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    There are many excellent books on the shelves in your local Christian Bookstore and in your church library, books you should read and would benefit from.  However, I have recently read three books that I sincerely believe all of us need to read - truly "must read books".  If you only have time to read three books this year - make those three books, these three books and give copies of them to everyone you know - they'll make great gifts for any occasion.  I sincerely hope the publishers for these books are planning to work with the authors to develop curriculum to go along with their books so we will better understand the truths in these books and how they live out in our everyday lives.

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Heaven Is A Place On Earth Author - Michael Wittmer Publisher - Zondervan

• Favorite Features -
• looks at what it means to have a truly real Christian worldview and why everything we do matters to God
• provides a Biblically sound view of what Heaven is and shows why it will be on earth
• shows how everything God made is good and how God planed for us to enjoy His creation
• challenges and encourages us with the truth of "Emmanuel" - God with us - God will actually be with us on this earth one day!
• shows how God created earth as the perfect place for humans to live, really live, enjoy the life He gave and have the ability to truly fellowship with Him - and how that will be restored one day!
• questions and case studies in the back for small groups to work through

    Every believer should read this book.  Pastors should reflect it's teaching in their preaching and in so doing lives would truly be made real as Christians come to understand God's plan for creation and people.  I sincerely hope to see curriculum available soon to help us understand the truths presented in this book.  Tremendously well done Michael and Zondervan!

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Inklings of God Author - Kurt Bruner Publisher - Zondervan

• Favorite Features -
• challenges our picture of Who God Is - what our "inklings" are
• each chapter ends with an "Inkling of God" -
• we laugh because God is Delightful
• God made us for happiness
• God seeks and offers intimacy
• God's clues of Himself are obvious to humble eyes
• God invites us to life
• it is God Who makes the wrong right again
• and many more

    This is a truly powerful book that seeks to provide many of the answers to the questions we have had about God and life and encourages us with the truth, that, yes!  God can be known and just like air, God is here for us and with us!  Tremendously well done Kurt and Zondervan!

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Finding God Where You Least Expect Him Author - John Fischer Publisher - Harvest House

• Favorite Features -
• challenges us to see God in all our life - not just when looking up, but when we look around at the world God made for us, too!
• shows how God wants our spiritual and material lives - all of us
• challenges us to view Jesus as if He is one of us
• cautions against being a cultural Christian who believes the world isn't safe and we need to screen/shelter ourselves and our kids from it, but to rather be a Christian who lives in the culture and sees the world as an exciting place and who engages the culture rather than runs from and rails against it
• shows how all of life is sacred and we need to be challenged by it to seek God in our daily lives and reclaim what is good about being the humans God made us to be
• extremely important chapter on what real worship is and isn't - i'm so glad to see someone standing up and challenging us to view worship as far more than just singing a few songs in church on Sunday, but rather real worship involves all of our lives, all week long - THANK YOU!

    I find this book to be absolutely incredible!  I love the challenge to let God touch us at every level of our lives and that with Jesus, nothing is insignificant in our lives!  Keep the party going!!!! Tremendously well done John and Harvest House!

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Library Resources Table of Contents

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