10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith (book review)

Hate: (n) a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action. *
(WordNet Princeton University lexical database for the $English language)
Jason T. Berggren authors the book, "10 Things I Hate About Christianity." He is so honest, and transparent through the common, and very damaging misconceptions that Christians hold concerning their faith, prayer, brutality of hell, and the role of the church in the life of a follower of Christ. Berggren is a 20-year follower of Christ as a pastor, church planter, and founder of Stongarm~ which is one of the most influential bands in the history of Christian hardcore music.
10 Things I Hate About Christianity records the raw process of one man's faith, set against the real-life backdrop of his roles as former rocker, husband, father of three, and small business owner. Readers will examine the complicated aspects of understanding:
*Faith *Love
*Prayer *Hell
*The Bible *Answers (to difficult questions)
*Sin *Church
*Rules *Christians
Berggren believes that many are moved by the teachings of Jesus, and we want to believe and follow. He thinks we just get disconnected somewhere and can't work through it.

"10 Things I Hate About Christianity shares in the open the things we all think behind closed doors. We all reach certain impasses in our lives. This book is meant to be an encouragement and to help people get around the common roadblocks of faith." In his conversational, casual style, Berggren encourages readers to seek resolutions to the big questions of life that can ultimately lead to faith in Jesus: Why are we all here? What's it all about? Is there more to this?

Ultimately the book 10 Things I hate about Christianity is about the 10 things that author, Jason Berggren has hated about Christianity over the years. It reveals how he has worked though his frustrations. He calls it "the intersection of real life, simple faith, and raw emotion."

Be sure to check out Berggren's blog, More things I hate, which is a perfect place for believers, seekers, and skeptics to engage in the kins of discussions that fill the pages of his book. Featuring the latest non-chick movie trailer to laugh-out-loud personal reflections to commentary on current events. Berggren describes his blog as "the ongoing version of the book."

You can purchase your book at Amazon.

Ten Dumb things smart christians believe (book review)

Just Because “Everyone Believes It” Doesn’t Make It True
People don’t set out to build their faith upon myths and spiritual urban legends. But somehow such falsehoods keep showing up in the way that many Christians think about life and God. These goofy ideas and beliefs are assumed by millions to be rock-solid truth . . . until life proves they’re not. The sad result is often a spiritual disaster—confusion, feelings of betrayal, a distrust of Scripture, loss of faith, anger toward both the church and God.

But it doesn’t have to be so. In this delightfully personal and practical book, respected Bible teacher Larry Osborne confronts ten widely held beliefs that are both dumb and dangerous. Beliefs like these:

• Faith can fix anything
• Christians shouldn’t judge
• Forgiving means forgetting
• Everything happens for a reason
• A godly home guarantees good kids
…and more.

You may be shocked, relieved, and inspired in the pages of Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe. Myths can get you hurt, but the truth with set you free!

You can find this book on Amazon.

Real Moms....Real Jesus!

Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments..
Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.
Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!
There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.
Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.
What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.
What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.
There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book!
There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.
This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!
Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at www.jillsavage.org.
Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.
You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking here.
And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources here.