Review: Going Deep by Gordon MacDonald

Since the day I came across the genre in college, I've been a sucker for fiction that gets across a nonfiction concept. Whether it's called narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction or literary nonfiction, any time an author puts concept to paper and creates a factually accurate and convincing narrative, I'm in. It wasn't until years later that I would recognize that I'd encountered the genre far earlier in life in the parables of Jesus. (What can I say? I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.)

The Twitter² Summary:
In Going Deep, Gordon MacDonald asks what kind of people a ministry should cultivate in order to thrive. He answer is narrated through the experiences of the fictional New England congregation he introduced in Who Stole My Church?

The Low-down:
MacDonald’s latest book relates the quest of a fictionalized Pastor Gordon MacDonald to find a way to develop regular people into people of great maturity and spiritual awareness. The first half of the book narrates the question of how to cultivate deep people, while the second half allows us to observe the process of attempting it. MacDonald chooses a few people from the congregation and over the course of two years, takes them through a program dubbed "CDP” or “Cultivating Deep People."

MacDonald makes great observations about the life of a church and details conversations between characters that both provide insight and move the narrative smoothly along. Though the narrative format might not connect with those looking for bullet points or chapter headings, it allows MacDonald to examine the process in greater detail. We see how MacDonald deals with grumblings and failures. Though the story slows while describing the process of the small groups progress, overall I found Going Deep to be an interesting and readable insight into developing disciples.

The Links:
The Publisher's Book Page

Amazon's Book Page

The Rating:
4 Stars (An interesting book that kept me turning the pages)

Disclosure of Material Connection:

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: America: The Last Best Hope, Volume III by William Bennett

Looking back on my years as an undergrad, I often regret not taking more history courses. Actually, not more history courses, any history courses. I took U.S. History I and U.S. History II for college credit my senior year of high school. This was great for me in high school as it allowed me to receive college credit for taking classes in my favorite subject, but the drawback was that I had finished all of my college history requirements before even setting foot on campus.

These days I indulge my love of history with titles like William Bennett’s America: The Last Best Hope, Volume III. I haven’t the pleasure of reading his first two volumes, but I devoured this one in two evenings.

Bennett doesn’t make secret his political leanings or specific thoughts on the makers of history (he footnotes them and his own connections throughout), but he presents a very balanced treatment of the events of American History from 1998 to 2008. Bennett has an easy writing style and doesn’t make an attempt to defend his opinion on the events of history, but simply presents them from his point of view. As someone who worked with many of the “movers and shakers” of this period, Bennett enjoys the unique position of being able to provide not just the facts but also how they drove the decisions of those involved.

Though it heavily focused on the political side of history, I found the occasional forays into the nonpolitical history to be the most enjoyable sections of the book. I’d have liked to see the book balance more between the world of politics and other items of historical note, instead of focusing so much on the politics of these decades.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in history, though those of us who indulge a deeper interest will certainly get more out of it.

The Rating: 
 4 of 5 stars (An interesting book that kept me turning the pages.)


Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Max Lucado’s books have always life-changing for me. He has a way of writing that illuminate Biblical passages and concepts in practical ways that really impact people. I was very interested when I heard his new book looked at how all of us can address social justice issues in a real and personal way.

I really like the book. Lucado masterfully weaves stories of the early Christian church with other stories and illustrations to show how the Bible relates to many issues in today’s world. The chapters are concise and to-the-point.  Each chapter leads the reader through a new topic, such as breaking out of comfort zones and looking at their world with a fresh perspective. Lucado doesn’t offer easy fixes, but shows how even small efforts can make big differences.

I really appreciate the reflection questions in the back of the book. They would be really useful for small groups going through the books together. The accompanying action plans provide practical ways to apply each chapter’s main theme to everyday life.

I would highly recommend Outlive Your Life to anyone interested in making a difference in the world by the best with what you have to make a difference in the lives of others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado

Children find hands very interesting. One of the first things that fascinate children is discovering their hands. As their parents use hands to caress, cuddle, squeeze, tickle and play, children become captivated with their parents’ hands. Our son can play with my fingers for hours, giggling and moving them around.  It is no surprise, then that Max Lucado’s newest children’s book focuses on our hands and the wonderful things we can do with them.

Lucado presents the message of how we can use our hands to help others in a simple way for children to understand. Illustrator, Gaby Hansen, using a subdued, almost pastel palette, makes the illustrations creative and fun – especially as she gives imaginative life to the little girl’s stuffed animals.

Lucado’s note to parents at the book’s beginning shares his heart for helping kids understand the difference between helping hands and hurting hands. His focus on the positive side seems a wise choice.

My favorite part of the book is the closing section that lists ways for hands to be helping, kind and loving. Though I would recommend this book to anyone with a small child at home, having the narrative focus on just a little girl instead of a boy and a girl limits the interest of little boys in the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Guy's Guide to Life by Jason Boyett

Jason Boyett is the author of several books in the guide/handbook genre.  It’s no wonder that he is the man behind A Guy's Guide to Life: How to Become a Man in 224 Pages or Less. Divided into three sections the book addresses cultural myths about manhood, sexuality and spiritual development.

Though Boyett relies on the Q & A troupe more than I care for, his writing is solid and easy to follow.  Despite its subtitle, it’s not a book of quick fixes. Instead it addresses the critical issue of becoming a man. Along the way, Boyett finds time to handle issues as varied as shaving, how to tie a necktie, dating, purity, exercise, peer pressure and faith.

A quick, but helpful read, I recommend it to teens and fathers of teens looking for a book to guide them along the tumultuous path from boy to man.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What's In a Word? by Webb Garrison

While studying Spanish in college, I became interested in the little idiomatic phrases (actually insults) that don’t really translate into English. Even after years of classes, they’re really all I can remember.  If I get lost sometime in a Spanish-speaking country, all I could do is just insult the people trying to help me. It would be a disaster.

That’s why when I heard about the book. What’s in a Word?, I was pretty excited.  Unfortunately it didn’t take long for my excitement to deflate.


What’s in a Word? is a collection of short entries explaining the origins of words or phrases you hear in everyday speech. If you share my fascination with the origin of those odd phrases, this book might be for you more than it was for me.

It isn’t so much that the book isn’t well written. I found the individual stories for each entry to be sly, witty, and occasionally rather clever.  It’s just that many of the “fascinating stories” are kind of mundane (In the Groove), obscure (Best Bib and Tucker) or out-of-date (Floppies). An updated version of the first chapter in a revised edition would go a long way to making the book a better read. For now, though, it’s short entries means it’s the kind of book you’ll want to keep in the bathroom for quick reads.


Disclosure of Material Connection: 
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: The Voice New Testament

The Voice New Testament is a new personal devotional Bible brought to us from Thomas Nelson Publishers.  It is the latest installment in the Voice Project, which the preface describes as “a Scripture project to rediscover the story of the Bible.”  I was excited to get the chance to check out this full-testament version as I had come across the previously released single volumes of Luke and Acts.

I found this Bible to be a pleasantly readable and beautifully written translation.  The use of scholars and creatives on the same team seems to be more than just a nod to the recent postmodern ascendance in ministry, but an honest attempt to bridge the gap from original language to English.

Among the most enjoyable aspects of the reading experience for me is the screenplay structure that identifies speakers and helps set the stage for reading.  Take this example from Luke 18:

Jesus: What do you want Me to do for you?

Blind Man: Lord, let me receive my sight.

Jesus: Receive your sight; your faith has made you well

Nice isn’t it? 

Though I wouldn’t recommend it for serious study, the Voice is a solid choice for everyday and devotional reading.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”