DiG Recommended Reading for January & February 2012

Earlier this month at the Men's Breakfast at my church, they gave all the men in attendance a book. It is called "Hazards of Being a Man" by Jeffrey E. Miller, Senior Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Richardson, TX. This has got to be one of the best supplemental reads that I've ever gotten my hands on. Pastor Miller tackles 12 challenges that all men face head-on. Issues like Lust, Unteachability, Partial Obedience, and Misplaced Priorities are all covered in these pages. All 12 of these issues or challenges are paralleled to an Old Testament man and his story. I've never quite seen the Old Testament come so alive in regards to lessons and applications for modern day man. There are so many great examples contained here. From Adam's deflecting responsibility in the Garden to Saul's partial obedience in regards to the Amalekites, to Abraham's manipulation of God's will, all the way down to Samson's infamous lust issues, every one of the 12 hazards in this book shows us just how easy it is to fall into these sins. Pastor Miller in all practicality shows us men ways to build up our defenses towards these dangerous pitfalls. On top of all this, at the end of each chapter, there are Reflection Questions as well as a Memory Verse and a Chapter to read in the Bible. This was great reading on my own but it would really shine in a group setting such as a Men's small study. Either way, I can't recommend this book enough. It is fantastic!


You can pick up your copy by clicking here. Or if you have a Kindle, get your copy here.

Proverbs 13:20

English Standard Version (ESV)

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

February Recommended Reading

I wanted to start something new for the blog. Every month I'm going to recommend a non-fiction christian book for you guys to check out. This is reading in addition to your daily time in the Word, not a replacement for it. All of these titles will hopefully be beneficial to your walk in some way. The book for February is by Ted Dekker and it is called "The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth". The book can be purchased at christianbook.com or you can pick it up in iBooks or on Kindle. Let us know if you get it and what you think of it in the comments section. God bless

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Excuse

Alright we all know someone who says they don't read the Bible because it falls under their catch-all excuse of, "I just don't like to read." Now audio bibles can be very expensive and when I recommend them to non-readers that is usually the excuse they come up with. So with a nod to Jaws, "you're going to need a bigger excuse." Ben told me about an iPhone app a few days ago called Bible.is This app is amazing. It goes with the premise that "faith comes by hearing"(Romans 10:17) and has the complete bible on audio in both the KJV(King James Version) and ESV(English Standard Version). It also has the bible in upwards of 100 different languages. The best part about the app is that it is completely free! iPhone owners who don't read the Word because they "don't like to" are completely without excuse thanks to this app. Now, people who do not own the iPhone, please don't think you are getting out of this easy. Bible.is also has a website on your computer that has the same exact functionality as the amazing app. I recommend that everyone pick up Bible.is for your iPhones or visit their website and check it out. Stop hiding from God's Word and listen to what He has to say. If you're excuse now is that, "I just don't like to listen", well that's probably why you weren't reading His word to begin with. Finally for you obedient readers out there who just cant get enough of God's Living Word, check out the Accordance app on your iPhone. This bible app is ESV based and has a complete Greek and Hebrew dictionary. You can click on any English word and it will tell you the actual word used in the original languages. It is a fantastic app for those who want to get off of milk and get into the meat of God's Word.

Psalm 119:105 (English Standard Version)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.