In Max Lucado's recent book, Out Live Your Life, he uses the template of the the book of Acts to open up the idea that your life should have meaning beyond the grave. He starts off on the first few pages giving us a snapshot of the kind of people that were called to be disciples in the book of Acts: fisherman, streetwalkers, no friends of Caesar (4), or no friends of the Temple leaders. They were for all apparent reasons, nobodies. And yet, God used them mightily to change the world. Max asks the same question of us, namely, God is still using men and women to change the world one voice at a time. There are great atrocities (sex trade, hungry children, slavery, illnesses) and yet we can make a difference. Max has a unique way of combining self-help ideas with a connection to the Bible and theology that makes sense of the whole of Scripture. He says later in the book regarding hypocrisy, "Expect no credit for good deeds, give financial gifts in secret, don't fake spirituality" (93). These principles are not only difficult but when done with a heart to serve God they are completely rewarding. The great thing about this book is that it holds out Jesus as the one to follow, the one who gave up his life for his people, the example of love and compassion that we are to live like. His life outlasted his death, his legacy outweighed his short life on Earth.
The Romance of Grace by Jim McNeely III To be honest, when I received this book in the mail I had visions of what it might be like with a title like, ‘The Romance of Grace.’ The emotional rollercoaster and one-sided perspective on how our emotions fuel our faith was my presumption about the book, but this was the furthest thing from the truth as I started reading. The Romance of Grace by Pastor Jim McNeely III is a careful look at the movements of grace in the way God pursues us with his love and his desire to get us to love him back. McNeely writes, “We are entering a cosmic romance with a passionate lover, and He is interested in our heart’s truest desire. His deepest objective isn’t to make us more moral; it is to get us to love Him back. Virtue is the fruit, not the root” (18). Why is this helpful? For one thing, beginning with God’s initiating grace frees us from starting out on the wrong foot in the way we tell the story and...
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