Holy Roar CD by Chris Tomlin, with a giveaway

Following his best-selling 2016 release, worship leader and songwriter Chris Tomlin returns with an uplifting offering of praise! Holy Roar features the lead single "Resurrection Power" plus "Nobody Loves Me Like You," and more sure-fire sing-along gems.

HOLY ROAR track listing:

1. Holy Roar
2. Nobody Loves Me Like You
3. Resurrection Power
4. Goodness, Love And Mercy
5. Satisfied
6. Impact
7. Praise Him Forever
8. Is He Worthy?
9. Forever Young
10. I Stand In Awe (Feat. Nicole Serrano)
11. Praise Is The Highway
12. How Sweet It Is (Feat. Pat Barrett)

My review:

  My favorite genre' of music is Southern Gospel, but I do listen to some Praise and Worship and Christian Contemporary. Chris Tomlin is one such artist that I have a few CDs of, so I took the opportunity to review it.

 The CD has a total of 12 sons, coming in at 52 minutes of music. I actually like all 12 songs. That doesn't always happen with me when I listen to a new CD. They are a blend of faster and slow songs, and all with great lyrics.

 My top pick would be track 2, Nobody Loves Me Like You (Jesus). Goodness, Love, and Mercy is another favorite.

 Satisfied is a fairly upbeat tune, but is also a favorite.

 The two duets are great tunes, though I never heard of either singer before.

  Some of Tomlin's songs tend to sound alike, but there is a fairly wide variety of music on this CD that fans of his will enjoy, and the songs will minister to those who listen to it. In my opinion, this is one of his best that I have heard so far.

 I was given a copy of this CD in exchange for my honest review.

About the artist:

Christopher Dwayne Tomlin is an American contemporary Christian music artist, worship leader, and

songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States who has sold over 7 million records. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords.

Giveaway:

Courtesy of FlyBy Promotions, I have one copy of this CD to give away to someone who comments on this post. All you have to do is comment, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you win. You may even use my email to enter if you prefer that - it is on the left side of my posts.

I will use random.org to pick a winner on November 5th.

Thanks to FlyBy for the review and giveaway CDs.

A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus by David Bennett

Book description:

At 14, David Bennett came out to his parents.

At 19, he encountered Jesus Christ.

At that moment, his life changed forever.

As a young gay man, David Bennett saw Christianity as an enemy to freedom for LGBTQI people, and his early experiences with prejudice and homophobia led him to become a gay activist. But when Jesus came into his life in a highly unexpected way, he was led down a path he never would have predicted or imagined.

In A War of Loves, David recounts his dramatic story, from his early years exploring new age religions and French existentialism to his university experiences as an activist. Following supernatural encounters with God, he embarked on a journey not only of seeking to reconcile his faith and sexuality but also of discovering the higher call of Jesus Christ.

A War of Loves investigates what the Bible teaches about sexuality and demonstrates the profligate, unqualified grace of God for all people. David describes the joy and intimacy he found in following Jesus Christ and how love has taken on a radically new and far richer meaning for him. 

My review:

  This is a book everyone should read: the Christian who has no clue about gay people and how to treat them, the out and proud gay person, the gay people in the closet, and those like me: we who struggle with this issue, know it is wrong to give into our attractions and desires, and are striving to serve God despite it.

 It is a book that if you go into it with the wrong mindset, you will be distracted by what you don't agree with, and will miss out. I didn't agree 100% with David, but that is OK.

 I ran across the author a few months back, and followed him on Twitter and Facebook, as I am interested in anyone who has same-sex attractions/is gay and serving God. I thought his book sounded worth reading, and I was fortunate to be able to review it.

 My review could be summed up in a few words: David's story is amazing. They of course want more than a few words, so I will go on.

 A lot of gay/SSA people have church backgrounds, and may be a little antagonistic towards God and Christians. David was an atheist and despised Christians. He took delight in fighting them (not physically), and had absolutely no interest in the church or God. Who would imagine a young man like him would be converted in a pub.

   His story doesn't read like many others I have read. It took him a few years to completely walk away from dating other guys, and surrendering his sexuality and desire for a boyfriend completely to God. I found his story very inspiring and encouraging, and also convicting. The point he came to in his surrender is one I honestly don't think I have ever come to, along with many other Christians.

  Bennett makes an interesting case for Christians with SSA to use the gay Christian label. I am not sure I agree, but he did stretch my thinking and caused me to look at some things like that in a different view.

 The book ends with an appendix of how he researched the verses on what the Bible says about homosexuality, and how he eventually came to believe that the Bible does not condone any kind of sexual relationship between people of the same sex.

 David Bennett's story is very inspiring and miraculous.... that God could save a young gay activist who didn't believe in God, and despised Christians and the church. It should give us hope that God can reach anyone.

 If there was such a thing as required reading for Christians, this book belongs on that list. I wish every Christian would read this book. There are a lot of books out there like it, but David does an amazing job of portraying what it is like to have these attractions and desires, and what it costs and what it takes to forsake them to follow Jesus.

  I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

David Bennett is from Sydney, Australia, and is reading for a DPhil (PhD) in theology at the University of Oxford. He is a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and holds an Oxford postgraduate degree in theology, as well as a master’s degree in analytic theology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

 Find David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidACBennett

 And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidacbennett/

Check out the website for his book: https://www.awarofloves.com/

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story, by Christopher Yuan

Book description:

From the author of Out of a Far Country , which details his dramatic conversion from an agnostic gay man who put his identity in his sexuality to a Bible professor who now puts his identity in Christ alone, comes a gospel-centered discussion of sex, desire, and relationships. 

Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality--chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage--in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you're wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God's grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.

My review:

  I read and enjoyed Christopher Yuan's first book, Out of a Far Country (2011), which was the story of his change from a promiscuous gay man and drug dealer to a Christian. I highly recommend it.

   When I saw he had a new book coming out, I was definitely interested in reading it. The title immediately intrigued me...holy and sexuality are not usually put together.

 There is a large move on for Christians who are attracted to the same sex, and living a celibate life,  to use the "Christian gay", or just "gay" label. As a Christian who myself is attracted to the same sex, I have issues with that, but am trying to see their point of view. Yuan takes the opposite approach. The entire book is not about identity, but he does discuss it a lot in the book. And he knows his "stuff."

  Yuan makes a case that there is a difference in what is considered to be normal sexuality, and in holy sexuality. He has researched well, and added in his own experiences and has come up with a book that makes a lot of sense, and shows how even heterosexual people tend to idolize sex and relationships too much.

 One of the most helpful chapters in this book for Christians who do not personally have same-sex attractions, is a chapter on how to react and deal with it when someone confides that they are gay/same-sex attractions. That is followed by a chapter on discipleship that is valuable to any Christian.

 There are a lot of books on the Christian market dealing with gay issues/homosexuality, but this may be one of the most different of those. Yuan has very practical and Biblical thoughts and advice, and it is an interesting and easy to comprehend style.

"I received this book from the publisher through their book launch program."



About the author:

DR. CHRISTOPHER YUAN has taught at the Moody Bible Institute for over ten years and his speaking ministry on faith and sexuality has reached five continents. He speaks at conferences, on college campuses, and in churches. He co-authored with his mother, Angela, their memoir (now in seven languages), Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God, A Broken Mother's Search for Hope. He is also the author of Giving a Voice to the Voiceless. Dr. Yuan holds degrees from Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, and Bethel Seminary.

NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Leathersoft

Description:

Encounter the power of the word. Walk in the freedom God intends. Experience the Holy Spirit. For the NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Jack Hayford, founding pastor of The Church on the Way and chancellor of The King’s University, assembled a team of respected, Spirit-led scholars to produce this resource of solid biblical truth. Now in a full-color third edition with new contributors, it is even more dynamic. With over 2 million copies sold, the NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible continues to equip God’s people to live in his kingdom, exercise gifts of the spirit, and lay hold of God’s promises.

Features include:

Word Wealth - More than 650 word studies (including over 100 new ones) shed light on key terms, drawing important meaning from the original Greek and Hebrew.
Kingdom Dynamics - Dozens of biblical themes are addressed in notes by Spirit-filled preachers, teachers, and writers, including many new contributors for this edition
Truth-In-Action – Handy, helpful thematic charts provide practical application from every book of the Bible
Praying the Word - 192 guided prayers based on significant passages throughout Scripture
Detailed book introductions and outlines help you to learn each book’s historical background and appreciate its teachings
Verse-by-verse study notes explain each passage and illuminate your understanding
Includes a new full-color design with updated maps and charts, a detailed NKJV concordance, and in-depth articles about the Spirit-filled life
Designed with the exclusive Thomas Nelson NKJV Comfort Print® typeface
10-point print size

My review:

   The New King James Version of the Bible is one of my favorite versions, and I enjoy reviewing different study Bibles, so I grabbed this one.

  I have really been enjoying the features of this Bible. The study notes are very good and helpful, but a lot of Bibles have those. This Bible has something called Word Wealths. They are scattered throughout the Bible and tell more about the word, what it means, and expounds on it, and often gives other references where it is used in the same way.

   Kingdom Dynamics focus on different themes throughout the Bible and what they mean to us.

   Each book starts out with a page telling the author, date, purpose, and content, followed by an outline.
 
  Each book of the Bible also has Truth In Action. A small number will appear beside some verses, and there is a truth and action section at the end of the book to correspond to each number.

  I have been using the Bible daily for the last couple of weeks and am really enjoying the extra features of it, and finding them very helpful. It is definitely a Bible I will use often. I reviewed the NJJV, but it is also available in the New Living Translation.

The New Spirit-Filled Bible is available from Thomas Nelson Publishers

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

Hidden Peril, Code of Honor #2 by Irene Hannon

Book description:

The most dangerous enemy is the one who has nothing to lose

As teenagers, Kristin Dane and her two best friends took a vow to make the world a better place. Twenty years later, she's fulfilling that pledge through her fair trade shop that features products from around the world. All is well until, one by one, people connected to the shop begin dying. 

Detective Luke Carter, new to the St. Louis PD, wants to know why. Before he can answer that question, however, the FBI weighs in and Kristin suddenly finds herself in the middle of international intrigue--and in the sights of the ruthless mastermind behind an ingenious and deadly scheme. Can this cold-blooded killer be stopped before more people die . . . including Kristin?

Three-time RITA Award-winner and "queen of inspirational romantic suspense" (Library Journal) Irene Hannon doesn't disappoint in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you up late as you rush toward the explosive conclusion.

My review:

  Irene Hannon has had me hooked ever since I read her first suspense novel several years back. She never disappoints, and she is definitely one of my favorite authors. She has written several different suspense series, and each one seems to top the last. In my opinion, she has become synonymous with quality Christian suspense.

 The first book in this series, Dangerous Illusions,  was an awesome read that was different from her other books. I loved it, and doubted she could top it, but she has done so in Hidden Peril.

  Some readers do not like prologues in a book. I am one who enjoys them and feel they can set the tone for the book. The prologue in this book not only set the tone for the book, but it made me want to dive into reading the book.

  The plot was intricate and well thought out. Hannon set it up very well, so that I read as fast as I could to find out what was going on. She brought back some of the characters from her previous book, and even a couple of characters from a previous series, and added a few. Her two main characters especially were very likable as they got in the middle of the plot and suspense.

  Candles and terrorism....what do those have in common? One would assume nothing, but Hannon makes a great suspense novel using those and other factors and objects. I was proud to figure out fairly early the identity of the bad guy, but there were also some surprises, including the climatic scene close the end of the book.

 I am a confirmed bachelor, but have come to do more than tolerate the romantic aspects of these books. I found myself enjoying that aspect of the story, and really liked how that went and came to a conclusion.

 This was indeed an awesome read, and I have gone back and re-read parts of the book that were especially good. Hannon has another book she can rightly be proud of.

 I was given a copy of  this book in exchange for my honest review.



About the author:

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including One Perfect Spring, Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, and Pelican Point, as well as Dangerous Illusions and the Private Justice and Men of Valor suspense series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, and she is a member of that organization's elite Hall of Fame. Her many other awards include National Readers' Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers' Choice, Booksellers' Best, Carols, and Reviewers' Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.


Hidden Peril is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Delayed Justice, Hidden Justice #3, by Cara Putman

Book description: 

She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard.

   Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

   Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

My review:

  This is the third book in The Hidden Justice Series, and the best in my opinion. It deals with the very tough issue of child molestation. I personally only know what I have read, but I felt the author portrayed the issue and the feelings of the victims very well and compassionately.

  Putman has come up with some great characters for her books, and I have liked all of them. I found myself liking the two main characters in this one even more than the other two. There's Jamie, molested as a child by her uncle, and now finally ready to come forward and get justice. And then there is Chandler, military vet working to help other vets deal with PTSD and other issues facing them as they leave the military. I am not a dog lover, but I even liked Chandler's dog.....and loved his name - Aslan.

   I love suspense, and there was a lot of it in this book. Typically, one of the main characters...usually the female, is the one in danger. In Delayed Justice, both characters have their own dangers and bad guys after them.

  The book also dealt with the issues of trusting God. Jamie has a hard time believing in and trusting God since He never stopped her sexual abuse as a child. And though a fictional character, Chandler's faith made me long to have the kind of faith described in the book.

 The large majority of legal thrillers I have read have been by male authors. Putman has proven in this book and the other 2 books that she can hold her own with those male authors. She has again written a great novel of suspense and drama that I had a hard time putting down. I definitely recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


About the author:

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney and a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and romance to life.

An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.

Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 26th & 27th books with more on the way. Please check out her website (http://www.caraputman.com/) to learn more about her books and read first chapters.


Delayed Justice is available from Thomas Nelson.

Thanks to the launch team for the review copy.

Praying the Promises by Max Lucado and Andrea Lucado

Book description:

Find security and hope in a broken world through the unshakable promises of God. Join bestselling author and beloved pastor Max Lucado as he leads you through 30 life-changing promises from God in Praying the Promises. You’ll experience a more intimate and effective prayer life and a deeper faith in the God who keeps every promise.

God makes His character clear throughout the Bible: He is a God who saves us, who is faithful, who sends His Comforter, and who has a good and holy purpose for our lives.

In short, He keeps His promises.

But what does that look like in a broken world? Surrounded by confusion, darkness, violence, and pain, where do we see the promises of God at work in our everyday lives?

Max Lucado invites you into a deeper understanding of the peace and security God offers His people in Praying the Promises, a beautiful book that tells stories of God’s faithfulness and offers tangible ways to implement faith into your own prayer life. Through 30 key Scripture verses, a look into the lives of biblical people of faith, reflections, and prayers, you will see a clearer picture of the promises of God and how He is the rock you can build your life upon.

Whether you are a lifelong believer or if faith is a brand-new adventure, Praying the Promises offers you access to the God who has kept His promises since the beginning of time and will continue to do so for eternity.

A great gift for all ages.

My review:

  The cover of this book caught my eye. I like lighthouses, and I also like Max Lucado's writing. I figured it had to be good.

 This is not a Bible promise book full of promises from the Bible, though there are a lot of those in the book. It is more like a devotional. There are 30 chapters. Each one starts with a page that has the title of the chapter, followed by a promise from the Bible. The second page has  the Unshakable Hope section, which is thoughts on promises in the Bible. The third page has a few promises, followed by a page with a prayer about promises. The chapter ends with the "I am" section, which is a statement of what we are as Christians.

 Throughout the book are pages with lighthouses and anchors in the background, making a very attractive book with its reds and whites.

 Lucado and his daughter did a great job on the book. The promises they picked out are varied and relative to today. The Unshakable Hope sections are very well written, interesting, and helpful. The prayers are a very neat way of praying the promises, something most of us probably don't do enough of....if at all. And the reminders of what we are in Christ are very encouraging.

 This book could be read several chapters at once, but I would recommend going through it a chapter a day, and using it as a 30 day devotional.

About the authors:

MAX LUCADO

Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as Teaching Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is America’s bestselling inspirational author with more than 130 million books in print.

Follow his website at MaxLucado.com

Facebook.com/MaxLucado

Instagram.com/MaxLucado

Twitter.com/MaxLucado

ANDREA LUCADO

Andrea Lucado is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. She is the author of English Lessons: The Crooked Path of Growing Toward Faith. Before taking on writing full time, she worked in the Christian publishing industry as a book publicist. She has a master’s degree in English literature from Oxford-Brookes University and contributes regularly to online and print publications such as Relevant magazine and She Reads Truth. When she is not conducting interviews or writing stories, you can find her laughing with friends at a coffee shop or running in the Texas hill country. 

Praying the Promises is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.