Andrew Smith's Blog

My name is Andrew. Come and have a look inside my life and watch me share what is on my heart.

Destined to Win: How to Embrace Your God-Given Identity and Realize Your Kingdom Purpose by Kris Vallotton Book Review







In Destined to Win, Kris Vallotton explored the topic of discovering our true destinies and finding out who we truly are in Christ. He stated that we are His inheritance, His child, family, apple of His eye, and He will protect you from your enemies. He shared about how we are supposed to proactively care for our souls from the inside out and the power of love. He also looked at how we can benefit from having Godly counsel in our lives. He came up with seven helpful core values and seven relationship definitions. He also discussed about how we must build healthy boundaries and not try and become the Savior of the world and please everyone. 



I would recommend this amazing book to anyone who is ready to discover their destiny and purpose in life. I liked how this book covered multiple different aspects of what our destiny encompasses. Kris did an excellent job at looking at who we are in Christ and he reminded readers of this. I liked how he included many scripture verses that conveyed what Christ wants us to know. One of my favorite topics was about how he discussed the lie about how time heals our wounds. He revealed the only real way to true freedom is to change the way we think about the past and the pain. We always find healing in forgiving people who hurt us. This prevents them from having power over our lives. This will immensely help us to have more peace and happiness when we are living in our destiny. 



"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program."




If you would like to purchase a copy of Destined to Win, check it out on Amazon.com:



Getting Jesus Wrong: Giving Up Spiritual Vitamins and Checklist Christianity by Matt Johnson Book Review






About the book:

 
Jesus is not a life coach, a movement leader, a cultural visionary, or a blessing dispenser-but you might not know that by listening to many Christians talk about their faith.


Feel-good slogans promote a caricatured Jesus made in our own image who cannot save us and leave us feeling guilty for not saving ourselves. Following the wrong Jesus disappoints us and produces anxiety, pride, and despair.


The first half of Getting Jesus Wrong recounts pastor and author Matt Johnson's personal encounters with a string of false saviors-false saviors that many, especially young adults, will recognize. Johnson's humor and transparency in recounting his own painful experiences will appeal to those who have tried a "brand" of Christianity and found it lacking.


The truth is, we all want something from Jesus. Some are just hoping for a little help to get through life-a new direction, a purpose that will get us up in the morning, an exercise plan, a way to get organized. But that approach to Jesus doesn't result in real faith or love.
Whether we've followed a false Jesus or attempted to coopt the real Jesus, 
Getting Jesus Wrong ultimately offers us hope because it helps us see Jesus as he is. 


Getting Jesus Wrong shows that the message of the Bible is about Jesus coming to us as we are-which is good news for exhausted and disillusioned disciples. It shows us that getting Jesus right means a whole new way of thinking (the way up is down) and a whole new way of life (daily dependence on the one who knows the beginning from the end). Getting Jesus right gives us more than spiritual vitamins or a blueprint for living; it gives us a full, rich life spent exploring the depths of gospel love together.



My Review:


I would recommend this amazing book to anyone who is ready to explore the false saviors and they are ready to learn about the real Jesus. This book massively looked at the theology of Christianity and what we believe about Jesus and how many of us have it wrong. I liked how Matt Johnson wasn’t afraid to explore the topics of Jesus as a life coach, movement leader, cultural visionary, checklist Jesus, and more. I especially connected with his many different decisions to church hop and he always wanted something new and be a part of something bigger that would more impact. I loved how he discussed the law of God and how important it is for us to be taught about Jesus and his forgiveness.

“I received a review copy of Getting Jesus Wrong from Litfuse for this review.”

About the author:





Matt Johnson is a husband, father to two little girls, and is an armchair student of theology living in Seattle. He is also a freelance writer and editor. Until recently, Matt spent 7 years as an associate volunteer pastor in counseling and recovery ministry.


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ATG Today App Review



ATG Today is a brand new app that contains a daily Bible verse. It was created by the founders of Awakening to God Ministries. It also allows the user to journal and add an image to remind themselves of something God is showing them. It has two different modes: day and night with different questions users can answer. Some of the questions ask about what we are thankful for, what God is speaking to us today, what we are praying, how God has touched our lives today, and how we could have shown God’s love more today. It contains a calendar where users can back track and see some of their previous posts. There is a reminder notifications feature. The app also shares with readers eight minutes about they encouraged readers to take eight minutes a day to build their relationship with God.







I would recommend this new daily Bible verse and journal to anyone who is looking to grow their relationship with Christ. One of scripture verses that came up on the devotional app was Luke 12:7 and this one reminded readers about how God knows all of the hairs on our head. We are reminded to not to be afraid. We are more valuable than the sparrows. I truly believe the new journal has the potential to positively impact our lives. If users would just take eight minutes a day to reflect and mediate on God’s word and how He is trying to speak to us. I liked how the journal allowed you to take photos and contemplate how our day went and what we are praying for. If you’re looking for a brand new app to grow in your relationship with Christ, then download this one! 




About Awakening to God Today (ATG Today):

A devotional journal to help you enjoy your walk with God, with thanksgiving from your heart, everyday touches and prayers. Inspiration for 8 minutes with God at the start of your day, learning to hear His voice, memorize scripture, pray and journal. Lots of great ideas to build your faith, share scripture, encourage others and strengthen family devotions.



Can watch the video ‘How Do You Keep Living After the Death of Two Children’ at: www.awakeningtogod.org and see Mission, Vision and Strategy under About.



            A little about the founder’s: Gerald & Jeannie Long experienced success and wealth based on the values of the world and also the deepest grief and suffering from the death of two of their three children.  On their journey, God has revealed His grace and glory to them in extraordinary ways.  In particular, they’ve experienced how God is able to redeem the most painful areas of our lives and turn them around for good.  Gerard has caught a deep awareness of eternity and Jeannie has experienced God’s presence and glory when she was close to ending her own life.  Their marriage has triumphed when all seemed lost and they’ve learnt invaluable lessons on their unbelievable journey.  And, they have a very clear message of God’s calling for each Christ follower to obey the Great Command and the Great Commission.

The purpose:


·         to inspire and encourage thousands of people in their walk with Christ (hopefully, leading to another ‘Awakening’ – see 2 Chron 7:14); and
·         to raise the funds to: dig a well in 100 villages in India, provide 40,000 meals to widows and orphans, 15,000 mosquito nets and a medical team for immunizations, cataract operations and other services.

Watch promo video: (60 sec) - https://youtu.be/QmYoDXjHi8o



How to:
1.             Signing Up (Apple users) – Tap the App icon on your iphone    > tap search icon at the bottom > type in ATG Today > tap Get > type in itunes password > the App will download > register your details (bottom RH corner) > log in and enjoy ATG Today.
2.             The link to download the app, if needed is: awakeningtogod.org/today