Staff Reviews: 5 Books to Help You On Your Journey
December 31, 2030 - March 14, 2040
Staff Reviews: 5 Books to Help You On Your Journey
Staff Reviews: 5 Books to Help You On Your Journey
Here at Marine Reach, we love to learn more about Jesus and what it means to follow Him. One of the ways we do that is by reading books…not just the Bible. Living in community means you can always go to someone for some book tips. In a community as diverse as ours, one person will give a tip for a moving novel, another will recommend an inspiring missionary biography, another a book on how to live faithfully as a follower of Jesus and yet another will give you an obscure tip about a nerdy book that will help you understand the Bible better (if you would like to get a better grip on the full story of the Bible, come join us and do our Discipleship Bible School!).
So, in this article, we will give you some book recommendations from some of our lovely staff members. There are 5 books reviewed here on pretty diverse subjects, but all able to equip you to follow Jesus more faithfully. We hope that these books will bless you and help you in your walk with Jesus.
Book #1: A Loving Life: In a World of Broken Relationship
Author: Paul E. Miller
Staff Comment: “This book taught me so much about the unconditional love of God.”
Page count: 176
Review: “This book is an expository study of the book of Ruth that will transform your understanding of its impact in the biblical story as well as how it relates to us in our everyday lives. It’s filled with real-life stories and examples of how God’s unrelenting love can look in practical terms. The book is so gripping!”
Links: Amazon, Bookdepository
Book #2: The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
Author: Scot McKnight
Staff Comment: “Really brings the commandment of Jesus to ‘love God and neighbor’ to life.”
Page count: 296
Review: “This helped to reflect on Jesus’ command to love God with my all, and neighbor as self. In this book, the author looks at Jesus’s first-century setting. Some of the characters in the New Testament are looked at through the lens of living out the greatest commandment. It is written with the knowledge of a New Testament scholar but with plenty of pastoral sensitivity, and keeping it to a level that is easy to follow as it is written for the church. It changed much of how I viewed not just the characters in the bible or what Jesus meant with the greatest commandment, but how I viewed and lived out my own following of Jesus. A great resource! It is also the unofficial first book in an unofficial series of books by the author.”
Links: Amazon, Bookdepository
Book #3: Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul
Author: John & Stasi Eldredge
Staff Comment: “This book has helped in transforming the way I see myself as a woman of God.”
Page count: 256
Review: “This book has truly unraveled what it means to be a woman created by a loving, perfect Father. It has started me on a healing journey into deep, old wounds that have impacted me to this day. I am seeing Jesus use this book to transform the way I see myself as a woman of God and those around me through this greater understanding of our purpose. This book is full of personal stories and testimonies that stick with you and assure you- you are not alone on this journey.”
Links: Amazon, Booksdepository
Book #4: Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction
Author: Caleb Kaltenbach
Staff Comment: “Jesus opened up my perspective on how to love others without sacrificing conviction.”
Page count: 224
Review: “Reading this book really convicted me and made me realize some hard truths in my life. The author has had experiences with the LGBT community and the church, and therefore laid out both perspectives in such an honest way. It brought me to understanding and repentance through learning more about God’s love.”
Links: Amazon, Booksdepository
Book #5: Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul
Author: J. P. Moreland
Staff Comment: “If you’re a thinker and love Jesus, read this book.”
Page count: 305
Review: “Growing up I struggled to believe that God was for me. Asking hard questions was not discouraged by my parents but it was frowned upon in the churches I grew up in largely. Eventually, Jesus got hold of me but then I struggled whether I belonged in the church and how. Being told to keep quiet at times, the struggle is still real. However, this book helped me to see that Jesus was the smartest person to ever live and that thinking done in the way of Jesus is a good thing. This book is gold not just for the person that thinks deeply but for anyone in any kind of church. The book also has a book recommendation list for all kinds of subjects, from politics to biblical worldview and from business to education, which is worth the price of the book alone.”
Links: Amazon, Booksdepository
Against The Tide
Next to these book tips we also would like to offer this tip: Against the Tide is a book about the origins of Marine Reach. Written by our very own David Cowie, who together with his wife Linda, both are also part of our base leadership team.
We hope you enjoyed some or all of our book tips. We will be sharing more of our book tips in the future. If you know any specific subjects you would like a book tip for let us know.
If you are interested in growing in your relationship with Jesus while having a community to encourage you, then come and join us for a Discipleship Training School. If you don’t love reading, but listening to someone talk is more your thing, we also have a blog post with our podcast tips.
“Wild at Heart? Yes, of course! But whatever adventure I went for, I wanted to be the one in control. During my DTS, God changed my heart to go wild with Him. I learned to trust in God and that I don’t have to be in charge, as long as I know the One who is!”
Silas Bauer, 21, Germany
“The Medical Compassion DTS magnified my love for those in need. It stressed the importance of the power of prayer and how I can go to God in all the medical and daily situations in my life and the lives of those I minister to.”
Noah Armbruster, 20, Michigan, USA
“Doing The Cover to Cover DTS at Marine Reach was one of the best things I’ve decided to do. Reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation helped me see more of the different characteristics and nature of God. The Cover to Cover DTS was great. It taught me how to be diligent, manage my time properly, and helped me have a more sturdy foundation and in my beliefs. “
Talon Jernigan, 20, USA
“For the first time in my life, God showed the revelation of his father-heart through the Cover-to-Cover Bible read and I can now say that I know that I am a Daughter of the King of Kings. So many things moved from my head to my heart through the teaching and reading, and I’m so thankful the Lord lead me into this stream!”
Elizabeth Thruston, 24, Sacramento, CA / Monument, CO
“The Pilgrimage DTS allowed me to take the time I needed to get to know God more and grow closer to Him while spending lots of time in His beautiful creation. God also used the hikes to challenge and encourage me to rely on Him more.”
Colin Berkley, 24. B.C. Canada
“The GoPac Stream challenged me to broaden my view for the people around me, to step out of my comfort zone, and to expand the love that God has put inside of my heart, to love Him and others more.”
Alex Ronsdorf, 24, Germany
“Upon first coming to DTS, I had settled for a mundane and ordinary life. But over time, He has captured my heart and instilled in me a new passion for His purpose. This has given me confident hope that I am worthy of intentionally being part of the greater good.”
Taya Newton, 20, Alberta, Canada
“Before DBS the Bible was a bit overwhelming to me and I wasn’t sure if I was capable of receiving understanding for myself; especially when it comes to the hard questions or more complex passages. After DBS, that questioning was stripped away and my relationship with my Heavenly Father has gone deeper than ever before.
DBS taught me how to see the Father heart of God. I learned to see God’s justice, faithfulness, and consistency from Genesis to Revelation. My life and relationship with Jesus will never be the same. When I read God’s Word it speaks loudly to me in full color. I cannot get enough of my Father’s words!! DBS equipped me to search out the scriptures for myself and empower me to share what I’ve learned with those around me. DBS was the sweetest time of my entire life.”
Amy Hulehan, 26, USA
“Throughout my time on the Pilgrimage DTS, God has worked in me in countless ways. Whether it was learning to see His beauty and love for us in creation, or learning to trust when I was soaking wet, and knowing it’s all for a purpose, a part of the adventure! But also a great part was having lectures about how to walk in the authority of Christ, and learning how to hear the voice of God and grow in relationship with Him! I must say, it’s been the adventure of a lifetime, which won’t end because God isn’t just staying with us for a season, He’s in it with us for eternity!”
Blaise Brunson, 17, Turkey
“The Medical Compassion DTS gave me a glimpse into the medical side or missions. The compassion part was what caught me. I saw that when we see with Jesus’ eyes of genuine compassion, we must get our hands dirty.”
Brady Picking, 21, Pennsylvania, USA
