FREEDOM FROM ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS

Thursday, October 06, 2011

HOW TO DEFEAT HARMFUL HABITS

Freedom from Six Addictive Behaviors

By June Hunt

OVERVIEW: In How to Defeat Harmful Habits, beloved biblical counselor June Hunt offers expert direction through the complex world of addictions. With heartfelt compassion, June combines wisdom from God's Word with the latest in science and research to answer questions such as:

*What are the underlying causes of addiction?

*How can you genuinely help strugglers without enabling destructive behaviors?

*When trying to defeat a harmful habit, what works and what doesn't?

*How can those who struggle experience complete freedom--permanently?

AUTHOR: June Hunt is the founder of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide biblical counseling ministry that provides numerous resources for people seeking help. She hosts a live, two-hour call-in-counseling program called Hope in the Night, and is the author of Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook, How to Handle Your Emotions, How to Rise Above Abuse, and Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes.

MY REVIEW: There are hurting people all around us, in our churches and schools, in our offices and homes. Most of them do not have the willpower to overcome strong addictions and so they go on struggling through life. Many times these people find ways to hide their addictions and they struggle alone.

If you find yourself struggling with one of the addictive behaviors found in this book, June Hunt can help you. She offers great help for: alcohol and drug abuse, anorexia and bulimia, gambling, overeating, and sexual addiction.

One of the things I liked best about the book was the gripping real-life stories of former strugglers. These stories provide proof that with God, all things really are possible, including lasting freedom from even the most destructive addictions. You may not need the information in this book for yourself but you may need it to help others you love and care about.

(Thanks to Harvest House Publishers for providing me with this copy for review.)

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK IF YOU KNEW GOD WAS LISTENING?

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

GOD, I'VE GOT A QUESTION

Biblical Truth for Our Deepest Concerns

by James Merritt

OVERVIEW: We all have a list of questions we'd like to ask God if we could bend His ear. Popular pastor and author James Merritt reminds us that God is neither surprised nor offended by our concerns. In this book, he wrestles with some of the most frequently asked questions about faith, life, and the world around us--questions that perhaps you've been hesitant to ask the only One who can answer them:

*God, why do You allow innocent people to suffer?

*Are people of other faiths with You in heaven?

*Did You use evolution to create the universe?

*Is the bible really Your Word?

*Do You really have a plan for my life?

AUTHOR: Dr. James Merritt is a pastor, author, and host of the television program Touching lives, seen nationwide and in 122 countries weekly. Known for the ability to communicate timeless wisdom in down-to-earth language he's been featured on 60 Minutes, Fox News, and MSNBC.

MY REVIEW: This book contains Bible answers to ten questions that claw at us. For example: "If You're So Good, Why Do You Allow Innocents to Suffer?. As a pastor for almost fifty years I was confronted with this question about human suffering, more than any other. James Merritt does a good job of taking the Bible and answering that question. Will you agree with the answers he gives to all of the questions in the book? Maybe not. But you may, because he goes directly to the Scriptures for his answers and then he gives wonderful stories and illustrations of the truths he finds there. Merritt writes in a way that holds your attention and makes you keep turning the pages. I believe this is a book that will be of benefit to most Christians and one that you will want to share with others. Do I agree with every answer Dr. Merritt gives? There may be a few points we differ on--but not many. Read the book for yourself and see what you think about his answers to questions like, "How Can You Be One God in Three Persons?", "Did You Use Evolution to Create the Universe?"

(Thanks to Harvest House Publishers for giving me this book for review.)

ARE DIFFICULT PEOPLE DRIVING YOU CRAZY?

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

STRESSED BY THAT DIFFICULT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE?

HERE'S HOPE!

We all have at least one difficult person we just can't seem to mesh with. Perhaps they're too demanding, never satisfied with our efforts, or just plain ornery.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We can--and must--set realistic boundaries that will decrease our own stress level and may even benefit our difficult person. Whether your difficult person is a friend, relative, coworker, boss, neighbor, or just an acquaintance, Allison Bottke can help you establish those necessary boundaries to bring sanity back into your life using her popular SANITY. acronym:
          S - STOP your own negative behavior

          A - ASSEMBLE a support group

          N - NIP excuses in the bud

          I - IMPLEMENT rules and boundaries
          T - TRUST your instincts

          Y - YIELD everything to God

ALLISON BOTTKE is the author of Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children and the founder of the SANITY Support Group Network, an international outreach based on the acclaimed Setting Boundaries book series with groups meeting around the world and online. She has written or edited more than 25 nonfiction and fiction books, and is a frequent guest on national radio and TV programs around the country.

I agree with Suellen Roberts, Founder and President Christian Women in Media Association who said: "Allison touches the heart of the matter in this inspired expression of help and hope for all who face challenging relationships in life."

For forty-seven years I was a pastor and served with four churches and many difficult people. Church people are good people but they also can be difficult people. Before that, as a teenager I worked in two different grocery stores. Many customers were difficult. Before that I was busy "growing up" with brothers and sisters. They too could be difficult. And I am confident that all these difficult people found me to be difficult too.

Life is difficult and the sooner we learn that, the better off we are. Setting Boundaries with Difficult People is a good book. It will give you the steps you need to maintain or find sanity when dealing with challenging relationships.

(Thanks to Harvest House Publishers for this review copy.)

HOW TO BE A GOOD PASTOR

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

LETTERS to a YOUNG PASTOR
By Calvin Miller

OVERVIEW: In this book, Calvin Miller shares his well-earned wisdom with the next generation of pastors. He acknowledges much has changed over his years of ministry, as we've moved from switchboards to smartphones and from big-haired evangelists to cigar-smoking emergents. But two truths remain; God is love, and people are broken. In his honest, engaging, and humorous collection of letters, he encourages you to fight the good fight, stay the course, and keep your eye on the Author and Finisher of the faith.

AUTHOR: Calvin Miller was the pastor of Westside Church in Omaha, Nebraska, for twenty-five years. After teaching seven years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he joined the faculty of Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he serves as research professor and distinguished writer-in-residence. He is the author of more than forty books.

MY REVIEW: I agree with Ed Stetzer, author, church planter and director of LifeWay Research, who called this book "A gift to the church...a gift to young pastors."  And what a gift it is! Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School said, "This is the irrepressible Calvin Miller at his best." I agree. I have read many of Miller's forty books and this is one of the best.

This is an honest look at the church and the work of the pastor. Miller loves the church and he loves young pastors. Like a father who loves his children he can tell the truth about the church and preachers because of the great love he has for them. This is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. Miller sees humor in almost everything that happens in the church and uses that humor to drive home great truth.

I wish I could have read a book like this when I started in full-time ministry. I will be recommending it to all the young pastors I know--but not only pastors, I will recommend it to all who love the church and care about pastors. There is something in this book for all Christians.

***Thanks to The B&B Media Group for providing my review copy.

HOW TO BE HAPPIER 7 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, September 26, 2011

A RECENT STUDY FOUND HAPPINESS

INCREASES 10 PERCENT ON FRIDAYS.

In  EVERY DAY A FRIDAY, bestselling author Joel Osteen offers encouragement, spiritual guidance, and practical advice on how to find joy and happiness in every day of the week, every day of your life.

Whatever challenges you may face, whatever circumstances are weighing you down, you can choose your response. It's not what happens to you or what you have or don't have that is important; it's how your mind is set and the decisions you make. How you live your life is totally up to you. It's not dependent on your circumstances. It's dependent on your choices. By being aware of the thoughts and feelings that come to you each day, you can choose to tune in to happiness just as you can choose the station on your car radio. Tune out the negative thoughts and feelings and tune in to God's blessings in your life.

Osteen encourages you to be a source of happiness to others by being a source of understanding and support. Instead of being quick to judge or criticize, he offers ways for you to discover the happiness and fulfillment that come from being the kind of person who inspires and motivates others.

Osteen has described this message as a core theme of his ministry. Combining his personal experiences with scriptural insights and principles for true happiness, he shows you how every day can hold the same promise and opportunities for pure joy that we all experience at five o'clock on Friday.

Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Listed by several sources as America' largest and fastest-growing congregation, Lakewood Church has approximately 45,000 attendees every week. Millions more watch Joel's messages as they are broadcast on national and international television networks. 

If you are looking for a book that is deep into theology and providing an answer to all of your doctrinal questions---this is not it. So do me a favor. Don't run out and buy this book and then criticize Joel because he's not Biblical enough for you. Whatever that means. If you want a book like that then buy a book on systematic theology.

I recommend this book for those of you looking for a more positive, happier way to live. Not just occasionally, but every day. This book will help you be excited to be alive at this moment and the moments of each day. The book is divided into seven different parts. I think it would be good to read one part each day for a week and then start over again. It will help you have a happier week and all those who come in contact with you. 

(This book was given to me by Hachette Book Group for this review.)

EXPERIENCING PURE JOY IN YOUR LIFE

Thursday, September 22, 2011

THE FULFILLMENT PRINCIPLE
Experiencing Pure Joy In Your Life
By Rob Westfall

OVERVIEW: The Fulfillment Principle is packed with stories― encouragement and motivation to help readers pursue their God-given gifts in order to experience the joy of a lifetime―for a lifetime. Drawing on the challenge from Jesus' parable of the talents, Westfall shows readers how the Creator of the universe hands His children a clear, concise blueprint for pure joy. They will see the extraordinary impact individuals can have when they choose to use their gifts and not bury them. They will learn: How to discover their God-given talents, how to invest the talents God has given them and how to realize a life of joy and fulfillment.

AUTHOR: Bob Westfall is president of the Westfall Group which serves charities and Christian ministries in financial stewardship and communications. He frequently speaks at national conferences and to charity boards, philanthropists, churches and other groups. Previously he served as the Senior VP for development for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries (WTB). He currently lives in Suwanee, Georgia, with his wife, Kim, and is the parent of four children.

MY REVIEW: Compared to the many books I read and review this is a small one―one hundred twenty-three pages. There are nine brief power packed chapters. There are not many words on each page or in each chapter but they are filled with meaning. As in many books Bob has selected a quote that begins each chapter. Quotes from Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Erma Bombeck and many others. And what I like about these quotes is that they are good. Not just quotes, but good quotes! They fit with what he is writing about.

I like what Bob told a young man who wasn't feeling much joy in his life. He said to him: "What God's looking for is faithfulness in the little things, the things that may not seem important to you. Are you going to invest in that which God has given you today, the things you may not have even noticed, but the things that, I can assure you, matter to him? When you show that you value the talents he's already given you, then he can trust you with more―and you can enter into his joy." These words helped change the young man's life. I believe this book can help change yours―for the better.

(This book was given to me by the B & B Media Group, Inc. for this review.)