Banished by Lauren Drain with Lisa Pulitzer

Lauren tells the story of her family and how they came to be a part of the Westboro Baptist Church. Her father wanted to create a documentary on the church and their picket activities. He was taken by the church's work and moved his family to Kansas.

Lauren began to go on the church demonstrations. Her first was at a Billy Graham revival. The church's position was that Graham was a false prophet because he preached to the masses. The church taught that a certain lifestyle and procedure were required to get into God's Kingdom.

Lauren gives a history of the church, how it came to be and how it started picketing. The Phelps family contains many lawyers so they would always make sure all the legal requirements were met for their protesting. Every activity was video recorded so they would have proof if a law suit was necessary.

Lauren says the church was actively trying to have people see God's truth, to have a new awareness of God's wrath. After all, they were not the ones hating. It was God who hated.

When people yelled at them it validated their concept that God's prophets were abused and hated. “It made you a better Christian.” (118)

Lauren soon adopted the mindset of the church. Anyone not from their church was confused and had been brought up wrong.

Pickets focused on homosexuality as the pastor “considered it to be the basis for all God's judgments against mankind.” (116) Those in the church believed they “were the group most actively trying to change the world.” (184)

Obedience was essential and there was internal policing. It was not appreciated when she asked questions about Scripture and how it was interpreted. She noticed problems and inconsistencies. She saw a lot of hypocrisy.

Lauren got in trouble when she continued email contact with a young man outside of the church. She was ultimately banished from the church and cut off from her family.

I was impressed with the sincerity of Lauren as she recounts her experience in this church. She does not come across as vengeful or bitter. She sincerely believed in the spirituality of the pastor and the importance of their public work. She was devastated when she was banished and it took her some time to learn to live without the church's influence.

We've certainly seen the pickets. This is an excellent book for those who want to understand why the Westboro Baptist Church does what it does. It is important for readers to understand that the vast majority of Christians are not like those at this church.

Lauren Drain works as a registered nurse. She lives with her fiancée in Connecticut, where she enjoys outdoor activities. This is her first book.

Lisa Pulitzer is a former correspondent for the New York Times. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen nonfiction books.

Grand Central Publishing, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Landmarks by Bill Delvaux

Life is a journey but where is the map? That's where Bill says landmarks are important. “Think of them as points that chart out a journey we all need to take if we want to live well.” (4)

Bill has charted the journey with nine landmarks. The first four chart a downward decent to death. The fifth is a turning point and the final four landmarks describe the ascent to real life, the resurrection. He shares these landmarks as he experienced them on his own journey.

The first landmark on the decent to death is story. The story line of our life is disconnected from God's story. We want to be the author of our story, the director, the producer and the lead role.

Landmark two is idols – our life cluttered and choked with paraphernalia instead of the Creator of it all.

Wounds, the next landmark, have been inflicted on us and we try to hide them in the basement of our soul, even though they are meant to be owned, grieved, forgiven and healed. The landmark of sex reveals our brokenness.

Then we make the turn, searching for identity. We battle to find and live out our true identity.

We begin the ascent as we awake to the battle around us, the schemes of the devil. We may be called to a new level of discipline or self-sacrifice.

We find the bond, the connection to God Paul called “in Christ.” We begin to connect to one another.

We mate.

We engage the quest, running and finishing the race.

Those are the landmarks. Bill adds many of his own life experiences as he maps out the landmarks. He is very honest about the ups and down of his own journey.

Perhaps it is just me, but this seems to be a book specifically for men. I had a great deal of difficulty identifying with several of Bill's landmarks. For example, bonding. Women, in general, don't go on rafting trips where this type of bonding Bill experienced happens. And the quest is another one. It must be a man thing to go on a quest.

I would recommend this book to men who want to understand the journey they are on. I am sure they will find themselves within this journey Bill has described. I don't think women will find this book nearly as informative.

Bill Delavaux holds degrees from Duke University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and now leads Landmark journey Ministries as a full-time speaker, retreat leader, and small group coach helping others on the journey of life. Bill and his wife have two daughters. You can find our more about Bill and his ministry at www.landmarkjourneyministries.com.

B&H Publishing Group, 190 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from a publicity group for the purpose of this review.

Signs, Wonders and a Baptist Preacher by Chad Norris

Chad started reading the Bible and following what he saw there. He began to go deeper and deeper into the Kingdom of God. “So for me,” he writes, “the days of proclamation without demonstration are over. I have seen too much. I have heard too much.” (19)

Chad shares his own story, his struggle with depression and panic attacks, his disappointment with God. He went to counseling. He got medications. Later he tried to go off the medications on his own and suffered greatly, experiencing spiritual warfare.

He went to another counselor and at one of his sessions he saw Jesus. He surrendered to the Holy Spirit and His power. He decided to really read the gospels. His eyes were opened to realities he had never seen before. He began to understand more and more what it meant to follow Jesus. What was a reality for the disciples is a reality for us today.

God is closer than we think and more real than we think. It is possible to operate today the same way Jesus commanded his disciples to operate.

Chad listens to the Holy Spirit. He prays for healing. He gives people words of knowledge. “Faith for the impossible is a normal state,” he writes. (120) “Heaven is yearning for Christianity with demonstration.” (106)

Chad admits he doesn't have all the answers. Quite a few times over the last ten years he has prayed for people and nothing has happened. Faith is messy, he says. But he is willing to go where Jesus sends him.

And Chad admits he still battles anxiety and he is thinking of going back to counseling to work on a couple more areas in his life. “It is possible to struggle with the messiness of life and see the supernatural at the same time.” (76)

People ask Chad what they need to do to see the Kingdom manifest in their own lives. Get to know God more intimately than anyone you've ever known, he advises. “When we want Him more than everything else in the world, we will see His works flow naturally from our walk with Him.” (134)

I was impressed with this book because Chad is a “regular” guy. Although he is on staff at a church, he is not a theologian (by his own admission). He still struggles with anxiety. Yet God uses him and works through him. So, we have no excuse. God is waiting to work through us too. In fact, Chad believes that soon there will be no more distinction between charismatic churches and those non-charismatic. The supernatural will be moving to traditional churches. What is required, he says, is to stop ignoring what Jesus told us to do. If we call ourselves “disciples,” we need to do what he tells us.

Chad Norris is Pastor of Life Transformation at City Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Since joining the church staff in 2010, he has served as teacher, discipler and mission team leader to Haiti. Before joining the City Church staff, he co-founded Wayfarer. With that ministry he served as a writer and speaker, publishing several Bible studies. He has also served as college minister at the Church of Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. Chad and his wife have three children. You can find out more at www.chadnorris.com or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/author.chadnorris.

Chosen Books, 192 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from Chosen Books for the purpose of this review.

Fast Food Vindication by Lisa Tillinger Johansen

Obesity is feared to become an epidemic. Over 50 percent of Americans eat fast food. Is fast food the culprit or a scapegoat? Can you eat healthy fast food meals?

Lisa argues that yes, you can eat healthy fast food meals. There is much misinformation out there and she aims to change that.

Lisa says up front that she worked for the McDonald's Corporation as a real estate executive. Then she received her master's in nutritional science and is currently a registered dietitian working in the health education department of a major hospital in Southern California.

She says fast food is here to stay. It is our responsibility to learn how to eat for life and understand how fast food affects our lives. Armed with a bit of knowledge (and self-discipline), Lisa says we can incorporate nutritional food into a healthy lifestyle. She emphasizes that we must take responsibility for our weight. We cannot place the blame somewhere else. Fast food restaurants do not force feed us their food.

She gives a history of the fast food establishments and explains the benefits of the industry on labor and the economy. She also writes about the contributions of the various fast food chains to education and other causes.

She shows how to calculate our BMI and our BMR. She clarifies how we can find nutritional information about our favorite meals. (Finding this information is important as studies have shown we are not good at estimating the calorie content of food.) She includes tips for grocery shopping.

Part of Lisa's argument is that often the meals at sit down restaurants are much heavier in calories, fat, and sodium than fast food. I was shocked that some of the meals offered at restaurants contain more calories than one should have in an entire day and more sodium than three days!

Lisa reminds us that we are ultimately responsible for our own behavior. She gives us the tools we need to make better food choices, whether it is fast food or a meal at a sit down restaurant.

Lisa Tillinger Johansen spent seven years as a real estate manager for McDonald's Corporation before earning a Master's Degree in Nutritional Science from California State University Los Angeles. Now a Registered Dietitian at Kaiser Permanente, she teaches nutrition classes and counsels patients on a wide range of health issues. She lives in Southern California.

J Murray Press, 244 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Christianity Lite by Glen Berteau

Many church leaders today give pleasant, positive, and inspiring messages. On the surface, that might look like Christianity. But, Glen writes, it is not. It is only half the gospel. It is Christianity “lite.” It emphasizes the blessings but ignores the requirements. (This has been named Moral Therapeutic Deism, p.121.)

We don't need Christianity lite. We need the real thing. We need to die to self and live to Christ. Why don't we? Glen writes that there is a war going on in our hearts. “In Christianity Lite people are in control. They think they can choose to respond to God on their terms and on their schedule.” (23) True Christianity? The Father is in complete control.

Glen identifies the anorexic version of the gospel – it doesn't challenge and it doesn't inspire. At best it ignores the power of God and at worst it denies it. It thinks of prayer as an afterthought. It overlooks the clear, but uncomfortable, cost of discipleship.

“Jesus didn't come to make us happy. He came to humiliate our flesh so He could transform us and raise us to a new life.” (15) “When we follow Jesus, everything isn't always bright and sunny. We experience suffering, pain, and loss.” (96) Glen reminds us of the cost in pride, comfort, habits, and reputation. “If we're serious about following Jesus, nothing is off limits.” (110)

Glen is serious about living out real Christianity instead of the “lite” version. He gives many examples from his own life, the lives of others, and from the Bible.

Just a note for all readers: Glen is charismatic and one aspect of his encouragement to live out the full gospel includes authority to cast out demons and other aspects of spiritual warfare.

At the end of each chapter, Glen has included questions to stimulate thinking, guide prayers, and propel to action. These questions may be used on a personal level but would also work well for group discussion. Glen has also provided an appendix with suggestions for using the book in classes and groups.

Glen Berteau is the senior pastor of The House Modesto in Modesto, California, a church of more than 8,000. He has a master's degree in pastoral ministries and is the author of two other books.

Passio (Charisma House Book Group), 228 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

altar ego by Craig Groeschel

Craig writes, “If you've ever felt insecure, inadequate, or insufficient, this book is for you.” (9) Where do you get your worth? Do you believe what others say about you or what God says?

Craig wants us to discover how to live with an altar ego – God's view of us. He helps us find our identity baggage and then see our new identity in Christ.

He shows us specifically who God says we are. We are God's masterpiece. We are overcomers. We are ambassadors.

And when we know our true identity in Christ, it will drive our actions and empower us to live by God's values, not the world's. We are to live with patience, integrity, gratitude, showing honor, boldness – bold speaking, bold prayers, bold obedience.

Craig does not predict instant results. There will be challenges to overcome. “Almost everything worthwhile I'm doing today is a result of God helping me to overcome a challenge, a problem, opposition, or my own doubts.” (59) Nonetheless, Craig reminds us, we are super conquerors in Christ (hupernikao in Rom. 8:37).

Craig double-dog dares us to ask God to use us. He suggests we pray, “Lord, use me today, use me for your glory, make me bold, stir me up, give me eyes to see the needs of those I work with, give me a heart sensitive to those who are hurting, give me a prompting of the Spirit to minister to those who are around me.” (187)

We live in a time when we are urged to be all we can be, But we will never be who we are to be until we die to self and let Christ live in us. Reading Craig's book will help move that process along.

He illustrates his teaching with examples from his life, the lives of others, and from biblical examples.

While this is not an earth shaking book, it is a good book for Christians who want to understand more who they are in Christ and what He calls us to do.

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Lifechurch.tv, a pace-setting multicampus church and creators of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the author of several books. He and his wife and their six children live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Zondervan, 238 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Chance by Karen Kingsbury

What a great novel. This is what Christian fiction is all about!

Ellie and Nolan have been best friends since grade school. When Ellie is fifteen, it comes out that her mother has been having an affair and is pregnant with another man's child. Ellie's father, a legalistic Christian, throws his wife out. He takes a military reassignment across the country and tells Ellie they are leaving in a day.

Ellie and Nolan meet one last time, write letters to each other, bury them in a park and vow to meet again in eleven years. What follows are years of heartbreak and pain. Ellie never hears from her mother – not even a letter. And, even though Ellie has written to Nolan, he never responds.

After several years, Ellie, desiring love, reaches out to a young military man. When she becomes pregnant, she can no longer take her father's harsh words and leaves. She is making her way as a single mom, now estranged from both her parents. And Nolan, what about Nolan? He is a successful NBA star. Does he ever think about her? She thinks about him every day.

Angry at God, Ellie is resigned to her future. But God has other plans.

This is what Christian fiction is all about. It is about how God works in the lives of those who love Him. It is about forgiveness and restoration, even when it seems all is lost. It is about hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. It is about God loving us even when we have given up believing it is so.

There are some serious issues Kingsbury addresses in this novel. One is legalism. Ellie's father is very legalistic and alienates his wife and daughter when they fail to live up to his godly standard. Other issues include infidelity, pregnancy outside of marriage, and more. Kingsbury has given us much to think about in this novel.

Be sure and have a tissue handy when you get close to the end of this touching novel.

By the way, those who read The Bridge will be happy to read a bit about Ryan and Molly in this novel.

Karen Kingsbury is a New York Times best-selling author with more than twenty million copies of her award winning books in print. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and five sons, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. Their daughter Kelsey is married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky.

Howard Books, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Survivor by DiAnn Mills

Kariss Walker writes suspense novels, having made a name for herself on TV news and writing suspenseful romance. She is contacted by Dr. Amy Garrett, a woman who had been attacked when she was nine years old. While the attacker left her for dead, Amy survived. The attacker was never arrested. Now, twenty three years later, Amy wants Kariss to write a novel about her experience, hoping to draw out the man.

The man has been tracking Amy all these years. When he finds out Amy and Kariss are working on the novel, he decides to finally finish what he started then.

Right in the middle of the action is FBI Agent Santiago Harris. In the first novel in this series, Kariss abruptly ended her relationship with him. In this novel, we see them both struggling with their feelings.

This is the second in the Crime Scene: Houston series and I think it would be beneficial to have read the first in the series. While this book can be read alone, there is much that happened between Kariss and Tigo (Santiago) in the earlier book that is essential to understanding this one.

Mills touches on many issues in this book. She writes that she strove to depict realistic family dynamics in the midst of tragedy. We read about favoritism by parents and rebellion by a son. We are confronted with the infidelity of a pastor and a scorned mistress. There is a spouse who kept secrets and Tigo kept a secret from Kariss. There would certainly be a great deal to discuss at a reading group and discussion questions are included.

There is lots of action and suspense in this novel. Christianity is well presented and essential to many of the characters.

The only aspect I did not like about the novel was that Kariss sometimes seemed too naive. For one who had been through danger in the first novel and herself wrote mystery novels, she made some stupid decisions. While she is a fighter and strong character, some parts of her personality just didn't seem to go with the rest of her.

All in all, a pretty good novel with suspense and romance.

DiAnn Mills is an award winning author with more than fifty books published. She won Christy Awards in 2010 and 2011. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists. She and her husband live in Houston, Texas.

Zondervan, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book for the purpose of this review.