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.

Galatians: A Biblical Study by Joyce Meyer Book Review




In Galatians, Joyce Meyer explored the whole book of Galatians which was written by the apostle Paul. This book of the Bible, Paul stands up for the truth of the Gospel and he discussed legalism. Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for all of our sins but many people still struggled with trying to live in works of the flesh. Joyce shared topics that Galatians covered such as, “people pleasing, reaping what we sow, walking in the Spirit, and much more. Paul opened up about how if we were trying to please people, he wouldn’t be a servant of Christ. Joyce shared how she wondered how many people have missed their callings for their lives because they are afraid of not pleasing people. She shared in her own life how when she first started to preach how people judged her because she was a woman. She was asked to leave her church and she shares how she had to choose to not be a people pleaser. Another topic, Paul wrote about was about living and walking in the flesh and this can include sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, selfish ambition, and a lot of other sins. He also discussed the fruits of the Spirit: love, peace, joy, goodness, gentleness, and more. Joyce explains how we are redeemed through Christ and forgiven for our sins. This in turn should encourage readers to want to strive to walk in the Spirit and try and not walk in the flesh and sin.


I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new Bible study and they are wanting to learn more about Paul and what his life can teach us and how we can deal with legalism beliefs. I liked how Joyce Meyer digged into the scriptures and tried to explain it in terms that everyday people could understand. One of my favorite topics, she went over was the importance of not living controlled by people pleasing. She also looked at Paul’s conversion from Saul and how he used to persecute believers. And now Paul was living his life to please God. I liked also how she went over the fruits of the Spirit and how believers can choose to display Christ’s character and teaching in their own lives. Each chapter also shared a question where readers could ponder and answer. If you’re looking a new Bible study, then read this one! 



"I received this book free from the publisher, Faithwords for my honest review.” 





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


The Mind of God: How His Wisdom Can Transform Our World by Bill Johnson Book Review




In the Mind of God, Bill Johnson explored the truth of God’s wisdom and His incredible power and how we can spread hope to the world. He begins the book by looking at the greenhouse effect and how our culture is made up the values, attitudes, and social norms. The plants are Kingdom truths from the word of God. We have to received Kingdom values, where we can influence others and try to lead them to Christ. He shares that as believers, we must learn to pray for life as it is in Heaven. We’re expected to reach the unbelievers and to share the good news. In the book, he explored the seven spheres of influence and how to pray for each one. Some of these included, family, religion, government, arts and media, science and technology, and much more. Believers are encouraged to pray for the environment around them where we can see mountains move and transformation can occur. The book also covered the three manifestations of wisdom: creativity, integrity, and excellence. He revealed the power of tapping into all three of them and seeking them for the Kingdom of Christ. He strongly encouraged believers to seek God and pray for new ideas and wisdom where we can use them for the Kingdom of God. 



I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is lacking in wisdom and they are wanting to seek God and gain in Godly wisdom. I immensely loved how Bill Johnson looked at how we can have Heaven on earth here right now and we can pray and ask God for wisdom. I liked the section on the seven spheres of influence and how he encouraged us to pray for all seven. We especially need to pray for all the cultures around us including the government, arts and media, science and technology, and our families. Many of us right now are living in fear of the coronavirus virus and this book reminds readers to pray for our spheres of influence daily and to seek God’s wisdom. This book will help readers to pray and receive the wisdom from God and to try and reach the lost. 




“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers/ Chosen book review bloggers program.”     






If you would like to purchase a copy of The Mind of God, check it out on Amazon.com: 



Thriving in Love and Money: 5 Game-Changing Insights about Your Relationship, Your Money, and Yourself by Shaunti Feldhahn and Jeff Feldhahn Book Review




In Thriving in Love and Money, Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn explored the topic of money and how it affects our marriages positively and negatively. For this book, they enlisted the help of a research team that consisted of at least twenty people. They surveyed more than 3,000 people of married, cohabiters, and many other demographics. Money is one of the difficult stress in marriage and it can also cause lots of arguments. They found out the best thing in marriage is being able to discuss money and budgeting openly and sharing what the other person is feeling. One of the things, they discovered was that the real issue is how we feel about money and our subconscious thoughts and they shared what was really going on below the surface. The book looked at different view and values in order to show readers that our spouse’s values things different from each other. We have to discuss and be open to listening to what the other is feeling about money. They also dived into the different feelings men and woman had and they took turns explaining the fears and insecurities we both have about money and how we view money differently. They also explored the busters of non-unity and some of the excuses we tell ourselves such as, it’s my money and my account, wanting to be in control of everything, being independent, and much more. In the opposite side, they looked at unity builders such as, believe the best of your spouse’s intentions, create join ownership in your finances, and much more. 




I would recommend this great book on money and how to thrive in marriage. I immensely like how they switched voices throughout the book to help readers to see both sides of handling money. I liked they both share how they handled their own money talks and what they have learned about each other throughout the process. I think this book has the potential to help marriage couples to learn to talk about money more openly and they won’t be so afraid to have a discussion about budgeting, saving, and spending. I loved how they both encouraged you to read this book together and to make notes and to discuss with your spouse. If you’re looking for a book to help you with handling money and having important money discussions, then read this book! 




“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers/ Chosen book review bloggers program.”     





If you would like to purchase a copy of Thriving in Love and Money, check it out on Amazon.com: 




The Shift: Courageously Moving from Season to Season by Keion Henderson Book Review



In the Shift, Keion Henderson explored the transition times and how we can deal with the shift and changes during these times. Keion describes how he was playing in the basketball Division I at Indiana University and how he had big dreams to become professional. During a game, he tore his ACL and his career was over. He opened up about how he became a minister and the setbacks he had to overcome. He explained what he felt during this shift and change in these different seasons. Throughout the meantime seasons, he learned how to deal with loss, disappointment, and painful circumstances. In these seasons, we have to rely on God’s strength and let him train us and heal us. In the book, he shared how he was raised by a single mother and how he learned who is father was. His father was a pastor of the church he attended and how he confronted his dad. His dad told him it had to stay between them. He shared how he felt rejected and not worthy enough of love since his father wouldn’t claim him. He opened up about how he tried to fill the void in the soul by getting married to an older woman with three children. He admitted he wanted to have an identity and she told him she would love him where he wouldn’t remember that his father wasn’t there for him. She couldn’t ever fill the void because she wasn’t meant to and they eventually got divorced. He shared with readers that we must heal from our pain first before we can truly give love to another person. He had a spiritual father who explained to him how to release the anger and hurt. He shared with him the story of Mephibosheth and how he didn’t get to know his own father, Jonathan and grandfather, King Saul they had both died. He was also dropped by his nurse and was now crippled. He shared how maybe Keion’s father was dropped by his own someone in his life long before he produced Keion. He learned through this that he had to forgive him and stop blaming him. He explained what he learned through this shift and how this made him stronger as a person. 



I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is struggling in their current season and they need guidance on how to survive the shift. I love how open he was about his life and how he chose to forgive his father for all the hurt and pain. I believe it was very powerful in looking at Mephibosheth story and how we can in turn look at the bigger picture. We can recognize the difficult people we are having trouble forgiving might have been dropped by someone in their own life. I immensely believe many people will be able to relate to Keion’s story and be encouraged by his words to get through their own shift and seasons they will experience in their own lives. I really enjoyed the story he shared about the power of decisions and how he almost changed the course of his own life when he was in the sixth grade. I believe readers will be amazed at this story. I liked how he included a shift key section for each chapter that had a summary, questions, and a prayer. If you’re looking for encouragement during the shifts and seasons in your life, then read this book! 



"I received this book free from the publisher, Faithwords/ Worthy Publishing for my honest review.” 





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