OVERCOMER – A Book Review

“Life changes overnight for Coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team and state championship dreams are crushed under the weight of unexpected news. When the largest manufacturing plant shuts down and hundreds of families leave their town, John questions how he and his family will face an uncertain future. After reluctantly agreeing to coach cross-country, John and his wife, Amy, meet an aspiring athlete who’s pushing her limits on a journey toward discovery. Inspired by the words and prayers of a newfound friend, John becomes the least likely coach helping the least likely runner attempt the impossible in the biggest race of the year.”

 Overcomer by Chris Fabry

“What do you allow to define you?”

With the upcoming release of Overcomer – the movie – slated for later this month, I decided to read the book. Rarely does any book capture my attention like this one did. Even more rare does any book evoke an emotional response from me, as this one did.

It is difficult to write this review without spoilers, so I will only give my thoughts and impressions of the story and leave the reader to embrace the goodness and pursue their own journey of overcoming.

The Book is divided into 4 parts (The Coach, The Question, The Answer, and The Voice) that will take the reader through a year long journey of 4 distinct characters – John the Coach, Hannah Scott, Barbara Scott and T-Bone (aka Thomas Hill).  Through these rich and relatable characters, we are reminded that sometimes God’s plan for our life doesn’t always follow what we want for our life.

We are privileged to journey through this particular year as these characters come to terms with disappointment at the loss of what was, disillusionment of what is coming, apprehension and trepidation of our expectations of ourselves and our lives and the burdens we all carry, both real or self-imposed.

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The Rest of The Cross of Jesus Christ

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Sin wearies the flesh; it causes sickness and death in our soul. Bit by bit our sinful behavior destroys all that is, or was, good within us. Sin begins to cause our hearts to harden. Left unchecked, it destroys our peace, causing guilt, sorrow and shame. Sin consumes the mind and thoughts – weakening and darkening the soul.

With it comes fear and dread that our scandalous behaviors will eventually be exposed; knowing full well what will be left in its wake are shattered families and devastated innocent childhoods.  Uncovered and exposed, the sins in our lives lead to death – perhaps not physical our death, though that is entirely possible, but certainly spiritual death. Most of all, unrepentant sin in our lives can shut down a relationship with God our Father.

Many years ago, I met a blessed Christian woman, Tanya, whose life mission was to minister to men on death row in some of the toughest prisons in our country. She asked me to take a look at the “mug-shots” of these men taken when they were arrested. She asked me concentrate on their eyes. I was troubled at the lack of light reflecting back from those eyes. It seemed as if death had already taken place, any light that may have been in them had been long ago extinguished, snuffed out by the magnitude of their sin.

Matthew 6:22-23 (Voice) tells us that “The eye is the lamp of the body. You draw light into your body through your eyes, and light shines out to the world through your eyes. So if your eye is well and shows you what is true, then your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is clouded or evil, then your body will be filled with evil and dark clouds. And the darkness that takes over the body of a child of God who has gone astray—that is the deepest, darkest darkness there is.” Continue reading

The Truth of the Cross of Jesus Christ

Written in collaboration with Michael Sullivan

“The Cross splits the world. Either you look at it and think – that’s pathetic or you look at it and you think – that’s powerful. If you think it’s pathetic, Paul says you are perishing. But if you think it’s the ‘Power of God’, you are being saved. But it’s one or the other” ~ Billy Graham

“Our faith must begin and end at the Cross. The trouble is that many Christians have bypassed the Cross and are trying to be moral by their willpower and self-effort rather than trusting in the indwelling power of Christ to transform them (Galatians 3:3) But if we attempt to build our spiritual life by any other foundation than Christ crucified, we are doing so by our natural strength.” (Newman, Peter, “The Meaning of the Cross”, 11)

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Galatians 3:3 (NIV)

“’We preach Christ crucified.’ This is the focal point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as He hung on the cross. The message of shed blood is repugnant to many, and they turn from such a gory sight, feeling that their delicate sensibilities have been outraged. Many people will accept Christ’s character, but they reject His crucifixion.” (Decision Magazine; April 2007)

For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 AMP

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Just A Minute

A minute doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, it’s just 60 seconds. It goes by in the amount of time that the average heart beats 80 times… or for the average lungs to breathe 20 times. A minute is fairly insignificant if you think about it. We really don’t focus on the single minutes of our life. They are not accounted for in big plan of our life. They tick away and before we know it, all 2400 minutes of this day are done and we are starting on the next 2400 minutes.clock

So what can happen during one minute?

  • 25 Americans will get a passport
  • 58 Airplanes will take off around the world.
  • 116 People will get married
  • 11,319 UPS packages will be delivered
  • 243,000 photos will be uploaded to Facebook
  • 250 Babies will be born
  • 106 People will die
  • 360 Lightening strikes will hit somewhere on the earth
  • 7,295,000,000 human hearts will beat 582,800,000,000 Continue reading

What G(g)od do you seek?

“And God spoke these words, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have NO other God before me.”  Exodus 20:1-3

The first of the Ten Commandments, along with the next three, tells of our duty to God. While the remaining 6, speak to our relationship with our neighbor. It is correct that this commandment be first as we had a Maker to love, before we had a neighbor to love.

He is Jehovah God. He is the singular object of our worship. The worship of any other god animate or inanimate is forbidden.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” Exodus 20:22-23 Continue reading

But God

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” Eph 2:1

When I look at the life I have in Jesus it is no doubt that satan wants to stop my forward

but-god
movement by filling my thoughts with “what if…” the “what ifs” of my past; what if I had made a different decision in 1998 or 2008 or 1972 or 1979. How different my life would have been. The images and thoughts are not ugly thoughts, they are not condemning thoughts. They make me want a “do-over”. They almost make me long for those days again. But do they really?

Then I read just a bit further to Eph 2:4 and I see… “But God…” But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much

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Misfits Welcome

Misfits Welcome: Find Yourself in Jesus and Bring the World Along for the RideMisfits Welcome: Find Yourself in Jesus and Bring the World Along for the Ride by Matthew Barnett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Being a misfit does not disqualify you from a dynamic life—it prepares you for it. Matthew Barnett knows a thing or two about misfits. As founder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, a 24-hour church that ministers to 35,000 hurting people a week, Barnett has seen a little of everything. Gangsters, addicts, orphans, taggers, cutters, the sick, the suffering, the hopeless…all the misfits of the world come through the church’s doors in search of hope.”

The Least of These… This is the premise for this powerful book, “Misfits Welcome: Find Yourself in Jesus and Bring the World Along for the Ride” by author, Matthew Barnett. For more than 20 years Matthew Barnett has served the “misfits” that walk in our midst – those that most of society has thrown away – as founder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California. He has served them with through programs and out reach ministry. But through it all, he has served them in love. Continue reading

And What Will You Do On The Day Of Judgement

This book is fascinating.  It kept my attention from the first page until the last.  I cannot stress enough how strongly I feel that this book and the author’s last book, The Harbinger, are on your immediate reading list.  Read it, then pass it along to friends, family, co-workers.


The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future!The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future, the World’s Future, and Your Future! by Jonathan Cahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future, the World’s Future, and Your Future!

The book you can’t afford NOT to read. It is already affecting your life…And it WILL affect your future!

Is it possible that there exists a three-thousand-year-old mystery that…
– Has been determining the course of your life without your knowing it?
– Foretells current events before they happen?
– Revealed the dates and the hours of the greatest crashes in Wall Street history before they happened?
– Determined the timing of 9/11?
– Lies behind the rise of America to global superpower… and its fall?
– Has forecast the rising and falling of the world’s stock market throughout modern times?
– Lies behind world wars and the collapse of nations, world powers, and empires?
– Holds key to what lies ahead for the world and for your life?
– And much more….”
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Bethlehem Road

This is another wonderful study by Michael Whitworth!

Other reviews of his Bible Study’s on this blog:

The Derision of Heaven – A Guide to the Book of Daniel

Living & Longing for the Lord – A Guide to 1 & 2 Thessalonians –


Bethlehem Road: A Guide to RuthBethlehem Road: A Guide to Ruth by Michael Whitworth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Out of the immense moral darkness of the Judges period comes a story of romance, redemption, and hope. The tale of Ruth has inspired countless generations. But Ruth isn’t the star in this romantic drama; center stage belongs to God and his providence. Naomi and Ruth traveled the Bethlehem Road—one of famine, abandonment, grief, and loss—unaware that the Lord had gone before them to redeem their heartache.”
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The Impressionist

I don’t often read fiction, but the title of this little book intrigued me.  Is it fiction?  It says so…  but it’s really so much more.


The ImpressionistThe Impressionist by Tim Clinton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Middle aged, disappointed and self-loathing, Adam Camp is anything but the picture of a successful man. With his wife threatening to leave him and their son addicted to drugs, Adam teeters on the verge of absolute despair – questioning his own existence and purpose for living.

After an explosive argument with his wife, Adam searches for an escape as he sets out on a journey that will dramatically recolor his world.” Continue reading