Desiring God Dvd by John Piper

This dvd set is a recording of a lecture given by John Piper, based on his book Desiring God and explaining the concept of Christian hedonism. His premise is that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." He goes on to show us in scripture how God's goal is always to be glorified. Everything's purpose is to bring glory to Him. And that when we are satisfied in Him, when we find joy in Him, he is glorified. Piper disputes those who say it is a sin to find pleasure in God, that if we enjoy doing something, we are sinning. He shows over in over in scripture that our motivation is scripture is the reward in heaven. That while we may be making sacrifices in our walk, ultimately we will reap so much more in pursuing God.

This is a two dvd set with 10 sessions of about 30 minutes each. I watched it in about three sittings. Though I didn't find it easy to find time to sit down and watch them, when I did finally pop a disc in, it was easy to watch it through. There are so many great nuggets of truth in them, that I just kept watching. I will admit that sometimes his way of speaking could be distracting and sometimes my mind would start to wander, but he always brought me back with some insight that should be so clear and obvious but isn't always and I would think "wow, that's good." I plan to watch these again to remember points that he made. Lots to think about and ponder. And a challenge to me to examine my heart and ask do I desire God more than anything else? Is my joy found in Him?

If you have a heard time finding time to read, or if you learn better by listening you may find this video series helpful in summarizing the insights of the classic book by John Piper. There is also a study guide booklet that you can purchase that will help delve deeper either by yourself or with a group.

If you would like to learn more about Desiring God, you can visit this website www.desiringgod.org

You can read the first chapter of the book by clicking HERE.

This video can be purchased from the publisher by clicking HERE.

I received this video for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.


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Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

Cherished is the second in a series by Kim Cash Tate, following the book Faithful. Picking up where the last book left off, Cherished focuses on Kelli, the sister of Cedric and Lindell London and her story. All the main characters from the first wonderful book show up here, but the book is not as much about them.

While being cherished is the theme, this book is a lot about forgiveness. Learning to forgive others for things that feel unforgiveable. And, just as important, learning to forgive your self and to live in the freedom that Christ’s forgiveness brings to us.

I enjoyed this book very much and found it’s message inspiring and very true. I love how the characters lovingly support each other and seek to follow God’s will, even when it seems to bring pain in the beginning. Their faithfulness to God’s will and love is what brings healing in the end.

Not as complex as the first book, which interwove so many different plot lines, it is still a powerful book. One of the little things I enjoy about these books is the St. Louis setting. Always fun to run into familiar places as I read. Though I was curious where the name of the Webster Family Arena, in St. Charles, came from. That arena is in my home town and is often the site of Christian concerts, but I have never seen it with the name Webster. All the other places mentioned in the book seemed to be accurate.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <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 am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Don't Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell & Bob Hostetler

Studies are showing that our kids are leaving the church at alarming rates. Kids are starting to check out, if only in their minds and hearts and then later in body, before they even leave highschool. Many believe that this is because they are not being taught truths in the church. They have no defense against the onslaught of lies that the world uses to challenge their faith. This book was written to help combate that by equipping our young people with the truth. It gives answers to many of the myths that the world tries to perpetuate.

It is divided into sections like Myths about God (ie God is just a big killjoy), about Jesus (ie he is "just a good teacher"), the Bible (ie, inconsistencies in the Bible), the Resurrection (Did Jesus just swoon?), about Religion and Christianity (Do you have to be unintellectual to be a Christian?, etc), about Life and Happiness (for example, "nice guys finish last"). Each section includes many of these types of myths and the authors address each topic in an approachable but truthful way to explain why these are myths and what the truth really is. They use scripture to illuminate the truth.

I enjoy apologetics books and am always on the look out for books like this to hand my kids. I found it to have a devotional feel where you could read each myth for a short daily reading. The authors used contemporary and familiar examples like Star Wars to help illustrate their points, making it approachable for kids. For anyone who has read a lot of apologetics, this book might seem a bit simplified, but this book is written for those who will probably never pick up a heavy tome like Knowing God. It is just right for your average youth who may be struggling with his faith and would appreciate the easy to read, short devotional style.

There was one point where I thought the authors were making a bit of an assumption about Jesus's family life before his ministry, but other than that I don't think I came across anything that bothered me.

I think this would be a good addition to a youth group or home school setting. There are questions at the end of each section to help the reader dig deeper, look up scriptures and think more about the topic.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <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 am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”