Enemies of the Heart

I didn't realize that I had heart disease until I read this book.  I also discovered that the type of heart disease I have can't be treated with a prescription drug.  If you decide to read this book, you might be as surprised as I was to discover that you are afflicted with a spiritual heart disease.  Perhaps it's time for a check up.

Being an excellent communicator, Andy Stanley keeps you riveted to Enemies of the Heart as he discusses four destructive emotional forces that compel you to act in undesirable ways and have the power to destroy your home, your career, and your friendships. Guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy are described by Andy to be a spiritual heart disease that has the potential to “destroy you and squeeze the life out of your most valuable relationships.”

Andy quotes Proverbs 4:23 NASB, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.” Whether it be good or bad, whatever is in our hearts is eventually translated into words and deeds. Reading this book will likely cause you to realize that you too, like many of us, have a spiritual heart disease that we aren’t aware of. Thankfully, in his easy to understand and practical advice, Andy helps you get to the root of your bad heart condition and provides biblical direction for healing.

Once again, I’ve been enlightened and inspired by the writing of Andy Stanley. I’ve already recommend it to several friends and will certainly promote it through my church library.

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogging for Books book program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Grace of God

Andy Stanley is one of my very favorite speakers and he writes just the way he speaks – powerfully! Consequently his book, “The Grace of God,” is a powerful lesson on how much God loves us and freely gives us His grace with no strings attached. Grace is unmerited favor – we don’t deserve it and we can’t earn it. Andy is gifted with the ability to explain, describe, and peel back layers until he brings you to the point of a full and deep understanding of the scripture he’s teaching on. He did just that for me as he explained that the grace of God began even before the Garden of Eden. He led me on a journey through the Old Testament, highlighting many acts of God’s grace given to biblical figures – Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jonah, Rahab, and even the thief on the cross – to name a few. And then we come to the New Testament where Andy teaches on the parables of Jesus. But this is not a brief explanation after a quick read of the scripture. As Andy helps you to come to a deeper understanding of grace, you are rewarded with background information of the customs and practices of the Jewish people which sheds a more bright and wonderful light on the meaning of the parables and how grace is intertwined throughout them.

The book is written in a conversational style that is smooth flowing, uses plain language, and is easy to understand. It is one that I would highly recommend to others. I am very happy to have this book on my bookshelf for future reference and inspiration. As of now, it is the very favorite of my library.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing a complimentary copy to me through their BookSneeze program. A positive review was not required and the opinion expressed here is my own.