Excellent, insightful, and right on target. One of those books that deepens your walk with Christ and sharpens your sword to stand firm, defend, and share your hope in Him.
The lies we tell ourselves, the lies we pick up from our earliest memories, the lies we buy into in the culture are often so much a part of our thinking that we don’t even realize they are lies. My son recommended Live No Lies to me. He said, “Mom, I think you’ll like this book.” Like is an understatement. John Mark Comer’s book had me slowing down, re-reading, and saying, “Yes. Yes. Yes.” Over and over.
It’s relevant to our time, easy to read, and one that I want to keep. Written in the style of C.S. Lewis, this is a book every thoughtful person should read. Highly recommend.
One of the most helpful, moving, and honest books on sorrow I have ever read. The author writes through grief from the moment he learns of his son’s death and carries the reader with him to healing. Poignant and deeply insightful.
Tim Challies is a father who has experienced the deep grief of losing a child. His twenty-year-old son, Nick, collapsed while playing a game with his sister, fiancé, and some friends in a park near the college they attended.
Tim is a popular evangelical blogger with a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Starting on the plane on the way to bring his son home, he began to write through his grief. “In all the years I’ve been writing I have never had to type words more difficult, more devastating than these: Yesterday the Lord called my son to himself–my dear son, my sweet son, my kind son, my godly son, my only son.”
Hearing Tim speak at Christian Writers Institute’s Write To Publish conference last summer, was a touchpoint experience for me as a writer. He talked of “stewarding our sorrow.” He told us that God trusts us with sorrow and that we have a responsibility to steward it to help a hurting world. Tim’s pain in loss and his hope in Christ were so profound that I invited my husband to read this book aloud together.
This is a book that we all need, whether we have experienced great loss personally or not. It is a window into what those dealing with deep grief are going through. It is a glimpse of how to simply be with someone in pain. In our human nature we avoid grief, but in reality we all go through it. This book is one for all of us.
With his characteristic intelligent reasoning, the author takes us through the argument for belief in Christ. A former atheist, Mr. Lewis has realistic insight into why Jesus is who he says he is and why that matters. A must-read for any thoughtful reader.
C. S. Lewis was brilliant. He was also an atheist. Through his friendship with fellow Inklings J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson and after a late-night conversation about myth and Christianity that began on Addison’s Walk at Magdalen College, Oxford, he finally realized the truth of Jesus Christ and came to believe. This book began as a collection of radio talks by Mr. Lewis from 1941-1944.
The broadcasts were meant to explain core Christian beliefs and give hope to the British public during World War II. They were later collected and combined into his book, Mere Christianity.
Whether one is a professing Christian, a seeker, or somewhere in between, this book is thought-provoking and easy to read. Read alone or with a friend, this is one to ponder and discuss.
Wise and thoughtful, intelligent and compassionate, Mr. Lewis grapples with one of the most important problems we as humans encounter. Pain, and why a loving God allows it in our lives. I’m glad I read this book. Highly recommend.
If God is good, why does He allow, or some would say cause, pain? How can one believe in a God who allows the horrors of life? If God is so powerful, why doesn’t He step in and save or heal those we love?
Pain is part of the human experience. Our minds cannot comprehend the thoughts of God. He tells us His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways not our ways. C. S. Lewis, in his intelligent and down-to-earth way, addresses the problem of pain–why it exists and how a good God can allow and even cause it.
I listened to this one as an audio book on my runs while visiting my youngest in Washington. As I ran through a nearby park and experienced the gorgeous scenery of the Pacific Northwest, I had much time to think about Mr. Lewis’ words. This is one of a collection of his writings that I will come back to often.
Timothy Keller walks readers through the discipline of prayer. Excellent reading for one who desires intimacy with God.
Timothy Keller was one of the most intelligent and insightful teachers of our time. I listen to his Gospel In Life podcast regularly. To be honest, this book was difficult to get started. It begins with a great deal of history and information and I put it down a few times. But I found myself returning, determined to finish.
Once I caught Mr. Keller’s writing style and rhythm, I moved quickly through to the end. For me, it was best read one section each day, taking time to digest before moving on.
My husband and I read it each night as part of our nightly devotions. This is an excellent resource and in-depth explanation of the importance of focused time in the presence of God.
After a convincing argument for our need of prayer, and a call to intimacy with our Heavenly Father, Timothy Keller gives practical ways to encourage our desire for time with God. This is one of those books that I consider life-changing for me.
Are We There Yet? 