Solid teaching that provides answers for hurting people
936191
When you are suffering--as a result of outside circumstances or your own mistakes--you need hope. Marlo Schalesky provides that hope by taking you into fourteen encounters real biblical characters had with Jesus. By fleshing out their stories, she helps the reader understand how the Savior got to the core of each person's struggles and provided healing. With a combination of biblical story, personal anecdotes, and solid teaching, Schalesky shows the reader who Jesus Christ was . . . and still is: the Savior who still helps us through our greatest life struggles and pain.
2540992
This book has been a tremendous help to me in my quest for personal growth and finding freedom from life's torments.
The author clearly shows the reader how we as human beings mistreat others and ourselves.  But more importantly, he shows us how we can save ourselves from the pain and heartache we cause ourselves by continuing to live in the filth of bad thinking , allowing other peoples' poor treatment of us to affect us.

This book can be used by anyone wishing to improve the quality of their life.  The principles in the book are simple to understand, yet so profound.  This book could easily be the basis for a course called "How to live with others and yourself".
A great read for anyone who desires to free themselves of the pain and misery life can deal us all.
2030286
Kay helps us to see that we are hurting and why it is holding us back. Gives scriptural references as well as personal assistance to help heal if and when you choose to.
2579111
Randy Alcorn has long been one of my favorite authors.  He is adept at communicating difficult truths in an accessible manner.  His book entitled, The Goodness of God, is another book that hits this mark well.

Many people struggle with the question of evil.  Why does God allow evil when we believe He can do away with it completely? Questions like this give atheists ammunition for questioning the Christian faith and mocking the God who created them.  Randy's straightforward approach is a breath of fresh air.  He doesn't duck the hard questions or try to get around dealing with the tough issues involved in the question of evil.  Evil doesn't have to be a stumbling block as it is one of the surest indicators that God's Word is right.  God has explained why evil exists and that evil is not the "ideal" way that things are supposed to be forever.

Randy begins by talking about the origin of evil and suffering and proceeds to get people to work through the implications of evil and suffering in the real world.  I highly recommend this book for those who are struggling with why life seems less than perfect and for those who may be mad at God for the evil they see in their own life or the lives of those around them.  Randy doesn't pretend to give all the answers, but He does point people to the Source of those answers and brings great perspective to the problem and how we are to respond as Christians to evil in this world.

One final thing, in order to be faithfully transparent, I must also mention that  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
4681391
This book is excellent in its clear, intelligent ability to combine the head and the heart toward understanding the complexities of trauma and the wounds it creates in individuals, and the Biblical pathways to healing. This book is one of the best I've read on understanding the intricacies of trauma, and it is an excellent help for both victims of abuses such as domestic violence, sex trafficking, etc., and those working with them. I have attended several conferences led by this author at Deeper Walk International, and find his approach Biblical, healthy, authentic, mature, insightful, and balanced. Dr. Warner is a clear communicator and good writer. He and his team have prayed and thought long and hard about the horrid areas of abuse and God's healing solutions, for over 25 years in their counseling practices. Dr. Warner's writings and teaching, are a salve. As he journeys into dark areas of abuse, I don't find myself uncomfortable or traumatized; I do feel sad, and feel the horrors, but a sense of understanding, a naming a thing what it is, is conveyed that doesn't  strip the joy of life away as I read. I have recommended this book and others of Dr. Warner's to victims of abuse who were very fragile. They read this book. and others Dr. Warner wrote and were uplifted. I could see the joy in their faces. They felt understood and said they had received invaluable advice as to what to do. The smiles on their faces after years in darkness, are the best recommendations. Set Free in Christ, you are truly free.
2186135
The book Runaway Emotions narrows the topics down to eight main emotions: embarrassment, loneliness, frustration, worry, anger, guilt, discontentment and depression.  As humans, we cannot avoid any of these emotions but the author provides a better understanding of why verses what is taught in the Bible.  The key issue is we all sin to some degree.  How we approach forgiveness to God and other others is the key to resolving many of these emotions.  Some will come and go, others we will struggle with and they will occur repeatedly.  The author goes into detail about how God is forgiving and the struggles we face asking for forgiveness.  The author provides examples from the Bible and other related stories.  To fully appreciate the book read a chapter, then take time to compare how you handle that emotion currently.  You might be surprised and realize you could be doing things differently.  This could help you physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially.  Will your problems all be resolved after reading this book or within a few days?  No but it does give you the foundation to approach these emotions from a better-prepared Christian point of view.  Making this type of correction in your life will take time, dedication and faith.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review of the book.
4039619
My husband and I lead a college Sunday School class and our church did a series on how to share the gospel with unbelievers. The format of our Sunday School is to discuss the day's sermons and share thoughts and insights. The method our pastors took is called the "3 circle" message. Explain the fall of man, Christ's sacrifice and man's redemption through His sacrifice.

It is a basic message and I asked the students what they thought of it. The students in our particular class were mainly engineering students and, needless to say, pretty cerebral. One young man who was Vietnamese and a new convert to Christianity remarked that the basic circle, while accurately describing the Gospel, really did not answer the hard questions that he was getting pummeled with at school.

This started a series of discussions where we practiced asking and answering the type of questions that non-believers ask Christians.

That is where Saving Truth comes in. Do you have questions about God and how His Truth fits in today's society? Are you the one with questions or the one being asked these questions? Either way, this book is a good guide.

Saving Truth does not shy away from the current cultural tide of today. It tackles the issues of truth (is it relative, unknowable or non-existent?); sexual identity; is science and faith compatible?; religious pluralism and the dignity of human life.

One of the greatest deceptions that is being exalted by certain activist groups today is that they are on the side of the "victim". They are the saviors of people of certain life styles-transgenderism, LGBQT, women with an unwanted pregnancy, who are being "persecuted" by narrow "fundamentalist" religious groups. Murray carefully explains and supports that in fact the opposite is true.

Abdu Murray, with clear and acute insight, describes our society with both wisdom and compassion. I could spend pages describing the different truths he supports, but I suggest you read the book.
526770
Matt Bays in his new book, Finding God in the Ruins published by David C Cook gives us How God Redeems Pain.

From the back cover:  If God is LOVE, why do we hurt so much?

When the reality of your pain doesnt line up with what youve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.

Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.

Have you ever hurt? Some of us have deep emotional trauma, some of us have deep physical pain and, then, some of us have both emotional and physical pain. And for some of us it never goes away. What if you lose a child? How about losing a spouse? What if the doctor says it is cancer and cannot cure it or perhaps you lose a leg? This kind of pain can be crippling so how do you handle it? Matt Bays has looked for answers and this book is his response. He does it in four parts. Part One:  The Backstory, Part Two:  Compathy, Part Three:  Storytold, Part Four:  Redemption 2.0. It seems our first reaction when this kind of pain occurs is to blame God. If we take the contents of this book to heart, thanks to Matt Bays, our new first reaction will be to run to God. When we are in disaster and at the bottom and all we see are ruins we will have new eyes to find and see God. And then we will rejoice with Him and let Him heal us. I recommend this book highly.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group.  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 Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
2321392
Nancy Guthrie and her husband lost two of their children--two babies--to the same genetic disease. This book, she says, is "the culmination of my search for deeper understanding that has come with the perspective of years and further study of the Scriptures since writing my earlier book Holding On to Hope."

Guthrie has built her book around eleven statements of Jesus that speak to the experience of sorrow and grief. What that give us is a thorough biblical answer to the questions raised when we suffer, and when we're experiencing the worst things in life, we need the full answer. It's a wonderful thing to trust that there will be a glorious resurrection when all that hurts us is made right and whole in a way it never could be in this life, but it's even better when we can understand that there is meaning in our sufferings themselves. We draw comfort, too, in knowing that our Saviour understands our sorrow because he experienced deep suffering. And there's more, for those are the main points of just three of the chapters in Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow.

And still, this is a small book. Each chapter is short and the style is conversational. The format is perfect, I'd think, for someone who is struggling through difficulties, when circumstance and attention span can make studied reading difficult.

From first to last, Guthrie's little book is gospelly. It includes a clear presentation of the good news, and is suffused with the message of what Christ has done and how it "speaks into" our experience of grief. It doesn't gloss over the hard truths, like the need for self-denial and the reality of God's wrath, either. The chapter on God's ordaining relationship to suffering is especially strong, yet not too complicated  to be understood by someone new to these truths.

You can tell that I liked this book, right? But I do have a few quibbles. First, I'm not thrilled that the scripture is usually quoted from the NLT, and even, at least once, from The Message. I'm not an NLT hater--I have one and I use it and I think I understand why this translation choice was made--but the NLT often loses a little of the rich meaning of the text, and when it's quoted in bits, it just feels flat. Second, while the points Guthrie draws from the texts are scriptural, she does sometimes come to them in roundabout ways. And last on my minor complaints list is this: I'm not sure that I agree with everything she writes in the chapter on forgiveness.

But I used the word quibbles on purpose. These are small things and they don't take away from the value of Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow. This is an excellent book to read if you've are grieving or to give to someone who is suffering through difficulties.
3540491
Many well meaning, and sometimes not so well meaning people put heavy burdens on people that God never gave you. This book exposes much of that abuse and explains how to live free of that guilt.
4225347
Excellent biblically and historically-based teaching on this subject. This short but thorough review of tithing and real prosperity needs to be taught and read in every Biblically-based house of worship. Unfortunately, the leadership of the vast majority of churches in America would never allow such a thing to be done, as it threatens their control and removes their power of influence over the congregations.

I was a faithful tithe payer for years. But the more time I sought after the Lord and not man's traditions, the more I was seeing that tithe paying was not the method God intends for His people to abide by when it comes to giving and supporting the true needs of ministry, and not that of building a multi-million dollar bldg, but rather a powerful and effective spiritual building that is made up of human beings who love the Lord, those the bible calls a house of living stones.  This teaching confirms other research I've done and bears witness to what the Holy Spirit has been showing me the past couple of years.

I look back at the thousands of dollars I gave that were mostly wasted lining the pockets of pastors and "employees" of the churches I've been a part of, and the bldg projects of physical bldgs. I regret doing it, instead of giving that kind of money to minister to the real needs of God's people and be in line with God's heart with such. If only I heard this teaching years ago; but unfortunately I only heard the tithing rhetoric and subscribed to it. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT for God's people to seek the Word themselves and find out what God is saying, instead of what man is twisting His word to say to benefit them and their own traditional, religious system.

If you are feeling that there isn't something right about tithing, and this false prosperity mess that's being preached so hard, I'm here to tell you that you're not crazy, you're not sinning, you're not a bad disciple, you're not rebelling against God, and you're NOT alone. I believe that is the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life who is leading you to the heart of the God you seek to love and serve in spirit and in truth. So don't give in to the threats and unholy rhetoric of these wolves in sheep's clothing. And some people who parrot this are not bad people; they just don't know any better and are speaking out of ignorance like I once did. Share this info with them. Perhaps their eyes will open as well.  But if a pastor or other leaders don't line up with the Word, then get out of that environment and get among believers who are truly seeking the heart of God. If you can't find a place like that, perhaps you can open your house to those who are spiritual refugees and are seeking to worship God in spirit and in truth as Jesus said true worshippers do, and you all can worship freely and without obligation and be the body of Messiah, as Jesus intended and still intends His Bride to be.
239586
This small book is mostly geared towards those of us struggling with being mistreated by others. We maybe carrying a lot of anger, resentment and desire to revenge.

The core message from this passage of Scripture is spelt out in the final verse: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (v21) and Adams takes the reader through various ways of doing good.

I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book where Adams spends a lot of time reflecting on the spiritual war that is taking place all around us. We are in a war but we have the victory if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and keep leaning on Him. I know in some of my own struggles, when I call out to Jesus, the load lessens immediately.

This is a very good resource for someone who may be struggling with a lot of anger or resentment.
4021922
This book addressed many of the current social problems going on in our world today. It gives you advice that lines with Scripture and is a great teaching tool! I highly recommend this book.
290199
Author is a pastor who can relate to experiences of others who struggle after being wounded by those who should care.  He is understanding but encouraging with examples from others and the Bible.
601428
I purchased this book right after it was published. I have been digesting it and rereading all of the sections that I highlighted. Being a former conservative Baptist pastor, the law/gospel distinction was something I was never taught. That being said this book though small, brief, and accessible has the potential to heal the many hearts that have been either broken or warped by the church. I recommend it to those who labor under the misguided notion of progressive sanctification that I spent so many years not only believing but teaching others. Please allow these three gentlemen to help you see the true and finished gospel. The psychological healing alone will be well worth your time and money.
3697532
I expected Redemption to strengthen the way that I do ministry and help me develop a plan for healing the brokenness in our church community.  I did not expect it to confront my idolatry.  But it did.

One of the things that I often pray is, "Break me where I need broken and heal me where I need healed".  There are certain books that have a tendency to be used by God to do both.  Wilkerson's book confronts our idolatry (breaks us) but it also displays the beauty of Christ and provides substantial healing.

As stated earlier this is an adaptation of what Mars Hill uses for their redemption groups.  Their redemption groups are an interesting concept.  Rather than having specific groups for various addictions they have one specific group.  But what is even more interesting is that they not only combine the various forms of addiction, they also have those that are victims go through the same material in the same group.  This book is essentially what they use.

How can something possibly tie together victims and addicts?  The thread that holds these two together is the biblical theme of Redemption.  In this book Wilkerson uses the biblical story of the Exodus as a framework for God's pattern of redemption.  One thing that addicts and victims have in common is a desperate need for redemption (freedom).

Wilkerson uses the story of the Exodus to both break and heal sinners in the name of Jesus. The book is eight chapters long.  Stories of real people is interwoven with the real biblical story of the Israelite Exodus.  God redeems people today just as He redeemed the Israelites, and he does it through Christ.  Wilkerson shows his firm commitment to the Scriptures and solid biblical scholarship.  But he also shows that he is a physician of the soul as well.  He shows how the gospel heals real life sinners.

I heartily recommend this book to everyone.  In fact I am trying to figure out ways to use this book in our congregation.  Immediately after reading it I told my wife to put down all my other book suggestions (I have a tendency to suggest way too many books for people to read) and to focus on this one.  In the coming months we are going to slowly go through this book and use the discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Crossway was kind enough to provide a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
937092
This book is a godsend for those of us who think pain and suffering on the path are the result of "doing it wrong." The author shows us that pain on the spiritual path is necessary, and perhaps good news.  In fact, working with pain is the path.  He writes, "..what is not overtly taught, and what confuses may followers, is that the path leading to the cessation of suffering necessarily includes suffering."

This is an easy to read guide that lightens the burden for those of us trying to wake up. It also has the first comprehensible explanation of the 5 skandhas that I've come across.  The writing is clear, intelligent, well researched, and yet at the same time, the tone is warm and earnest.  It's like having a kind teacher hold your hand through the difficulties of the journey.

While this book treats the truth of suffering, it also addresses how this truth can be applied practically to the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. "The path is about learning how to accept and work with darkness and the inevitable hardships of life just as much as it is about learning how to work with joy." We must go through pain to reach the goal, and not around it as we are habitually inclined. In short, it teaches us how to relate to pain in order to discover joy, and this is the path itself.  Highly recommended.