Praying The Attributes Of God by Ann Spangler

           

            I had only heard briefly of Ann Spangler, prior to picking up one of her newest books to review, entitled Praying The Attributes of God. I'm not sure what exactly I expected out of the book, but since I feel that the emphasis of scripture is on God, who He is, what He's done for us and how we're to respond to Him, I was intrigued enough by the title and decided to read it through. I was not disappointed with my choice and pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the selection.

            The book is devotional in style, with each section covering one attribute of God, and the five chapters included in each section are divided into a Monday through Friday format, only 3-4 pages apiece, with scripture, small thoughts to pray about and normally an illustration at the end to drive home the point. It is the simplicity of the style with a focus on the scripture that I found to be easy to grasp and meditate upon. It would be a good read for the busy person who still wants to focus on God and to communicate with Him regularly.

             This is not the first of the author's books of this type and I certainly hope it's not her last. The subject of the book was extremely relevant to any believer or unbeliever in God. I did appreciate her use of personal stories and how she tied them into her topics. However, the stories may be the only area that I wasn't quite as gripped as the rest of the book. But, Mrs. Spangler still used them to tie into her main ideas very well.

             I received this book for free as part of the book review program from the Tyndale House publishers blog network. It is a good book, with an important subject., I hope that you read it and find that it helped you to know God more and become more like him.

God of the Underdogs by Matt Keller

               
                  In your life, there probably have been moments when you have been up against difficult odds. There have probably been times where you have felt like you were the 'underdog' as you faced your opponent, whether it be a person or a problem. And it's good to know that no matter what challenge may come your way in the future and what opponent you may encounter, the God who created the heaven and the earth is on your side. And that is the subject of Pastor Matt Keller's recent book, God of the Underdogs.
                   Matt Keller is the founder and senior Pastor of Next Level Church, in Ft. Meyers, Florida. God of the Underdogs is his second book and a sizable part of it is laced with stories from his personal experiences in pioneering a church, as well as life lessons he discovered along the way. He is one of the fresh, newer faces of emerging leaders today and has a lot of valuable things to say.
                    The book tells the story of several Bible characters who faced obstacles as the underdog. Each chapter focuses on one person and lists the excuse they could have used, and sometimes actually did, as they faced their own difficult circumstances. From the Apostle Paul, who could have said 'My past is too bad' to Gideon, who might have thought "My resources are too scarce', each person paints the picture of the reasons we often use to excuse our lack of courage to attempt great things for God. And like a leader and a life coach, Pastor Matt inspires all of us to get up, drop the excuses and do something great for God.
                    I would recommend the book to anyone who struggles with thinking they can't be used by God to accomplish great things, or that He is through with them. And, though I sometimes questioned his choice of the excuses connected to some of the characters, since I felt another option might have been more appropriate, we each have probably used some of these excuses as we faced intimidating situations in our lives. This is definitely an applicable book for multitudes of people.
                    I received this book free from the publisher through the http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I think you'll find yourself in the pages of God of the Underdogs, and you may discover that what you thought disqualified you in working for God may be used as a stepping stone to greatness in the kingdom of God.

The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett

               
                 One of the excuses often heard from people in all walks of life when asked why don't they attempt to do something great is "I don't have enough time", But, in his upcoming book, The Power of a Half Hour', author Tommy Barnett examines the value of what little time we do have available, and how it can be used to do great things for God.
                 Tommy Barnett is very widely known among many Christian circles, and is especially popular for his work as Pastor of Phoenix First Assembly and for pioneering the LA Dream Center. In the book, he shares many stories connected to both churches, as  well as other periods of his life and ministry which illustrate the points of the chapters.
                 This book is thirty chapters, divided into seven sections. The main ideas revolve around using your time to affect your life, path, faith, character, dreams, relationships, and world. And the chapters themselves are very small and easy to read. The book also includes outlines, questions and a study guide at the end.
                 I enjoyed the book and like Pastor Barnett's stories, which he uses frequently throughout the pages. I would recommend it, especially to those who think a little bit of time can't accomplish a lot. Please don't take the half hour concept legalistically, as any amount of time can be utilized for the glory of God if properly handled. But a half hour is a good place to start.
                    I received this book for free from "Water Brook/Multnomah Publishing Group" for this review. Our time is actually the most valuable resource that we have available. Pastor Barnett's book will be available in December 2013, but it might be a great Christmas present for someone who wants to do great things, but is concerned they might not have enough time to do it. You may watch a video about the book at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2013/04/22/video-power-of-a-half-hour-by-tommy-barnett/