Author Bethel Grove
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
    • Low Content Books
    • Other Books
    • Amazon Author Page
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Goodreads Profile
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Gumroad Store
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact
Picture

Books in Review: Every Young Woman's Battle

11/29/2022

0 Comments

 
​I read this book when I was 16 years old. We read it as part of a girls' Bible study for my youth group and met in a meeting room at our local ice cream shop. While in some ways I have fond memories from this study, I also have some negative memories, including seeing where some of the girls that were in the study with me ended up as far as their purity journey and how some laughter happened at my expense when I was too innocent to know what some of the words meant. I do believe this book was a significant part of my personal journey because of what I learned about sexual purity, I see some weaknesses in their arguments that may have negatively impacted my views on sexual purity. So I want to take another opportunity to evaluate a popular book of the purity movement to weigh its pros and cons, so we know how to better serve the next generation when it comes to teaching them sexual purity ~ Bethel

Picture
​In the book, Every Young Woman’s Battle, Shannon Ethridge (and Stephen Arterburn) helps young women learn how to guard their hearts, minds, and bodies while living in a world that is saturated with unbiblical expressions of sexuality. It starts out by helping young women understand that the battle for sexual purity begins in our hearts and minds by affirming God’s design and explaining what it means to build lives of “sexual integrity” while also avoiding the pitfalls of the way the culture openly defines sexuality. It equips young women with tools that will help them guard their hearts, minds, and bodies, as well as navigate their way to adulthood and possibly future marriage all while drawing closer to God. This book doesn’t shy away from the hard-to-discuss issues, even going so far as to define most sexual terms in the footnotes and having an appendix for young women who may be struggling with same-sex attraction. The most recent editions of this book also include a workbook that can be used for group or individual study. In some ways, I appreciate how straightforward this book was in defining or explaining concepts I didn’t understand or wanted to ask out loud at that age. I also appreciated how it acknowledged that sexual purity and lust are not exclusively guy problems, so they wrote materials to address those struggles from a female point of view. Overall, this was one the best books overall that I read during the purity movement and I think there is still a lot of useful information in it.

However, there are a few problems I see in their methods or reasoning. First, the idea that the reason we should avoid dressing immodestly or inappropriate flirting is to keep our brothers from stumbling is more hurtful than helpful. While avoiding immodest dress or sexual flirting is helpful for our brothers in Christ, it should not be our primary motivation. Our motivation is to obey and honor Christ in our words and actions. Modesty is simply an attitude of humility in the way that you present yourself that defers attention away from yourself and your body and instead brings attention to God or to serve others. We need to make sure that young women understand that they are only responsible for their actions unless they intentionally draw someone else into sin by their actions. We also need to remember that immodesty isn’t just a girl's problem, much in the same way as lust isn’t just a guy's problem. Guys and girls both have the same responsibilities: to avoid creating temptation while also avoiding falling into temptation.
​
Second, this book gets pretty heavy into rule-setting, which sets up the legalistic mentality of “how far is too far” becoming the standard, all the while making those who have struggled with sexual sin feel like they are a lost cause because of the high emphasis on virginity. While a husband and wife being virgins and sexually pure on their wedding night is the most optimal way for God’s design to be enjoyed, we need to make sure that young women (and young men) understand that losing your virginity before marriage is not an unforgivable sin, nor is any other form of sexual immorality. God can redeem anything in His time for His glory, including our sexual sins, if we live in genuine repentance from those sins. We need to make sure that young people understand the significance of repentance and accepting God’s grace so they are truly able to move on when they mess up.

Lastly, while I know their intentions were genuine, I am somewhat critical of the appendix for young women struggling with attraction toward the same sex. This is because I had a friend who read the information while struggling but was not helped by it. While I do believe the biblical premise is solid, you have to make sure they are committed to Christ for that logic to work. Without the saving grace of Christ to motivate them, God’s design or intentions for our sexuality will not matter to them. After they have committed to Christ, they need to have a godly sorrow that leads to repentance rather than a worldly sorrow that makes them confess their struggle out of guilt. That repentance then will lead to a spirit of self-discipline that will lead to a mental transformation that can redirect those desires. While the “confess your sins and get a mentor” method could be a part of this equation (as it could be for almost any other sin), I think that an overreliance on this method for overcoming sins can tend to diminish the crucial elements of genuine repentance, God’s redemptive grace at work, and the spirit of self-discipline that God has given each one of us to aid in the transformation.

While these elements of the book are not helpful, I still think this book was one of the most useful books of the purity movement and could be a great starting point for conversations about sexual purity. I would recommend it for those 15 or older. 
Picture
Pre-Teen Rating. This book does a great job of tackling the difficult aspects of sexuality. However, the terminology in the book is very blunt. While the authors took the stance that most girls probably already know most of those terms from school or the media, it could still destroy innocence for a pre-teen who doesn’t already know them. It could also go right over some pre-teens' heads. I would recommend that a girl be at least 15 or in high school before she reads it. Any parents or youth leaders should consider reviewing it themselves before using it, especially the terms defined in the footnotes.
Picture
Teen Rating. This book is designed for teen girls or women in their early 20s. Aside from the issues mentioned above and that the material could come across as dated, it does a great job at addressing the connection between body, mind, and soul when it comes to our sexuality.
Picture
Male-Friendly Rating. They may be some dads of teen girls or youth leaders who could read this. However, with the blunt sexual terminology, I would struggle with recommending men read it.
Picture
Personal Rating. While I see this book from a more critical point of view from the first time I read it, this book did help me set my heart and mind on the right path toward purity. While there may be some more contemporary resources out there, I still think it was one of the best resources produced by the purity movement


​To read my review of another purity movement book, And the Bride Wore White, click here
​

To read my review of Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart, click here
0 Comments

Books in Review: And the Bride Wore White

8/30/2022

0 Comments

 
I had to read this book for Health class in high school. This might sound kind of strange, but it’s not when you understand that I attended a Christian school. They chose to split up the boys and the girls to talk about purity, as was common with youth groups at the time. I remember enjoying the study at the time since I was doing it the girls in my class. As I look back, I realize that there were good things I learned from this study and some things that had a negative impact on my perspective of purity and relationships. As was common of many Christian purity books and studies, there were many things that were taught during the purity movement that were not helpful or biblical grounded, while there were also other helpful that have been overshadowed by the negative impressions of this movement. As I look as this book and other books like it, I hope to identify the positive and negative elements to discern what still be useful for parents and youth leaders to teach students today ~ Bethel 

Picture
​In her book And the Bride Wore White, Dannah Gresh helps teen girls break down lies that many of us believe about sexuality and reveals seven “secrets” for living a life of sexuality purity. Through understanding these lies and presenting these keys to pursuing purity, Gresh is able to offer foundation truths about the way that God designed sex. The updated edition includes additional information on understanding purity, “celebration stories” of young women successes or redeemed failures in their pursuit of purity, and some letters directly at readers with specific struggles. While this book does have some great content and biblical truth, it falls into some of the pit falls of many of the teachings of the purity movement of the 90’s/2000’s. This book does a great job of helping readers understand that sex is a beautiful gift from God that we should wait until the right time and place to use. It also does a great job at addressing lies many of us believe about sex and offering practical tips to help readers live in purity. One of my favorite parts is its emphasis on purity embracing the wise guidance of parents, grandparents, and mentors, since that is something that many young people struggle to do. Overall, it has some great insights to help young women pursue sexual purity.

However, this book does have some issues. One of the “secrets” she suggest to achieve purity is to envision a godly husband, even suggesting that you should write down in a journal a description of your future husband. While I believe a young woman should figure out the qualities he wants in a future husband, the way that she suggests doing the exercise implies that you should even write down exactly how you expect him to look. Doing this exercise as a teen fueled different lies than addressed in the book. First, God often surprises us by doing things in His time and His way. It often doesn’t match up with what we picture for ourselves, especially when we get caught up in trivial details like his eye color or favorite movie. We aren’t even guaranteed a husband. We should instead be teaching young women to look at young men for their godly characteristics, like how responsible they are with money or how they treat their family.

This book also tends to struggle with leaving those who have failed in their pursuit of purity feeling like unforgivable because of the high emphasis on virginity. We need to make sure that young women understand that premarital sex, other types of sexual immorality, and abortion are not unforgiveable sins that make you “damaged goods.” Instead, if you do the work of repentance in those areas, they can can become scars that God can redeem for His glory and even turn into your greatest ministry to help others. One of the reasons young women struggle with confessing sexual sin is because there is so much shame associated with other people know their struggles. They will be more likely to open up about their struggles if we help them understand that redemption is their sexual past is possible.

I am grateful for what I learned from this book as a teen, and believe that even though some of the content has flaws, it could still have value for teens today, especially as a way to introduce purity to older pre-teen girls. Get your copy today.
Picture
Pre-Teen Rating. This book does a good job at addressing some of broader concepts of purity and giving readers and biblical sexual ethic without getting too graphic. I would be comfortable having girls as young as 12 or 13 read this, depending on a girl’s maturity level.
Picture
Teen Rating. This book is designed for teen girls. Aside for this issues mentioned above, it does a good job at addressing lies about sexuality and revealing truth as well as methods for living a life of purity.
Picture
Male-Friendly Rating. They may be some dads of teen girls or youth leaders who could read this and get a lot out of it.
Picture
Personal Rating. This book has both pros and cons, but is an overall good resource on the topic of sexual purity.
0 Comments

Books in Review: Stand Up, Stand Strong

4/18/2022

0 Comments

 
When I heard about this book, I was excited. Although I hadn’t read a book by Sara yet, I had read some endorsements from other authors I respect and appreciated her work to help teens live passionately for Christ. So I jumped at the opportunity to join the launch team for this book. In the end, I was not disappointed. This book is a great apologetics resource for teens as well as anyone who works with them. I love Sara's courage to stand for the truth but also the compassion she clearly has for those who have struggled or suffered because of the fallen world we live in. I look forward to utilizing this resource for youth ministry and looking into more resources by Sara in the future. If you work with teens, I recommend you do the same ~ Bethel

When it comes to peer pressure, teens in today’s culture deal with more than any generation before them. The culture around them tries to force them to accept the most mainstream views of hot-button topics with the goal of convincing them to believe their version of the story. They are taught that truth is subjective to each person and that they can believe or do whatever they want with absolutely no consequences for themselves or those around them. Christian teens have a more difficult time than ever before trying to figure out how to live in a way that honors the Lord in a culture that tries to convince them that they should honor themselves. It makes us ask the question: is there a way to learn how to stand strong for Christ in today’s culture?
Picture
​In her book Stand Up, Stand Strong, author Sara Barratt walks Christian teens through how to rethink popular issues in our culture today through a Christian worldview in hopes that they will learn how to stand strong in their convictions. After explaining the concept of a worldview and the consequences of living in a “post-truth” world, Barratt breaks down many areas where the post-truth mentality has taken hold, and explains how the mainstream perspectives hold up against a biblical worldview. With a voice of strength and courage, teens that read this book will be inspired to not only understand why they believe what they believe, but also how to defend it with grace-filled truth. Barratt speaks with both conviction and compassion on many important issues in our culture today, from sexual identity and orientation to injustice and abortion. With discussion questions and recommended readings for each topic addressed, this book is a great resource for high school students who want to build a biblical worldview or adults who want to help youth do the same. Get your copy today!

* I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review

Picture
Teen Friendly Rating. This book is an excellent resource for teens on apologetics and developing a biblical worldview. But there are some sensitive issues discussed, including specific types of sexual sin, abortion, suicide, and assisted suicide. Based on the sensitivity of these topics and some of the abstract concepts related to understanding worldviews, I would recommend this book for teens 15 or older. If your child is younger, I strongly recommend you review the book to make sure your child is mature enough to handle the content.
Picture
Male Friendly Rating. Although written by a young woman, this book is well balanced and would an excellent read for both teen boys and teen girls.
Picture
Personal Rating. I wish I had a book like this one when I was a teenager. I look forward to using this book as a resource in the future.

To read my review of Dannah Gresh's True Girl Bible Study, Miriam, click here

To learn more about my book, Redeeming the Beast, click here
0 Comments

Books in Review: Not Part of the Plan

10/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Although I have enjoyed and been inspired by all of the books released by Kristen and Bethany, I believe that this book is by far their best yet. In certain respects, I feel like this book was both written for me and could have been written by me with my life stories inserted into it. I don’t know if I have ever experienced that while reading any book written by other authors. The challenge of trusting God with the twists and turns of your story is a message that will resonate with every reader that chooses to take its message to heart. Being a part of the launch team and helping plan the launch of the book has just been the icing on the cake. This is a book I cannot recommend enough ~ Bethel

Change. Disappointment. Rejection. Worry. All of us have experienced these detours from the narratives we had planned for our lives. No matter how well we plan things out or how good our intentions may be, life is bound to throw us some curveballs. Knowing how to navigate these changes is hard and often painful, especially when we are dealing with major life changes. We want to believe that God is good, but it can be hard to understand His plan or feel His presence when we feel the rug ripped out from under us again and again. It makes us ask the question: How can I learn to fully trust God when life doesn’t go the way I expected?
Picture
In their book Not Part of the Plan, authors Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal dive deep into helping their readers navigate the twists and turns of their story while trusting God fully. Kristen and Bethany open up in a way they never have before about their stories not going according to plan. Through Bethany’s years of unfulfilling longings for marriage and Kristen’s years of struggling with infertility, they discovered that even when life doesn’t go according to plan, God is good, ever-present, and can bring us hope and peace amid heartache and disappointment. Pairing their stories with Scriptural and practical truth, this book is designed to help young women to work through past and present detours in their stories. Each chapter includes prayers, reflection questions, and challenges to help them dive deeper. This book is honest and real in a time in history when everyone has faced challenges due to changes from a worldwide pandemic. This is a book that every young woman needs to read. Get your copy today!
​
*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review

Picture
Teen Rating. I heartily recommend this book to any girl 13 or over, although parents of younger daughters should note that Kristen and Bethany do discuss pregnancy and miscarriage. If that’s a concern, make sure to read it before your daughter does.
Picture
Male Friendly Rating. I think men could get a lot out of reading this too, even if it’s directed at young women, as long as you can handle the “girl talk” about pregnancy and miscarriage
Picture
Singles-Friendly Rating. Bethany dives deep into her struggles with trusting God with her longing for marriage during her season of singleness and in recovery from some breakups. This book is perfect for single women.
Picture
Personal Rating. This book is fantastic and I cannot recommend it to young women enough.
Note: This is an affiliate link, which will allow me to earn a small commission from every sale made at no cost to you

Check out my reviews of Kristen and Bethany's other books:
Girl Defined
Love Defined
Sex, Purity, and the Longings of A Girl's Heart
Shine Bright
To learn more about my next book, Redeeming the Beast, click here
0 Comments

Books in Review: Radiant

8/31/2021

0 Comments

 
​I liked the sound of this book from the first time I read about it. Priscilla Shirer is an incredibly talented author, speaker, and actress. So when she had the opportunity to combine these talents, you know it’s going to be great. So when I discovered that she was writing a teen girl book based on the film Overcomer, I knew I wanted to read it. I am so glad I found the time to read this short but impactful book that really should be on the reading list of any Christian teen girl or young woman ~ Bethel

​All of us wonder how much of a difference we make will make on the world. Many of us have hopes and dreams to make the world a better place, but deeper down inside, we feel inadequate, insignificant, and incapable of making an impact in a noisy world. Even Christians struggle with believing that they can never make a difference because they don’t even understand who they were made to be. This seems especially true for teen girls. Many of them are so confused, they don’t even enough where to start looking for answers.
Picture
In her book, Radiant, Priscilla Shirer helps teen girls and young women walk understand their identity in Christ so their lives can be shaped by the truth of God’s word, not the ever-changing opinions of our culture. Inspired by her role in the Kendrick Brothers movie Overcomer, this book is designed to inspire girls like the film’s protagonist Hannah Scott, a teen girl who struggles with her identity until she finds Jesus. Sharing stories from her teen years and beyond in a way that is entertaining and relevant, Priscilla offers to help young women discern the views they have of themselves that are founded on the lies of their culture and find the truth of their value, purpose, and identity as it is laid out in His Word. It when they learn how to embrace this version of their identity that their lives will be a radiant light for Christ as they actively serve Him within their generation. Using understandable language and a simple format, the message of this book is incredibly relevant and needed for young women in our world today. I would recommend this book to teen girls 12 and older, and any young woman that wants to learn more about how to be radiant for Christ. 

Picture
Pre-Teen Rating. Although written for teen girls, this book is written in such a way that it could be read by a mature pre-teen girl. As long as she is an average reader, I would recommend this book for those 12 and older
Picture
Teen Rating. This book is an excellent choice for a teen girl to help her establish her identity in Christ
Picture
Male Friendly Rating. If a father or youth leader wanted to read this to identity with the struggles teen girls face, this may be a good option
Picture
Singles Friendly Rating. Although written with a younger audience in mind, this book does an incredible job of highlighting how they can serve God in their generation in whatever season God has them in. It was very encouraging to me as a single gal and would be one of the recommended readings for a single young woman
Picture
Personal Rating. I was challenged and inspired by this book, even as a 30 years old. I think any teen girl or young woman who reads it will be too.

Available as Paperback and eBook on Amazon
Also available as an audiobook on Audible, and can be free with 30-day trial
Note: This links are affiliate links, which means that I will receive a small commission for every Amazon or Audible purchase made through one of these links, at no additional cost to you

Would you be interested in helping out this ministry by reading my books before I publish them? If yes, then please apply for my beta reader team today: ​https://forms.gle/sKDJNWrLMGjMqDK96
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.

    The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". 

    To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here:

    Books In Review
    Movies in Review
    Broadway In Review

    Quick Reviews

    ​
    To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here

    Categories

    All
    Alyssa Bethke
    Apologetics
    Beyond Your Wardrobe
    Bible Studies
    Biography
    Bob Goff
    Books I Don't Recommend
    Books In Preview
    Books In Review
    Broadway In Review
    Caleb Kaltenbach
    Carpe Aeternatatum
    Christian Fiction
    Christian Living
    Coming Soon
    Controversial Topics
    Creativity
    C.S. Lewis
    Dannah Gresh
    Devotionals
    Disney In Review
    Dr. Juli Slattery
    EBook Releases
    EBooks In Review
    Entertainment
    Forgiveness
    For Women
    Friendship
    Gary Chapman
    Girl Talk (Teens)
    Girl Talk (Tweens)
    Grieving With Hope
    Holidays In Perspective
    Interviews
    Jackie Hill Perry
    Jefferson Bethke
    Jon Jorgenson
    J.R.R. Tolkien
    Katie Davis Majors
    Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal
    Lee Strobel
    Lessons From The Bible
    Lessons Learned
    Levi Lusko
    Lion's Eyes Updates
    Love
    Lysa Terkeurst
    Mark Batterson
    Modesty And Fashion
    Movies In Review
    Music In Review
    My Cloud Of Witnesses
    My Generation
    My YouTube Videos
    Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
    Personal Experiences
    Personal Updates
    Prayer
    Princess Worth Dying For
    Priscilla Shirer
    Purity Movement
    PWDF Updates
    Reading Recommendations
    Reflections On Middle Earth
    Reflections On Middle-Earth
    Relationships/Sexuality
    Running Toward The Roar
    Sarah Arthur
    Singleness
    To The End Of Her Days
    Youth Ministry

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    RSS Feed


Picture
​Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and helping other Christian authors launch their books. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
​Learn more

Bethel's Books

Redeeming the Beast
Beyond Your Wardrobe

Are You Ready to Be Baptized?
Other Books

Lion Eyes Reviews

Book Reviews
Musical Reviews
Movie Reviews
Quick Reviews

Social Media

Author Bethel Grove
Simple Youth Ministry
Teen Girl Youth Ministry

Other Pages

Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Profile
​Gumroad Store
     

    Join Bethel's Inner Circle

    ​Are you interested in following Bethel's journey as an author, book launcher, and teen girl ministry advocate? Then sign up to join her inner circle today to get email updates on her latest projects and ministry journey. 
    As a thank you, she will send you the exclusive short eBook "Why This Millennial Isn't Leaving the Church" for free.
Submit
© 2022 PRINCESS WORTH DYING FOR MINISTRIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
    • Low Content Books
    • Other Books
    • Amazon Author Page
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Goodreads Profile
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Gumroad Store
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact