Heidi's Haven

"Discipling as Jesus Discipled" is a workbook by Dann Spader and published by Moody Publishers. It aims to make disciples who will go out and make disciples who will, in turn, make more disciples. Spader uses this workbook to teach Christians how to create disciples who make disciples. The focus is all about relationships, with each other and with non-Christians (or future disciples). When Jesus made disciples, he loved them and cared for them, he maintained relationships. This is how we should be discipling, too.  This is a workbook designed for a 10-12 week small group study. Unfortunately, since I received this for review, I just worked through it quickly on my own. I think that it would be much more beneficial to go through this workbook in a group study and be able to have discussions about the content. I would love to go through this again in a group study in the future. The questions are very challenging and thought provoking. I highly recommend this f...

The Story: 365 Devotions  is a daily devotional from Zondervan with the purpose of helping you discover your role in God's story. Each day shares a short Bible verse, which an explanation and a connection to the reader's life. I started this on January 1, and I will continue to read a page each day until the end of the year. So far, I have really enjoyed the devotionals. It only takes a minute or two to read the devotion of the day, and each day comes with an impactful personal take-away. The publishers created this book to help the reader find their place in God's epic story and to help them understand how God's plan works.  It slowly goes through the Bible and is split into Old and New Testament. On Day 45, I'm still in Genesis, so it's a very in depth study.  The book itself is a small paperback. I really like the size, and it's really good quality. I haven't finished it yet, but I am loving going though it a day at a time, and ...

Is anxiety un-Christian? The Anxious Christian  is a book by Rhett Smith, in which the author talks about his own struggles with an anxiety disorder. All too often, particularly in the Christian community, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are seen as the fault of the sufferer, and that if they just prayed harder and trusted God more, these problems would go away. That is just not the case, but that stigma exists that makes Christians ashamed of their anxiety, and prevents them from seeking help. However, Smith asks the questions: Can God use your anxiety for good? What if He is using it to speak to us? That can be hard to imagine, but Rhett Smith uses his book to show how God used his anxiety to create opportunities and show him things about himself. It is important to look at your anxiety as a catalyst for growth, and rethink situations that make you anxious. I did find this book to be helpful and interesting. Rhett Smith has a very friendly wri...

The goal of this study Bible from Thomas Nelson is to aid in understanding the Bible. Understanding meanings, events, and stories in the Bible is something that a lot of people often struggle with. This allows you to study the Bible in three different ways: Book by Book, Verse by Verse, and Topic by Topic.  I received this as an e-book. and I didn't like it. I think the Bible itself is fine, I am just not a fan of the e-book version. It seems very disorganized and it is really hard to find anything. Flipping through the pages, I had no idea where I was half the time. I do think that this study Bible could be useful, but I would definitely recommend the physical copy for study. I'm sure the content itself is great, but to be honest, flipping through, I couldn't find anything I can talk about here to give you some examples. I really wish that I had the physical copy to compare it to, but I would have to give the e-book Bible 1/5 stars. xx Heidi *I rec...

Shannan Martin and her family lived in this amazing farm house out in the country. It was idyllic and rustic, and pretty much perfect for that farm girl lifestyle she always wanted. However, after a few pretty big changes in her life, she and her husband felt like God was pushing them out of their rural home and into the city. In this falling from their snug place of security, they found freedom.  Now, they make less money, they have less space, and their lives are extremely hectic, but they are happier than ever. You know how God says to love your neighbor? Well it seems that is made a lot easier when you have lots of neighbors really close by. This book talks so much about generosity, and what it really  means to be truly  generous. It's the difference between caring about and caring for . She reminds us that God's "more" often looks like less. I really loved reading this book. Shannan Martin is absolutely hilarious, first of all. I was honestly laughi...

After 50 Years of Ministry: 7 Things I'd Do Differently & 7 Things I'd Do the Same  is a book by former pastor Bob Russell for those going into ministry. He explains 7 things he would do differently if given a second chance, and 7 things he would do the same. This is a guide for future pastors, some advice for when they enter the ministry of a church.  Each chapter is a tip or piece of advice, with explanations and examples. Some of this advice includes living with less fear, paying less attention to criticism, and to stop comparing yourself to others.  I am not planning on going into ministry at all, so I am definitely not the target audience for this book, but I really did enjoy it. Bob Russell writes with such a friendly voice, and much of his advice can be used by anyone in their lives.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone in or entering a life of ministry. I think it will be very helpful to you, and it's always nice to get advice from...

Hello everyone! I am back today to share my thoughts on Saving the Saved  by Bryan Loritts.  This book explains many common mistakes that Christians make: primarily trying to work our way into God's affection, which just leaves us all exhausted. Instead, he proposes ways in which we can live happily in God's performance-free love, while serving him out of love and not duty. He explains the importance of still doing service and good works, but we should be doing them out of a love for God, not because we're trying to earn his favor (because that just won't work). We do these things because of,  in response to , God's love. Serving God will usually require you to make sacrifices in your life, whether that's giving away money and possessions, or simply forgiving a person when they've really hurt you. While it usually seems to go against our nature to do these things, Loritts explains how important it still is, and though it may be uncomfortable o...