Journey to Jesus: A 6-Session DVD Curriculum

The jacket cover of this 6-session DVD curriculum reminded me that the goal of this teaching was for "Building Christ-centered friendships with Muslims." All six sessions were delivered with the love of Christ without compromise and each group of Christians and Muslims connected (respectively) via children, food and college.

I watched the Teaching Slideshow. I did not know that Hinduism was the first world religion. I also was educated regarding exactly who Buddha was. The Maps of War was excellent. For the educational value alone, this teaching would be perfect for a small group setting.

Session 1&2 with Kate and Salima was my favorite. The common bond which allowed Kate entrance to become friendly with Salima was their children. The balance Kate had between her home life, her Christianity and prioritizing her time was quite admirable. Salima was drawn to her and the relationship became one I would like to enjoy with a neighbor. Theirs was a casual, no pressure but caring relationship.

Sessions 3&4 focused on Larry and Azim. Their relationship focused around food (almost to a quasi-gluttonous degree). They were co-workers and Larry held Azim in high esteem for Azim's technical abilities. As with Kate and Salima, the two initially met outside their homes, but the last scene showed Azim at Larry's house. I liked that the end scene left me knowing that plans were to be made to continue the friendship.

Sessions 5&6 was the most challenging and frustrating relationship to observe. Brian and Abdul were partnered to work on a college assignment regarding world religions. A very angry Abdul was difficult to get along with and poor Brian was so kind, yet clearly persecuted. I was very sad about how their relationship ended but this demonstration of rejection was so very relatable!!

Journey to Jesus did an excellent job of portraying ways to connect with Muslims and each takeaway stuck with me. This DVD curriculum would be perfect for Sunday School class, a women's group or just to pass along to Christian friends. Nowadays, we are meeting many people from many walks of life. We must be educated and navigate the fine line of how to be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:14-15). God reminds us in His Word that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). But above all we are called to love our neighbor; of which the definition is basically = anyone we come in contact with!

Speaking of the Word, it would have been refreshing and helpful to hear Scripture read during the interactions. I don't recall hearing any Scripture spoken. Possibly, I missed it, but I do not recall hearing any verses. 

I recommend this product from Tyndale House to be an excellent tool to share the love of Christ with Muslims without compromise (a delicate balancing act!). Sharing is truly a matter of life and death. Christians need to be prepared! This resource is a great first step in preparing to share the Gospel with Muslims.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their blog network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges in Time? By Joel C. Rosenberg

My main reason for accepting this title for review (other than reading a non fiction work by the talented and anointed author Joel C. Rosenberg), was to learn something new about these last days (Matthew 24:4-14). I learned many factoids as well as history with regard to the First and Second Great Awakening in America.

Undoubtedly, this book is for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Implosion could possibly be a difficult read for someone who is not familiar with the Bible. But,it could be a great type of mentoring gift to give a friend in which you can come alongside your friend and read together! I was so happy to read an invitation to make Jesus Lord (Romans 10:9-11) near the end of the book! I applauded that inclusion and was reminded of the author's mission of evangelizing all of his readers.

This book was 349 pages, however I gleaned the most new information starting on page 210. I quote, "A country cannot recover or be revived, however, if her people are sleeping. And a nation is in even worse danger if the church is largely sleeping too. After all, the church is the institution ordained by God to be a light to the nations. While America isn't mentioned as a key player in the last days, the church certainly is. While some have called America the "last best hope" of a turbulent world, the truth is that the church is the "last best hope" of America."

The author nailed this fact throughout the book, instructing his readers about the true role of government as God impressed upon our country's framers. Another quote from page 212, "You see, while the economic, political, and security failings of our country are deeply troubling, there is a much more insidious danger facing our country. It is a danger that threatens to make restoration and revival impossible. I am speaking of the spiritual blindness in America." Amen and Amen.

I was halfway through this book when President Obama was reelected.And so, understandably,  I was encouraged by Mr. Rosenberg's continuous reminder that God is in control of government and that each of us who live for Christ must seek Holy Spirit revival.

I was interested in learning about George Whitefield's realization as presented by Charles Wesley about what exactly being born again was. I appreciated this distinction and the examples in the 1700's and 1800's of men of faith who struggled to find a personal relationship with Jesus as opposed to a religion. I also did not realize about the revival in America in the 1970's.

Chapter 16 was my favorite chapter because of its helpful application. I appreciated the list of things I could do in these last days. I also gleaned insight into what 2 Chronicles 7:14 and specifically all of 2 Chronicles 7 means and doesn't mean for me as an American (verses Israel). I'm sorry, but every year it seems each Christian group in America uses the Chronicles 7:14 Scripture for their mission statement for the National Day of Prayer. Seems to me that asking God for His blessing that day is all well and good, but this verse in context is for Israel first and foremost. Knowing God's love for Israel, I intend to pray more than I have in the past for Israel, especially on the National Day of Prayer. I appreciated that insight.

I fully intend to take the author's advice and study Joel, Nehemiah, Ezra and Josiah as God used these Bible heroes back in the day to call His people to national repentance as well as to lead others to a renewed "hunger" for the Bible.

While this book did not provoke "shock and awe" in regard to my Last Days knowledge (I have studied this topic extensively throughout my 15 years of being a Christian), I do believe many readers will need to purchase multiple highlighters, go through oodles of pens making notes, and never have to dust the jacket on Implosion. I do believe this book would be an exceptional aid in a small group study, though it was not marketed in a Bible Study format per se.

Buy it today, read it cover to cover, glean all you can and then read it again. Buy your friend a copy, keep a copy and write your loved ones name on the cover. You never know when the Rapture will come. Your unsaved family member will read it long after you have gone on to eternal glory. Implosion will never become an outdated resource and it already has (post election) become a prophetic tool in which to share with anyone you come in contact with regarding history, politics and Jesus.

Now is the time to get serious about not only America - but the world. It's never too late to make a spiritual or economic change until GOD says it is....

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Journey to Christmas: 2 DVD Set

Loved it!

This anointed double DVD set was beautifully delivered. The scenes magnificent as well as the sounds crisp and clear. I forgot I was watching from my couch. I felt as if I were taking this very special Christmas Journey along with the 5 Modern Wise Men!

The cast of characters:

Rory - Jewish and Christian Roots but has better understanding of what love is with family than God.

Nazreth - Protestant and Catholic upbringing but searching and looking for inspiration to reignite her artistic endeavors.

Drew - Adopted and in a crisis of faith. He is searching to have a personal encounter with God.

Kim - She has found faith but still has doubts and wants to prove that the Gospel is not just a "White man's Gospel."

Dusty - A born again lover of Jesus Christ just excited to walk where Jesus walked.

Where do I begin to explain this wonderful presentation? There were so many interesting facts given about when Jesus was born, how he lived, who he interacted with, and just the Middle East in general.

The other aspect of this "reality experience" was the interaction and shared experience of the five strangers that became friends. Their guide Nazir Shaheen (bless his heart!) has such an obvious love for the land and he is gentle and sincere in his wanting Drew especially to understand the Truth of the Bible and how so much of what they experienced matters.

My favorite part of Journey to Christmas was in the Church at Shepherd's Field when Dusty sang. Oh my! Tears flowed. I found myself watching Dusty throughout the experience. Drew also was drawn to her and even admitted he was a bit jealous to see Dusty's obvious love of Jesus. Dusty exuded an almost flower-child aura which really appealed to me. I also saw that same quality in Nazreth.

Nazreth was quite but respectful and her summary after being home awhile really touched my heart. I appreciated hearing how each of the five sojourners felt about their time in Israel after they had been home awhile. I was sad I admit that a few of them hadn't come closer to a personal relationship with God, but like Dusty said, You never know what lessons will be learned later in life after experiencing what the group experienced (my quote).

I wanted to scream when the group was hanging out talking about The Wailing Wall. I cheered for Drew and sighed as Rory didn't see the deeper meaning to what was happening at the wall. Nazreth got it and she came away from that wall with a new respect for people and the faith of those who mourned and prayed at that wall. I truly hope the religious aspects of the trip were explained in context with Old Testament and New Testament. Sadly, many in Israel are religious but not in relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray all four (Dusty got it) understand life is not about religion, but relationship. Religion was present and I pray all the pieces came together and that the group will one day understand why Jesus died for them (especially Drew. He pulled at my heart strings!!)

Golgotha was hard to see and I cried along with Dusty. There were so many joys and emotional scenes. I plan to watch this DVD again and again and to share it with as many as possible. This 4-session Holy Land Study experience should be part of a youth group, Advent, small groups and in so many more venues. It was a precious film and a wonderful example of the fact that the Bible is true and that our faith is a gift.

Praise God Bible experts were included: Hugh Ross, Paul Maier, Craig Evans, Claire Pfann and Stephen Pfann. This was truly a special experience for me and I am so grateful to Tyndale for this amazing opportunity to review such an amazing product!

You can learn more about this film by visiting www.journeytochristmas.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their media review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.