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.

Like Father, Like Son: How Knowing God as Father Changes Men by Pete Alwinson Book Review







My Review:



In Like Father, Like Son, Pete Alwinson explores how vital the role of fathers have on their children. He shared the dangers of fathers not connecting and engaging with their sons and how they left a whole void inside their hearts. Pete shared one story about how a young boy was forever changed when his mother told him the harsh truth that he was conceived in an affair and his father stated that he didn’t want anything to do with “it”. This hurt the young boy and affected his entire life. He suffered from nightmares until he dug into scriptures. He was changed by believing that he was loved by His Heavenly Father. Pete explained how God becomes our Father and how we need to find our identity in Christ. God designed us in His image and He calls us His children and He declared that we are loved. 




I would recommend this life changing book to any men especially to those who didn’t have a very affection father and they are ready to seek their Heavenly Father. This book taught me a lot about my identity in Christ and how God has blessed us with every spiritual blessings. God has already forgiven us for all our sins and He sent His only Son to die where we could one day live forever with our loving Creator. This also means we don’t have to live with a performance based mindset. We don’t have to live from approval from others, because God has already accepted us. This book has the potential to change reader’s lives and help them to know their Heavenly Father.



“I received a review copy of Like Father, Like Son from Litfuse for this review.”



Like Father, Like Son

by Pete Alwinson   
Men's Nonfiction
New Growth Press 

Call it machismo, masculinity, or manliness---it can never anchor a man's life, shape his identity, or repair what is broken in his relationship with his earthly father. Key Life men's ministry expert Pete Alwinson shows convincingly how a growing relationship with our heavenly Father gives a man real purpose as a son, father, brother, or friend.


If you don't know what it means to be a "real man," there are approximately 2,341 books that will tell you how. But Like Father, Like Son is a refreshing message of grace amongst the voices encouraging men to "just do it" or pull themselves up by their bootstraps. By focusing men on their biblical, core identity---being sons of the Father by grace---Like Father, Like Son channels the thirst for adventure and freedom into a radical exploration of grace. Filled with stories collected from the author's forty years of men's ministry, Like Father, Like Son is sure to connect with and encourage men where they really live.

Books are available to US and Canadian bloggers. 


Share on your social media:
A new kind of #dad book. #Review @Pete_Alwinson's Like Father, Like Son with @Litfuse: http://bit.ly/1Y4Aisj  



 Meet the Author


Pete Alwinson is Vice President of Leadership and Men for Key Life Network and has pastored in a variety of settings for 30 years. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, teaching communication and theology of ministry, and has written and spoken nationally for Man in the Mirror and Key Life. He has been married to Caron for 36 years and has two married sons and one college-aged daughter.

Read what others are saying: 



Christmas Ideas!

OAC-Gift-That-Lasts-All-Year-Facebook-Cover 

What’s on your children’s Christmas wish list? As excited as they might be about that new toy, as every parent knows, the thrill of the gift will eventually wear off. Focus on the Family and Adventures in Odyssey have created the perfect gift for those who want to give their children or grandchildren a present that will provide year-round fun with eternal impact.

The Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC) offers families 24/7 access to 25 years’ worth of Adventures in Odyssey (AIO) episodes in a safe online environment where children can explore and learn. Christmas really is the perfect time to tap into your children’s imagination while infusing faith and fun into their day . . . and every day of the year.

To celebrate the holidays this year, the OAC is offering free content for everyone, including an Advent calendar, a broadcast download with tips to create a memorable Christmas, AIO cutouts and Christmas stocking stuffer cards. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:
  • Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
  • On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
  • 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
  • A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
  • A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.
In keeping with AIO’s rich heritage of teaching children about biblical principles — such as the importance of giving — a portion of each OAC membership benefits Focus on the Family partner organizations. Here are a couple of examples of what has been accomplished through Odyssey Adventure Club members:
The Odyssey Adventure Club wants to reach beyond fleeting entertainment this Christmas, partnering with parents in helping their kids grow deep in faith and find their place in God’s story.

talesadvent 

Speaking of the holidays, you can prepare for Christmas with Thriving Family's 2015 Advent Activity Calendar — Tales of Christmas Past: 25 Inspiring true stories of the season. Assemble a beautifully designed Advent poster to help your kids focus on Christ this Christmas. Then read Scripture passages and stories that relate to individual flaps on the poster. You can also create easy-to-fold booklets for each story. Get more information about this year's free Advent calendar at ThrivingFamily.com/Advent, or sign up to download it.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

ESV Men’s Devotional Bible (English Standard Version) Book Review









ESV Men’s Devotional Bible is a brand new devotional and Bible written with men in mind. This Bible contains special introductions to the different chapters. It also includes helpful articles in the back of the Bible on topics such as singleness, marriage, fathering, doubt, leadership, a man’s work, and many more. The Bible has a dictionary of key terms to help readers to comprehend meanings of important words. The Bible also had a huge index list of all of the devotionals where it is easier to discover devotionals on a topic that you are having an interest in.



I would recommend this amazing Bible to every single men. The Bible was very easy to read and this was a new translation of the Bible I haven’t read before. I was impressed as how well the ESV version was easy to understand. I loved how the devotionals were written with men in mind. I truly believe this will assist in getting men interested in reading their Bible’s again and digging deeper into the Living Word of God. One of my favorite devotionals was entitled, “Does God Want to Answer Prayer?” based off of James 5:13-20. Greg Gilbert was retelling a story about how he was with a group of his friends and one of his friend’s young son asked for a cookie. The boy’s father willing told his son that he could have a cookie. Greg shared that he objected and he was reminded how much his father wanted to give his son what he wanted. In the Book of James, one of the main idea is the importance of praying for the suffering, the sick, forgiveness of sins, and anything else we need to pray about. We are reminded that God hears our prayers and He listens to our yearnings. 



About the ESV Men's Devotional Bible:



Our world presents daily distractions that can easily displace Christ as the center of a man's heart and life.  The goal of the ESV Men's Devotional Bible is to strengthen and encourage men through the life-giving Word of God and sound devotional content aimed at nurturing godliness.  With 365 theologically rich and gospel-centered devotions drawn directly from the Bible, this all-new resource was created under the editorial oversight of Dr. Sam Storms with contributions from over fifty Christian leaders.  Introductions orient men to each book of the Bible, exploring its unique contribution to a man's walk with God.  Thoughtful and instructive articles address the importance of sound doctrine, life in the local church, leadership, the heart, calling, and a host of other relevant issues for today.  The Men's Devotional Bible will strengthen men in their walk with Christ, helping them apply the gospel and the truths of God's Word in their homes, churches, and workplaces. 



Features:
- 365 brand-new devotions
- Brand new book introductions
- 14 brand-new articles
- Dictionary of key terms
- Ribbon marker
- Smyth-sewn binding
- Lifetime guarantee on TruTone edition
- Packaging: slipcase (TruTone), L-card (HC), permanent slipcase (Cloth over Board) 



Retail Price: $34.99



About Crossway:


The purpose of Crossway has been, from its founding as a not-for-profit ministry in 1938, to publish gospel-centered, Bible-centered content that will honor our Savior and serve his Church.   They seek to help people understand the massive implications of the gospel and the truth of God's Word, for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

SOCIAL • CORNER (LINKS TO USE ON YOUR BLOG POST) 






"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”


a Rafflecopter giveaway

NKJV Prophecy Study Bible: Understanding God’s Message in the Last Days by John Hagee Book Review






NKJV Prophecy Study Bible is an updated version of the 1997 Prophecy Study Bible. In this new Study Bible, John Hagee has incorporated many helpful references to guide readers into understanding the Bible and what the Bible has to say about prophecy being fulfilled. In the first part of the book, John Hagee explored the topics of prophecy and the last days and what we can expect by digging into what the scriptures declare. Throughout the Bible, he has included special sections such as, “Top 20 Questions about Bible Prophecy, Diamonds for Daily Living (the Book of Psalms), God’s Great Promises, God’s Great Salvation, Evidences, Spokesman for God, Bible Insights, and Bible Prophecy Charts and maps”.



I would recommend this amazing Study Bible to anyone who is pondering how different prophecy was fulfilled and they are curious about the end times. I love reading and watching John Hagee on TV. He knows tons of scriptures and he has a way of teaching the messages where people can understand. I loved how this Bible shared content about the rapture, the Great Tribulation, and the Antichrist and the False Prophet and the prophecy still to come. It was very eye opening to read about Sodom in Ezekiel 16:49 and Jude 7 and to see a list of how in the end days the world will once again look like Sodom. Some of this list included, “pride, having enough to eat, sexual immorality, failure to help the poor and needy”, and much more. I loved all of the extra features John Hagee enclosed in this Study Bible. I liked the helpful master index to Bible Prophecy because this index was written on a total of 12 pages and it displayed where the original prophecy was listed in scripture and where it was fulfilled. In reading through this list, I could tell that John Hagee put a lot of effort in writing this expansive list. He also included a list of “Monies, Weight, and Measures” in order to explain the different measurements in today’s terms. This is one of my favorite Bibles and I plan to use this one in my personal study of reading God’s Word. I highly recommend this Bible!



"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 NKJV Prophecy Study Bible, check it out on Amazon.com: