I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Dr. William H. Marty has been a teacher at Moody Bible Institute for 37 years. While there he focused on the Old and the New Testament for freshmen.
This book focuses on the parables in the Bible. Dr. Marty talked about their main topic and their meaning. I knew most of the parables and found the information interesting. Some of the topics covered were the wheat and weeds, the leaven, the mustard seed, the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. He explained why Jesus used parables when he taught. Each section begins with the location of the Parable, then the author's takeaway, an in-depth telling of the parable, additional Biblical research related to the Parable, as well as optional activities and a memory verse.
I found this book to be an excellent resource for anyone that would like to read the parables and gain further understanding. I also liked the in-depth retelling of the parables with extra meaning throughout. This book would be perfect for an individual or small-group Bible study.
I highly recommend this book .

As a Christian, I believe in intercessory prayer. However, with this book it opened my eyes to places I could be aiming my prayers besides my standard places. Mind Belz was able to tell the story of the Middle East as if an objective reporter. She talks about the plight of the Iraqi Christians from the time immediately before Hussein fell through 2015. These Christians face torture that we do not know, whether here or in their homeland. In Iraq they could be killed, raped, kidnapped and more. This book also tells how being on the run from ISIS is in the Middle East. At the very least Christians should be called to prayer for these fellow Christians or even more. We could become involved politically or at a local level.





Jerry Herships has had a calling on his heart for many years. He serves bag lunches and communion to those in need. This is his story where he shows each step along the way to here. He first left home for Los Angeles to become a stand-up comic and is now a minister. I loved the way that he brings some of his humor into the writing of this book. It made it a book that is open to all. Whether a comedian, working in a pub or serving those in need, his voice comes through in this book. He shows that we may not always see what God has planned for us and there may be some discomfort when the plan is laid before us, but when we listen the rewards are plentiful. They may not be earthly but you still know they are there.
I agree with the author of the book when he mentions that we must try to think of prayer as a bridge with our relationship with God. We should use this time to build our ties with God. It should also be considered a two-way street, this is a time for Him to know us better, too.
I have used Word Writers for my individual Bible Study before and I enjoyed this one while studying the book of Philippians. The writer offers excellent insight into the Word. I was able to find new things as I worked my way through.
Having read other books in Stormie Omartian Power of Praying books, I was looking forward to hearing how she approached praying for grandchildren. I pray for my grandchildren all the time but this book is helping me to see different ways to pray for them. I can see coming back to this book repeatedly to keep my prayers fresh and beneficial to my precious ones.
This book has inspiration on each page. Coffee For Your Heart is made up of forty entries praising the Lord. It shows how loved we are by him. It also has scripture and times of sharing. Each chapter encourages the reader to look at their soul to answers the questions and then pray the prayer provided.





I think the books that give lists of what to do before.... are wonderful. In this book, there are many ways to enrich your spiritual life through simple things. There are some that take a little more thinking, or meditating but it is so worth it if it will help us to have an eternal home with the Savior.





This is such an inspirational chair of two friends and a journey to remember. Justin and Patrick were best friends practically from birth. They have always been there to support and cheer each other own. Justin was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease which took away the use of his arms and legs and Patrick was there for him. Even when the two and their families lived in different places, they still had the connection that only best friends can have.
Colleen Cable does a wonderful job of combining suspense with romance in her Christian books. In this one, Mallory Davis has not been home for 15 years. Then her dad dies on his mail boat route. She feels that now she needs to go home because there are questionable things about his death. When at home she meets up with Kevin O'Connor, someone from her childhood, who helps her realize that her father was murdered.





There are many names by which God is known throughout the Bible. Included Jehova Jireh, Jehovah Shalom and so many more. This book helps the reader to take a deeper look into each of these names and why they are used.




I love jokes, the cornier the better. When I received this book in the mail, I could not wait to open it. The first ones I came to were knock knock jokes. I began to tell them to my hubby and we were both laughing very quickly. Along with knock knock jokes, there are fill in the blanks from various verses, facts that children, and some adults, will find fascinating and so much more.
Debby Akerman has put togethera good work which helps the reader to look at their lives and see how they can "wholeheartedly" follow Christ. She does this by sharing Biblical people who were not perfect, yet discovered they could become stronger individuals by giving all to God.


