The Hunger Games: A Call to Think

Because of all the buzz about The Hunger Games with the movie release this weekend, a friend of mine asked me to blog about it. I have read the trilogy, and literarily I could write a tome on the subject. But I don’t think that would be helpful here. There is something you must know about me: as a Christ-follower, I can’t read anything without intellectually and spiritually engaging with it and analyzing it in light of scripture. Now, my B.A. in English certainly aids me in the process, but I am convinced that this mental engagement should be true of every Christ-follower, regardless of education. Here is my previous blog post explaining why. Now, one might argue that the […]

The Radical Disciple, by John Stott–audio

The Radical Disciple, by John Stott, is divided into 8 chapters covering different aspects of discipleship: non-conformity, Christ-likeness, maturity, creation-care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death. The audio version, which was supplied to me by ChristianAudio for review, is read by Grover Gardener. In my opinion, his narration style is perfect for this type of book. Stott does a fantastic job of articulating real abandonment in the pursuit of Christ. His chapters on non-conformity, balance, and death alone made the book worth reading. The problem with listening to an audio version is that there are so many quotable sentences that I found myself wishing for a hard copy to refer back to. Because of Stott’s style, there are also sentences where […]

The Truth About Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends, by Chad Eastham

The Truth About Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends, by Chad Eastham, is the best book on teenage relationships I’ve ever read! Candid, funny, and insightful, Eastham really knows how to connect with teens–and tell them what they need to hear. A proper view of God and self and relationships is SO important during the crazy teenage years, and this book gives just that without being preachy. Eastham challeges teens to use their God-given brains, explaining that people can do things well, or they can do them poorly. Dating is no exception. As a twenty-something mother who dated well, I still wish I’d had this book as a teen! There is so much helpful, insightful information here that I had […]

Justified by Faith Alone, by R.C. Sproul

Justified by Faith Alone by R.C. Sproul is a short little book, but packed with great insight and tight logic. It is written on a pretty high level of vocabulary, so I wouldn’t recommend it to the person who is only casually interested in the subject. It is more like a college professor lecture than a devotional book written about faith. If you are looking for an academic look at the subject, you will not be disappointed. The book is written as a recap of the struggle the reformers faced with the Roman Catholic Church. Although much of the book is rooted in historical arguments, Dr. Sproul mentions many contemporary issues that stem from the distinction evangelicals have in sola […]

Transforming Church in Rural America, by Shannon O’Dell

In Transforming Church in Rural America, Shannon O’Dell describes his journey from being the pastor of a vibrant, growing metropolitan church to pastoring in a city in Arkansas with a population of 88. He details the struggles of growing a small, traditional church that says it wants change, but resists it. O’Dell relates personal anecdotes and gives advice to those who wish to see growth in their local church. When I first received this book, I was a little skeptical, because I’ve seen this type of book before: some guy was successful, and now he thinks his method will work in your church. I was pleasantly surprised, though, by several things in the book: 1) O’Dell is not as concerned […]