Life Is _____________

I had the opportunity to read Jesus Is ____________ about a year ago. Judah Smith’s follow-up Life Is _____________ was a good continuation of what he shared in his previous offering.

Smith uses solid insights, personal stories and doses of humor to reveal from various passages of scripture that Jesus is life. In one chapter he writes these words: “Jesus is always more. More than what? I’ll let you fill in the blank . . . He’s more than bankruptcy. More than sickness. More than sin. More than murder. More than divorce. More than tragedies, tsunamis, wars or famines . . . What are you facing? He’s more.”

Most of the Biblical accounts that Smith uses are probably not new to those who have grown up in church. He brings a new perspective that is refreshing for those who have familiarity with the passages, but writes in a way that communicates with a reader who might be new to these verses. Smith also writes with a practicality that is helpful to the reader. He brings the person of Jesus into our current culture and context.

As an example, he writes about one of the most well-known verses in scripture – John 3:16. Then he asks this question that puts that verse in a new light: “God loves the whole world? This doesn’t make sense. This is crazy. What about bad people? What about indifferent people? What about those who mock him to his face, who flaunt evil and flout his commands?” It gives a new filter through which to think about God’s love.

Probably one of the most powerful moments of the book for me was what Smith shared about his daughter’s birth. He writes about his dad’s battle with cancer and how one day God told him that Smith and his wife would have a third child, a girl, who they were to name Grace. When she was just a day old, they took Grace to church. Smith felt a strong urge to go hold his newborn daughter and took her to a room off stage. That moment, as he looked at his little girl, it was a reminder to him that even though life doesn’t always go the way we want (his dad lost his battle with cancer), God is good and loving and sustains us. He gives us grace to sustain us.

Life Is __________ is an encouraging book that points people to the love of God and how it has the power to change our lives. This book would be a good resource for personal reading and for small group discussion.

Ask It Review

Your greatest regret could have been avoided had you asked this particular question and then acted on your question.

That is a pretty powerful statement when you take a minute to consider it. By asking a particular question (and acting on it), you can avoid regret? Sounds pretty bold. In his book, Ask It, Andy Stanley makes some pretty powerful arguments that support that statement.

From his years of being a pastor in the church and also growing up as a pastor’s kid, he has a unique perspective on the decisions people make. At one point in the book, he says that we can learn from past bad experiences and poor choices, even if it is someone else’s bad experiences and poor choices. He has seen enough regret and hurt in the lives of people that he understands the importance of asking this question.

Here is the question: In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do? It is based on a passage of scripture in Ephesians 5.

While that may not seem like an earth shattering question, when you begin to apply it, it does provide wisdom. In the book he applies this question to specific areas of our lives including time, morality and finances.

The strength of this book is the practically in which Stanley writes. He doesn’t speak in generalities or with examples that don’t fit with our culture, but in very practical ways and cuts right to the heart of many issues.

Near the end of the book he makes a pretty observation. He notes that many people feel like the decisions they make are of a private nature. Basically my decisions are mine to make. However, the consequences of those decisions become public. Basically, whoever you marry, whatever car you drive or home you purchase, whatever job you take, people are going to know. Your private decisions will be public. It makes sense, then, to involve people in the front of those decisions so that when the outcome is public, there are no regrets.

Ask It is a good book and would be a great tool for a small group. Not only is asking the question important, but then applying the answer to that question.

Altar Ego

My wife attended a Catalyst One Day event last spring with her church staff and heard Craig Groeschel speak. I have heard him on LifeChurch.tv and on some podcasts, but haven’t heard him live. She enjoyed his speaking style and was encouraged by what he said, so I got her a copy of Altar Ego. Since we share a Nook library, I had access to the book and finished reading it this week.

I’ve read Groeschel’s book, Chazown, and appreciate his straight forward writing style. He is transparent about his own failures and how God uses him despite his past. This is a big part of his writing in Altar Ego.

His encouragement in this book is to become who God says you are. In one of the early chapters, he makes the point that we are God’s masterpiece and are called to do His good works. I thought this phrase was pretty powerful: “You have everything you need to do everything God wants you to do.

Through scriptures and stories from his life and others, Groeschel encourages the reader to become the person God says each of us is. I appreciated how he tried to made practical application to anyone who might read this book. At times he spoke to parents, to kids, to college students, to single moms, to men, to women, all in attempt to bring some practical steps to becoming the person God has in mind for each of us.

If you like straight forward writing, mixed in with humor (and occasional sarcasm), while pointing back to God’s Word, you should pick up Altar Ego.