This book is about "the path to manhood" or how a man is made. It focuses on how young and old need heroes to demonstrate the characteristics of what a man should be: honor, duty, valor, integrity, etc. Bennett defines what he thinks a man should be, how a man should love, and how a man should live in war time, at work, during sports or play, with family, and in prayer and reflection.
Being semi-familiar with Bennett's Book of Virtues, I figured this book would really give good solid examples of a godly man with Character. However, Bennett fills this very thick book with NON-CHRISTIAN morally-questionably political figure and athletes and elevates these as the heroes that our Christian kids should be looking up to.
If you are politically active, believe in sending your kids into the military/war, and very pro-US government/politics/political figures as "heroes" "icons" or "idols", then you may enjoy this book and not mind these guys being your kids' heroes. But if that's so, then let's also hold Madonna, Britney Spears, Hilary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and every other famous female musician, actress, athlete, and political figure regardless of their character, virtue and morals up as heroes for our daughters. Hey, I bet I could even find a few "good characteristic" stories on Saddam Hussein, Richard Allen Davis, Jeffrey Dahmer and all the mass murderers, child molesters etc.
As a Christian, do you really want your kids to hold these guys up as heroes? Winston Churchill, Ronald Regan, Plato, General Douglas MacArthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Jack London, Mark Twain, William the Conquerer, Benjamin Franklin, Booker T Washington, Cal Ripkin Jr, Buster Douglas the boxer, Mario Andretti the car racer, Aristotle, Davy Crocket, Navy Seals, John F Kennedy, Homer, Nolan Ryan the baseball player, and dozens of others.
I strongly recommend against this book. There are dozens of other books about raising Christian men using men of God as examples. What's wrong with using Jesus, the apostles, or the forefathers? Bennett's book is shocking to me - how he can use secular political figures and athletes with questionable character and morals is beyond me.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Your 100 Day Prayer by John I. Snyder
Your 100 Day Prayer is like a paperback prayer journal/devotional with 100 days instead of 365 days like a normal devotional. The book has one page with a Start Date and a main Prayer Request - the one thing you will be praying for 100 days straight. Each day starts with one bible verse, a 1-2 page life application, a 1-2 sentence suggested prayer, and 1/2 or 1/4 page of blank lines for notes. The lines have large gaps between them (about the same size as a journal) to allow your large handwriting font to fit on each line. Remember, with most pages only giving you 1/4 -1/2 of a page for journaling, you don't barely get to write one short paragraph (1-3 sentences long) for yourself.
I found the paperback format to be very counter to the prayer journal - the paperback book hardly opens enough to write your notes in the pages. And if you open it enough, of course, the binding gets all messed up. This should have had spiral binding. Also of note, the paper of the book is the normal cheap paperback recycled-like paper. It's not nice to write on, like prayer journals. Again, I wish this book was printed like a journaling book.
I was surprised to find that the devotional bible verses and life application descriptions DID NOT focus on prayer and promises of God. On one hand, usually books that focus on God's promises pull verses out of context, so maybe it's preferable this way, but it would have been nice to have bible verses that ACTUALLY applied to your one main prayer request. Instead, this book starts like most 365 day devotionals - with creation. Although the author attempted to tie the verses in to prayers, I didn't feel they related strongly to someone praying for a GREAT NEED. The verses were quite general and sometimes the author had to stretch things a bit to make the prayer suggestions work.
In the end, I would not recommend this book. I am certain you would be MUCH better off with a 365 day devotional and a real prayer journal. Or combine a book on prayer with your prayer journal. Why buy a book that 1/4 of it is blank underlined "fill in your thoughts" pages? Then you run out of pages just after 3 months.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
I found the paperback format to be very counter to the prayer journal - the paperback book hardly opens enough to write your notes in the pages. And if you open it enough, of course, the binding gets all messed up. This should have had spiral binding. Also of note, the paper of the book is the normal cheap paperback recycled-like paper. It's not nice to write on, like prayer journals. Again, I wish this book was printed like a journaling book.
I was surprised to find that the devotional bible verses and life application descriptions DID NOT focus on prayer and promises of God. On one hand, usually books that focus on God's promises pull verses out of context, so maybe it's preferable this way, but it would have been nice to have bible verses that ACTUALLY applied to your one main prayer request. Instead, this book starts like most 365 day devotionals - with creation. Although the author attempted to tie the verses in to prayers, I didn't feel they related strongly to someone praying for a GREAT NEED. The verses were quite general and sometimes the author had to stretch things a bit to make the prayer suggestions work.
In the end, I would not recommend this book. I am certain you would be MUCH better off with a 365 day devotional and a real prayer journal. Or combine a book on prayer with your prayer journal. Why buy a book that 1/4 of it is blank underlined "fill in your thoughts" pages? Then you run out of pages just after 3 months.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Shameful "Christian" Arguments for Infallible Bible
DON'T READ THIS BOOK. IT IS A PIECE OF CRAP, WRITTEN BY AN ANGRY BIASED HATEFUL MAN CALIMING TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
Prior to reading this book, I had already read Lee Strobel's poor book "Case For Christ" and "Case For Faith". As Christians with an open mind must admit, that book didn't hold water. It used very weak arguments to claim Christianity could be proven. Any solid Christian or solid Athiest or Agnostic could easily tear the book apart because it had no case. I wish his books were better. Josh McDowell also wrote many Apologetics types books and I would recommend his before Strobels. I think they have a little more solid arguments and at least make you think more.
I had hoped more from this book. I was hoping to actually find a Christian book that had strong arguments an apologetics. This book is totally not that book. It is 10 times worse than Lee Strobel's book because the author comes across with an EXTREMELY strong bias for Christianity and against all non-Christians. His bias takes him so far that he turns into a ranting raving lunatic in his own book! With claims like "Islam is false because husbands are allowed to beat wives". But he fails to address worse verses in our own Christian Bible! Read Exodus, Numbers, Lev and Deut and you will be shocked at what the Bible really says on how women and slaves are to be treated. This author's book is a complete joke. Nothing this author says holds ANY water and in many MANY cases, he doesn't give us the sources to his quotes!
Claims of this author:
Introduction Pg xi: Jesus's death is "one of the most well-established realities of ancient history" Oh really? No source or proof or even evidence given. "There is a virtual consensus among CREDIBLE scholars.... that Jesus did in fact die on a cross" No source, proof or evidence given. Who are the "credible" scholars?
Pg xiv The author berates Bart Erham for claiming "Biblical Christianity is so dangerous... it stops people from thinking" Sorry, I'm a Christian and even I see that this is true! Look at what the "Christian Churches" have done over the years in the name of God? I would like to think a real THINKING adult wouldn't go to the lengths of the Inquisition, Dark Ages, and Witch Trials. And how many times have you been told "God is mysterious. Stop asking questions. You aren't supposed to have answers for everything" In otherwords, "STOP THINKING. GOD IS MYSTERIOUS. JUST ACCEPT YOU AREN"T SUPPOSED TO KNOW" Now sure, maybe God is mysterious and we won't know everything, but Jesus does tell us to test what we are told and we are to seek to know God. Not just give up because one verse puzzles us. If we really seek, we usually get some answers.
Pg xiv The author writes "the validity of the virgin birth can be historically established." Really? Where is the proof? I thought we were to take this mainly by faith in the Bible.
I can't go on because seriously, ever other page is missing sources, making outlandish claims, and making severe personal attacks against other authors who question the Bible. What is with the personal attacks? This author goes into childish name calling over and over again as he attacks Bart Erham (another author). This author plays SOOO DIRTY. How UNCHRISTIAN. This author wrotes "the only reasonable explaination is..." But I can think of several other MORE REASONABLE explainations than his on pg 24.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Prior to reading this book, I had already read Lee Strobel's poor book "Case For Christ" and "Case For Faith". As Christians with an open mind must admit, that book didn't hold water. It used very weak arguments to claim Christianity could be proven. Any solid Christian or solid Athiest or Agnostic could easily tear the book apart because it had no case. I wish his books were better. Josh McDowell also wrote many Apologetics types books and I would recommend his before Strobels. I think they have a little more solid arguments and at least make you think more.
I had hoped more from this book. I was hoping to actually find a Christian book that had strong arguments an apologetics. This book is totally not that book. It is 10 times worse than Lee Strobel's book because the author comes across with an EXTREMELY strong bias for Christianity and against all non-Christians. His bias takes him so far that he turns into a ranting raving lunatic in his own book! With claims like "Islam is false because husbands are allowed to beat wives". But he fails to address worse verses in our own Christian Bible! Read Exodus, Numbers, Lev and Deut and you will be shocked at what the Bible really says on how women and slaves are to be treated. This author's book is a complete joke. Nothing this author says holds ANY water and in many MANY cases, he doesn't give us the sources to his quotes!
Claims of this author:
Introduction Pg xi: Jesus's death is "one of the most well-established realities of ancient history" Oh really? No source or proof or even evidence given. "There is a virtual consensus among CREDIBLE scholars.... that Jesus did in fact die on a cross" No source, proof or evidence given. Who are the "credible" scholars?
Pg xiv The author berates Bart Erham for claiming "Biblical Christianity is so dangerous... it stops people from thinking" Sorry, I'm a Christian and even I see that this is true! Look at what the "Christian Churches" have done over the years in the name of God? I would like to think a real THINKING adult wouldn't go to the lengths of the Inquisition, Dark Ages, and Witch Trials. And how many times have you been told "God is mysterious. Stop asking questions. You aren't supposed to have answers for everything" In otherwords, "STOP THINKING. GOD IS MYSTERIOUS. JUST ACCEPT YOU AREN"T SUPPOSED TO KNOW" Now sure, maybe God is mysterious and we won't know everything, but Jesus does tell us to test what we are told and we are to seek to know God. Not just give up because one verse puzzles us. If we really seek, we usually get some answers.
Pg xiv The author writes "the validity of the virgin birth can be historically established." Really? Where is the proof? I thought we were to take this mainly by faith in the Bible.
I can't go on because seriously, ever other page is missing sources, making outlandish claims, and making severe personal attacks against other authors who question the Bible. What is with the personal attacks? This author goes into childish name calling over and over again as he attacks Bart Erham (another author). This author plays SOOO DIRTY. How UNCHRISTIAN. This author wrotes "the only reasonable explaination is..." But I can think of several other MORE REASONABLE explainations than his on pg 24.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
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