Serving a Movement by Timothy Keller

What does it mean for a church to be missional?

This is the new buzz word for Christian circles and, as Timothy Keller points out, it has come to mean multiple things. And the combination does not really help each other out.

Keller attempts to outline how we shouldn't be simply about promoting our churches for the sake of growth but that we should be using the church for the mission of Jesus which is to bring peace and reconciliation to those around us and with God through Jesus.

How do churches equip the people to do the work? It seems as if most Sunday's boil down to information transference. What if we could get deeper than that? What if churches intentionally cultivated a culture of ministry that goes out and connects people?

Like many of Keller's books, I enjoyed reading his thoughts and ideas. I did not care for the additional essays from other people. However I found that they helped flesh out some questions that might come up when pondering Keller's words. And when Keller would respond to the essays, it provided additional insight.

This wasn't as good as Shaped by the Gospel but I enjoyed reading through it nonetheless.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

Shaped by the Gospel by Timothy Keller

Pastor Timothy Keller tackles some misconceptions about being a Gospel-centered church/minister and the disconnect with saying it and actually living it out in the church setting.

He spends some time unpacking what the Gospel of Jesus is and what Christians have claimed it to be and the differences as he sees it.

This was a very enjoyable read. I like how Keller can unpack an idea and then builds upon it in an articulate manner.

What I didn't enjoy was the alternative essays as a kind of response to what Keller had written. Then Keller responds to those essays.

I get that you provide alternate approaches and that may help flesh out your own understandings, but I was simply interested in reading Keller's thoughts. (Call me biased)

Enjoyable read that helped me solidify an understanding of what the Gospel ultimately is and what it actually isn't and how to flesh that out in ministry life.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

For Better or for Kids by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk

Loving your spouse with kids in the house.

A fun read with enjoyable personal anecdotes from the authors. These two offer advice to keep the marriage bonds strong while living the exhausting life of raising kids.

The advice given is practical and absolutely relateable. While not going too deep, they do provide some interesting insights, using Scripture, that I hadn't thought of.

For example, the passage used in weddings: "what God has joined together, let man not separate" is used in this book to include children. "let children not separate". How often do marriages feel the strain because the kids are quite demanding?

This isn't a bad thing as long as the two adults continually return to work on their relationship.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick, fun read with very good words of encouragement, challenge, and insight.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey

When one of the blurbs on the back speaks of the lyrical writing, you know this is going to be a different read.

And, to be sure, it took me a while to get comfortable with the style of Coffey's writing.

The setting is down south. Bobby Barns is a father of two boys and not exactly the assumed hero. He has a lot of character flaws.

After an accident, Bobby discovers he's in something akin to the movie, Groundhog Day. And he finds others who are in similar situations.

This is a very deep book. It will take you a while to get used to the writing style and the way the characters talk. You might even have to reread the first few chapters. But if you stick with it, you may find yourself deeply moved by the ideas Coffey explores with Bobby and his fellow "turners"

The reader's guide at the end provides a little assistance in understanding some of the themes within, but these are real-to-life presentations of people. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, a bit of dark and a bit of light in them.

You may not even fully comprehend what you read once the book is over, but you will be pondering this story long after it's over.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Curse by Steven James

This is the conclusion to James' Blur Trilogy. But not really.

We've followed Daniel Byers through his bizarre blur experiences - seeing dead people who help him solve horrendous crimes. Now he is with a group of his friends and they will be thrust into situations that anyone else would be calling their parents over.

But these kids can't because that wouldn't make an enjoyable story.

Steven James is extremely talented in storytelling. I have enjoyed his Bowers Files series. This trilogy was a bit weird but engaging as well. He built an interesting yet slightly off-center world with these books and I was hoping for some fantastic, head-whipping reveal about the blur abilities.

I just don't think I got it.

Don't get me wrong, the story is great and the pacing is right on the money - keeping me reading through all hours. The way he wrote the interactions between the teenagers returned me to "those days". He captured some of the awkward goofiness too.

The ending was even left slightly ajar so that more stories could told if James feels the need to return to this world and most people, I bet, think he will at some point because he's done this before - The Bowers Files series was supposed to come to this climactic conclusion and then he still writes more stories with the characters.

This is a good book. I didn't think it was as good as the first one. But the characters came to a kind of end of this arc.

I will obviously keep reading whatever he produces.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Skyscape Publishing

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

I must have been in just the right mind-frame to read this book. Once I finished it, I thought "I don't typically read this kind of novel but it was really good. Until the end."

This is the first novel by James Anderson and it has a film noir quality to it. It's one of those things where it feels slightly off. (At least to me) Not even in a small way but just enough to cause you to think it's not normal.

The desert of Utah is a strange place but for truck driver Ben Jones, it's his home and job as he drives up and down Route 117 making deliveries for the inhabitants.

Not a lot really happens for 90% of the book. You meet the characters through Ben's eyes and his opinions of them and Anderson does a fantastic job with words and prose to make you feel like you're sitting in the cab with Ben as he makes his rounds.

The owner of the titled diner and his grumpiness, the brothers who seem to not be entirely all right in the head, the preacher who carries a cross as he walks the route, a couple other characters, and then a strange woman who plays the cello.

You slowly learn more about them and particularly the cello playing woman, to whom Ben becomes a bit attached.

The progression of the plot is slow but satisfying.

Then the climax builds near the last 10% of the story and things come into focus and upsetting.

I remember thinking, "What in the world is going on?" as I finished up the last three chapters.

I'm glad I read this book. I think Anderson has a real talent. The Utah desert was a unique setting for a slightly offbeat story.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Crown Publishing.

VeggieTales League of Incredible Vegetables

VeggieTales has their over version of The Avengers.

There was another group of heroes back in the day called The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which this title is based off of but most of the kids will think of The Avengers when watching this movie.

A new villain wants to freeze the city in fear. LarryBoy can't tackle him on his own so he needs the help of more heroes.

Junior is the character that learns the lesson about fear and turning to God.

The animation is solid. The acting and message are top notch like they typically are from a VeggieTale flick.

The most important thing for parents to know is that my two boys were glued to the screen when this was playing. In fact, they request it now for every movie night. It isn't too scary for young eyes and they learn a well-known but valuable lesson in turning to God when afraid.

The theme song is performed by The Newsboys so you know it will get your kids up and dancing.'

The bonus features were surprisingly substantial.

The only thing of critique is, from an adult point of view, I thought the Silly Song was a bit weak this time. Hairbrush song, it was not.

This DVD was provided for review, at no cost, by FishFlix.

You can find Veggietales: The League of Incredible Vegetables for only $5 and hundreds of other Christian Movies at FishFlix.com.