Scripture

Quick Christianity

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed an increase on my Facebook feed of posts touting what I am calling “Quick Christianity”. These posts espouse the many blessings and benefits of a three minute devotional time. A Google search of “Quick Christianity” produced an almost offensive “Christianity for Dummies Cheat Sheet” – from the Dummies for Whomever, Whatever genre of helping books.

I don’t know why the title of this offended my sensibilities, but it did. Perhaps it is because so often I’ve heard that only weak-minded, delusional people feel the need to rely on a make-believe god to help them through their day, week, life… and calling it Christianity for Dummies, well I personally find the word Dummies offensive.

I do not want to make this an essay about atheism, or other religions, or religious freedom or tolerance. No.  If you come to our blog, or listen to these podcasts you know that we are Christians. Period. That is not open for debate or discussion. You know that we will always speak the truth. Period. But I digress. Continue reading →

Answering the Toughest Questions About God and the Bible

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Answering the Toughest Questions about God and the BibleAnswering the Toughest Questions about God and the Bible by Bruce Bickel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to the big questions about God, Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz don’t pretend to have all the answers. But they do know how to wrestle with doubt. They welcome questions, and in these pages they ask some of the most important ones you have about God and the Bible.

With candor, insight, and a disarming touch of humor, Bruce and Stan provide some answers to these critical questions, yet they leave enough space–and grace–for you to keep wrestling, asking, and seeking truth. Continue reading →

Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of GodHebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God by Chaim Bentorah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Hebrew is a language of poetry and pictures. With Chaim Bentorah’s expertise, you will see how to examine not just word definitions, but also the origin of the words, their place in the culture and idioms of the day, and even their emotional context. Through this devotional, you will walk the road less traveled as you uncover the deeper spiritual messages in God’s Word. In the process, you will discover the heart of God toward you and come to know Him better. You will see just how beautiful the Word of God is and, most of all, you will see the beauty of God Himself and love Him all the more.”

I loved this book! As the author says, “I would love to walk in the garden and converse with God as Adam did; Alas, the reality is that our most authoritative source for understanding Him is what is written in Scripture that came from the heart of God into a human language that we can’t understand, and were then translated into yet another language that we can understand.” Therein lies the heart of it… and this book cuts through all of that, brings us beyond the dozens of translations of the Word to discover the heart of God. Continue reading →

Spiritual Housecleaning

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Spiritual Housecleaning: Revised and UpdatedSpiritual Housecleaning: Revised and Updated by Alice Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Demons are nesting in Christian homes–and even churches. Hard to believe? As Eddie and Alice Smith explain, a small opening is all it takes for evil spirits to gain access. Once in, they defile the spiritual atmosphere and damage our relationships, our ministries, our success, even our health.

We can stop these evil infestations. In this newly revised and expanded edition, the Smiths offer amazing real-life stories showing the inroads that spiritual pollution makes–and how to get rid of it. Readers will learn to detect the presence of demons, follow the seven-step biblical process of purification, and close the door behind these intruders for good.”

Have you unknowingly given evil access to your home–or even your church? What doors have you left open? It’s time for some Spiritual Housecleaning. These questions and more are answered in this re-released book by Eddie and Alice Smith.
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Speak Lord

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Speak, Lord: Hearing Psalms in the First PersonSpeak, Lord: Hearing Psalms in the First Person by Vic Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

““I am your shepherd. You have no need of anything, because I am all you need.”
Do you ever wish that God would speak directly to you? The Psalms are filled with the heart-cry of a man for his God. But they are also overflowing with the depths of God’s heart for you.

In Speak, Lord you will learn how to engage with the Psalms in a fresh, dynamic way – hearing them as though God were speaking directly to you. Vic Black, the National Prayer Director for The Navigators, shares his passion to ignite your personal relationship with God by teaching you to interpret the Psalms from God’s perspective.”
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Sons of Dust

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Sons of Dust: The Roots of Biblical ManlinessSons of Dust: The Roots of Biblical Manliness by Chris Clevenger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Masculinity has been misrepresented in contemporary society. Men have become associated with either two camps one which is too similar to femininity to be complementary, and another that is a caricature which casts modern men as Neolithic knuckle-draggers in a primetime sitcom.

Millions of modern men need a rallying point, a deep understanding of the masculine spirit capable of transforming our cultural concept of masculinity.” Continue reading →

From Good to Grace

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From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness GospelFrom Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel by Christine Hoover

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“God is calling you to something greater than good. So many of us feel as if we do not do enough and, in fact, are not enough. We try hard to be good–a good friend, mom, wife, Christian, employee, or ministry leader–hoping for that “atta-girl” from God, some heavenly assertion that we matter. In the process, we find ourselves living by a lesser gospel: the gospel of goodness. It’s a gospel without grace, and in the end, it’s good for nothing.”

While written mainly to women, From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel by Christine Hoover is a book that will touch so many of us – men and women alike. How many of us feel that, though we have received forgiveness and new life that somehow we still must work for it… that we don’t deserve it… almost as if we “owe” for it. Continue reading →

God’s Plan For Spiritual Battle

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 1 Comment

God’s Plan for Spiritual BattleGod’s Plan for Spiritual Battle by Russell Stendal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“I love a good fight. When unjustly attacked, I have learned to seek the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit and retaliate by Overcoming Evil with Good. There is a huge difference between a Peacemaker and a Pacifist!

This Battle Plan for spiritual warfare, gleaned from the life and message of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes.”

God’s Plan for Spiritual Battle; Victory of Sin, the World, and the Devil, is a book that is written to all Christians. The author, Russell Stendal, brings about the premise that we, as Christ Followers, not only should, but must be living our lives and interacting with this world in the way that Jesus spoke of when He taught the Beatitudes in order to live in victory over sin this world and most definitely the devil. The author walks us through each of the Beatitudes… not with flowery words, but real truth. Nothing in this book is sugar-coated. Continue reading →

Heaven Touches Earth

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

book cover

“She had been killed in an automobile accident. Her husband was in route to the hospital. I met their minister in the hospital corridor. In utter desperation, he cried, “I feel so uncomfortable coming to the hospital. It’s such a foreign environment. I don’t know what to say or do. I’ve never done this before. Please tell me what to do.” The patient said,” My pastor doesn’t make hospital visits. He can’t handle hospitals.”

When the unexpected arises and you find your parishioners hospitalized, are you equipped to support them effectively? Difficult situations can catch us off guard and unprepared. This concise “how to handbook” is a succinct resource of clear insight into hospital practices/protocol useful in training volunteers, parish visitors, pastors/chaplains and a helpful refresher guide for those that have studied hospital ministry. You will proceed with confidence as you minister to the sick and suffering.”

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The Making of an Ordinary Saint

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

This is another of the books that is on my 2015 list of books to read again… digging deeper and going deeper – exploring each of these disciplines…   (that list will show up on this blog at the beginning of December. I hope that you will join me in reading through the list)

The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual DisciplinesThe Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines by Nathan Foster

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Nathan Foster was just a child when his father’s classic Celebration of Discipline brought the spiritual disciplines into the popular evangelical consciousness. More than thirty years later, Nathan made his own journey into the spiritual disciplines. As he sought day by day to develop habits that would enable him to live more like Jesus, he encountered problems both universal and unique. In this engaging narrative, he draws insights from saints of old to uncover fresh ways of living for the contemporary, postmodern Christian.”
Continue reading →