One of the issues today that many people struggle with is the concept and practice of forgiveness. It is natural once someone has offended us that we hold a grudge against them and try to exact some type of payment from them. Unforgiveness has the capacity to keep both parties (offender and offended) locked up in a very personal prison. The Bible clearly teaches forgiveness and gives directives for both the offender and the offended. I recently finished lay minister and Christian counselor Edward Mrkvicka’s new book, “The Sin of Forgiveness”. I must say that I was drawn to the somewhat oxymoronic title. I have to say that with a title such as this, I was afraid of what I would find inside. What I found inside was an unclear, and at times, inconsistent treatment of the subject matter.

From the beginning, Mrkvicka speaks of a wrong and right kind of forgiveness. He speaks of secular forgiveness and divine forgiveness. If I understand it correctly, the author believes the necessary element, the pivotal point between secular and divine forgiveness, is the matter of repentance on behalf of the offender. He writes, “The secular world calls for forgiveness no matter the circumstances, or, at best, in response to the offender saying, ‘I’m sorry.’ Christian forgiveness is given in response to repentance.” I don’t know where to begin with this book. At every turn, and at the moment the author is building toward a good point, he introduces an unrelated thought that muddies the waters.

 Mrkvicka further confused me by constantly going back and forth between two examples of forgiveness that should have been stand-alone discussions: forgiveness between two people and forgiveness that results in salvation. While one is an example and picture of the other, it does not keep with the flow of the book. At times the book seems more of a treatise on the decline of American morals than a treatment of biblical forgiveness. Doctrinally, the book is hit and miss for me. As a pastor, I understand where the author is going with the concept of divine forgiveness and the necessity of forgiveness therein. That’s a hit for me. The author’s example of the consequences of unconditional forgiveness as it relates to remarriage and his views of salvation are a miss for me because they took away from the flow and purpose of the book.

I was asked to write an honest review of this book. You may not agree and that’s okay. You don’t have to. The thoughts and reflections offered in this review are my personal opinion. “The Sin of Forgiveness” is relatively short, approximately 150 pages. I enjoyed how Mrkvicka used extensive amounts of scripture to make his points. That is always a plus. However, his introduction of so peripheral information takes away from the main point. I personally believe “The Sin of Forgiveness” is a book that is best left alone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Cross Focused Reviews as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

We make hundreds of choices every day. Some of them we are fully aware of and others seem automatic in nature. Choices such as “What should I have for breakfast?” What route should I take to work?” Do these clothes match?” Should I ask my boss for a raise?” I have a job offer, should I move my family to another state?” When faced with so many possibilities, choices, and options, how can we ensure that we make the right decision? In their new book, “Decisive; How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work”, authors Chip and Dan Heath takes this question head on and provides a format for making the best possible decision from among many choices given. Most of our decisions, as the authors relate, are made out of habit, custom, and past choices. The Heath’s begin by showing the fault in the traditional decision-making process. Traditionally, people make a list of pros and cons for each decision and choosing the one with fewer cons. The flaw, as the Heath’s agree, is that this process does not take into account the many internal and external forces.

These outside forces are described by the Heath’s as villains in decision making. These four villains make up the four major parts of the book. The villains are:

 1. Narrow-framing. This is the tendency to define our choices too narrowly, thus putting ourselves in a confined box from which to act.

2. Confirmation Bias. We also have the tendency to highlight and consider the information that supports the conclusion we have arrived at and discard any information that objects.

3. Short-term Emotion. Instead of thinking long-term, we allow our emotions to dictate our actions based on what does or does not feel good.

4. Overconfidence. Far too often we are certain that we know how the future will unfold and we make predictions based on this false sense of confidence.

After introducing the reader to the villains that will disrupt and handicap our decision-making process, the Heath’s offer a strategy to combat these villains. Using the acronym WRAP, they detail an effective decision-making process. The four steps are:

1. Widen Your Choices. The Heath’s recommend avoiding the narrow definition of your choice. We are to seek other options instead of being locked into just a few.

2. Reality Test Your Assumptions. The Heath’s recommend gathering information that you can trust that is both in support of and against your preferred options.

3. Attain Distance Before Deciding. The key here is to broaden your perspective and get away from the emotional element of our decision. Seek others who have made a similar decision and get their advice.

4. Prepare to be Wrong. What happens after you do your diligence in making your decision and you are wrong? Are you prepared for that scenario? Failure is a reality, even after doing all we can to prevent it. Be ready for it.

The Heath’s have written a great book. They have a keen understanding of the business world that comes through clearly. “Decisive” is well researched and written. The Heath’s use countless examples of real-life leaders of some of the major US and world companies as mini case studies on the decision-making process. I believe this gives the book the credibility it needs. The decisions of these executives demonstrate the WRAP process in detail. This book is written from the business standpoint. You will not find any prominent spiritual application. However, regardless of your profession, this generic process can be applied with success. Great book. Read it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah  Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

It is not difficult to see political agendas at play in our world today. Each party has their own platform, or set of values and priorities they choose to filter their decisions through. Each one also has a list of actions they would like to take and reforms and programs they would like to institute. Their agenda is their mission statement. Their agendas are shaped by their personal convictions and the advancement of that agenda supersedes all else. In his new book, “The Lamb’s Agenda; Why Jesus is Calling You to a Life of Righteousness and Justice”, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez introduces the reader to a new agenda. The Lamb’s Agenda is not represented by a donkey or an elephant, rather has the cross as its motivating symbol. Rodriguez believes we are on the brink of the Third Great Awakening and that the understanding and embracement of the Lamb’s Agenda will bring it to pass. Rodriguez gives an opening definition of this new agenda, He writes, “The Agenda of the Lamb reconciles both the vertical and horizontal elements of the cross, a platform of righteousness and justice. In other words, the Christian nexus of a kingdom-culture ethos and a transformational mission directive that is not either-or but both-and.”

Rodriguez speaks of righteousness and justice throughout his book. He does so in relation to the cross of Christ. He writes, “The cross is both vertical and horizontal. Vertically, we stand connected to God, his kingdom, eternal life, spiritual truths, divine principles, and glory.” This is the righteousness element. “Horizontally, to our left and to our right, we exist surrounded by and revealed through community, relationships, family, culture, and society.” This is the justice element. Rodriguez believes that the church of today needs to learn to live in this “nexus of the cross”, that place where vertical and horizontal meet each other. He writes, “This nexus is the place where conviction marries compassion, where the fish intersect with the bread, where truth joins hands with mercy.” After making his case for why the Lamb’s agenda is worth out time and attention, Rodriguez lists the four enemies of the Lamb’s Agenda. First, Moral Relativism which is characterized by the absence of absolute truth in our world today. Second, Cultural Decadence which is characterized by the increase and approval of open public sin. Third, Spiritual Apathy which is characterized by the lack of fire and passion and consumer mentality of God’s people. Lastly, Ecclesiastical Indifference characterized by the lukewarm, disconnected, and spiritually inept church of today. About the church, Rodriguez writes, “We need a church a church committed to saving the lost and transforming our communities, addressing sin while confronting injustice. We need a church that will be pro-life and antipoverty, that will strengthen marriage and end human trafficking. A church is not an either-or proposition; it is a both-and community. It is righteousness and justice.” 

Several chapters of the Lamb’s Agenda deal with the reconciliation of attitudes, actions, and leadership. Rodriguez speaks of reconciling Billy Graham and Martin Luther King, Jr. He speaks of reconciling John 3:16 and Matthew 25, melting God’s love for the world with the need to show that love to the “least of these”. He speaks of reconciling the Vertical Lamb and the Horizontal Lion. The most powerful chapter is Reconciling Imago Dei with Habitus Christus. Imago Dei speaks of the image of God that lives all human beings. Habitus Christus refers to the habits and actions of Jesus Christ. The marriage of these two perspectives will, as Rodriguez explains, will cause the church to refocus and refrain from choosing righteousness with justice and justice without righteousness. Rodriguez has written a great book. The Lamb’s Agenda is practical, convicting, challenging, and passionate. The message of this book, loving God vertically and caring for others horizontally is one that our churches need to hear today. Rodriguez has a winner here. Smart. Intuitive. Timely. In closing, Rodriguez writes, “I am convinced that God is not done with America and America is not done with God. For at the end of the day our nation will be saved not via the agenda of the Donkey or that of the Elephant. Our nation’s only hope is found in the Agenda of the Lamb.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Each one of us has periods of darkness. Each one of us has times in our lives where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Sickness, death, family issues, failed business deals, and wayward children are just a sampling of the darkness that sometimes covers our lives. In their new book, “Finding God in the Dark; Faith, Disappointment, and the Struggle to Believe”, authors Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin share personal experiences about God seeming distant during the dark times of life and how the believer can remain close and connected to God.

The format of this is unique, as well as a handicap. The chapters alternate between the authors. Each take a turn in communicating dark spots of their lives followed by observances as to how to and where they felt God during the darkness. Kluck writes about the failed adoption of a child from Ukraine and how that event shook his family’s faith. He also writes about a business deal that fell through involving an unnamed sports figure. Martin writes about a failed recording contract and the death of his father. Although both authors shared personal experiences that were in their own right individually difficult, I favored Martin’s writing and spirit over that of Kluck’s. Kluck’s writings seemed prideful an arrogant while Martin’s writings seemed far more genuine. I found myself wanting Kluck’s chapter to end so I could get to Martin’s.

There is good information within this book. I found the flow of the book to be choppy and disconnected. This is, I believe, due to the style of alternating authors. There is nothing new and earth-shaking in this book as it relates to the intended subject of discussion. “Finding God in the Dark” is very light on application and could be best described as the memoirs of two separate authors whose stories happen to be in the same book. If you are looking for a deep treatment on the struggles of faith and dealing with disappointment, this book is not for you. I cannot recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The world in which we live is becoming more and more isolated. Homes are built in neighborhoods with gates in order to keep people out. Inside that neighborhood, homes have large privacy fences to keep people out. At home doors are closed and locked. Everywhere you go you see people with headphones in order to block out the rest of the world. In public places such as cafes and coffee houses, which are intended to places of interaction and conversation, people have their heads down in front of their phones or computers. Modern conveniences have made it possible to run errands and perform other activities without ever having to speak to another human. It is into this conversation and environment that Randy Frazee, Senior Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX, has introduced his new book, “The Connecting Church 2.0; Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community”. This book is a revision and update of Frazee’s original work, “The Connecting Church”.

Frazee begins by telling the story of fictional characters Bob and Karen Johnson (although fictional, they can represent a certain demographic today). Frazee describes their structured, isolated, and unfulfilled lives. He smartly chronicles their change throughout the book as he develops hos call for biblical community. Frazee sets up his book by exploring the three main obstacles to authentic biblical community. He then lists three solutions to these obstacles by giving a total of fifteen characteristics that are absolutely necessary for us to experience community. Frazee see the three main obstacles as being Individualism, Isolation, and Consumerism. He explains the motive of each (chapters 3,6,and 9), characterizes their biblical opposite (chapters 4,7, and 10), and gives the reader avenues to rediscover the biblical concept of each (chapters 5,8, and a11).

The subtitle of this book deals with authentic community. Woven delicately yet forcefully, is the vital role the church plays in enabling and assisting people to become part of a community in which they can be cared for and care for others. Frazee’s words states this intent the best. He writes, “My purpose in this book is not to make you feel guilty for neglecting church. Nor is to add one more world to your already unmanageable and disconnected sets of relationships. Instead, I want to provide a vision for community, a promise of relationships with others in your church that will meet your need to belong. The Bible clearly teaches that God intend to accomplish his primary purposes in this world through his church. The first Christians understood that a decision to follow Christ also included a decision to make the church the hub of their world, even when it required the abandonment of existing social structures.”

“The Connecting Church 2.0” is a much needed work. It is clarion call to abandon the isolated and individualistic view of life and see the benefit and blessing of belonging to a community of people who share the same purposes in life. This is a book that church leaders need to read. The book is written in a logical and thoughtful way with a flow that makes sense. The final part of the books gives some lesson that the author learned along the way. He also gives example of community models for the church today. Frazee has not written a “how to”, but “why not” when it comes to embracing biblical community. I highly recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Cross Focused Reviews as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Beginning with, and as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, Americans have become more familiar with an altogether different type of war: the war on terror. Through the years since, mainstream media has covered this war in excruciating detail. We have become familiar with the layout of Afghanistan and Iraq, the basic practices and tactics of the Taliban and other insurgent groups, and more familiar the military commands responsible for fighting this war on the ground and in the air. What has been lacking through the years of war reporting are the personal stories of courage, heroism, valor, and sacrifice. One such story has been written by New York Times best-selling author Eric Blehm. He has written a phenomenal book entitled, “Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Operator Adam Brown”. Blehm describes the life Adam Brown beginning with his childhood days in Arkansas and ending with his military service as a SEAL operating in Afghanistan. The years in between tell the story of the human side of Adam Brown.

The first part of the book deals with his early years growing up in Arkansas. Adam grew up as a carefree and competitive youth. Whether playing football or jumping from a bridge, he always had to do it first and better. In his early college days, while searching for some direction in his life, Adam tried and became addicted to drugs. Blehm does a great job of sharing his struggles with drugs and the effects it had on the entire family. At his lowest, his parents allowed him to remain in jail after being arrested. While in jail, Adam accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and his life took on a new focus and meaning. He joined Teen Challenge and began the process of kicking his drug habit. It was also during this time that he met his wife Kelly who would become the rock and support Adam would need in the years to come. Shortly after, a friend mentioned joining the Navy. Adam did. He was not satisfied with just being in the Navy, he wanted to be the best in the Navy. Adam wanted to be a Navy SEAL. The story moves along as Adam graduates from boot camp, finishes A-school, and eventually finishes BUD/S, which is the Navy SEAL’s training school. My words cannot describe the pain, discomfort, stress, and pressure that Adam endured while in SEAL training. Blehm tells the story beautifully. I especially like how the author tells the story of Adam and his wife Kelly growing closer and of their “normal” life in the midst of chaos.

Adam earned his Trident and become a SEAL. It is during this part of the story that Adam’s “no-quit” and “never give up” mentality is fully brought to light. During training accidents, Adam severed four fingers on his right hand, his shooting hand. After surgery, Adam learned to shoot with his non-dominant hand. Adam also injured his right eye, his dominant shooting eye and although having extensive surgeries, he lost his right eye. During this time, Adam was not satisfied with just being a SEAL, he wanted more. With seemingly insurmountable odds against him, Adam trained for and became a member of DEVGRU, also known as Seal Team Six. With SEALs being the top 1% of all Special Forces operators, Seal Team Six is the top 1% of that 1%.

The last few chapters are extremely emotional. Blehm continues to show Adam’s human side by describing Adam’s relationship with his wife and children. I am not going to write about the events of Adam’s death in Afghanistan. It is a story you must read for yourself. In these last chapters, there is a twist in the story that you will not see coming.

“Fearless” is an excellent book. Eric Blehm has written an honest, gripping, inspirational, and smart book. What makes this book so successful is that the author has done his homework. Through extensive research and interviews with Adam’s fellow operators, Blehm sought to be true to every step of SEAL life. The author expertly weaves Adam’s faith, family, and devotion to duty into a beautiful story. As a former Marine and now a Christian pastor, I identified with this story on many levels. I cried. I laughed. “Fearless” is a book that demonstrates what is right with our military today. Go get this book today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”