Restoring the Christian Family
By John Loren and Paula Sandford, Charisma House, softcover, 320 pages, $14.99.
Books on parenting tips and marriage advice abound on bookstore shelves today. But John Loren and Paula Sandford’s approach examines the entire structure and interaction of the Christian family. They emphasize that Christian values must be the basis for every aspect of the family, from marriage to discipline to nurturing and everything in between. The authors stress that Christian families develop and thrive when each member first focuses on his relationship to God, and that parents should not try to be perfect, instead allowing Christ to lead and work within the family. They don’t limit their teaching to just the traditional family. The authors also discuss such topics as divorce, remarriage and grown children returning to live at home. The Sandfords provide wise insights into biblical principles from which all Christian families can benefit.
—Jeff Friend
The Prophetic Church
By R. Loren Sandford, Chosen, softcover, 224 pages, $14.99.
In a world of increasing spiritual darkness, Christians are crying out for a great revival to sweep the land. But according to R. Loren Sandford, senior pastor of New Song Fellowship, real culture-changing revival must come through the emergence of prophetic lighthouse churches. These communities are characterized by focusing on God’s presence, allowing the freedom for God to move, cultivating a culture of honor and providing a healing atmosphere. Sandford provides many biblical and personal examples of the functioning of a prophetic lighthouse church, and shows the impact it can have on the culture when passion for God and the unity of the believers replace formality and indifference. His message is not one of condemnation but of encouragement and hope that lighthouse churches will rise up and be beacons of God’s love and grace in a dark land.
—Jeff Friend
Evidence For The Resurrection
By Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, Regal Books, hardcover, 224 pages, $22.99.
With Easter approaching and modern skeptics still questioning Christ’s resurrection, this volume by leading apologist Josh McDowell and his son, Sean, provides reassurance of the truth of those accounts. Released simultaneously in editions for teens (Jesus: Dead or Alive?) and children (Jesus is Alive!), this heavily researched book is divided into three parts. They explore the need for the resurrection, its personal meaning and the evidence for this event. Mature believers may want to skim the first two sections to delve into the last half concerning the evidence. Of note is the chapter in which the authors review facts that must be reckoned with in any discussion of the resurrection. They also address various attempts to explain it away, documenting ways in which critics have relied on fancy or personal opinion to attack its veracity. Ultimately, the McDowells show that historical accounts and scriptural testimony line up at the same place—the resurrection is for real. No other explanation can account for a church that survives 2,000 years after Jesus rose from the grave.
—Ken Walker
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