Ministry Book Review

The Power of a Praying Husband, by bestselling author Stormie Omartian, is a book aimed at helping men develop more focused prayers for their wives. In this book, Omartian challenges husbands to blanket their wives with prayer, covering every aspect of their lives. Each chapter covers a separate area of need, specific requests in that area to pray for, and a sample prayer. Suggested areas for which to pray include her emotions, her friendships, her future, and her trust.

When I first received it, I was hesitant about a book for men written by a woman. Would it be too critical on men? Would it sound like it was written for women? Some may disagree with me, but I think the book worked fine. Stormie provides helpful insight into what a woman is thinking and how best to pray for a woman. Each chapter includes a brief section by a husband (either Stormie’s or one of her friend’s husband), providing an anecdote related to the area of prayer. (more…)

Ever wonder what role Twitter and other social media sites serve in ministry?

Ever doubt the impact Twitter can have in changing lives?

Meet Shaun King.

Shaun is a pastor in Atlanta, GA. Back 50 years ago, Shaun’s impact would be limited to the people in his church family and immediate surroundings. But that was before Al Gore invented the Internet, before cell phones could fit in your pocket, and before the advent of social media sites. (more…)

The Expanded Bible: New Testament is the latest attempt by Christian book publishers to make the Bible more accessible for people to study. Based on the New Century Version, The Expanded Bible is a functional-equivalent translation, emphasizing on readability over a more literal translation. This version is helped by the big name scholars they enlisted: Tremper Longman III, Mark L. Strauss, and Daniel Taylor. Translation aside, this Bible’s most notable feature is the formatting of the text.

Instead of placing alternate translations and cross references below and to the side of the biblical text, this version puts the notes inline with the biblical text (similar to the Amplified Bible). The biblical text is bold, with [explanations in brackets], and a host of additional letters signifying the type of explanation: “or” for alternate readings, “L” for what the Greek literally says, and “T” for traditional (KJV) readings. (more…)

In Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World, author Douglas Hunter retells the voyage that launched Henry Hudson into the history books. Running a rebellious expedition, Hudson took his crew across the Atlantic in hopes of discovering a direct route to the Orient. His trip to North America included exploring the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, greater New York area, and an extended trip up the Hudson River, all the way to present day Albany. While he never found a direct route to Asia, Hudson’s observations on the area of present day New York proved a catalyst for European traders to send more expeditions, ultimately leading to a permanent settlement.

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