Tag Archives: book review

It’s Easier to Talk About Grace Than to Give It in a Book Review

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Carl Simmons

I wanted to like this book; I really did. And once again, I got sucked in by the recommendations (and the apparently now-near-obligatory Rick Warren imprimatur foreword). But when all is said and done, it just left me kind of … Continue reading →

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Leading Out of Who You Are

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Carl Simmons

In a way, this book’s title is a bit of a misnomer. Not that it’s not about mentoring—and to be certain, the book’s main audience is mentors (of some sort). But really, this book is more about discovering what God’s … Continue reading →

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Making Time for God, and Letting the Words Speak for Themselves

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Let me get this confession out of the way first: I am liturgically disabled. 🙂 And having gone from no religious background whatsoever to the reformed-arminian-charismatic-relational Christian mutt I am today, I’ve never really felt the need to hunt down any liturgical … Continue reading →

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Re-engaging Men…. starting in the home….

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Carl Simmons

David Murrow is back. Mostly. But perhaps some history is in order…. Even for someone like me, who loves men’s ministry but recoils violently at the thoughts of Promise Keepers and John Eldredge (huzZAH!), Why Men Hate Going to Church … Continue reading →

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Maybe We Should Just Go Read the Original Words Instead…

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Carl Simmons

As I’ve always said about Shane Claiborne: I may not agree with everything he says, but I’m glad there’s someone out there saying it. And Tony Campolo’s been eminently quotable for decades now. Plus, Claiborne was Campolo’s student at Eastern … Continue reading →

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Living as Though God Mattered

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Carl Simmons

I had to adjust my sights a bit, but after doing so was able to enjoy this book. Because really, there aren’t any secrets here, or even that much in the way of new insight. What this is, really, is “Stuff We … Continue reading →

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Who We Are, Where We’re Going, and How We Get There

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Carl Simmons

(or: How I Spent My Extended Summer Vacation, 2011 version) Buckle up, friends—this’un’s gonna be almost as autobiographical as informative. But the back story does inform the official one. So bear with me…. For the final 4 1/2 years I was … Continue reading →

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A Remedy for Burnout

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Carl Simmons

“Life doesn’t start when you’re twenty, or when you’re forty. Life starts at Calvary. And that’s where fruitful service begins as well.” I’m still bothered trying to figure out exactly how much of this really happened and how much is … Continue reading →

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Being the Church by Being There for Others

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Carl Simmons

“What does it take to influence someone to commit his or her life for Christ? How much effort must be put forth to impact a life for eternity?” asks church consultant Michael Wiles early on in these pages. His answer … Continue reading →

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The Word Is the Word

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Carl Simmons

In some ways, this is a tough one to review—1) because I never needed the authors to convince me, because, in turn, 2) I kind of knew all this already. Thing is, it’s pretty clear that the majority of the American … Continue reading →

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