Book Reviews: Andy’s 2022 Reading Experience

I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.


In Tangible, Chris Sicks introduces a concept that I have not come across before, an “apologetics of mercy”. The one who practices this is then a mercy apologist. He says if we were to help someone in need, like a single mother, for instance, then: “The merciful apologist steps into her life, addresses her physical burdens, soothes her emotional scars, and then presents Christ as the answer to her heart’s pain”. (p 26) He does an excellent job presenting the case that too often we Christians think they can win someone to Christ by giving them a great argument, by telling them about Jesus. The truth is, many people are not interested. But when you show people you love them and care for them in practical and real ways, they begin to wonder why. Now you can tell them its because of Jesus. When people experience God through your presence in their lives, God can love them through you. And often they will respond by surrendering to Jesus, because you spent time with them and loved them and just went out of your way to show them the love of Jesus. Sicks refers to this a “show and tell”. Don’t think telling people about Jesus alone, don’t think about showing people God’s love alone, but do both together and see what a difference that makes as people experience the God you are talking about through your relationship with them. Show and Tell.

Book Reviews: Andy’s 2022 Reading Experience

I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.


LIGHT UP THE DARK – by Douglas A. Balzer

Light Up The Dark is an encouragement to restore healing and deliverance to disciple making. Doug walks through the historical decline of healing and deliverance from its prominence in the ministry of Jesus and the Early Church to its eventual relegation to history and the occasional miracle. He shows how something that was central to the ministry of Jesus has been allowed to fade into the background as if God doesn’t want to work in that way anymore. This book wakes us up to the fact that healing and deliverance should be part of making disciples and what the average disciple would practice. He is calling for a restoration of healing and deliverance to its prominent place in evangelism and discipleship in the way that Jesus and the Apostles practiced. A great read for anyone who wants to truly bring the church back to its role of bringing healing to the hurting.

Book Reviews: Andy’s 2022 Reading Experience

I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.

BROKEN SIGNPOSTS – by N. T. Wright

N. T. Wright always makes you think. In this book, he works through themes found in the Gospel of John. He focuses in on seven themes: Justice, Love, Spirituality, Beauty, Freedom, Truth, and Power. He shows how each was to be a signpost pointing to what the effect of Christ’s coming in this world should be. He concludes, “By the power of the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah, crucified and risen from the dead, they can become genuine signposts, mended signals, missional marker posts.” He is portraying what effect Christianity should have in this world.

Book Reviews: Andy’s 2022 Reading Experience.

I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. I hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading too.


ATOMIC HABITS – by James Clear

James Clear has written a well-researched and scientifically backed book on how small habits can lead to big changes. By “Atomic” he means small, like atoms. Small changes can have great affect over time. The book breaks down how habits are formed and how new ones can be created or old ones overcome. James gives a number of examples that help to make sense of what he is teaching.

I especially like how he ties our habits to our identity. Deciding it would be good if I would run occasionally is very different than calling yourself a runner. If you are a runner, then you run. If you are trying to make a habit of running because I need to lose weight you will not have the same impetus as if you were identifying as a runner in the first place.

Want to overcome bad habits? Want to start new beneficial ones? Then this book will be a great help!!

Keep reading

Andy