Grace by Max Lucado

This is the first Max Lucado book I have read.  It was pretty good, but did not blow me away.  The topic of the book however, does blow me away when I stop to really think about it which makes me by default kind of love this book.

Lucado starts out the book pointing out how most of us settle for a wimpy definition of grace.  Like most overused words, this one has lost the power of it's true meaning.  He talks about that and tries to capture with words what God's grace is (it really is incomprehensible).

He then uses a lot of different stories from the Bible and some real life stories that convey what grace is. From Barabbas to Ruth to the Egyptians to current day stories and ultimately to the true, complete expression of grace-Jesus- grace has been shown since before creation and has been completed and perfected in God's gift of Jesus.  It was God's Plan A.  This book is a great reminder of the overwhelming power His grace and grace in general.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

The Christian is a man (or woman) to whom something has happened. 

Grace comes after you.

Precious as it is to proclaim "Christ died for the world", even sweeter it is to whisper "Christ died for me."

There is no fine print.  A second shoe is not going to drop.  God's promise has no hidden language.  Let grace happen, for heaven's sake. No more performing for God, no more clamoring after God.  Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them.  You have it.  Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.  You can rest now.

To accept grace is to accept the vow to give it.

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace- only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. 

It also includes a Reader's Guide that is pretty much a Bible study that goes along with each chapter.  The whole book was easy to read and I liked all the examples and parables he used throughout the book.  I haven't had a chance to do the Reader's Guide portion in the back yet, but am definitely looking forward to using that during my quiet times this month.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers 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.”

Love Lies by Amanda Lamb

When this trial was going on in Raleigh I was OBSESSED with it.  I even wrote about how I was going through withdrawals from it.  So I just had to read this book even though I had heard before that it was totally biased.

Here's a synopsis from Amazon:

Who killed suburban wife and mother Nancy Cooper...?

Suspicion fell on Nancy's handsome husband, Brad. But why would a devoted husband and father of two young girls want to kill his wife? Nancy's parents and friends knew why. And what transpired revealed secrets not only about Brad, but about their deceptively quiet town.

It would take a mountain of damning evidence to make sure justice was served.

After reading the book, I can see why Amanda Lamb was biased.  She ran in the same circles as Nancy (had seen her around everywhere she hung out), their kids were similar in age, and they even lived in the same neighborhood I think.  So I am sure when this happened she thought "Wow, could this happen to me?"

The book is totally biased, doesn't tell as much info as if you would have listened to the whole trial, and basically assumed Brad did it from the beginning.  I think there was one small chapter on Brad's defense.  I kind of hate that I wasted my time reading it, but for some reason I was obsessed with that story, so anything to feed that obsession is something I will consume.  I am still waiting for the Lifetime movie!

I give the book 2 out of 5 stars

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

I've mentioned a few times on my blog 30 Before 30 list how I have a hard time praying out loud.  When I talk to God it is usually in my head and is usually very casual.  I don't want other people to have a peek into that.  It just seems so personal.

I also have had many conversations with friends where we've wondered "Should I be praying for that?", "Is it ok to ask God for that?" 

It was like I needed this book desperately.  A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller changed the way I will pray while at the same time making me feel ok with how I pray now.  It has really good practical tips and will really spur a desire to pray more while at the same time not making you feel guilty for not doing enough already.  He gives examples from his real life of the power of prayer that are engaging and entertaining.

This book also deepened my faith in the power of prayer.  It gave me patience to wait for God and persistence to keep going when it seems like nothing will ever happen. 

I loved his tips about prayer cards because sometimes I get overwhelmed with all there is to pray for that I will only do it once or only when I think about it.  The cards make it less overwhelming and help me focus and look back and see how God has answered my prayers.

It also wasn't too hard to get into or read either.  Sometimes nonfiction books are kind of hard for me to get into and keep up with, but this one wasn't bad.

I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

When I started going to The Summit, I noticed my pastor referenced C.S. Lewis a lot. In my head I was always thinking "The guy who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia?" Little did I know that C.S. Lewis had written a lot of books on Christianity. I decided to read Mere Christianity to see what this craze was all about.

The book was adapted from a series of radio talks he did between 1941 and 1944. What is interesting is C.S. Lewis was an atheist and converted to Christianity reasoning that the "moral law" in humans was not something that humans made up and is instinctual so there must be something behind it, namely God. What he finds interesting is that unlike other "natural" (non-man-made) laws (like gravity), the moral law can be broken or ignored. This was one of the main things that lead him to "theism".

He came to believe Christianity through reason. Based on the life of Jesus Christ, he reasoned that there could only be 3 possibilities: 1- Jesus was who He said He was (the Son of God) or 2-He was blatantly lying or 3-He believed He was God, but really He wasn't (in other words he was delusional). Lewis determined that the latter 2 options did not match up with Jesus' character and therefore the first option must be the truth.

He then goes in to taking a closer look at ethics and behaviors resulting from Christian beliefs. He explores the four Cardinal Virtues: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. He also explores the three "theological" virtues of hope, charity, and faith. He also talks about forgiveness, sexual relations, and Christian marriage, and what he calls "the great sin"- pride. He uses psychological explanations and reasoning to explain human behavior, struggles, and motivations in the Christian life.

Throughout the book he uses a lot of helpful analogies as he reasons through some of the finer points of Christianity. He makes it easier to understand deeper topics and complex theories with his reasoning and analogies.

I really enjoyed the book. The reading was kind of heavy for bedtime and I found myself having to re-read paragraphs sometimes because my brain could not comprehend what he was trying to say. But his reasoning and analogies really helped me better understand Christianity.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

C.S. Lewis has written many books (fiction and non-fiction) and I look forward to reading his work again!

For more info see the C.S. Lewis website here.