ESV Story of Redemption Bible

This Bible is rather unique in that instead of having study notes or references it contains the story of redemption and how each book of the Bible lays out God’s redemptive plan. The notes are arranged to keep the greater story in mind while the reader is reading the smaller stories that make up God’s overarching plan.

I really enjoyed this feature as it weaves God’s love for humanity from start to finish and links stories together that may be read as non-connecting narratives instead of narratives in a greater scheme. All of Scripture points to Christ and this can be overlooked if one is not careful to understand how each story builds on another that will one day culminate in the glorious reign of Christ.

*I received a review copy for my honest assessment of this Bible.

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Paul: A Biography by N.T. Wright

When I first started reading this book I was taken in by the level that Bishop Wright went to make Paul into a more relatable person. Depth was added and cultural understanding was inserted to give a more holistic understanding of Paul and the world in which he lived.

The book also put a perspective on some of Paul’s writing by using historical, and cultural, ways in which the ancient world operated. For example, Paul giving his Mars Hill address was a trial rather than a philosophical treatise. This puts a new view on this passage for me and causes me to examine certain Scriptural passages differently.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and while I do not agree with all of Bishop Wright’s teachings, this book has caused me to examine my beliefs and make sure that they are in-line with the Bible.

*I received a review copy of this book and was not under obligation to write a positive review

Making God Smile by Kim Taylor Henry

This devotional challenges the reader to live the fruit of the Spirit and to do so one day at at time. The daily reads are short and are broken into sections based on the fruits of the Spirit. Each read has a Scripture passage, a thought, and concludes witha prayer.

At first I enjoyed the material but soon began to desire some more depth of thought. Thus, this devotional is good for a new-to-Christ person but those more seasoned may be finding this book lacking.

*I received a review copy of this book from the publisher and the review is my own, honest assessment.

Theistic Evolution, Edited by J. P. Moreland, Stephen C. Meyer, Christopher Shaw, Ann K. Gauger, Wayne Grudem

The topic of intelligent design in conjunction with the involvement, or lack thereof, of a deity has been a popular topics for many years. Many have tried to reconcile evolutionary teachings with Scripture so as to marry science and the Bible. Does such action cause concern?

In the book Theistic Evolution, the contributors set out to show that evolution is not a viable option to explain the origins of life. By doing this, the reader is confronted with a question: if God did not start evolution, how did the universe come to be?

This book is a fascination treatise on how science and the Bible do support one another but only if one takes the Bible as it presents God as the Creator of all in an intelligent design.

*I received a review copy of this book for my participation in giving my honest assessment.

Inside the Atheist Mind by Anthony DeStefano

This particular book was quite interesting in that Anthony DeStefano goes through various atheist and shows how their logical conclusions, well not exactly Express, lead to very destructive ideas and ideologies.

He states, and shows, that various atheists, from their own words, show the degradation and the evil that is behind a belief in no God.

In this book, when pressed, atheists will say very similar type responses which lead me to believe that defense DeStefano has done a great job and researching his material so that what he presented is accurate and thought-provoking at the same time.

*I received a review copy of this book on the publisher exchanged my unbiased opinion.

50 Core Truths of the Christ Faith by Gregg Allison

This book is a really nice guide to understanding theology but not in a very technical or Heavy level. Dr. Allison has done well to list the major components that will make up once theology and give excellent scriptural and argumentative resources so that the individual reading this will have a firm grasp of scripture and what it teaches. While there are some things here that I mean I completely agree with I also understand that Dr. Allison is presenting information as best he sees it and this resource with that make a great tool for those who are developing our theology but also want a basic understanding of a lot of the teachings of most theological camps will give.

Why Does God Allow Evil ? by Clay Jones

Why does God allow evil?

This book is a really six synced question-and-answer type of book where certain questions about about about God allowing evil in various forms, the involvement of people and the choices I make, and the sovereignty of God. Well this particular book is very easy to read I am also surprised how in-depth it is in answering the questions in it it’s shortness. This would be a great resource for somebody who talks individuals a lot and receives opposition about the Bible and God because of evil in the world.

*I received a review copy from the publishers for my honest assessment of this book.