"God Distorted"

I can honestly say, I am SO glad that I chose this book to read and review. My wife and I are currently expecting our first child this December, so when I saw this book I thought to myself that it might be a good one to read to understand what kind of influence (positive and negative)I can have on my child/children and how that will affect how they view God. John Bishop did a magnificent job with this book. Not only does he take the time to outline and explain various 'types' of fathers, but he then takes time to help the reader establish a Biblicaly based view of God, overthrowing any type of misconception that they might have because of their earthly father.

This is easily one of the top books that I have read in the past year. I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone, but especially anyone who might have had a troubled family history, especially with his/her father. There were many times in this book when I would be reading, and then all of a sudden I thought about a person who I know and realized that this might very well be describing them! I never knew that even the best of fathers can influence our perspective of God in a way that can become distorted. From reading this book, I feel better prepared, and I hope that I am, to lead my  family and be the father to my children and my wife that God wants me to be.



"I receievd this book free from Water Brook/Multnomah Publishers to review."

Exciting News

So, for those of you who haven't heard yet, Emily and I have some exciting news....

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!! =D

I'm SUPER pumped and so is Emily! We're expecting our little bundle of joy come this December! I figured what better way to start the whole summer updates with this exciting news. =) This being said, I'm currently trying to start a new phase of fundraising. My goal is to find more supporters/ministry partners who will help me reach my goal of raising an extra $500/month. Emily's currently making about $400-$450/month, so I'm hoping that I can raise about $500 so that by the time December rolls around, she'll be able to stay home, recuperate, and take care of our son/daughter. Depending on how much more funding we are able to get, the ideal goal would be for Emily to be a stay-at-home mom and do campus ministry with me. I'd appreciate any prayers that you guys could provide and offer up for us! If you have anyone come to mind who might be looking to support someone (tax-deductible goodness.. ;)....), feel free to send them this way or tell them about us! Thanks you guys! Love you all!


Pat

Summer

Hello all! I'm really excited to update you guys, but I can only do so much at a time, lol. Anyway, it's finally summer time! Emily and I just got back from NC today and we're exhausted, but I wanted to take a few moments to let you know that I haven't forgotten about this blog even though I've been awful at keeping up with it. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep up with this a little better because I'm also doing a daily blog-Bible study for the students, so everyday I see this one. I'm hoping that I'll be able to share some updates and prayer requests with you all though here this summer as Emily and I prepare for the new school year! Love you guys! =)


Pat

Humble Orthodoxy

I recently had the pleasure of reading Joshua Harris' new book Humble Orthodoxy. First of all I have to say that I couldn't have asked for a better book to come along at just the right time. For a long time I've felt the conviction of cross-denominational unity and I've made it a personal mission to not 'discriminate' against any Christian brother or sister who happens to go and participate in a congregation that believes some things differently from me. All that being said, Joshua Harris' new book Humble Orthodoxy is a book that I think every theologian, minister, really every Christian should read this book. It isn't a very big commitment, lasting on around 60 or so pages before you get to the study notes and index, and is a very quick read!

In this book Harris exposes the easy temptation to learn theology and bash others who disagree with our conclusions and beliefs. Even though he seems more 'reformed' than I am, I can honestly say that I agree side-by-side with him on this issue. I love how seriously he takes this matter, pushing his readers to evaluate him/herself and see whether he/she really is honoring God with what they are doing. So often have I fell into the trap of thinking less of someone else because they didn't agree with me on a certain issue, but over the years God's shown me that thinking and looking down on my brothers and sisters isn't honoring him, but is actually an act of boosting my pride and my own self.

Harris' book is a great piece of literature for our day. There are many people who are so caught up on learning something just for the sole purpose of proving another brother/sister wrong, and Harris correctly exposes this as wrong. Holding firm to the truth, orthodoxy, is CRUCIAL! However living a life of humility and love and gently correcting those who are wrong about ESSENTIALS of the Christian faith is just as CRUCIAL! Never before have I read a book that addresses this issue of maintaining humility and truth in one's life as clearly, concisely, and effectively as this book from Joshua Harris. I HIGHLY recommend this book! You won't regret it! In fact, you'll be wishing there was more! =)




I received a copy of this book to review by Water Brook and Multnomah Books.

I Am Not But I Know I AM

I recently just finished reading a book by Louie Giglio called I Am Not But I Know I AM.

First of all, I really enjoy listening to Louie Giglio, so when I heard that he wrote a new book I was very eager at the opportunity that I had to read it. In this book, Giglio takes his readers on a journey that reevaluate their lives and adjust them, in whatever way they might need to, to better connect themselves with God Almighty. Louie explains how each of us live within a grand story, a meta-narrative, if you will, where the main character is not ourselves, but God Himself. Taking time to realize the bigness of God and that we are not can make the difference between a life that is full of life and faith and a life that is full of spiritual hardship and disappointment. Louie includes personal stories in the book to illustrate his points that really help his message come to life. Over all, even though there are times when it seems that Louie is being a little repetitive, I think he presents a VERY important message in this book. Every person needs to come to a point in their own life where they realize that "I am not but I know I AM!"


I received a copy of this book to review by Water Brook and Multnomah Books.

Two Weeks Into The New Semester...

Well, we're finally back to school and the new semester is in full swing! This semester we're doing a series called "All-In" where we are going to take a look at what it means to be all-in when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. My hope is that from this series, we will all be able to look at our relationships with Jesus and go to the next level in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Our first week was last week (1/30/13) and we had 38 students show up. We talked about Jesus' desire for us and how it's two-fold: 1) Jesus deeply desires you and me; and 2) Jesus has desires for/of us (our lives and what we do). Last night we talked about Jesus' mission for us. There are so many awesome benefits to being a Christian! Yet so many of us restrict them and reduce them to only salvation. Some even go as far as thinking that it's acceptable and part of God's plan for us to just receive Salvation through Jesus Christ and then just be idle, not doing anything to share this gift or improve in our relationship with Jesus. I think that this mentality doesn't  represent God's desire(s) for us, in fact I think it displeases God as well. Reading through the Bible as a whole, you can very clearly see this as a part of how God interacts with His people. God expects those who are His, not to be lazy but to do the good works that he had intended and planned for us to do from the beginning (Eph. 2.8-10). Perhaps one of the reasons people begin to think this way is because they are afraid of the persecution and rejection they might face for living the way Jesus calls us to live. But that opens the door to another question that I've had for a while, and that's "who ever said that persecution and opposition for living a life for Jesus is a bad thing? In 1 Peter 4, Peter encourages us to rejoice and be thankful. So why is it that we as Christian fear persecution, rather than rejoicing when we face it? I was reading a book a couple of weeks ago by Randy Alcorn and he said something that's stuck with me. "If God answered all our prayers to be delivered from evil and suffering, then he would be delivering us from Christlikeness." For Christians, even opposition and suffering is a good thing! I think redefining evangelism from meaning "telling others about Jesus" to "living life for Jesus" makes our part in Jesus' mission to redeem creation more personal and more impactful for us to grasp. It's so awesome to think about all of the connections we have with Jesus, but I have to admit that thinking about the fact that we are partners with Jesus in this mission brings me encouragement and sets me on fire with a passion to live my life in such a way that I "preach the Gospel at all times, and [only] when necessary use words." I pray that God would fill you with this same passion and desire to join Him more intentionally in this mission to save the world and that He would use you to completely change the face of your area! =) Until next time!!!


Patrick

"The Goodness of God" by Randy Alcorn Review

The subject of pain and suffering has been troublesome for some people as they journey through life in search of God and meaning. There have been many books written on the subject, but I think Randy Alcorn's "The Goodness of God" is one that will be near the top of my list for recommendations. Not only does Randy take the reader by the hand and lead him/her through this minefield of a subject, but he does so in a book that's not super long. There are many people today who disdain reading because they are more interested in playing video games, listening to music, and/or watching TV/movies. Randy's book is only 117 pages and is a very quick read. While there are some parts of Randy's theology that I'm not sure I would buy into 100% or see eye-to-eye with him on, what he had to say about suffering and the life of a Christian was worthwhile. I especially like and agree with him when he explains that as a Christian, the suffering that we endure and live with isn't for nothing. In fact it's through times of trial and suffering that we as Christians become more like Christ. As in all things, perspective is everything. If you are a Christian, these trials and tribulations really are only temporary and a momentary blight on your bright future, a life with God! I highly recommend this read for anyone who is suffering or who knows someone who is suffering and/or going through a rough time right now in life.

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