The Soldier Who Killed a King by David Kitz (Book Review!)

The Soldier Who Killed a King

by David Kitz

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2017

Number of pages- 286

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4485-2

David Kitz has written an intriguing novel from a different perspective of the Holy Week. 

Marcus Longinus is the centurion who is in charge of keeping the streets free from rebellion, because of the king who arrived on the back of a donkey.  King Herod, the Jewish high priest Caiaphas, and Pontius Pilate are all players in this final week of Jesus’s life.  This book shows the plotting of King Herod and the confrontations between Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate.  Marcus spends time with Jesus and begins to change his mind.

Will he change his mind about the man everyone is talking about or will he think the same as Caiaphas  

About the Author-

David Kitz has written Little Frogging Explores the BIG World and Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven and Earth.  He is an outreach minister with Foursquare Church and a Bible dramatist.

My thoughts-

I thought a book that was about Jesus’s death would make me feel a lot more emotional, but this book didn’t.  It could be that since it was written from a man’s point-of-view, there wasn’t as much emotion as there would be if it was written from a woman’s point-of-view.  I think that men would like this book more than women, since it was written from Marcus Longinus’s point-of-view.

I liked how well each character was written, and I especially liked the eiplogue which talked more about the main characters of Herod Antipas, Joseph Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, Jesus, and the centurion.     

I would recommend this book.  It has an interesting perspective from that of the Romans.  It is also a good book for those who want to learn more about Jesus and the week leading up to His resurection.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Soldier Who Killed a King, by David Kitz, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Skin in the Game: Living an Epic Jesus-Centered Life by Rick Lawrence

Skin in the Game: Living an Epic Jesus Centered Life

by Rick Lawrence

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Christian Life / Spiritual Growth

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 143

Age Group- Adult (primarily men)

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $13.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4359-6

Skin in the Game, by Rick Lawrence, is all about living a life centered on Jesus.

Each chapter begins with a question, like “Will You Risk?” and focuses on a Bible story.  In this chapter , it is the man who was blind from birth (John 9).

All of the chapters end with discussion questions.

Read an excerpt.

About the Author-

Rick Lawrence blogs at www.youthministry.com.  He is a church leader, speaker, and executive editor.

My thoughts-

Skin in the Game, by Rick Lawrence, was an interesting read.  I think this book would be great for both men and women.  I think it would be a better fit for men, because it is written by a man and tells a lot about his own experiences.  There are so many books written for women today, that I always enjoy finding a book that is geared toward men.   

I do not know if men will be interested in the discussion questions at the end of each chapter.  I think women will enjoy thinking about what they learned.  I am always glad when a book has end-of-chapter questions.  I like being able to go back and think about what I have read.

I liked how each chapter was titled as a question, because it answered a question which is important to knowing how I can live a life with Jesus at the center.

I enjoyed reading and learning how to live a life centered around Jesus.  I recommend this book to you.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Skin in the Game, by Rick Lawrence, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

My Little Life of Jesus written by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright

My Little Life of Jesus

By Karen Williamson

Illustrated by Amanda Enright

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Christian / Children / Bible Stories

Published by- Candle Books

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 68

Age Group- Young Children (ages 3-5)

Description of book- hardback, listed price- $8.99, ISBN 978-1-78128-131-4

My Little Life of Jesus is a padded book for three- to five-year-olds which tells the story of Jesus.  In 68 pages children will learn about Jesus’s birth, the telling of his parables, a map of where he traveled, and his death.

About the Author-

Karen Williamson has three children and specializes in Bible stories for young readers.  She has worked as a publisher’s editor and a London primary school teacher.

About the Illustrator-

Amanda Enright trained at St. Martin’s College of Art and Camberwell College of Art.  She is inspired by Matisse and Picasso.

My thoughts-

I loved My Little Life of Jesus,  by Karen Williamson.  It is the perfect book to teach young children about Jesus.  I liked the map which showed where Jesus lived, the fun illustrations, and the references to the verses in the Bible.

The one concern I had about this book was that it showed Peter and John finding the tomb and there was nothing about Mary and the women going to the tomb first.  I would have preferred having the women first, but I did think it was very neat to have the men included.  I have never read a picture book which included Peter and John.  It is a good thing to teach to young children.

I think this is the perfect read aloud book for families with young children.  Older children could read it to younger children and they would all learn something.  I recommend My Little Life of Jesus to all families.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received My Little Life of Jesus, by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Gospel Formed by J.A. Medders (Book Review)

Gospel Formed: Living a Grace-Addicted, Truth-Filled, Jesus-Exulting Life

By J.A. Medders

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Christian Life / Devotional

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 200

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4358-9

Gospel Formed: Living a Grace-Addicted, Truth-Filled, Jesus-Exulting Life.  The title says it all!  That is exactly what this book is about.

This book contains 28 chapters which should be read one per day (so you can focus on one topic per day).  There is also an excellent introduction which is a “gospel primer.”

The five parts of this book are:

• “The Gospel Starting Block”
• “What is Gospel Worship?”
• “What is Gospel Identity?”
• “What is Gospel Community?”
• “What is Gospel Mission?”

Read an excerpt.

About the Author-

J.A. Medders currently lives in Texas and is the lead pastor at Redeemer Church.  His website is www.jamedders.com.

My thoughts-

Gospel Formed, by J.A. Medders was an excellent book, very inspirational.  As Christians we need to live a life based on the gospel.  I know there are many times that I forget this and focus on myself and not the gospel and Jesus Christ.  I was intrigued and inspired by the time I was done reading this book.

There were many different things I enjoyed about this book:

• the daily readings
• the personal stories from Medders (I spent a lot of time chuckling)
• the introduction

One of my favorite parts of this book was the section that told me how to read this book, because it told me exactly how I needed to read it, so I would get the most out of it.  I was supposed to read one chapter a day, but I found them so interesting that often I read two or three daily.  I think I would have learned more from them if I had just stuck to one per day.  I plan on reading this book again.  I want to be able to learn as much as I can for this book.

This book taught me so much about living the gospel life.  I highly recommend it to every Christian. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Gospel Formed, by J.A. Medders, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Look Inside: The Time of Jesus by Lois Rock and illustrated by Lorenzo Orlandi

Look Inside: The Time of Jesus

Look Inside: a Lift-the-Flap Discovery Book

By Lois Rock and illustrated by Lorenzo Orlandi

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Christian / Children’s / Bible

Published by- Lion Children’s Books

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 16

Age Group- Children 5-7 (I think 1-8), Grade Level K-2

Description of book- Hardback, Listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7459-6398-3

 Do you know a young child who enjoys lift-the-flap books?  Look Inside: The Time of Jesus is the perfect book for them.

In this book the child will learn all about the life of Jesus, from His birth to His death.  There are flaps on each page to open, with text explaining what is happening in each scene.  Many parts of Jesus’s life are discussed in this book, His birth, life when He was a child, His days as a teacher, and more.

About the Author-  Lois Rock uses her knowledge as a mother and church leader to write her Bible stories, prayer books, and information books.

About the Illustrator- Lorenzo Orlandi has worked with magazines, advertising agencies, and publishers.  He specializes in illustrating nature, science, agriculture, and history.

My thoughts-

I was really excited when I began looking at this book.  It is more than just a story of the way life was in Jesus’s time, it is a story of His life, including some of His parables.

I did not realize it included different parables until I read the book with B and C and we carefully read the text that went with each flap.  There was the story of the praying Pharisee and the humble praying man, the lost sheep, and on what ground the grain grew.  I thought it was great that those stories were included, because it can lead to great discussions with children who have never heard the story before or it can remind the reader to share what the story means to us.  It turned out that what I thought was just a simple children’s book was so much more.

The illustrations are wonderful and help show what the story is discussing.  This book would not be as wonderful without the illustrations and the flaps.  I have rarely seen a book that combines the story with the flaps.  There is so much in this book.  Each child who reads or looks at it will learn more each time they see it. 

I really enjoyed this book and so did my children.  They are learning more about Jesus each time they look at the book.  This is the perfect book for young children to begin learning about Jesus.

C a nine-year-old girl says, “I really liked the illustrations.  It was fun reading the book.”

“I liked Look Inside: The Time of Jesus.  I liked the flaps to lift.  My favorite flap to lift was the stable in Bethlehem.  I liked the other lift-and-flaps throughout the book.  Overall I would recommend this book to children young than I am,” says B, almost eleven-years-old.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Look Inside: The Time of Jesus, by Lois Rock and illustrated by Lorenzo Orlandi, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.