foreword written by Rick Warren. Next, there is a preface written by Henry Blackaby. This is followed by a note from the authors, acknowledgments and an introduction. The thrust is about 120 pages. Discussion questions, notes and the appendix take up the final quarter of this 186 page book.
Positives: I learned a great deal about eagles and this book gave me a fresh appreciation and much deeper understanding of the above scripture from which this book is based. I also liked how the authors emphasized that it is okay to fail – so long as you are trying. Finally, the book is full of interesting stories, especially pertaining to missions.
Negatives: With all the internal hype, I was expecting more out of this book. Also, at times I felt like the authors reached to fit what they wanted to say with the eagle theme. The insertion of the grandson’s stories added to the discussion, but sometimes interrupted the flow.
Summary: With a heavy emphasis on questions for personal and group reflection, this book is best suited to be read and discussed as part of a small group. There is a guide with eight sessions at the back, so it would take about eight weeks to go through this book at the rate of one session per week.
Rating: 4/5 (Best for small groups.)
This book was provided for review by NavPress. To learn more or to purchase this book on Amazon, click here. For further information, check out the book’s website at learningtosoar.org.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
When You Lose Someone You Love by Richard Exley
And now, more than ever, you need the ministry of comfort. Not covered dishes and sympathy cards, but a safe place with a safe person, somewhere you can grieve without being rebuked or misunderstood. You need someone who will let you be real, someone who will let you weep or rage as the case may be, someone who won’t try to explain the unexplainable, or fix everything with a prayer.
When you lose someone you love, p. 31
Synopsis: Richard Exley writes this book as a series of fictional letters to a grieving person given the name “David”. David is a composite of persons Exley worked with as a Pastor and what is written to him could easily be applied to either gender. The book is small (128 pages) and is specifically focused on grieving the death of a loved one. This 20th anniversary edition features prayers and scripture meditation, as well as a new introduction and epilogue. The book as well as this review are written from a Christian perspective.Positives: Exley writes with tenderness and compassion. He does not pretend to have all the answers, but aims to give words of comfort to those who grieve and let them that they are not alone and have not been forsaken. The message is that God’s love runs deeper than the pain they are experiencing and there is a reason and purpose for what they are going though – however unclear it may be. He writes with detachment, but also as one who has experienced his own share of loss. The scriptures and prayers were excellent and it is not too heavy of a read.
Negatives: In one part of the book, Exley mentions that the grieving process can take up to two years. In another place, he mentions that it can take 2 to 3 years. In a third place, he mentions that it can take at least 2 years. Rather than putting a time frame on this kind of thing, it may have been more helpful to mention that it often takes a very long time to grieve - usually longer than you might expect. It might even linger for a lifetime. Also, Exley includes a chapter on what a comfort it is to know that a loved one has gone on to be with the Lord. He provides no coverage for deaths where the loved one might not have gone on to be with the Lord (though this is indirectly covered in sections alluding to the sovereignty of God).
Summary: As believers in the resurrected Christ, we have comfort in knowing that the grave does not have the final word. The night is full of darkness, but death has been swallowed up in victory. Mourning will give way to a new and better morning and there will be no more sorrow, loss or pain. In the meantime, God is with us in the midst of overwhelming grief. Sometimes he holds us by our right hand. Other times, it is a full embrace.
This is a good book, but it is just a start. Don’t expect someone reading this to feel good all of a sudden. Also, other books go over topics covered here in much greater detail. This would make for a thoughtful gift and is also a good resource for those who want to know how they can be helpful to others who suffer (that is, the human race).
Rating: 4/5 (Good guidance, but probably not enough for more severe losses.)
This book was provided for review by David C. Cook. To learn more about this book, or purchase from Amazon, click here.
“For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.”
Growing with Purpose by Jon Walker
One of the biggest jerks I ever knew was a twenty-three year old college graduate whose anger and arrogance spilled into many of his relationships. His hypocrisy was astounding as he claimed to be a Christian one moment and then acted like a son of hell the next. If it had been my choice, I would have avoided him all together, but that jerk was me.
- Growing with Purpose, p. 220
Jon Walker worked with Rick Warren as an editor and writer for many years. The idea behind this book is to help Purpose Driven Life readers move deeper into God’s plan for their lives.
The book features 366 short and easily digestible devotionals1, which begin with a scripture and typically involve exposition of that scripture with a story or prayer. A mishmash of topics are covered and the book is broken up by page number rather than date. The author is open and humble about past struggles and sufferings, though his personal stories (such as the one quoted above) are scattered and we never get a full picture as to where he is coming from and what he has been through. The writing didn’t blow me away, but was very sincere.
Overall, I don’t have any strong reactions to this book. If anything, I found it too simple for my taste. I have the feeling that newer Christians or folks closer in age to the author (40′s – 60′s) would get more out of this.
Rating: 4/5 (Good for the right audience.)
“I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert.” – Jeremiah 2:2
This book was provided for review by Zondervan. To learn more about, or purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
- Unlike Oswald Chambers, who was so deep, I wonder if he even knew what he was saying ↩
Primal by Mark Batterson
Maybe it’s time to admit that we don’t know all the answers. But we know the One who does. Maybe we’ve been offering the wrong thing. We offer answers. God offers a relationship through Jesus Christ. His answer to our questions isn’t knowledge. It’s a relationship. And that relationship is the answer to every question.
- Primal, p. 106
Synopsis (complements of WaterBrook): In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls the reader to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in his or her own life.Review (mine): Reading this book is like pouring gasoline on a fire that is struggling to ignite. We are commanded to the love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind 1. All of it. This book does a great job at putting lukewarm Christianity in a blender and is a very challenging read. It is a kick in the pants, but a good kick. It is the kind of kick that helps rather than harms and builds up rather than tears down. Its wounds are faithful.
Batterson mentions a love of learning in this book. This was evident throughout. From white blood cells to taxi cab patterns in London to the galaxy to reticular activating systems to the founder of Chuck E. Cheese to nuclear fission to George Washington Carver and uses of peanuts, he brought up a lot of things I knew little about – especially topics pertaining to history and science. Not only does he write about passionate curiosity, he clearly has a great deal of it. I was so taken in by the power of the observation, I felt compelled to study the whoopie pie sitting in front of me after lunch. I’m not even joking. Ultimately, I didn’t have the patience.
I do have some criticism. Much of the book is an advertisement for National Community Church in Washington, DC (the church Batterson leads). We learn about their exceptional small group system, coffee shop, welcome booklett, missions trips, mission trip attendance, missions giving, branded sermon series (with trailers) and more.
Aside from church related accomplishments, Batterson pats himself on the back regarding a number of other achievements (hiking, parenting, fasting and giving to name a few). I think it is important to keep these words in mind:
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. – 1 John 2:16, emphasis mine
I realize that I need to be careful here. It just seems that Batterson (along with everyone who achieves a measure of success) may struggle with the temptation to believe that he is the reason for God greatly blessing his church. It might also lead people to the belief that they are failures or that God isn’t pleased with their efforts if they aren’t seeing a lot of fruit in their ministry.2
Overall, this is a passionate, passionate piece of work and is the most quotable book that I’ve read lately. The author clearly threw his heart into this. For that, I am very grateful.
Rating: 4/5 (The passion rubs off.)
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. To learn more about or purchase this book at RandomHouse.com, click here.
- Matthew 22:37-38 ↩
- I expound upon these thoughts in this post. ↩
40 Loaves by C.D. Baker
“Wisdom is found when troubled hearts ask honest questions.” – 40 Loaves
Synopsis: Is there anything that you’re afraid to ask God? Author C. D. Baker asked himself 40 such soul-searching questions and wrote about what he discovered. Each chapter begins with an anecdote, discusses the question at hand and ends with follow-up questions for reflection and a prayer. Some of the questions covered are:
- Why is loving others so hard for me?
- Why is my life such a mess?
- Why don’t I know what I want in life?
- Why am I stuck in the past?
- Why have I stopped dreaming?
I like the premise behind this book. I do believe that God welcomes and even desires our questions and I enjoy probing books which honestly explore struggles, doubt and faith. However, I felt the execution could have been better. Each chapter is only about four pages long and ends just as it seems to get underway. The topics chosen are quite broad and complex and the coverage sometimes seemed spotty and incomplete.
I hope that 40 Loaves encourages people to know that it is okay to have questions. I recommend this title for seasoned Christians looking to go deeper and/or persons who enjoy getting things at no cost. This book would make for a great gift. It would also make for a wonderful companion with a peppermint mocha latte in front of a warm fireplace at Starbucks. I found it to be worthy of time and consideration.
Rating: 4/5 (More of a conversation starter than book of answers.)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
I have a free copy of this book to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment (can be anything) and I will randomly draw a winner on Wednesday morning. If you are the winner, I will notify you via email and ship you the book (unless you live in a foreign and exotic land such as Singapore.)
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Starbucks has yet to offer any such compensation despite my wonderfully natural product placement toward the end of this post. To learn more about or purchase this book at RandomHouse.com, click here.
