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For the rest of 2018, I will be sharing books I recommend because they are some of my favorites.  New Book Friday will resume in January. Enjoy!

It's that time of year again!  I have shared all of my new books through my weekly posts, New Book Friday.  Now, it's time to share my favorite books over the next several months.  They are in no particular order, but they have shaped my understanding of who God is and who I am which impacts my head, heart, and hands.  I would highly recommend you checking out these books.

This is the title of the final chapter of Charis by Preston Sprinkle.  I thought my last post would be the last on this book, but there were too many more great thoughts that needed to be shared.  Here are quotes from final chapter and epilogue: Only unconditional, stubborn love toward your enemy produces ripple effects strong enough to change the world. We are enemies, loved and pursued by our Creator, who will stop at nothing to reconcile us to Himself. Such reconciliation happend on the cross. . . It was Jesus' declaration "It is finished" that made God love you. And when Jesus declared, "It is finished," He meant it. God's punishment for our sin was paid for, permanently settled, finished--100 percent. If you have responded in faith to God's free pardon through Jesus, then God will never punish you for your sin. It's finished. No more. If you screw up today or tomorrow (which you will), it's already been paid for through Jesus. "T...

Last week, I finished reading Charis by Preston Sprinkle.  This is a great book on grace and especially helpful because it focuses on grace in the Old Testament.  Here are some quotes from the final chapters: God has a relentless desire not just to save us, forgive us, redeem us, and deliver us from evil but to enjoy us... The incarnation is a powerful demonstration of grace, since it shows that God doesn't just care for our needs but loves us to the point of experiencing our needs. Jesus planted the first church on earth with a group of hoodlums who wouldn't be let inside the doors of most churches today. But if you do a character study, you'll see that Jesus handpicked these thugs (12 disciples), not because they were morally upright, but because they weren't. They didn't bring anything to the table. That's precisely why Jesus chose them. Because Peter's commitment to Jesus isn't sustained by Peter. Peter remains committed to Jesus...

Charis by Preston Sprinkle is another book on grace, but he shows us examples of that God's grace via the Old Testament.  Here are some quotes on chapters focusing on Ezekiel 16 and Hosea: Sin, pain, loneliness and twisted sexuality are crouching at the door waiting to pounce on us. Yet we--through the power and grace of God--must master them. We would all be streetwalkers were it not for the grace of God. You think you need to clean yourself up so that Jesus will love you. . .God pursues wayward whores (you and me) with His unconditional, one-way love so that He can clean us up. He won't send a bolt of lightning to take care of your sin. He already sent a Son. God loves you because of who He is and because of what Christ has done. Whether you are depressed, suicidal, underweight, overweight, good-looking, ugly, dumb, smart, popular, socially rejected, happily married, divorced, physically fit, physically disabled, funny, dull--whether you are Judah or Joseph, ...

God gets a bad rap.  We like to play this comparison game of the God of the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament.  We are a little scared and skeptical with all of the wars and wrath we see in the Old Testament.  So we are thankful when Jesus enters the scene with a new covenant and what He did on our behalf in the New Testament.  Jesus is the One who saves us, forgives us, takes the wrath we deserve.  Preston Sprinkle in Charis is trying to change this perception.  Below are some quotes of how God in the Old Testament was very loving and gracious. If there ever was clear evidence that God saved people based on who He is and not on what we have done, it's the exodus from Egypt. God's power is released on account of His compassion, not Israel's righteousness. This is where the tent comes in. God cannot dwell with sinful people, but God desires to dwell with sinful people. So He comes up with a plan to have build a te...

I shared briefly about the book, Charis by Preston Sprinkle in a previous post.  I have a few quotes I would like to share from Chapters 2-3: "God is the main subject of the entire Bible" "If Genesis 1 emphasizes the transcendence of God, then Genesis 2 highlights the intimacy of God. Transcendence and intimacy. We need both. Elohim simply refers to a deity and emphasizes his (or her) power. . . But Yahweh is God's personal name. . .God creates and God relates. Both are essential to God's character. We can't sacrifice either of these truths for the sake of the other." "When you look into the mirror and see scars and zits and fat and abuse and loneliness and pain, Yahweh sees glory and honor."  "God gives them (Adam and Eve) a billion things they can do and one thing they can't do." "Of all the ways that God could have saved us, He chose to work through the womb of women to raise up an image bearer who would crush th...

How would answer that question? Preston Sprinkle answers that question in his book, Charis .  I have only read Chapter 1 and I can't wait to read more.  There are many books about grace and the gospel popping up all around. However, I have not come across one yet that focuses on the Old Testament. This quote hooked me to want to read more: "The Old Testament is all about grace. You can't understand grace apart from the Old Testament, and you can't understand the Old Testament without understanding grace. . .If you see only wrath and judgment, then you've missed the best part, the main plot, the primary message. .Grace is the spine that holds the whole thing together. . .Every character, every event, every single page from the Old Testament bleeds grace. . .The reason we typically miss it is because we've been trained to read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, morally." Are you ready for more?  I know I am.  I want to understand grace in a...