‘MissioLife’ – Small Group Study Information Post

My husband, Fred, and I partner with another couple to lead a Life Group through our church. We are always on the lookout for new material. I was intrigued when I learned about MissioLife, a digital small group resource.

Here is a video that explains this new Small Group resource:

Here is further explanation:

As leaders in the church, its challenging to equip people to be formed spiritually, to have the story of God become a practical reality, and to actively become storytellers. It can also be difficult to find a program that is designed to span across all ages. This summer, Beacon Hill Press released an intentional and formational small group experience entitled MissioLife. MissioLife was created to guide adults, youth and children on a pilgrimage through Scripture—from understanding to participation in the mission of God.

MissioLife is all-digital

MissioLife is being offered as a digital resource. This means you can easily access and download the materials through this website. From everything you need to lead a MissioLife group, to posters and other promotional materials, it’s never been easier to organize and lead a community-wide experience. See how easy it can be by downloading a sample lesson now.

MissioLife is for communities

MissioLife is intended to be experienced together as a community. Unlike individual devotionals designed for only one person or one learning group, MissioLife is intentional about involving everyone in your faith community. Adults, youth, and children can all share in this communal experience together through Breathe (Adult), Image (Youth), and Rhythms (Children). With age-appropriate material for each learning group and lesson materials specifically designed to encourage engagement and participation, MissioLife provides an opportunity for your entire community to better understand and participate in the mission of God.

MissioLife is formational

 MissioLife enables spiritual growth through the spiritual formation model  
 of story, theology, identity and calling, way of life, and behaviors and 
 expressions. It calls us to move beyond simply reading Scripture to
 participation in the mission of God, both communally and individually.
 Through six (6 week) modules, one year of MissioLife provides the 
 opportunity for intentional and comprehensive formation. Communities
 can continue on the journey with the following years of MissioLife. 

·  Year One – The God of Life: A Story of God’s Redeeming Shalom

·  Year Two – The God Who Would Be King: A Story of God’s Kingdom

·  Year Three – The God of Promise: A Story of God’s People

·  Year Four – The God of New Creation: A Story of God’s Restoration

I was provided a preview copy for review purposes, and was very encouraged by what I saw! I definitely intend to recommend it to our group for future studies – and recommend this solid biblical resource to any group that is looking for an in-depth resource that is geared for all ages. I intend to review it with Fred in the coming weeks, and will periodically post my thoughts. Please stay tuned!

In the meantime, please come back on Monday as I give you more information on how MissioLife is divided into three learning groups.

MissioLife is published by Beacon Hill Press and was provided by the B and B Media Group for review purposes.

The Latest Book Trailer from Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Scot McKnight Explaining MissioLife

I will shortly be writing about a neat new Life Group curriculum called MissionLife. In the meantime, I wanted to share this video from Professor Scot McKnight.





My husband, Fred, and I are co-leaders of a Life Group at our church with another couple. I look forward to exploring this curriculum for the next time we need new material. Stay tuned for my review - coming soon!

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ by Susan May Warren – Book Review

Susan May Warren’s latest release, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ continues, as far as I am concerned, her streak of consistently entertaining and well-written novels. 

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

Five Strangers with broken hearts. One raging blizzard. Baby, it’s cold outside!

Dottie Morgan has no desire to share her home – or her heart – this Christmas. After all, her holiday spirit froze over when she lost her son in World War II. But when the blizzard of the decade descends on Frost, Minnesota, trapping Dottie in her home with four near strangers, she discovers that opening her door might also open her heart to a miracle…and a new reason to celebrate Christmas.

Here is the biography of this author:

Susan May Warren is the RITA Award-winning, best-selling author of more than thirty novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and four books have been Christy finalists. Her novels have compelling plots and unforgettable characters that have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia with her family, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church. She now writes full-time and cheers on her two sons in football and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking and canoeing.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder of the My Book Therapy website, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

This book is set in December, 1949, four years after the end of World War II, in Frost, Minnesota. A huge snow storm strands five people in the home of Dottie Morgan. Each person in the story is going through struggles pertaining to the War to end all wars.

This book is named after a duet that was big that season, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ by Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark. In case you’re not familiar with this song, here’s a more contemporary version – Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone from the ‘Elf’ movie soundtrack. What a great song!

I’ve always loved Susan’s descriptive writing style. Here is war veteran Jake describing war veteran Violet:

Oh, she was beautiful. More than he’s guessed from Alex’s descriptions. Slim, but shapely enough in those brown pants and her dark green cardigan. He could imagine her in her WAAC uniform – no wonder Alex had chased her across Fort Meade. She had dark chocolate, slightly curly hair and green eyes that had the capacity to whisk his breath away, if it weren’t already lost. And those lips – heart shaped, red, and so expressive, even now as she caught her lower lip between her teeth. (p. 61)

Another highlight of Susan’s writing is how she glorifies God, and shows her readers that He is forgiving and loving, and that Jesus is our Savior – the Reason for the Season. Here is an exchange between Dottie and Violet:

         

Dottie held up a finger, her eyes sharp. “Don’t you talk to me of God and second chances. God took my son, and I deserved it. There are no chances left for me.”

Violet stilled. Dottie’s words landing in the back of throat, scraping it raw. She found her voice, kept it gentle. “Dottie, the point of Christmas is second chances for all mankind.”

“I don’t celebrate Christmas anymore.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing left in it for me.”

“Except, of course, Jesus.”

Dottie turned away. “You’ll find the thermometer in the bathroom cabinet.”

“We’re trapped here for a reason. What was it we prayed last night? ‘Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest’? Isn’t He here with us?”

Dottie stared out the window. “I hope not. He’s done enough already. He’s had His say in my life.”

“I don’t think God is ever done speaking into our lives. Even when we don’t want to hear it. Even when our hearts are cold.” (pp. 151-152)

Later on in the book, Violet shares one more truth with Dottie:

         

“I know it seems easier to say God doesn’t love you when terrible things happen. But the truth is, God’s love isn’t measured by the good – or bad – things that happen to us. God loves us, period. He already loved us completely when He sent His Son into our dark, painful, sinful world. We were His enemies, Dottie, and He loved us, even then. I guarantee you are not His enemy now. So, the fact is, He still loves you, even though He took away Nelson. And he’s been trying to comfort you---” (p. 199)

There are several twists and turns throughout this wonderful book, and the ending is very satisfying (you’ll have to read it to find out the ending!).

I have reviewed several of Ms. Warren’s novels on my blog: 'Double Trouble' (you can read my review here), 'Licensed forTrouble' (you can read my review here) 'Sons of Thunder' (you can read my review here), ‘Nightingale’ (you can read my review here), and ‘My Foolish Heart’ (you can read my review here). There has not been one book that has not left me wanting to read more – and ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ is no exception! It makes for a terrific holiday read. I would recommend it as a gift to those who follow Christ, and those who will after reading about His love and forgiveness in this book.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Summerside Press. I am pleased to be part of the LitFuse book tour with these other bloggers.

‘The Runner’s Devotional: Inspiration and Motivation for Life’s Journey…On And Off the Road’ by Dana Niesluchowski and Dave Veerman – Book Review

My husband, Fred, and I have been participating in marathons and half marathons since our first, the Cleveland Marathon, in May 2008. So when I learned about ‘The Runner’s Devotional: Inspiration and Motivation for Life’s Journey…On And Off the Road’, I was on board with that!

Here is the synopsis of this book:

Find inspiration and meaning while excelling at the sport of running! Ever wonder if your running has a purpose and how it connects to your relationship with God? The Runner’s Devotional will inspire you in your faith while encouraging you to excel in the sport you love! This book is for runners of all levels – casual and avid, competitive and recreational – who wants to improve their running skills, attain personal running goals, and grow in their faith.

The Runner’s Devotional features:

·         Weekly devotional readings to keep you motivated and inspired

·         Personal stories of faith, challenge, and victory

·         Scripture explanation to help you apply the Bible to running and your life

·         Health and fitness tips

·         Weekly runner’s logs

·         Race training schedules for 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon

·         Journaling pages

Here are the biographies of the authors:

Dana Niesluchowski competed in soccer, swimming, basketball, softball, and more. She loves all sports and is an avid runner, having successfully competed in several races, including a triathlon and a marathon. Dana received a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Wheaton College and a master’s in Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. At the Livingstone Corporation (a company that partners with Christian publishers to produce Bibles, books, Bible studies, curricula, and other resources). Dana managed and contributed to many resources, including The LegacyBible, Lose It for Life, and iStand – the Power of Courageous Choices. Recently, she and her dad, Dave Veerman, coauthored the Sports Trivia Devotional. Dana, her husband, Walter, and young son, Edmund, live in Oswego, Illinois.

Dan Veerman played high school basketball and football and college football. Since then, he has finished six marathons. A graduate of Wheaton College (B.A.) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div.), Dave has written sixty-five books, including Parenting Passages, How toApply the Bible, Letting Them Go, One Year Through the Bible, and If I Knew Then What I Know Now. He also served as a senior editor of the Life Application Study Bible and StudentLife Application Study Bible. The father of two athletic daughters (Dana and Kara) and a founding partner of the Livingstone Corporation, Dave and his wife, Gail, live in Naperville, Illinois.

I am going to focus on a couple chapters. The first is Week 3, ‘Create a Goal.’ Each chapter includes ‘My Story.’ The story in this chapter is from Christy Wong, who is in the Publicity Department at Tyndale Publishers, this book’s publisher. She made the point that the discipline involved in training and racing has spiritual implications. She wrote about the successful completion of the Chicago Fleet Feet SuperSprint Triathlon (375 meter swim/6.1 mile bike/1.55 mile run):

I’d never really trained for anything like this before, and I took it very seriously. On many days, I’d have to get up super early to work out before work, then come home and do another workout. Swimming, biking, and running became my life in addition to an already busy schedule. After I completed the race and had that finisher’s medal in my hands, I thought about all the discipline I put into training for the event. How could I be so disciplined to wake up early to swim or run, but when it came to waking up early to read my Bible or spend time with God, I just couldn’t do it? The realization convicted me, and I knew I had to change my priorities.

The ultimate race I need to run has spiritual implications. If I want to finish the race God has called me to, then I need to be disciplined in my training for that race by spending time in prayer, reading my Bible, living a life to serve the Lord, etc. In the end, it won’t matter how many miles I’ve run, how many personal records I’ve set, or how many miles I’ve completed. Only one race matters. So I’ll be training, because that’s the race I want to finish well. (pp. 16-17)

Wow, that certainly puts things in perspective!

Week 13’s chapter is entitled ‘Just Do It.’ It follows the important point made by Christy:

You know what happens when you haven’t run in a while – you get out of shape. In fact, before long you can feel sluggish and may even begin to add a few unwanted pounds. To stay in shape spiritually, we need regular “workouts” where we exercise our faith and nourish our souls. You have a plan and you’ve built a routine – make no excuses.

“My brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Just do it! (p. 77)

I admit I can find a millions reasons not to work out, and I succumb to those excuses more often that I care to admit. So I appreciate having the encouraging words found in this book.

Week 47 focuses on the topic, ‘Give Encouragement:’

In running, being an encourager can start when someone begins to consider becoming a “runner.” Many runners say they entered the sport at the urging of a friend and that the two friends held each other accountable for keeping to a regular running schedule. And many runners have running partners, friends who meet at the park to run a trail or at the fitness center to run around the track or neighbors who meet up and run through the neighborhood. The runs become social events. (p. 295)

I happen to have a running partner, and I can say without question that both of us would be less inclined to get out there if the other person was not there for us.

Week 51 encourages us to ‘Finish Strong:’

During any long-distance run, especially when we feel exhausted and in pain, one of the most important decisions we can make is to look forward, to think of what lies ahead – the finish. For some, that means winning a prize or achieving a personal record. For others, the prospect of seeing loved ones waiting for them and cheering them on is all they need. And for all, finishing well is a great achievement. (p. 321)

I have a good friend, Nancy, who is an elite marathon runner. When I feel tired and want to stop, her words go through my mind – “You can rest when it’s over!” Those words have helped me time and time again!

The authors again equate finishing strong with life in general:

Every day the finish line of life gets closer. Knowing that your race will soon end and that rest, reunions, and rejoicing await you should encourage and motivate you now, on every step of your journey. (p. 323)

It is awesome how the authors, Dana and Dave, equate so many aspects of running to the race of our Christian life. I intend to reference this inspirational and encouraging book time and time again when I get weary in the game of running and the game of life.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Tyndale House Publishers and provided by them for review purposes.

Melody Carlson Guest Blog Post - 'Teens and Their Supernatural Pursuits'

Melody Carlson is one of the most prolific and popular authors in the Christian genre. I have the privilege to share a blog post from her today, Halloween, a day where the dark side of spirituality is often emphasized. Melody's latest book, 'Moon White,' focuses on those aspects, and how they impact teenagers. Please enjoy this post - and be enlightened and educated.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Teens and Their Supernatural Pursuits

By Melody Carlson

Have you even wondered why some teens are drawn toward things like Ouija boards or psychics? Or why séances are still popular at sleepovers? Does it just have to do with Halloween and that spine-chilling need for a good scare? Or could it be something more? And, as a Christian, should you be concerned?

Those questions, as well as some confused reader letters, prompted me to tackle the “supernatural” in one of my teen novels (Moon White, TrueColors, Nav Press). And whenever I write an issues-based novel, I’m forced to research—and often in some dark places. So I began scouring websites, learning more about Wicca and the occult, trying to grasp what was really going on with today’s teens—and how I could write about it in a helpful and relevant way.

But, as usual, when I write a teen book, I go back to my own adolescence...trying to connect with my inner teen...and I suddenly remembered a short era when a friend and I got very interested in witchcraft. I had honestly forgotten about this time and was fascinated to recall how we scoured some witchcraft stores on a local campus—I think we even purchased a few things. Fortunately, this interest was short-lived and I became a Christian not long afterward.

However, as I reconnected with my inner teen, I had to ask myself—why had I looked into witchcraft back then? Why do teens dabble with it now? Suddenly the answer became crystal clear. I was searching. I’d been calling myself an atheist for several years by then, but I was spiritually hungry—starving in fact. Consequently I was looking for spiritual answers—something that would fill that empty void within me. I wanted a supernatural force in my life and I didn’t even care where it came from. I needed something bigger than me, more powerful than me, something to hold onto. I had no idea at the time that I was really searching for God.

This realization changed the way I viewed my research. Instead of feeling disgusted and dismayed by the witchcraft/Wicca sites (which are not particularly enjoyable) I began to recognize that these people (mostly girls) were simply searching too. They wanted a power source in their lives just like I wanted one in mine. They just hadn’t found God yet.

This led to another discovery. A girl who’s attracted to a religion like Wicca is usually seeking to gain some control over her life. Something is wrong and she wants to change it. To do so, she’s often enticed to purchase something—like “magical herbs”—to create a potion that will give her some control over her situation. Unfortunately, she doesn’t even realize she’s being tricked.

But think about it, wouldn’t you love to have control over a bad situation sometimes? Wouldn’t you love to be able to change the circumstances that make your life unpleasant? So what if someone offered you the “power” to do just that? Perhaps if you’re fifteen, you wouldn’t see that person as a charlatan and you would fall for it.

Which brings me to another important factor in understanding this generation’s attraction to the supernatural. Follow the money. The more I researched, the more it became painfully obvious that Wicca and witchcraft and the occult are money-making enterprises. Thanks to the internet, these savvy distributors sell anything imaginable—and many things you can’t. That leads to some serious motivation—these marketers want to hook their unsuspecting young customers and reel them in. Of course, these potions and trinkets and how-to books don’t come with a money back guaranty. Nor are they approved by the FDA. Yet they are a multi-million dollar industry.

So, in a way, it’s a perfect storm. Teens that are insecure, lost, unhappy, and searching...meet up with an unregulated industry that offers supernatural answers and power and control...for a price. And, oh yeah, I never even mentioned how this opens a door for Satan to slip in and wreak havoc. For that...you’ll have to read the book.

‘Zombie Church: Breathing Life Back Into the Body of Christ’ by Tyler Edwards – Book Review

It is not every day that a book is published that addresses the apathy of the Church of Jesus Christ. But the latest book on my list, ‘Zombie Church: Breathing LifeBack Into the Body of Christ’ does just that – by comparing today’s Christians to zombies from horror movies. The perfect book for the Halloween season, where the contrast between good and evil is prevalent in society at large.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

There Are Zombies Among Us. Liars. Hypocrites. Men, women, and children who attend church because it’s what they are supposed to do. Just going through the motions. These are the undead – people who are disconnected from the Spirit of God – who are spreading a virus of passivity, or worse. No one is completely immune.

Zombies can live. But they will have to fight. Fight for their lives.

In this challenging, culturally relevant book, Tyler Edwards spotlights the very real but often ignored lackluster attitude of today’s believers. An attitude that can infect an entire church. Using examples from popular zombie movies, Edwards will help you recognize the symptoms and show what you can do to awaken the undead. Your mission is to take life to a dying world by demonstrating what it means to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV).

The bride of Christ isn’t dead. But she is terribly sick. Zombie Church offers the keys to survival.

Here is the biography of the author:

Tyler Edwards is the lead minister of Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri. He graduated from Ozark Christian College in 2006 with dual degrees in Biblical Literature and Christian Ministries, and in 2007 married Erica, a journalism and broadcasting instructor at Pitt State University.

A speaker for retreats and men’s groups, Tyler taught a class on the life of Christ to local pastors in Mbale, Uganda. He works with Rapha House, a nonprofit organization that fights child slavery and works to help victims of sexual exploitation get the healing and help they need to live a free life. He was also on the board of directors for a video company that sought to create a global awareness of sex trafficking issues.

Tyler’s hope is to see the church regain an exclusively Christ-centered focus and learn to rise above its differences for the sake of the progression of the kingdom of God.

I love this reasoning in the Introduction explaining the use of zombie in this book:

Zombies do not produce anything. They do not accomplish anything. All they do is wander around aimlessly, consuming everything in their path (including non-zombies). They are a corrupt and destructive force that taints all they come in contact with. Zombies act like they are alive, but they are dead. They just don’t know it yet.

Yes, there are zombies in our churches. Not only that, but this seems to be a growing trend. The doors are open, the people show up faithfully, the songs are sung. But that’s it. So many American churches today are filled with people whose spiritual lives consist of little more than showing up to church on Sunday morning and, for the superspiritual, maybe once in the middle of the week. We have become experts at going through the motions, but these motions are all we go through. I can’t help but wonder if God didn’t have something more in mind for His church. It seems that something is missing. (pp. 13-14)

In the final chapter, entitled ‘Searching for the Cure,’ Pastor Edwards takes this important point about today’s church:

The church has focused its attention on a lot of things. It has jumped from rules to doctrines to causes and each time has come up short of the dynamic life-changing entity it was created to be. The biggest problem in the church is that we focus on lots of things that are not Jesus. There is only one Jesus and He should always be the focal point, the centerpiece, the gravitational center of life, the foundation of the church – which is good news for churches struggling with lifelessness, because getting back to life is as simple as making the focus of your life and everything you do Jesus. (pp. 208-209)

I found this book to be really interesting – not to mention extremely convicting. I am not necessarily a fan of the horror movie or book genre, but I am familiar enough with the concepts, having lived in the United States my entire life. It is hard not to have some familiarity with zombies and the comparable ilk. Although I do tend to avoid that genre of entertainment (due to the fact that it accentuates the demonic and the dark side of the spiritual battle we all are enduring on this earth), I was fascinated by the way in which Pastor Edwards uses it for the Glory of God. I certainly see elements of the zombie in my actions at times. ‘Zombie Church’ awakened me to my apathy, and for that, I am grateful!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Kregel Publications and provided by the LitFuse Publicity Group. I am pleased to be part of the blog tour with these esteemed bloggers.