From the moment I heard what this book was about, I was intrigued. Loving the LGBT community has been both a serious struggle and topic of significant controversy among Christians for decades. This struggle has been one that I have personally wrestled with every time I’ve heard of a friend or a family member that has chosen to identify with that lifestyle. So when I heard there was a book written by an Ozark Christian College graduate that has gay parents and found a way to love them without compromising conviction, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. But it took recently learning about another close friend making that lifestyle choice for me to determine that this was a book that I needed to buy. When I did finally read it, I was not disappointed. This pastor has a heart for this difficult-to-reach community that is rare, because he was raised in that community. I now have a perspective to help me still uphold the truth of God’s word, but to also love these people as never before, thanks to this book. This is now my first recommendation on the topic of homosexuality for Christians, hands down. ~ Bethel Giving grace is really hard. We have all received it, but Christians struggle to give to those that need it the most. This seems to be especially true when it comes to a Christian’s response to the LGBT community. When it comes to responding to this people group, they often choose to push on the truth in a condescending way, or they choose to order too much grace, to the point that they ignore what God has to say on the subject. Neither one on its own fully pleases God, but we struggle to find a way to find a balance between grace and truth. Especially they put the label of “hater” on us just as quickly as some will put the label of “sinner” on them. In the end, we are left unsure of how to even begin to approach the subject in a Christ-honoring way. It makes us ask the question: Is there a way to love those in LGBT community in a Christ-honoring way? Can we love them without compromising our convictions? In Caleb Kaltenbach’s book, Messy Grace, he shares his personal journey of having two gay parents, finding his way to the Lord as a teenager, and eventually learning how to love those in the LGBT community without compromising his conviction about homosexuality. You follow Caleb as he describes how he was partly raised by his mom and her partner, and how he even participated in gay pride parades. He was taught that Christian hate gay people. When he was teenager, he started going to church, and he eventually became a Christian and was baptized. His parents were less than supportive, even his dad who was still in the closet at the time. He eventually went to Christian college (my alma mater, Ozark Christian College) and became a pastor, and has learned about how to minister to the LGBT community. He walks us through what it means for us as Christians to live in the tension between grace and truth, demonstrating that it is possible as he displays in his own personal journey. He shares what this can look like in the context of a church, and helps us to see that in order to love as Jesus loved those who struggle, we have to be willing to get a little messy. You will be inspired and challenged by Caleb’s testimony and biblically grounded insight, if you choose to take these truths to heart. This is a book that every Christian about 13 or older needs to read, especially if you have loved one that identifies as LGBT. This book is available pretty everywhere Christian books are sold, so get your copy today!
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I have been looking forward to the release of this book ever since I first heard that one of my favorite YouTubers was planning on writing a book with his wife. Since I was on the launch team for Jeff’s last book, It’s Not What You Think and I met Jeff on that book tour, I knew it was a book I didn’t want to miss. And sure enough, I was right. It’s a book with the facts that everyone should know about love and marriage, regardless of your relationship status. It’s a book that came at a time when I needed a refresher about God’s incredible design and intention behind marriage and relationships in general. But this is also a book that brings my journey as a blogger and a book reviewer full circle. I When I reviewed It’s Not What You Think, it was my only my second book review. But since then, thanks to a lot of positive feedback from several people (including Jeff himself!), I have found a passion for reviewing books, mostly books on Christian living. This review is my 19th book review in almost 4 years, which is insane. My desire to do more with book reviews started with It’s Not What You Think. It’s been incredible to see where God has taken a simple interest of wanting to be involved in book launches and has turned it into a way to serve and minster to others online. In light of all this, it’s my pleasure to give this book my highest recommendation to anyone, single, dating, or married, over the age of 16. If you want to know more about it, just ask ~ Bethel Love is hard. It takes effort, intentionality, self-denial, humility, vulnerability, and many other things that our culture has convinced us is unnecessary or makes us weak. So instead, we revert to the culture’s distorted views of sex and romance, and we unknowingly buy into the lie that we will find lasting love and fulfillment using their methods. They also imply that you will never find fulfillment unless you have your “happily ever after.” However, there is even more unhappiness, un-fulfillment, divorce, and brokenness in relationships and marriages than ever before. And this brokenness is creeping into the hearts and minds of men and women who have never even been in a relationship. All because we have given into the lie that we will never be happy without it. It makes us as the question: Is it possible to find a love that lasts in our world today? In the latest book by YouTuber and author Jefferson Bethke and his wife Alyssa, Love that Love offers hope that we can find a love that lasts in our world today by sharing their own personal romantic journeys. As they take turns authoring chapters titled after popular songs, they share the highs and lows that led them to each other and that inevitably led them to marriage and a family. As you join them on this incredible journey, they help us see the problems with our culture’s broken and distorted view of love and helps us replace it with one that is full of life, hope, and endurance. They cover so much in the pages of this book, from recognizing unhealthy relationships and bad self-esteem, to seasons of singleness, to healing from breakups, to the beauty of sex in the covenant of marriage. Although this young couple has only been married for 5 years, they speak with a wisdom beyond their years and their experience, as they reflect much of the counsel and wisdom bestowed upon them by those who are older and wiser than them. What results in a radically transforming view of love and romance that could change our culture, if we choose to embrace it. This is exactly the book my generation needs, regardless of their relationship status. As a single woman who has never been in a relationship, I found this book to be powerful, useful, and exactly the insight I need to give me a necessary foundation to build my sexual theology. This book, as well as workbooks and a video curriculum, are available today! Get your copy now! A Sweet Bogo Deal! Thanks to an extremely generous publisher, I, as a member of the book launch team for Love that Lasts, am offering you a sweet deal: Buy one, get one FREE, with NO LIMITS! Here’s how it works: 1) Buy the book from anywhere (Amazon, B&N, CBD, etc). 2) Either screenshot or take picture of the receipt. 3) Go to jeffandalyssa.com/freebook and fill out the form, using the promo code “Bgrove” 4) You’re all set! You will receive the first copy as soon as it ships from your distributor. The second one will come from the publisher around the end of October. You will probably only pay about $5 per copy of the book (not including shipping costs on the first one. The second will ship free). Since there is no limit, you will get a free copy for every copy you purchase! This deal only lasts until October 17, so don’t miss out! Get your copies today! (And make sure to let me know how many of you take up this awesome deal!) To check out some of my other book reviews, click here
Like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PrincessWorthDyingFor Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/HPgirl0609 This is an incredible book. From the time I first heard about the book, I knew it was a book that I needed to read. I ordered the book the moment it came out in spring 2013. Having just gone through a situation in which one of my guys friends told me he didn’t return my feelings for him (in a very caring and Christ-honoring way), I was struggling with trying to understand why these emotions where so hard to overcome and why I was single. When I finally had to chance to complete the book over the course of that summer, I became a young woman that learned to be lost in God’s love. This book was a game changer for my love life, and I know it can be for you too, if you are willing to apply the lessons from this book. Another great example of how Dannah Gresh’s writings have impacted my walk with God, I’d recommend this book to any young women about 16 or older. If you want to know more about it, just ask ~ Bethel All women long to be loved. It’s something that many women spend their whole life searching for. We all want our Prince Charming and our happily ever after’s. Many women try to seek out love and affection in men, but they end up doing it for all the wrong reasons. They give into the “violent craving” all women have deep within them for the affection of men, and make that the focus of their emotional health, their self-worth, and even their life. Then, when either men hurt us or we are unsuccessful at earning a man’s affections, we fall apart, often trying to compensate the lack of affection with all the wrong things. It’s a vicious cycle that so many women in our world today are caught in today, because our culture sells it to us as normal. They tell being “boy crazy” is normal. They try to convince us that if we dress the right way and act flirty and attractive, we will get the attention of our Prince Charming and you’ll live happily ever after. In the end, this method doesn’t work, and now most women don’t know what to do to handle these feelings for guys correctly. It makes us ask the question: Is there a way to find love and contentment, even if I don’t have a guy? “A girl should be so lost in God, he has to seek Him to find her.” This is the quote that author Dannah Gresh used to inspire the book that asks this question. In Get Lost, she addresses the “violent craving” that all women have deep within our hearts for the affection and affirmation of men, and she explains that there is a better way to satisfy this craving. Instead of trying to find it in men that are flawed humans that will ultimately disappoint us, Dannah encourages you to seek it out in the all-consuming and satisfying love of the Heavenly Father. She then takes you through a “love feast,” a 10-Day devotional journey through the facets of God’s love. You are encouraged to take guys off the table and give the best part of your day to God, so you can focus your heart and mind on Him. In the process, you will find that the call to be consumed in God’s love isn’t always easy, but it is so much more fulfilling that any version of romance and personal fulfillment our culture tries to sell us. Then, after your feast, you learn at the conclusion how to bring guys into the picture in a way that honors God and keeps your heart in line with His. This is an incredible book for older teen girls and young women, especially if you have been through a break-up or are still single. There is also a great video curriculum available for this book take can turn it into a ten week study. This book is available most places Christian books are sold, so get your copy today! This is an amazing book. I knew that even before I read it. I’d heard and read many glowing recommendations of this book from people I trusted, so I decided to check it out, even though I had hardly ever gotten into the realm of Christian fiction. In the end, I was not disappointed. And when I was first reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I love the setting, the biblical parallels, the storyline, the twists and turns in the plot, and where the story ended. I would even say that this is the best work of Christian fiction I have ever read. It’s incredible to think that this was Francine Rivers’ first book she wrote as a Christian, because it contains such a powerful portrayal of the heart of the gospel. It’s no wonder this book has sold over a million copies, and has remained a classic of Christian fiction for over 20 years. It makes me excited to get into other books by Francine Rivers in the future. I hope that maybe you will consider doing the same ~ Bethel When we look at many of the love stories that are unfolding in our culture today, it is very easy to become discouraged. Because so many people have given into the deception that love is based on feelings, too many people let go of love too soon, often for extremely selfish reasons. The popularity of movies and books that glamorize these type of relationships has only made matters worse. It’s even to the point that those that believe true love endures are presented as foolish and out of date. It leaves us to ask the question: can we actually find a good example of a love that won’t give up, no matter what? In the first Christian fiction novel by Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love, we are given a powerful example of a love that doesn’t give up, an example of Christ’s enduring for us. Based on the biblical story of the prophet Hosea being asked by God to marry the prostitute Gomer, this book takes familiar elements from that narrative and puts them into the setting of the gold rush in California in the 1850s. In Redeeming Love, mountain man Michael Hosea is compelled by God to marry Angel, the most popular and hard-hearted prostitute in that area. Despite her resistance and bitterness, Michael never gives up on gently loving and pursuing her, and it makes no sense to her. Angel resists for the longest time, refusing to break the walls from her past and open her heart towards Michael, and but over time, her heart does slowly begin to change. When her hardened heart finally begins to soften, she can’t help but feel unworthy and afraid of his affections, so she runs away. Then she is finally forced to confront the darkness of her past. Since she is apart from her husband’s love, her full healing is finally able to come from the One whose love and pursuit of Angel’s heart is even greater than her husband Michael’s, a love that proves that it will never let go, no matter what. This is a powerful work of fiction, one that can change your perspective of the powerful, all-consuming love of the heavenly Father. The fictional setting makes it even more accessible and engaging to the reader. It’s a book that draws you into its world, but also presents powerful truth in a compelling way. If you only ever read one Christian fiction book in your lifetime, this should be the one. I would recommend this book to anyone about 16 or older, male or female, teen or adult. It’s available pretty much everywhere, so get your copy today! Since the release of the Fifty Shades movies, I have found myself increasingly frustrated with the lack of movies that really teach what love really is. Most romantic movies today are either inappropriate, because they concentrate too much on the physical side of love, or they are unrealistic, because they concentrate too much on the emotional side of love. Many are in both camps. And from the perspective of a Christian, I believe that many of these films are an insult to the way that God designed love and romance. But we view them as merely “entertainment” or “romantic comedies.” Now, I’m not saying that we can’t enjoy some of these movies within reason, but they should not be where we learn to define love or where we should find edification for our relationships. It's rare to find movies that do either of these jobs correctly. To help with this problem, I have come up with a list of five romantic movies that do a much better job of portraying love and relationships as God intended it. Each one has different concepts about love that defy the cultural expectations of what it is meant to be. I don’t want to spoil these movies if you haven’t seen them, but I want to highlight the different aspect of love they emphasize. Old Fashioned – Love that is Chivalrous
Our culture tries to sell us romance that has very little respect or courtesy involved. Love and the fuzzy feelings come first, then you figure out how you relate to each other. This should not be. The respect needs to come first and be part of the foundation on which the relationship is built. If it’s not in the foundation of the relationship, it very difficult to put it in later. Old Fashioned reminds us how to put that into the foundation of a relationship, and is a great movie, especially if you are dating or married. I would recommend it to teens and adults. The Song – Love that is Passionate and Forgiving
However, it should not be the foundation of what the relationship is about. Movies and books like Fifty Shades portray sex as the primary source of character development. How messed up is that? Aside from inappropriate implications, sex isn't the only way we should get to know someone! If your spouse is only there to fulfill a sexual need, then there’s a problem. The Song portrays the consequences of this, but gives hope in the end about how to restore it. We also learn that love forgives. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, most people know that Solomon messed up big time when it came to relationships. One point in which the film differs from the original story is that Jed and Rose have reconciliation at the end of the movie. I won’t reveal exactly how for those that haven’t seen it, but it is a beautiful picture of the forgiveness that God gave us through His Son. The Song is a great Christian film that I would recommend (although it may not be as appropriate for children). Fireproof – Love that Endures the Fire
Those who are married shouldn't have to divorce because just don’t love each other or they can't get along anymore. During those kinds of trials, they have to purpose themselves to love each other, even if the other one don’t deserve to be loved. That’s what Christ did for us. When we are aware of how much Christ loved us, it compels us to love others in the same way, especially spouses and families. Fireproof is an excellent reminder of this truth and I would recommend this movie to anyone. Love Comes Softly – Love that Grows Over Time
Love Comes Softly teaches its title as the main moral. Despite the popular romances we love in our favorite chick flicks, love develops over time. It does not happen instantly. I personally don’t believe that “love at first sight” really exists in romance. I believe in attraction at first sight, but that is not enough to merit a romance. Love is something that grows over time if you choose to work on it, because its a decision, not a feeling. Sometimes, you might be working on it when you don’t realize it. But it’s something that has to be worked on, not something that you can fall in or out of. It’s a matter a choice. Love Comes Softly is a great example of this and I would recommend it to anyone The Swan Princess – Love that Endures a Lifetime
What I love about this movie is not the happily ever after, but the fact that they declare that their love for each other will endure longer than life itself. That's powerful! The love they have for each other is not conditional on the other’s actions, but on the vow that they made to love each other, no matter what. The feature song of the film, Far Longer Than Forever, is a powerful reminder of the comfort and peace one can find in knowing that the one you love has an enduring loyalty to you and you alone. You can't find that in the fuzzy romance or the physical intimacy of a relationship. That’s what makes The Swan Princess stand out from all other fairy tales. This is a film I would recommend to anyone. Real RomanceOur culture has sold us so many versions of love that are messed up, we have brought into them. The couples that are so popular from our favorite chick flicks are usually in relationships that are about the fulfillment of personal needs – physical, emotional, spiritual, or a combination. Even if they are “in love,” it is often more about fulfilling the personal need than about the other’s needs. It becomes a love that is very selfish in its nature. To me, it's very disheartening.
The characters in these five movies are different. They are the ones that learned to give up themselves for the one they loved. They all made mistakes to get there, but through their trials and adventures, they learned to love the other as only Christ could through them, and that is so much more beautiful than any romance our culture tries to sell us. As we watch these and other romantic movies, let us do our best to praise those that portray love as God intended it, and discern when love is not portrayed correctly. Hopefully, it will change the way we see everything. |
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
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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.
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