From author Brehon (Reach Me with SMILES, 2014) comes a guide for developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and helping others do the same.
How does one go from accepting Jesus Christ as savior to having a more intimate relationship with the son of God? “Jesus must be more than a casual acquaintance,” Brehon says, as she lays out a plan aimed at both new and old believers both. In brief chapters that conclude with points for personal reflection—e.g., “How can you use your worst situation in service to the Lord?”—a plan is laid not only for individual spiritual growth, but with a nod toward helping develop it in others. Small groups, ideally with three members, are most effective for fostering Christian development, Brehon says, and the book includes forms that can be distributed to elicit feedback from group members. “When others see the presence of Christ in another person’s life that they know, they are more likely to want the same transformation in their own lives,” she writes, so trust in prayer, lead by example and accept regular feedback. Brief and never far from the point, the easy-to-follow book is peppered with biblical references and ideas stressing the importance of trusting the Almighty. The overall feeling is a heartfelt one, whether the topic is personal welfare—“You must take an all-inclusive approach to caring for yourself and maintain your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being to be the most effective instrument possible”—or what to do once the church has agreed to small group meetings: “Locate partners who will hold you accountable for who you say you are.” For readers open to the idea, they’ll find plenty of inspiration in this slim, practical guide.
Useful advice for Christians seeking to develop their own personal relationships with Christ while encouraging others to do the same.
Pub Date: March 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1490829685
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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