Tag Archives: Book review

Christmas Is a Gift

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Ordinarily, I don’t believe in celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving, but I changed my mind this week when the shipment of Striving Together’s new minibook by Dr. Paul Chappell came in. I had the privilege of helping with this book prepress, and seeing it arrive felt like an early Christmas!

Christmas Is a Gift—Unwrap the Significance of the Season is beautiful inside and out. The glossy hardcover makes it perfect for a coffee table decoration or gift, and the full-color Christmas photographs throughout make you want to read it in front of a roaring fire with a cup of hot tea.

But the message inside is the best. Through this 130-page minibook, we see that Christmas is more than an event—it is a gift. Christmas is the gift of Christ’s presence, and His presence in our lives changes everything. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Promise

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What would change in your life if you really believed Romans 8:28?

A friend recently gave me The Promise: God Works All Things Together for Your Good by Robert J. Morgan. I was surprised that someone could write a full-length book (210 pages) about one verse of Scripture, and I expected that it might be tedious reading. Based on my friend’s recommendation, however, I began, and immediately, I was thankful I did. In fact, I began underlining even before the table of contents!

This book is encouraging because it focuses attention on God’s infinite love for us and His sovereign power engaged on our behalf. It is also challenging because it reminds us that such love calls for a response of trust and reciprocated love.

The Promise is divided into two parts. The first covers each phrase in Romans 8:28, exploring in depth the richness of this promise. The second part briefly covers six other places in Scripture that echo the promise of Romans 8:28—either in living testimony or in a verse. These chapters are especially encouraging as they reveal just how God makes things work together for good and just what kinds of good He has in mind. Continue reading →