Category Archives: The Randleman Review

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Book Review – Billy Graham In Quotes

Billy Graham In QuotesIt’s said that, outside of Paul the Apostle, Billy Graham has presented the Gospel to more people than anyone else in history.

And his ministry was vast and widespread, holding crusades all over the United States and around the world for decades.

Billy Graham has also penned countless books and written hundreds of articles, and countless sermons.

He’s almost a household name for most people, especially those in the church.

With all of that history, I’m surprised that it’s taken this long to gather many of his memorable and poignant statements into one volume of quotations.

But it’s been done at last, in Billy Graham In Quotes. This volume has collected hundreds of quotes, from Grahams public and personal writings, covering more than a hundred different topics.

While Billy Graham has never been one of my favorite authors, he has said many things that ring true, and having access to many of those quotes will prove to be a handy resource, I’m sure.

Billy Graham In Quotes will be a convenient volume for sermon and lesson preparation. And it’s been interesting to simply thumb through and read random quotes for inspiration and encouragement.

If you are a Billy Graham fan, then this is a resource you may want to add to your library.

Have you ever had the opportunity to hear Billy Graham speak? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Billy Graham In Quotes, by Franklin Graham, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review – Judges For You by Timothy Keller

Judges For YouThere is a new commentary series on the market that has me very intrigued. It’s from The Good Book Company, and I have two of them on my shelf already.

My newest addition is Judges For You, by Timothy Keller. And I have to tell you, I am once again impressed.

Most of the time, I use commentaries only as reference materials for a sermon, an article, a lesson, or a blog post. But this new series turns a simple commentary into a Bible study devotional tool. I’ve learned more about the book of Judges than I ever have before through reading Keller’s material.

Judges has long been one of the Old Testament books I’ve found most interesting. The story of the Hebrew people on their conquest of the Promised Land, and before God gave them a king to rule over them, has always captured my attention. There are dozens of interesting stories in the book of Judges.

  • Ehud, the left-handed leader of Israel, who killed the oppressing king Eglon.
  • Deborah, who led the nation into freedom from the Canaanites with the help of Barak.
  • Gideon, and his fleece, and his wine press, and his 300 warriors who defeated the Midianites.
  • Samson, a man of great physical strength, but not of great moral strength.

There are more, but these are just a few of the stories that grace the pages of Judges.

Timothy Keller does a great job of digging into these stories and showing them for what they are, a cycle of rebellion, leading to God’s anger and a foreign nation’s oppression. The people cry out, God hears and sends salvation through a chosen judge. There is peace, which leads to complacency, and after the judge dies, the people slip back into rebellion.

Keller opens up these stories, and pulls details into view that a cursory reading doesn’t catch. He shows how these stories continually spiral down into greater depths of despair for the nation of Israel, and how God shows time and time again how a savior is needed. But not just any savior, the people need one who can save them permanently.

Really, the stories found in the book of Judges show our need for Christ.

I read through Judges For You from cover to cover, just as I did with Keller’s Galatians For You a few months ago. I highly recommend that grab a copy and read it. It will put a lot of the history of the Old Testament into greater perspective for you.

Out of all the stories in the book of Judges, which is your favorite? Why? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Judges For You, by Timothy Keller. You can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle. You can also purchase the additional study guide to go along with it.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Cross Focused Media as part of their Cross Focused Reviews blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review – Road Trip To Redemption by Brad Mathias

Road Trip To RedemptionOne of my biggest worries in life is that something will happen to one of my kids. I pray for my kids on a frequent basis in this regard, and try not to fret too much over something I have little to no control over.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Brad Mathias’ family when they were faced with a major family crisis surrounding one of their daughters. He details their story in his book Road Trip To Redemption.

How often do we slide into the rut of maintaining the status quo in our families? That’s exactly where Mathias was with his family. He had successfully saved his marriage from almost divorce several years earlier, and had regained a sense of equilibrium, or so he thought. But when his middle child began displaying harmful behavior and experiencing severe depression, he knew something was up.

When he and his wife discovered the unthinkable truth, their carefully ordered world tarted to crumble around them.

As Mathias struggles to find the answers to healing for his family, a wild idea entered his mind. What if he took a road trip with his family from Nashville, Tennessee, to the wilds of western Canada in order to reconnect his family with one another and with God?

That’s exactly what he did. And in the process he and his family discovered healing and grace.

While this story tells of a much bigger crisis than most of us may ever face, this story can help each of us in our parenting journeys with principles that the Mathias family found the hard way.

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Book Review – God And The Nations by Henry M. Morris

God And The Nations by Henry MorrisI am fascinated by history. I’m especially fascinated by origins history. So reading a book on the nature and origins of civilization seemed natural. I wasn’t disappointed.

I’ve read other material on this before, such as Bodie Hodge’s Tower Of Babel. So when I received a copy of Henry Morris’ book, God And The Nations, I was pretty excited to dig into it.

Morris took a look at several aspects of the biblical nature of civilization that I’d never considered before, giving me plenty of food for thought. Much of what he wrote in the early chapters of the book was expected. But the latter half of the book was new information for me, things I’d never really paused to consider before.

In the first few chapters, Morris discusses the nations of the earth, and how they began. He looks at the Dominion Mandate that God gave mankind, to fill and subdue the earth. And he looks in depth at the Table of Nations in Genesis 5, discussing the origins, and where or who these nations might be today. Much of what I read here I’ve read before, but there were several new insights, such as the connection between the ancient Hittites and the modern nation of China.

The rest of the book, however, I found simply fascinating. Morris examined the chosen nation of the Jewish people, and the Gentile nations, seeing how they fit together and gave a solid biblical framework for the importance and inclusion of each in God’s major narrative for mankind. Moving from the Dominion Mandate, he looks at the Missionary Mandate, and God’s intention that all nations be reached with the Gospel. He added thoughts and insights to the urgency of this mandate that have my mind reeling under the weight of our mission, and the importance it is to God that we fulfill it with haste.

I found God And The Nations to be a very helpful resource, one that I know I will reference again and again as I study not only Genesis, but the purpose of the church worldwide. I’m glad to be able to add it to my shelf, and I suggest you pick up a copy as well. Well thought, and well written, it will provide much for you to mull over as you consider the nations and just how important they are to God’s overall plan.

I’m sure you’ll gain a wealth of information from it, just as I did.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the nations of the Bible? Which of the nations most interest you? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading God And The Nations: What The Bible Has To Say About Civilizations – Past And Present, by Henry M. Morris, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle, or directly from Master Books.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review – Afloat by Erin Healy

AfloatMy only experience with any of the works of Erin Healy has been her books coauthored with Ted Dekker, one of my favorite authors.

The books that the two of them have collaborated on have been excellent, so it was with a bit of excitement that I decided to read one of her solo efforts.

While I didn’t enjoy Afloat as much as I expected, it was still an interesting and riveting novel.

The premise is simple. Eagle’s Talon is an exclusive, floating resort of condominiums. It’s poised to make investors very wealthy when a sinkhole opens underneath it in the river. With massive storms occurring on top of the sinkhole, several residents are stranded, along with the architect, the developer and a blind prophet.

Some of these people want to stay put until rescued. Others want to try to escape as quickly as they can. But the blind man, who sees more than anyone else, knows that God is very much involved in the events surrounding Eagle’s Talon.

Vance Nolan, the architect, is an unwilling leader, who knows that the lives of many are his responsibility. But what he doesn’t know is that the supernatural is at play in the waters below.

As crisis after crisis occurs, this small band of stranded strangers must come to terms with the events, with one another’s strengths and sins, as well as with their own.

Afloat is a story of sin and salvation, a story of coming to terms with God’s involvement in human affairs, whether we recognize his hand or not.

I enjoyed reading Afloat, and will probably read more of Healy’s work in the future. Though not my favorite author, I still found Erin Healy to be a skilled writer, combining suspense and the supernatural, and creating characters you can identify with in a plot that captives the reader.

Pick up a copy of Afloat and read it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Have you read anything from Erin Healy? If so, what was your favorite book? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Afloat, by Erin Healy, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review – Spark by Jason Jaggard

SparkOne of my least favorite genres is the self-help book. Every time I read something from this category, I feel completely underwhelmed. Spark, by Jason Jaggard, is no different.

Full of forced optimism and predictable cliches, Spark left me with the unmistakable feeling that life is nothing but formulas: if you do this, then that will happen. If you want to go here, you must go there. I wasn’t impressed or encouraged at all; instead, I felt like I had little benefit to show for the time invested in reading the book.

While Jaggard seems to have built a successful business based on the premises laid out in this book, I continue to be skeptical about the formulaic strategy he describes. In my experience, very little in life can be continually maintained by such formulas.

Jaggard asks the question, “What is one thing I could do this week to have an impact on the world around me?” I agree that we can and should be attempting to answer this question in our day to day lives. And in order for that to happen, we have to be intentional about the things we do. I’m just not so sure that if I step out of my comfort zone, then the results will line up at my door as he suggests.

But that’s what this book seems to promise.

Jaggard’s goal is to motivate you to change your world, one small step, one small risk, at a time. The problem is that his suggestions feel forced and stilted.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t impressed. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you are trying to grow in your faith and impact your world. Instead, simply start reaching out to those around you in love. You’ll see sparks of transformation soon enough.

In the meantime, spend your time reading something more worth your time.

Have you read Spark? If so, what did you think? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review – A Matter Of Trust by Lis Wiehl

A Matter Of Trust by Lis WiehlOne of my favorite genres is the legal thriller. I’ve read such authors as John Grisham and Randy Singer for years, and have enjoyed their books. However, I’ve never had the opportunity to read anything by Lis Wiehl. It’s just never crossed my path.

Recently, I had the chance to read Wiehl’s newest book, A Matter Of Trust. I found it to be very captivating and hard to put down. I really enjoyed it.

The story is about a single mother named Mia Quinn, who has stepped back into the legal world after the death of her husband, in order to support her two children. After the murder of a colleague and friend of Quinn’s, she is thrust into the investigation full force, attempting to solve the crime before anything else happens.

With the pressures of raising two kids as a single parent, struggling under the financial pressures left behind by her husband, and dealing with the politics and problems of the workplace, Quinn is forced to face some hard realities, both as a professional and as a mother.

Besides the investigation of her friend’s death, a subplot of cyber-bullying twists and turns through the story, and the lives of her kids.

With so much going on in the story, A Matter Of Trust keeps your attention until the finish. And it left me with a desire to read more of Wiehl’s works. I will be seeking out another one to read in the very near future.

All in all, I really enjoyed A Matter Of Trust. If you like reading legal fiction, I recommend that you pick up a copy. It’s a story worth reading, with a lot of positive and encouraging elements. You’ll be glad you did!

Have you ever read any of Lis Wiehl’s books? If so, which is your favorite? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading A Matter Of Trust, by Lis Wiehl, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“