|
The title and cover photo of pastor Ed Dobson's The Year of Living Like Jesus: My Journey of Discovering What Jesus Would Really Do immediately bring to mind its inspiration—A.J. Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically. In fact, Jacobs wrote the foreword to Dobson's book.
Don Cousins, a former associate pastor and a founding leader of Willow Creek Community Church, addresses topics such as life purpose, inner peace and contentment in Unexplainable: Pursuing a Life Only God Can Make Possible. The author offers examples from throughout Scripture of how God used everyday people to fulfill His calling—and that the way He called them to live was unexplainable apart from Him.  Bruce Miller, founder and senior pastor of McKinney Christian Fellowship in McKinney, Texas, tackles stressful living in a new way with Your Life in Rhythm (Tyndale House Publishers). Miller offers a new way of living—coordinating a person's life strategies to coincide with different points in life—and rejects the typical idea and constraints of balance.
"The concept of balance has never made sense to me," Miller says. "Maybe, in some way, I've rebelled against it, that I should live a balanced life. In my own church and among people that I'm with, I hear over and over again how stressed people are and how they can't balance everything." Surveying the lives of various biblical figures, Miller believes the concept of balance is not only unrealistic but also unbiblical.
As Nehemiah looked at the ruined walls of Jerusalem, he was overwhelmed at the devastation of the great city, but he realized he could not leave it in such a defeated state. In Rebuilding the Real You, Jack Hayford parallels Nehemiah's construction efforts with the Holy Spirit's work in rebuilding and strengthening the believer's life. Nehemiah had to develop a plan, furnish supplies, encourage the people, defend against attacks, and see the project through to completion. Likewise, the Holy Spirit provides everything needed to rebuild and restore a ruined life. Hayford gives insightful, interesting analysis of the history and importance of Jerusalem and its fallen walls and Nehemiah's divinely appointed role in the restoration. By studying Nehemiah, Christians gain a practical, eye-opening example of the Holy Spirit's desire and ability to transform a broken life into a powerful testimony of renewal. Click here to purchase this book. |
|
|
By Ed Dobson | Zondervan | hardcover | 304 pages | $19.99
By Don Cousins | David C. Cook | softcover | 256 pages | $16.99
By Jack Hayford, Charisma House, softcover, 240 pages, $14.99.
