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Showing posts with label intimacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intimacy. Show all posts

The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community By Randy Frazee



In The Connecting Church 2.0, Randy Frazee explored the configuration of the church in today’s times and how over the years it has changed dramatically. This version of the book is a revised edition. Randy Frazee begins the book by introducing characters Bob and Karen. They have two children and both spouses work busy filled jobs. Like most Americans, they struggling with having enough time during the day to get everything completed. Most nights they fix frozen meals because they don’t have the time to cook and prepare proper meals. Sometimes they even are bringing home work. They attend a small group that meets every other week. They are wanting to have deeper friendships and more meaningful relationships. But the small group setting just isn’t enough connection to make lasting relationships. They are longing and looking for more but they don’t know how to obtain it.

 

Randy Frazee pointed out that God has created us for community and connection with other people. He backed this up with research on the importance of community. One study at the Ohio State University Medical Center revealed that marriage improves your health, boosts immune systems, and you heal faster from sickness. Having intimacy in our marriages is more important than we may realize. Another study conducted has shown that males that provide and take care of their children have attachment hormones and they bond to them. Positive relationship is what all of us long for but many of us struggle to find people we can be real with, hang out with, and share our deepest secrets.

 

The book stated that God is consisted of three persons known as the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He desires to know each person He created intimately. Adam was created from the dust of the earth and God knew that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Some of us like to be independent and we believe that we can survive in this life without letting anyone know the real us. Connecting with others require risk that not everyone is willing to take. God has written the book of Acts to prove that we need others and community.

 

The book covered “Five Characteristics of Community Around a Common Place”. Some of these included frequency, sharing meals, availably, and more. The book also included ways and suggestions on how to create an authentic community and reach out to your fellow neighbors.

 

I would recommend this helpful resource to anyone who are longing to find noteworthy relationship with your neighbors and community. Time have changed and most of us don’t even know our neighbors names. I can honestly say this was talking about me because I don’t know many of them. I live on my own land so it’s a little bit more challenging to find people to start a friendship with. But really I haven’t tried. The biggest concept that I found myself agreeing with was the author’s findings on how important uniting with others truly is. I thought the suggestion of inviting people over to share a meal, pray, read the word, pray together, and serve our neighbors was immensely beneficial. I believe that Randy Frazee is living what the book preaches and I would love to be able to experience the deep connection among my neighbors that he has. This book will change churches and communities for the better if we apply the principles presented. Authentic communities are something most of us are looking for and it’s been around us the whole time and it’s still possible to have deep friendships! This book will inspire you to reach out to others, get to know more people, and develop a community. If everyone would form a friendship and create a community of believers with their neighbors imagine, how much the world would be happier and fulfilled.

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Connecting Church 2.0, then check it out on Amazon.com:

 


 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Zondervan for this review”.

Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough By Justin and Trisha Davis Book Review



 

Beyond Ordinary is a memoir from Justin and Trisha Davis about striving for an extraordinary marriage. Most of us struggle and settle for an ordinary marriage. We tend to think we’re doing just okay in our marriages it’s not really that bad. But meanwhile we’re longing for a better marriage. Justin and Trisha Davis got engaged shortly after dating for about six months. They both were in love and had high anticipations of how their marriage was going to be different from most. Over time their love for each other was beyond tested in ways they never saw coming. Justin was very determined to pursue ministry full time and he was very driven to reach out to the community and bring people to Christ. They eventually started arguing more and the resentment and bitterness slowly crept into their marriage. They both struggled to let offences go in their marriage. A big part of marriage is being intimate and sharing your concerns instead of hiding and stuffing our emotions and shortcomings. Justin made a decision and chose to have an affair with Trisha’s best friend, who also was active in the church. Justin came clean to Trisha and this book shared in details how they had to seek God for their healing and forgiveness. Trisha had a choice to make either to forgive him or to get a divorce.

 

 

I would recommend this magnificent book to anyone who is single and hoping to eventually get married and to anyone who is already married. Singles and married couples would greatly benefit from learning how Justin and Trisha Davis overcame a lot of their brokenness and how they began to forgive and heal from the wounds inflicted in their marriage. The book is more geared towards marriage couples. Let me just say that, I’m not yet in the target audience and I’m single. But I reviewed this book because I’m trying to gather and learn as much as I can before I find someone to marry. And I read it to acquire how to become a better husband and father. This book has helped me to see where some of the problem areas occur in marriage and how the little things over time erode and try to destroy the marriage and prevents intimacy from happening. I believe this book has assisted me into becoming a better husband and father for whenever that time might be. I am also planning to re-read this one together with my future wife.

 

I loved how transparent Justin and Trisha were in this memoir. Justin revealed many times in the book the bad choices he made and how he had to let God change him. Justin had to face the fact that he gave into temptation and had an affair. He also learned at his core that he got his value from his work in ministry and he feared failing. He also cared a great deal of what people thought of him. I personally connected with Justin because I also have fears of failing and I care what people think.

 

I immensely loved the suggestion of praying for your spouse and most importantly praying with your spouse daily. Justin and Trisha stated that only a small percentage of Christians pray with their spouse, which I personally think would help marriages feel closer to God and their spouse. This is something I plan to begin in my marriage and I want to teach my children that it’s extremely important to pray to our Heavenly Father. Justin and Trisha also included a chapter on sex and how they had to have “the talk” to their boys. They wanted to pass down the important of sexual purity and the need to only be one with your spouse. This chapter infinitely instilled in me the significance of discussing sex to my future children and why it’s imperative to wait until marriage.

 

This book covered multiple topics that will benefit your marriage if you apply the knowledge and work towards an extraordinary marriage. You don’t have to settle for just an okay marriage, go for the marriage that God created! Even when you’re broken and hurt keep striving for oneness with the person you committed yourself to. If you’re looking for a book to help you improve your marriage, then read this one that contained real stories from Justin and Trisha to support you in your journey!

 

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Beyond Ordinary check it out on Amazon.com:

 


 

Justin and Trisha Davis also have a program called MentorUs to assist couples in getting closer and improving intimacy in their marriage. The program is a subscription based package that is only $10 dollars per month and the lessons are a total of twelve months. You can choose to pay $79 dollars one time for the membership and you get 35% off. Each month contains a RefineUs Principle and you will be emailed an assignment that will benefit and transform your marriage. You will also have access to video and audio downloads and be emailed a video message once per month.  

 

For more information about MentorUs check out it on the link below:

 
 
Meet the Authors: Justin and Trisha Davis

 

Read Chapter One:


 

Check Out What Others Are Saying About the Book:

 


 Check out the Beyond Ordinary Trailer:


http://www.tyndale.com/x_products/videos.php?flv=BeyondOrdinary_1.flv 

Follow Justin Davis on Twitter:


 

Follow Trisha Davis on Twitter:


 

“Like” RefineUs on Facebook:


 

Check Out RefineUs for More Information to Help Benefit Your Marriage: