My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I like John Maxwell. His leadership skills are widely recognized not just within Christian circles but beyond it. His books read effortlessly: it’s like listening to one of his motivational talks. It’s hard not to be energized by it.

But I think I prefer Maxwell’s quotable quotes rather than entire books. The 360 Degree Leader is just one example why.

The first few chapters sound great; the principles aren’t mind-numbingly awesome, but you can’t really disagree with them either. But after a while, it starts to sound repetitive and even a bit cliché. I couldn’t finish it; it just felt like the book didn’t have anything more to offer.

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I love the idea of this book, it’s perfect for people like me who can’t sit still for one minute, let alone fifteen minutes of quiet time. I thought it would give me practical, step-by-step solutions, but it didn’t. That was a bit of a disappointment, since I was looking for some sort of paracetamol for my spiritual headache. But I realized there might not be an easy, over-the-counter prescription for what ails me.

The book is a lot about the author’s own experience, which made me realize my spiritual ADHD didn’t make me such a freak of nature after all. It made me stop flogging myself for what I perceived to be bad discipleship traits. Instead, I started thinking of how I can live close to God according to how He designed me.

So now I understand why this book doesn’t give me a panacea–there’s no such thing. We’re all probably wired in different ways, and cultivate our relationship with Christ through different means. I’ll just have to keep plodding on, discovering new things about myself and God as I go along, with helpful books such as this.

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I’m most comfortable reading the Bible in the NIV and NLT versions, but love switching to other translations every now and then. A familiar verse worded differently can have a fresh impact and reveal something new to tired eyes.

So I welcome the new Common English Bible translation. I’ve explored some of the passages and found it easy to read, with short sentences and simple sentence structures. I won’t hesitate to gift this version to friends who are younger, or just starting out in their Christian faith, or still studying basic English.

Honestly, I probably won’t make the switch to CEB. While I admire the goal of making it accessible to the everyman, I think it’s just not for me.

In the effort to make it simpler, using typical everyday English, the translators, unfortunately, sacrificed poetry. And I love reading the Bible for its beautiful lyrical flow, especially passages in Isaiah, the Psalms, and even the epistles.

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a pretty interesting book: it’s not a graphic novel, but the words are designed as graphics. Big letters emphasize screams, etc. Interesting story, too. A bunch of kids travel through time on an accidental mission. It reminds me of my Choose Your Own Adventure days.

A good gift for kids 10 and below, especially little boys.

My only thing about it is that I started reading page one and couldn’t shake off the feeling that I missed half the book. It just started in the middle of everything and didn’t give me any context. (In fairness, I think this is the nth book in the series, so other readers might not be as clueless as me.) I don’t mind starting off a book right smack in the middle of the action, just as long as somewhere I’m given a point of reference.

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I’m no expert on written prayers. Those that I’ve scribbled down seem to be laced with the same raw desperation (which probably means the threat of hitting rock-bottom is a strong motivator).

It must take a deeper maturity to be able to pray about a wide range of things without defaulting to what is easy: requesting something or, as in my case, wailing about something.

It must take a different perspective to put to paper God-conversations that can be said in the secret of our hearts and in the presence of a congregation. And where do you start, whose words do you choose? There must be enough of you in those words to make the prayer worth anything, but still something else that echoes with others.

My supreme example is the Psalmist. What beautiful prayers! I’ve prayed some of those words at times and found that they helped me express something I wouldn’t have been able to on my own.

So I’m glad John MacArthur also wrote a book of prayers. Some of them resonate with me, some don’t (at least for where I’m at right now). But like greeting cards or quotable quotes, this book can help me find the words to say when I’m speechless (and before God, I often am).

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

At the Throne of Grace: A Book of Prayers

Harvest House Publishers; Abridged edition (October 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Karri James | Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

John MacArthur is the pastor–teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California; president of The Master’s College & Seminary; and featured teacher for the Grace to You media ministry. Weekly telecasts and daily radio broadcasts of “Grace to You” are seen and heard by millions worldwide. John has also written several bestselling books, including The MacArthur Study Bible, The Gospel According to Jesus, The New Testament Commentary series, Twelve Ordinary Men, and The Truth War. He and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren.

Visit the author’s website.

Announcing a special new release from Bible teacher John MacArthur…a select collection of powerful Scripture readings and prayers that inspire heartfelt communion with God and gratitude for all that He is and has done for us.

For more than 40 years, John MacArthur has steadfastly committed himself to the careful and faithful teaching of God’s Word. A key outgrowth of his study of Scripture is the profoundly God-centered prayers that precede his sermons.

John’s prayers are the offerings of a heart that is fully committed to honoring God, proclaiming and obeying His Word, and calling others to do the same. In this book, prayers and Scripture readings from across his years of ministry have been brought together to stir Christians toward more meaningful and edifying communion with God.

This book will guide readers, in the most intimate way possible, before God’s throne of grace…giving them a renewed passion and appreciation for their Lord.

Product Details:

List Price: $22.99
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; Abridged edition (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736938400
ISBN-13: 978-0736938402

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER: