A Treasury Of A.W. Tozer (book review)

February 16, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I find A.W. Tozer’s writings to be so thought-provoking. Even though his books were all published before I was even born, his writing always seems so applicable to me right now.

A Treasury Of A.W. Tozer is a good starter book for those new to Tozer. This collection gives selected chapters from over a dozen of Tozer’s books. It’s a good way to sample his writing, discover a topic that is especially convicting/enlightening/energizing to you, and then you know which full book to dive into headlong.

There are far too many quotes I highlighted in this collection to begin to share here, but let me close this review with one of my all-time favorite Tozer quotes. This is one which helps remind me that my agenda is not my agenda…

“The man with a cross no longer controls his destiny; he lost control when he picked up his cross.”

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Lee: A Life Of Virtue (book review)

January 18, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m thoroughly enjoying The Generals series from Thomas Nelson Publishers! The latest installment that kept me turning page after page is Lee: A Life Of Virtue by John Perry. (By the way, my review of the first book in this series is here.)

You probably think you know quite a bit about General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After all, in our American History classes, we heard all about how Lee went to war to protect slavery, right? At least, that’s what I thought. But did you know that Lee signed the papers to free the slaves his family had inherited? And that Lee was working with other leaders to find the best way to free all of the slaves in the South?

This biography portrayed a side of Lee I had never heard before. John Perry does a remarkable job of showing us a man who quietly and resolutely relied on his faith in God for so many crucial decisions; a man who lovingly cared for his invalid mother; a man who continued to court his wife all throughout their marriage; a man who dearly loved his children; and a man who made his battlefield decisions based on what was best for his men.

The title is so apt: Lee was a man of virtue throughout his life. Always exercising self-control, always considerate of others, never cutting corners nor compromising.

If for no other reason, I recommend that you read Lee just to get a complete picture of a man who was so much more than an outstanding general; he was an outstanding man.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Soulprint (book review)

January 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’ve read (and re-read) all of Mark Batterson’s books, and with each one, I find such clear-cut biblical truths that I can immediately apply. Soulprint was a little different… I was hooked from the opening paragraph:

There has never been and never will be anyone else like you. That isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. You are unlike anyone who has ever lived. But that uniqueness isn’t a virtue. It’s a responsibility. Uniqueness is God’s gift to you, and uniqueness is your gift to God. You owe it to yourself to be yourself. But more important, you owe it to the One who designed and destined you. … You were created to worship God in a way that no one else can. How? By living a life no one else can—your life. [italics in original]

This book was so challenging, and so encouraging at the same time. Mark leads the reader through the different aspects that make up our unique soulprint, which is as unique and individualized as our fingerprint. Using the life of the biblical character David as a backdrop, Mark shows us how to discover our soulprint by…

  • Reviewing our memories through God’s eyes
  • Keeping “lifesymbols” around us which keeps our past memories current
  • Paying close attention to our conscience
  • Allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the parts of us we cannot see ourselves

To further help in discovering our unique soulprint, the questions at the end of the book will stimulate invaluable introspection and helpful discussion with others in a small group setting.

The back cover of Soulprint says, “God would like to introduce you to yourself.” And that’s exactly what this excellent book will help God do. I highly recommend Soulprint!

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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Books I Read In 2010

January 4, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Here is a list of the books I read in 2010. The titles that at hyperlinked will take you to the book review I wrote for that book.

A Century Turns

A Maze Of Grace

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites

Classic Wisdom For The Professional Life

Crave

Endued With Power

Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain

Get Out Of That Pit

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

Lead Like Ike

Living Free In An Anxious World

Living Life In The Zone

Mad Church Disease

Once An Arafat Man

Outlive Your Life

Overcoming Barriers To Church Growth

Patton: the Pursuit Of Destiny

Permission To Speak Freely

Plan B

Points Of Power

Quitting Church

Raising The Dead

Rules Of Engagement

Rush Limbaugh: An Army Of One

Should We Fire God

Sleep, It Does A Family Good

The Barbarian Way

The Case For Christmas

The Christian Atheist

The Lord’s Prayer

Tribes

What Good Is God?

What Your Son Isn’t Telling You

What’s So Amazing About Grace

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Chazown (book review)

January 3, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m a huge Craig Groeschel fan, and Chazown didn’t do anything to diminish my respect and admiration for what Craig has to say. Chazown may be a funny-looking word (it’s pronounced khaw-zone, by the way), but it is vitally important to a successful life.

Right at the beginning of the book, Craig defines the importance of Chazown this way:

Where there is no Chazown—no dream, no revelation, no vision, no sense of our created purpose—we perish.
Where there is no vision that you were created to have a growing, lifelong, and personal relationship with your Creator, your inner being withers and dies.
Where there is no vision that you have been placed on earth to matter deeply to people, and reveal God’s love and power to them, you live in loneliness and your relationships perish.
Where there is no vision for a godly family, you have a 50 percent chance of ending up divorced.
Where there is no vision that your body is the temple of God’s Spirit—property on loan from Him—your physical health slips away. Your exuberance fades.
Where there is no vision for a financially wise lifestyle, you can live in the richest country on earth and still be drowning in debt.
Where there is no vision for meaningful work, people live for five o’clock. They really just exist. Their goal is to survive—to pay bills, stay married, keep the kids out of jail….
But you and I were made for so much more.

Chazown is easy to read (most of the chapters are very short), and the “You Are The Author” exercises throughout the book make the message of chazown applicable to your life. And Craig’s transparency about his own struggles and successes makes the message of chazown real to your life.

A key component in making your chazown work for you is accountability. The back of this book contains study guides for small groups, and there are plenty of team resources available on the chazown website.

This book is especially timely at the beginning of a New Year when so many are making resolutions. Chazown can help you make meaningful life changes that make a real difference.

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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Raising The Dead (book review)

December 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I know, I know, the title of this book sort of sounds like a horror movie, doesn’t it? But Dr. Chauncey Crandall IV’s book Raising The Dead is anything but horrific. In fact, it’s actually more like a love story.

The book opens with Dr. Crandall’s firsthand experience of praying for a patient who has been pronounced dead, and seeing with his own eyes that patient returned to life. This sets the stage for the life journey on which Dr. Crandall and his family are about to embark.

Raising The Dead traces the Crandall family’s journey of spiritual discovery as they battle cancer in the life of one of their twin sons. Throughout this story you will ride the highs as miracles appear for this family, and you will feel the heartbreak as opportunities slip away. Through it all, the Crandall family learns how to draw closer to each other, and – most importantly – closer to God. I know I joked earlier about the book’s title evoking thoughts of a movie, but in actuality, this story would make an incredibly moving film.

If you are praying for a miracle in your life, if you work with people in desperate places, or if you would simply enjoy a moving account of a family seeking so fervently after God, you will enjoy Raising The Dead.

I am a Faith Words book reviewer.

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The Case For Christmas (book review)

December 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Virgin birth? The accuracy of the biblical account? God in flesh? These are all intriguing questions that crop up especially around the Christmas season, which is why The Case For Christmas by Lee Strobel is a timely read.

Lee Strobel investigates the fantastic claims that Christians make about the birth of Jesus Christ with all of the cool-headed dispassion of a newspaper journalist. Beginning with his own skepticism about the miracle of the virgin birth of Christ, Mr. Strobel seeks out the sharpest minds who have thoroughly researched the key areas surrounding this subject. In a book that reads a little like a detective story, we get to sit in on some of the fascinating interviews Mr. Strobel conducted for this book.

Whether you are an atheist, a doubter, or a wholehearted believer, there is much to ponder in The Case For Christmas. At only 96-pages long, you can read this book prior to Christmas Day, and gain a better appreciation for the true meaning behind CHRISTmas.

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Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites… (book review)

October 25, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

…and Other Lies You’ve Been Told.

If this sounds like a provocative title, you’d be right. But Bradley R.E. Wright delivers with Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites. A sociologist professor, Dr. Wright digs into the numbers behind the headlines. Of course, you’ve heard the age-old cliché: Figures never lie, but liars figure. Sometimes headline writers can take some stats to say what they want to say about Christians and the church, but Dr. Wright shines a light on these tricks.

Dr. Wright looks at some of the headline-grabbing topics like:

  • Is the church losing its young people?
  • Are evangelicals uneducated and poor?
  • Do Christians break the rules as much as non-churched people?
  • Do Christians really love others?
  • What do non-Christians think of Christians?

There are a ton of stats presented in this book. I happen to enjoy digging through the numbers, so there was just enough for me. But don’t worry, if you aren’t really a “numbers person,” there are some easy-to-read graphs and charts that make the numbers easier to digest.

My own slight hesitation with recommending this book is a slight sarcastic edge to Dr. Wright’s delivery. It’s not over-the-top, but at times I felt it was less than his best. But aside from this, I enjoyed getting a look behind the numbers.

I am a Bethany House book reviewer.

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What Good Is God? (book review)

September 28, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Philip Yancey always makes me think. He explores the edges of Christian faith, not content just to walk down the safe paths of well-worn, traditional preaching. Just the title of his latest book—What Good Is God?—tells you that this book will be no exception.

This book is laid out in ten sections, each with two chapters. The first chapter in each section gives you the setting, the second chapter is a speech that Yancey gave in that setting. And, wow, what tough settings they are! Every setting is one that makes you wonder, “Where was God in that?!?”

What Good Is God? will take you to settings like…

  • The campus of Virginia Tech after a gunman opened fire on faculty and students.
  • The secret house churches in Communist China.
  • The post-apartheid South Africa where wounds of hate are still healing.
  • The volatile Middle East where religious beliefs violently collide.
  • The middle of a terrorist attack in Mumbai, India.

In every section, Philip Yancey masterfully and empathetically takes us on a journey of discovery that shows that God is still God and that He is good. He does this through personal example, Biblical references, and always with a heart that seems to know his audience.

It’s a challenging read, but well worth your time.

I am a Faith Words book reviewer.

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Quitting Church (book review)

September 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

It’s true: people are leaving churches in record numbers. Who is leaving? Why are they leaving? Is there anything churches can do to stem the tide? These are the questions that drove Julia Duin to research and write Quitting Church.

Since I pastor a church, these sorts of questions intrigue me too. Unfortunately, this book left me flat.

The research in this book consists largely of: (a) snippets quoted from other researchers; (b) Julia’s conversations with her friends who have stopped attending church; and (c) Julia’s observations on what “connected” for her at the various churches she has attended. In other words, this book doesn’t present a whole lot of original information. Even the subtitle—why the faithful are fleeing and what to do about it—is misleading, in that I read very little about how to keep the departing from fleeing.

Save your money; take a pass on this book.

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