Amazing Love (& More October Reads)
I finished reading five books in October: Corrie ten Boom’s Amazing Love plus four others. Read on for my impressions of each….
5 Books I Read in October
God’s High Calling for Women by John McArthur
In God’s High Calling for Women, McArthur examines what the Bible has to say about a woman’s role within the church. I found his exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and related passages to be both true to Scripture as a whole and affirming to women and to the unique calling and gifting God has given each of us.
This slim book is a quick read and one I’d highly recommend to anyone who’s ever wondered how women can use their spiritual gifts to humbly serve the body of Christ without usurping God-ordained authority by doing so.
Amazing Love by Corrie ten Boom
I brought a small stack of books to read while sitting around the campfire on our annual camping trip last month. The first I finished was Amazing Love by Corrie ten Boom.
In it, the author shares many inspiring, powerful, and ofttimes miraculous tales from her own life, both as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps and as a Bible teacher and evangelist in the years following WWII.
The chapters are short and read almost like a devotional, with lots of Bible passages referenced throughout. One verse Corrie seemed particularly fond of quoting was 1 John 3:8, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” That’s a promise worth clinging to, isn’t it?
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
My husband and I recently finished Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, a recommendation from our daughter, Bethany. Written by the extremely innovative and engaging former owner of Eleven Madison Park (which, under his management, received 3 Michelin stars and was named #1 restaurant in the world), this New York Times best seller offers a rare peek into the inner workings of a wildly successful restauranteur and the guiding principles that inspired him.
If you aren’t careful, Guidara will have you rethinking your approach to everything from marriage to child-rearing and from copywriting to customer relations, as the ideals that drive him have parallels in countless different industries and undertakings.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
My husband and I listened to J.I. Packer’s excellent treatise on Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God during a recent trip to Dallas and enjoyed it immensely. It’s a worthwhile read for any believer.
The doctrines of grace are sometimes (wrongly) accused of nullifying the need for sharing the gospel –as if a strong belief in God’s sovereignty renders the work of evangelism unnecessary. It doesn’t.
Packer argues that rather than diminishing our desire to “go and make disciples,” a right understanding of the grace and sovereignty of God should serve to inspire, undergird, and energize our evangelistic efforts. He does an excellent job of striking balance between these two schools of thought. I highly recommend it.
Call It Courage by Armstrong Perry
We finished Armstrong Perry’s Newberry Award winning Call It Courage over the weekend. It tells the story of a young Polynesian boy’s struggle to overcome his lifelong fear of the sea.
Maftu’s terror is understandable, given the fact his mother died trying to save him from drowning as a baby. Yet he is ashamed to have been branded a coward by his peers and sets out to prove himself worthy of his name, which means “Stout Heart.”.
A short read, this book reminds me of another personal favorite from childhood: Island of the Blue Dolphins. I love reading about the resourcefulness and resilience of both Maftu and Karana.
Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles onto this page, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link .
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