Tuesday, December 2, 2014
REVIEW: Look and Live by Matt Papa
I will be reviewing Look and Live by Matt Papa this week! Be on the look out!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Dirty Faith, by David Z. Nowell: A Review (Bethany House Publishers)
www.bethanyhousepublishers.com Dirty Faith: Bringing The Love Of Christ To The Least Of These
Author: David Z. Nowell
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Review by Donna Reames Rich
Reading Dirty Faith, by David Z. Nowell, was inspiring for me. Though Nowell does tend to repeat himself with certain phrases - "dirty faith" and certain sentences that he repeated several times in a chapter, possibly for emphasis, but a bit confusing for this reader - overall, this book was a powerful and down to earth look at the validity of and need for missions in the lives of all Christians today. Nowell uses intriguing anecdotes throughout the book to illustrate his premise that every believer should have a heart for missions, whether or not that heart leads to hopping a plane to go out of the country, or supporting missions by sending financial support to and regular, consistent prayer for missionaries. A master at turning a phrase, Nowell finds ways to draw the reader in, get straight to the heart and soul of the matter. I found myself inspired and challenged by this book, to the point that, unlike any other book I have reviewed, I have decided to buy copies and send copies of this book to several of my friends who are deeply interested in missions.
"I want to leak grace." This opens Chapter Four, and is an example of Nowell's ability to draw you in, make you think. This book seems as much a personal testimony of Nowell's own deep desire for and calling to missions as a call to the rest of us. This vulnerability is appealing in its transparency, and deflects any thought that Nowell is trying to preach at his readers. Throughout the book, I felt strongly the sincerity and honesty in Nowell's personal credo: this man lives, breathes and is in a passionate love affair with missions. That passion translates itself into an almost evangelistic fervor.
The specific mission focused on by Nowell is that of the group Hope Unlimited for Children, founded by veteran missionary Jack Smith and his son Philip Smith. Deeply wounded by the problem of street children in Brazil: nearly 5,000 children were brutally assassinated during their sleep on the streets, with a particularly savage attack on eight sleeping children on the steps of the Candelaria Church in Rio: the father-son team made a radical decision to put feet to their faith, and set out for Brazil to set up an orphanage meant specifically to reach out to the street kids population.
Nowell describes in fascinating detail the birth of the fledgling mission. Speaking no Portuguese, with no funds and no solid experience in working with such a high-risk population, the Smiths plunged ahead, determined to find a way to help these children. A dilapidated property in Campinas, about an hour from Sao Paulo, was donated. Once called the City of Youth, the property had fallen into gross neglect, but it was 35 acres and it was a building: to the Smiths, it was a true Godsend.
This book goes on to share the story of how the mission grew from very trying beginnings to where it is today, a thriving ministry that has helped many children over the years. One of the most appealing parts of the book are the real-life stories Nowell provides of people who are, as he calls it, "living lives of dirty faith". Reading the stories of Yara, Tatiani, Lucia ...you are captivated by the gritty reality of their lives on the streets, and warmed by the unexpected outcomes that happen to them because of the impact of missionaries in their worlds. This book will make you want to fly to Brazil to see for yourself, or, more importantly, it may make you eager and willing to become a missionary yourself, in the traditional sense of the word.
That's what it did for me. I reaffirmed a long ago call to missions, and am going to begin now, for the three years my last child has in high school, to prepare myself for eventual full-time missionary work. Caroline will graduate and Mama will head off to the mission field. Though God had already called me, this book by David Nowell had a huge impact on solidifying and clarifying that call.
Nowell writes, "I want this book to change our world.....to be part of a ball rolling downhill, absolutely crushing the evil in this world that consigns so many people to live on the very fringes of existence." He continues, "I want it to change you....and, ultimately, if enough of us get there, the world is going to change."
I would say this book is a pivotal part of getting that change to start: one reader at a time.
Author: David Z. Nowell
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Review by Donna Reames Rich
Reading Dirty Faith, by David Z. Nowell, was inspiring for me. Though Nowell does tend to repeat himself with certain phrases - "dirty faith" and certain sentences that he repeated several times in a chapter, possibly for emphasis, but a bit confusing for this reader - overall, this book was a powerful and down to earth look at the validity of and need for missions in the lives of all Christians today. Nowell uses intriguing anecdotes throughout the book to illustrate his premise that every believer should have a heart for missions, whether or not that heart leads to hopping a plane to go out of the country, or supporting missions by sending financial support to and regular, consistent prayer for missionaries. A master at turning a phrase, Nowell finds ways to draw the reader in, get straight to the heart and soul of the matter. I found myself inspired and challenged by this book, to the point that, unlike any other book I have reviewed, I have decided to buy copies and send copies of this book to several of my friends who are deeply interested in missions.
"I want to leak grace." This opens Chapter Four, and is an example of Nowell's ability to draw you in, make you think. This book seems as much a personal testimony of Nowell's own deep desire for and calling to missions as a call to the rest of us. This vulnerability is appealing in its transparency, and deflects any thought that Nowell is trying to preach at his readers. Throughout the book, I felt strongly the sincerity and honesty in Nowell's personal credo: this man lives, breathes and is in a passionate love affair with missions. That passion translates itself into an almost evangelistic fervor.
The specific mission focused on by Nowell is that of the group Hope Unlimited for Children, founded by veteran missionary Jack Smith and his son Philip Smith. Deeply wounded by the problem of street children in Brazil: nearly 5,000 children were brutally assassinated during their sleep on the streets, with a particularly savage attack on eight sleeping children on the steps of the Candelaria Church in Rio: the father-son team made a radical decision to put feet to their faith, and set out for Brazil to set up an orphanage meant specifically to reach out to the street kids population.
Nowell describes in fascinating detail the birth of the fledgling mission. Speaking no Portuguese, with no funds and no solid experience in working with such a high-risk population, the Smiths plunged ahead, determined to find a way to help these children. A dilapidated property in Campinas, about an hour from Sao Paulo, was donated. Once called the City of Youth, the property had fallen into gross neglect, but it was 35 acres and it was a building: to the Smiths, it was a true Godsend.
This book goes on to share the story of how the mission grew from very trying beginnings to where it is today, a thriving ministry that has helped many children over the years. One of the most appealing parts of the book are the real-life stories Nowell provides of people who are, as he calls it, "living lives of dirty faith". Reading the stories of Yara, Tatiani, Lucia ...you are captivated by the gritty reality of their lives on the streets, and warmed by the unexpected outcomes that happen to them because of the impact of missionaries in their worlds. This book will make you want to fly to Brazil to see for yourself, or, more importantly, it may make you eager and willing to become a missionary yourself, in the traditional sense of the word.
That's what it did for me. I reaffirmed a long ago call to missions, and am going to begin now, for the three years my last child has in high school, to prepare myself for eventual full-time missionary work. Caroline will graduate and Mama will head off to the mission field. Though God had already called me, this book by David Nowell had a huge impact on solidifying and clarifying that call.
Nowell writes, "I want this book to change our world.....to be part of a ball rolling downhill, absolutely crushing the evil in this world that consigns so many people to live on the very fringes of existence." He continues, "I want it to change you....and, ultimately, if enough of us get there, the world is going to change."
I would say this book is a pivotal part of getting that change to start: one reader at a time.
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