Aaron Shust has achieved another first. The award-winning CMA artist has released his first live recording album, “Love Made a Way.” It is his eighth album overall. His label, Centricity Music, wanted the live recordings. “That’s petrifying,” he said. “There’s something inviting and welcoming about going into the studio, and if you make mistakes, you just do it again. And so there’s something exciting about a live record.” Shust’s awards include Songwriter of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards in 207 and Song of the Year for “My Savior My God.” However, with his background as a worship leader, live performances are his favorite part of the music process. “Writing and every part of the process has its own joy.” When worship music is performed with people who join in, “Heaven is listening to the praise. That makes the performance extra special.” Cameras were used to capture the making of the “Love Made a Way” CD. That in itself was daunting, Shust said, because he saw his facial expressions live. He also had just lost his voice the weekend before, but overcame that challenge. “I was trying to remember the chords.” The album was recorded in The Tracking Room, a Nashville icon located close to Music Row and where One Sonic Society filmed a black and white video. To differentiate the Shust recordings, his crew set up the stage on the opposite end of the room. Some of the songs are new, while others are Shust classics. The track list is: 1. Heartbeat (Live) 2. My Hope is in You (Live) 3. Belong (Live) 4. You Redeem (Live) 5. Ever Be (Live) 6. God of Brilliant Lights (Live) 7. Cornerstone (Live) 8. Death Was Arrested (Live) 9. Resurrecting (Live) 10. My Savior My God (Live) 11. Lead On (Live) “You Redeem” was the first single off the album. More information is at aaronshust.com.

Followers of the Cross

Aaron Shust Goes Live

A new book provides a fascinating insight into the world of former President Obama’s outreach to faith-based communities. Michael Wear is an evangelical Christian who served in Obama’s Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the White House during the president’s first term. Wear directed faith outreach during the 2012 re-election as well. Wear also is founder of Public Square Strategies LLC, a consulting firm aiming to build bridges between secular and religious institutions with shared goals. The story of how a young college student became a White House staffer is told in “Reclaiming Hope,” published by Nelson Books/Thomas Nelson. The subtitle is “Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America.” Wear writes about how through a series of coincidences he basically walked up to then-Sen. Obama in a hotel and asked for a job with the future presidential campaign. Wear, a college student at the time, persistently stayed in touch with Obama’s staff throughout the 2008 campaign. He told me his contributions to the administration included bring people together “who wouldn’t have been in the same room” talking about feeding the hungry and how the church can help the unemployed. The Faith Based Office put him in touch with “people on the ground” who were doing good things. Wear talks about how the 2008 and 2016 Republican campaigns missed the boat by not reaching out to faith communities and how President Trump did. He also talks about hope at the intersection of faith and politics and poses some challenging thoughts for Christians.

A Christian in the White House

Family and music are both a way of life for Christian duo Grayson/Reed, and they wouldn’t have it any other way as they have found a certain balance in their lives. Husband and wife duo Molly Reed and Mike Grayson are releasing their new CD “Walk” on Jan. 13, 2017, just shy of their fourth anniversary in February. Molly granted me a telephone interview in early January to talk about “Walk” and other topics. Up until forming Grayson/Reed recently, Mike and Molly worked in separate musical careers. Mike was lead singer for MIKESCHAIR for 13 years, where he released three full-length albums and five Top 5 radio singles. Molly was a member of duo City Harbor and is a popular songwriter, having penned hits for a variety of crooners from Marie Osmond to Amy Grant to Francesca Battistelli. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Grailey. Molly said that she and her husband had wanted to do music together but did not know how or when it would happen. When they were pregnant, they didn’t wan to be separated by their careers so they took a leap of faith and trusted the Lord with their future. That led to the Grayson/Reed duo. “It’s been incredible, just getting to do music together as husband and wife,” Molly said. They drew from a deep well of family experience to write “Fight For You,” one of the six titles on “Walk.” Some inspiration also came from a video of Eugene Peterson and Bono talking about an alleged lack of authenticity in Christian music, according to a Grayson/Reed press release. The song draws from the couple’s marriage and fighting through the hard times that come with any relationship, Molly said. Modern culture presents a distorted view of love in which it’s OK to run away when a relationship becomes difficult, Molly said in the press release. “But the reality of love and a God-ordained marriage is you fight through those moments together, and you fight for that person and for their heart,” she said. Response for “Fight For You” has been great. She said one person said they were leaving their spouse, driving away, when the song played, and they changed their mind. Another said it would be the first song at their wedding. The title track, “Walk,” is a sassy, stimulating vocal that talks about how Christians must walk the walk in their faith, or “living out what I speak about … a little more action,” the song states. Molly was quick to point to the track “Bloom,” which was written for their daughter, to tell her to pray and always rely on God and know He’s there. The song talks about how the world will try to break you, but urges you to not let the world steal your hope. Molly also said she is grateful for the duo’s fans. “Thank you to anybody who checks us out,” she said. The website is graysonreedmusic.com. There is information about their tour and links to social media.

Grayson Reed Launches Walk Album

A new author wants your worship life to be the opposite of boring. John Hambrick is part of the leadership team at Buckhead Church, part of North Point Ministries in the Atlanta area. He’s also the author of the powerful new book “Move Toward the Mess: The Ultimate Fix for a Boring Christian Life” by David Cook publisher. The foreword is by Andy Stanley. Hambrick is speaking out against Christians getting stuck in a rut. It doesn’t matter if your pastor gives boring sermons. It doesn’t matter if the music is dull. Jesus was always in motion. Hambrick writes that if Jesus were boring, the Pharisees would not have killed Him. Hambrick said, in an interview, he coined the phrase “Move Toward the Mess” at his church. Most of the ministries there were already moving toward the mess. He decided he needed to write about the concept. Most Christians would rather stay in their comfort zone, he said. “We started to realize if you want to follow Jesus out into the world … that’s what you’ve got to do. There first mess that God starts to move toward is mine. I struggle with things. fMy life is sometimes messy, relationally and spiritually. I think there’s a side to all of us that would prefer to stay in our comfort places.” One of his favorite stories in the book follows the life of a couple named Leroy and Janelle, who are famous in Atlanta for “Hot Dogs and Prayer.” In December 2005 they moved to the Capitol View area of Atlanta. They hoped to flip a house. Then the economy tanked. The neighborhood got worse. The couple decided to do something for God’s Kingdom. They picked the worst area in the neighborhood — a corner with a brothel, crack house and halfway house — and set up a weekly ministry called “Hot Dogs and Prayer.” The couple offered to pray for people who accepted free hot dogs. The drug dealers, prostitutes and other locals laughed at them while accepting hot dogs. Then, slowly, some began to ask for a prayer. The stories that really broke the couple’s hearts, Hambrick said, were from the sex workers, who “without exception were mostly girls who had been molested” at age 6 or earlier. Today, Leroy and Janelle have a ministry called Serenity Steps for those sex workers. “They’re having a significant impact,” Hambrick said. You don’t have to move to the inner-city to make a difference. So Hambrick asks people, “What would it look like to move toward the mess in your context? “Move Toward the Mess” has discussion questions that would make it great for small groups or individual study. The book is available from major booksellers. More information is at http://www.johnhambrick.net.

A Messy, Exciting Faith

The widow of NFL center Grant Feasel is sharing her family’s story to help warn others about the dangers of sports-related concussions. Cyndy Feasel lost her husband Grant in 2012 to cirrohsis of the liver due to alcoholism, which was connected to a degenerative brain disease called CTE. The CTE in turn was caused by a lifetime of receiving concussions from playing football. Cyndy shares her story in a book by Nelson Books titled “After the Cheering Stops: An NFL Wife’s Story of Concussions, Loss, and the Faith That Saw Her Through.” The couple, which had three children, divorced about a year before Grant’s death, ending 29 years of marriage. They made peace shortly before his death. “If I’d only known that what I loved the most would end up killing me and taking away everything I loved, I would have never done it,” Grant told Cyndy weeks before his death. Cyndy calls Grant’s issues a “slow fade.” She did not realize the extent of his brain injuries until his death; CTE can only be diagnosed by performing an autopsy on the brain, she said. The damage happened over the course of his lifetime of playing football. To understand their marriage, you have to start at the beginning of their relationship, she told me. They met while attending Abilene Christian University — he was a Southern California guy on a full football scholarship and she was a Texas gal. Their first date was a blind date, but she had already seen him around campus. At 6 feet, 7 inches, he was the tallest man she had ever met — and handsome. The two Christians had a great deal in common. “I knew he was a different kind of guy,” Cyndy said. “A beautiful mind.” Grant loved poetry, music and art. She had never known another guy on a first date to be into those things. Grant was a gifted football player — and extremely intelligent. He won every academic award and was an academic All-American. He was accepted into every dental school in Texas but chose to put off a medical or dental education to play football. He was drafted by the Colts. “We were kids in our early 20s,” she said. “One percent of people in the world would get a chance like this. Who wouldn’t take it, right?” Cyndy calls those the good years. They traveled a lot and met lots of people. Grant worked hard and she was a stay-at-home wife. However, even before then, she worried about the physical toll the game took on Grant. He had a concussion in his senior year of college. He blew it off. That served as a red flag to Cyndy, whose sister had fractured her skull in a serious fall. But people didn’t really talk about concussions at the time. Grant would later suffer another serious concussion within the last five years of his NFL career during a game at Mile High Stadium in Denver. He went back into that game despite experiencing tunnel vision. Other symptoms included nausea and head pain. However, there was no sports concussion protocol in the 1980s and 1990s. I asked Cyndy if pro sports organizations are doing better about dealing with concussions. “I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of how big this picture is,” she said in response. Grant played football from age 8. “I think they’re talking about it more and there’s more awareness. But parents and people cheering the NFL games … I don’t think everybody understands the visual the brain is like gray Jello. I never dreamed the brain is made out of a soft substance like butter. If I had known that, I would have begged Grant on bended knees not to play.” Grant’s brain was “jiggled” around in every play every day from age 8 to age 32. “I think the NFL knows it and I think they know there’s a huge problem,” she said. “I think it’s all driven by money. It’s like a gladiator game, and I think we forget that it’s a human face.” Cyndy said she posts frequently on her Facebook author page about the dangers of concussions. “We’re cheering and clapping and giving people money and it ends up killing our loved ones.” She calls her marriage a “tragic love story” similar to Romeo and Juliet. She and Grant drifted apart. Cyndy also says that Grant’s condition was a “slow fade.” She thought he was simply fighting drug and alcohol addictions, which is why he started making irrational decisions like continuing to play after nearly dying of a serious staph infection. Even though he had a port that allowed antibiotics to be delivered to his heart, Grant continued to play football. “I remember the look in his eyes” when he said he would not retire, she said. “I think that’s when a huge decision was made that was not realistic. He knew. He wanted to be a doctor. It shows he had lost his reasoning ability.” After that, Grant began bringing in bags of unmarked pills and drinking liquor with sodas. Candy later learned that sleeplessness and alcoholism are signs of CTE. The night that he did retire, Grant drank an entire bottle of whiskey of a leading brand. “He loved our family and he loved me. But … he had a constant drive.” That night he gave Cyndy an expensive ring as a gift — the same exact ring he had given her two years prior, and he did not remember when she reminded him. Cyndy began finding bottles of alcohol hidden in his clothes at home. She wishes now that she had chosen one person in whom to confide, but she says she was a co-dependent bent on not sharing her marriage’s problems. “Please tell one person” if you are going through a similar problem, she urged. That person can be a lifeline to get you help somewhere. Grant always had ongoing prescriptions for pain killers for various hurts but only had one surgery, to fix a broken nose. He never had knee replacement or had his hurt back fixed. Cyndy said she always believed her old Grant, her children’s father, would return. He never did. She said she did not know about the CTE for sure until after his brain was examined after death. Toward the end of his life, he had begun to suspect he had CTE like certain other athletes who had been diagnosed with it. That’s when he said he would never have played football if he had known it would kill him. There are four stages of CTE. Grant had Stage 3, Cyndy said. She said she considered suicide after Grant’s death. Her faith, and her family and Christian family, have carried her through with their unconditional love. God is her answer. “I wouldn’t be here without my faith,” she said. Christian therapy and a church support group have also helped. “If you’re going through anything like this you can’t do it alone.” She said she was a “terrible co-dependent” and pretended she had a perfect life. “I believe in the Bible,” she said. “I believe that God knew everything about me before I was born and knew about Grant.” She believes Grant is in Heaven saying “You go girl!” about her sharing her family’s story. She and Grant reconciled at the end. But before that, “we ended when I was mad, sad and angry. It was a very tragic ending.” Forgiving one another before Grant’s death was the only way she has been able to carry on, she said. Cyndy said she is honoring her husband’s legacy by sharing his story. More information about Cyndy and her story is at afterthecheeringstops.com and cyndyfeasel.com. Look up her name on Facebook for her author page. She has resources for people to learn more about CTE and brain research. She belongs to a group called Save Your Brain for family of CTE victims. She did not have that resource when going through Grant’s health struggles. She also recommends looking up CTE on the Mayo Clinic and Centers for Disease Control websites. “This is a disease that affects not only NFL athletes but children,” she said. — Jason Reynolds

NFL WIDOW FEASEL ON CONCUSSIONS

Pastor Lucas Miles is in the early stages of producing a historical documentary of Nimrod, a person from the ancient world who is mysterious but very relevant to people today. The Book of Genesis says Nimrod was responsible for building the Tower of Babel. Jewish tradition backs this up, Miles said. Nimrod also was responsible for the creation of Ninevah and Babylon. The word “Nimrod” means something like “We will rebel.” Miles said he believes “Nimrod” was more of a title than a real name, but he does believe this was an actual person. Jewish tradition believes the Tower of Babel was not only a tall building but a revolt against the flood of Noah’s Ark. The builders believed that the building would protect them if God sent another flood; however, God had promised not to do another worldwide flood. “This was a group who did not trust God,” Miles said. Nimrod also is connected to the ancient Greek and Egyptian religions as well as freemasonry and even Islam. It is believed that Nimrod’s body was cut into pieces and spread throughout the land. Legends about his life sprang up in different cultures such as Babylon, Ninevah and even among the Philistines. His legend was turned into a “god,” possibly including the Egyptian sun god and Horace. He may have been connected to Apollo or Zeus, Miles said. “Almost every ancient people group has a story that relates to Nimrod,” he said. “He was a vile guy, one of the first dictators, one of the first socialist dictators in how he constructed the cities.” Nimrod is even connected to Baal, the false god who plagued the Israelites in the Old Testament. That could be because Nimrod is credited, in some legends, as having slaughtered an ox or bull, which is connected with that false god. That legend says that when Nimrod died, he became a giant bull. One form of Baal’s name had Allah in it, Miles said. The early roots of Islam are not spoken of within their religion now, but it is connected with Baal/Nimrod, he said. “Nimrod was the first type of anti-Christ,” he said “We’re tracing this, bringing in experts,” he said. There will be re-enactments like you would see on the History Channel. There is no distributor yet, but the ones he has spoken to have given good feedback, he said. The filmmakers hope the audience will draw their own conclusions “and evaluate their own lives and what they’re putting their trust in,” he said. He hopes they can grow a deeper relationship with God. Miles recently returned from Africa where his film team shot a documentary for the Oasis Network for Churches in Kenya. Miles is the author of the book “Good God,” which shows how God can be good in the midst of a sin-sick world. Free study guides are available for the book. Contact Miles’ team on social media or by email or online: info@oasisgranger.com or GodGoodthebook.com — Jason Reynolds

Nimrod Rebels Against God

Lucas Miles seeks God in church, in movies and in books. Lucas produced the movie “Rodeo Girl” with Kevin Sorbo and is producing a new film, “Crowning Jules,” which is in the works. A 2017 release date is likely as the producer is hunting for a distributor as of September 2016. “Crowning Jules” is a teenager adventure comedy along the lines of “Ferris Buelller’s Day Off” meets a non-Christmas version of “Home Alone” meets something from the teen years of the Olsen twins, Miles told me. But with a family friendly theme. It’s a story of two sisters who had drifted apart with the loss of their mother. They journey together to Boston for a beauty pageant and rekindle their bond.crowning_jules The sisters are played by real life twin sisters Elizabeth and Jacqueline Labadie. “They do finish each other’s sentences” in real life, Miles said. The Labadie sisters just graduated high school recently and have moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers. They have recently appeared on ABC’s “The Middle” sitcom in guest starring roles as college students at the school where the main female lead attends. “We’re crossing our fingers hoping that can become more of a recurring role,” Miles said. The sisters have done several other projects, including a small part in “Rodeo Girls.” “Crowning Jules” also stars Kevin Farley, brother of the late Chris Farley, and, for fanboys everywhere, Kristy Swanson of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame. Swanson plays a “super villain” much like Cruella Deville. Miles, the producer of “Crowning Jules,” said he recently saw a cut of the film and it looks good so far in post-production. He plans to hunt for a distributor in November 2016 at the American Film Market show in Los Angeles. The process of finding a distributor can be complicated, but attending various film festivals is a good way to market a film, he said. Miles is pastor of Oasis Church in Granger, Indiana and the principal and founder of Miles Media, Inc., a film production company. He also is author of the book “Good God,” a title that talks about how a good God is sovereign in the midst of a sin-sick world. My previous story on the book is here. A free study guide is available for "Good God" by contacting Miles' team at info@oasisgranger.com or GodGoodthebook.com. Miles said he became involved in films after dabbling previously in music management for a Christian recording artist. He filmed videos and films as a student. He said he believes that Christians can and should have influence in the film business.  “D.C. and LA are two of the most influential places in the world. I really believe that the church should have influence in both of those places, and we really need to be praying for opportunities for influence.” — Jason Reynolds

Crowning Jules, Entertaining Teens

Spiritual warfare is real. This story is about a fictional take on spiritual warfare. Julie Hall is the author of the “Life After” trilogy. Book One, “Huntress,” was released in Nov. 2015. Book Two, “Warfare,” will be released in fall 2016. Hall, who used to work in youth ministry, said her series is in the young adult fiction category and should appeal to both the Christian and secular markets. The series draws upon biblical themes but is not a biblical description of Heaven, Hall told me. “Life After” follows the adventures of Audrey. “Huntress” focuses on Audrey’s death, which is only the beginning of her adventures. God gives her the assignment to go into training to learn how to fight the devil and demons. Audrey makes mistakes along the way, which a person in Heaven would not do. Each book in the trilogy focuses on Audrey’s interaction with each of the three identities of God in the Trinity: Book One focuses on God the Father; Book Two, The Holy Spirit; and Book Three, Jesus. “Huntress” is full of action, adventure and romance, Hall said. Audrey must face her doubts about God’s love. That is something that many people, especially teens, go through, she said. Hall said that she had the most trouble in writing the theological aspects of “Huntress.” She wanted to write a story that would appeal to both Christians and non-Christians. She said she did have doubts, however, about the books cross-over appeal to both markets. She thought the Christians who read the book early would hate it for not being truly biblical. She thought non-Christians would feel they were being preached at. She gave copies to Christians and non-Christians to endorse and was pleasantly surprised by the positive responses. “The Christians understood it is a work of fiction and that I took creative license,” she said. Hall said that Audrey’s relationship with God and her struggles with her faith is built on biblical truth. Meanwhile, non-Christians will enjoy the book’s action and fast pace and not feel like “I’m trying to shove Christianity down their throats.” Hall said she wants her readers to take away the message that God cares about them and He does have a plan and purpose for their lives, even when they do not understand His plan. “God is still there and God is still good. And that’s really what my protagonist struggles with, just feeling like she’s been forgotten or that God doesn’t understand her or God doesn’t know her. God is in control. And you can count on that and you can hang on to that when it feels like life is spiraling out of control.” While she struggled with the theological issues, Hall said she thoroughly enjoyed writing the action sequences. She and her husband even took sword fighting classes together so she could write about that topic more accurately. (Hall is no stranger to an active lifestyle: She took kickboxing classes for years.) Hall said one purpose in writing “”Huntress” is that she feels the young adult selection for Christians is lacking in quantity. The young adult fiction market in the secular world has exploded over the past decade. Christians need to champion the faith-based young adult fiction books that are out there — they need to look for them and support them. Hall is doing her part in that. “Warfare” is in the editing stages. She is focusing on writing Book Three. In “Warfare,” God will tell Audrey to stay in Heaven even while the devil attacks her family on earth. Audrey goes against God’s command to try to protect her family, and she must deal with the consequences of her disobedience. This podcast also features Hall's comments on her and her husband's adoption of a girl from Ethiopia as well as her battle with Lyme Disease. More information on Hall and her “Life After” trilogy is at http://www.juliehallauthor.com/. — Jason Reynolds

Young Adult Take on Spiritual Warfare

Christian lead singer Chad Mattson is celebrating 13 years of sobriety with the new album “Follow Through” with the band Unspoken. “Follow Through,” from Centricity Music, will be available Aug. 26, 2016. (Editor's note: All commercial music in my podcasts is used by permission of the artist who created it or representatives of the artist. I use limited clip lengths. I respect artists' copyrights.) Unspoken bandUnspoken formed out of Chad’s quest for sobriety, he told me during a recent interview. His life turned around on a “self-made” missions trip to the Dominican Republic to get sober. That’s where he met guitarist Mike Gomez. The Lord led them to return to the States to preach and use music as a tool. This record is “getting back to the first love that we had,” Chad said. Believers get busy and “tend not to finish it as strong as we started.” The album is a call to return to Jesus as your first love. Unspoken is also composed of original band member Ariel Munoz, a drummer from Puerto Rico, said Chad, who is from Maine. They recently picked up a new member, a keyboard player from Bristol, Tennessee. The band members did not want “Follow Through” to be a repeat of their first album, although it does have diverse styles like before. Chad described “Follow Through” as a lot of fun, upbeat with lots of victory while also featuring struggles and perseverance. Those are themes that everyone can relate to and be encouraged by, he said. One title, “Life In the Death Of Me,” is like an autobiographical song of where Chad was at one time. Chad described it as soulful, hooky, hip-hop influenced. He calls it “my story,” and more. “It’s all of our stories,” he said. “Jesus said that if a man wants to find his life, he has to lose it first. And if he wants to keep his life, he will lose it. This is really about finding life in Jesus Christ as we die to ourselves.” He calls it real. The song talks about him waking from a dream and seeing his name on a headstone. Addiction was leading him in that direction, but the Lord “changed it all around.” Another title, “The Cure,” describes Chad’s knowledge of what it means to be broken and to seek a remedy. “I came out of the drug culture,” he said in a press release. “From what I can tell it’s even worse now than it was when I was in it. We’re all looking for some kind of answers, some kind of fulfillment. That’s been the state of humanity for thousands of years. But the good news is, there’s something to fill that hunger. There’s something to heal that pain. There is a cure, and it’s Jesus.” Chad never dreamed of being a musician until he was saved. He learned God is not looking for our skills but for people who make themselves available to him, and when we do, He gives us abilities (or gifts). That's good, he said, since he wanted to play basketball but "was too short." Jon Lowry, the bass player, said in a press release, that there is more praise and thanksgiving on “Follow Through.” The album’s first single, “Higher, expresses that sentiment. A soulful celebration that the band collectively wrote around an inspiring horn riff, the song is an unconventional praise song, the press release states. More information about Unspoken is at http://unspokenmusic.com/site. You can learn about tour dates, buy their music and more. The album is also available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. — Jason Reynolds

Unspoken Singer Speaks on Sobriety

To simply call Dave Richardson Jr.’s new book, “Transparent,” an apologetics book would be an easy way to ignore what is underneath the surface of its powerful new look at why you believe the way you do. Everyone makes assumptions. “Those assumptions are the things that drive us and control us every day,” Richardson told me. “It’s like an autopilot in our head.” I interviewed Richardson during the International Christian Retail Show. He was there to promote his book, “Transparent: How to See Through the Powerful Assumptions That Control You.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Portland, a master’s degree in theological studies from the International School of Theology and a MTh. in applied theology from the University of Oxford. He worked with Campus Crusade for Christ (or Cru) for 30 years, spending most of his time with professors. The premise of “Transparent” came about from Richardson’s 20 years’ work with university and college professors, helping them connect faith with what they do. He researched how people come to faith and why some abandon it. He said that many Christians’ assumptions are not biblical. While God is big in many people’s lives and they may have a good prayer life, the average person rarely asks, “How does God inform what you do at work?” “They couldn’t tell you,” he said. “How does God make a difference in your work? Because He actually gives you knowledge about what you do.” He recalled attending a conference about 15 years ago in which the late philosopher Dallas Willard was speaking to professors. Willard asked them who the smartest person was in their fields. He said if it was anyone other than Jesus Christ, they had named the wrong person. “If Jesus does not contribute to knowledge in your field, then why does He contribute knowledge in your personal life?” Christian professors go to class and teach the same way that atheists do, even at Christian universities, Richardson said. Richardson is challenging assumptions at numerous levels, beyond the book. He said he is starting up a new foundation, The Assumptions Institute. According to its website (theassumptionsinstitute.org), it “is at the forefront of helping families and churches reduce the number of Christian youth leaving their faith. Understanding assumptions can help us change people's lives.” One of his tools is an app that helps parents walk through assumptions with their kids. Say the parent and child are watching a movie. The parent can take the app and in a few steps walk through the movie’s assumptions with the child. Why is that important? Research shows that 60 percent to 75 percent of children raised within the church or a ministry will leave in their 20s, and very few will return, Richardson said. “I know why it happens and I know when it happens and it’s not in the university and it’s not in the high school,” he said. “It starts in the kindergarten. And it starts with the basic assumptions we teach our young kids. And it’s really the church that pushes the kids out the door. And they don’t even realize what’s going on.” The app (Critical Assumptions Test) is made for everyone, not just parents, but also for professors. Parents can use the app to prepare their children for the day they go off to university or career. “When the world comes at them with all these wild crazy things, they’ll be able to discern quickly whether it’s true or whether it’s not so they’ll accept it or reject it and how that all relates back to their faith in Christ,” he said. The book is available on Amazon. It will be available from major book stores Aug. 16, the date the app launches online. Richardson has three websites for more information: theassumptionsinstitute.org thetransparentbook.com daverichardson.org

Assumptions Drive Everything You Do

“Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer: Survival in Canaan” is a fascinating title for a fascinating book. The historical fiction novel is told from the point of view of a 12-year-old shepherd boy, Keshub, in the land of Canaan during the period where Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land. Keshub is a Gibeonite, a people who lived in the Promised Land before Israel claimed the territory that God had promised them. The author is Peggy Miracle Consolver, a Sunday School teacher of 35 years’ experience. Keshub tended his flocks and dreamt of having adventures beyond his valley. The shepherd, a potter’s apprentice, found adventure as the Hebrews approach his land and he helped hide the Amorite king’s son. He became a spy to keep watch over the Hewbrews. The book’s description reads, “True to scripture and authenticated by archeological research, this tale of God’s grace puts flesh and blood on the enigmatic Gibeonites who make a treaty with Joshua. ‘Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer’ looks at Joshua’s story from a new point of view. In the end, Keshub becomes a major player in the life of the leader of the Hebrews.” I interviewed Consolver at the International Christian Retail Show. She said she came up with the story after Joshua 9 and 10 kept catching her eye. The Gibeonites responded to the Hebrews differently from every other people in Canaan. “I constructed a family and gave them a faith element,” Consolver said. “All that part is fiction. But they did what they did for some reason. Something they were seeking, the true God.” She was intrigued by why the Gibeonites approached Joshua in humility and basically said “We are your servants.” “They said that because ‘We see what your God does for you,’” She said. “That tells me there is a heart attitude there for seeking God.” Consolver said her research included taking a class in Old Testament pottery and going on an archaelogical dig in Israel. The book will be available Sept. 1 from major retailers and Amazon. Her website is PeggyConsolver.com. —Jason Reynolds

Shepherd, Spy, Birth of Israel

Carol McLeod, a Christian radio personality, invites women to experience exuberant joy and hope with God through her new weekly devotional titled “Joy for All Seasons.” McLeod is a public speaker and prolific radio and podcast personality in addition to writing books and more. Her program “Defiant Joy! Radio with Carol McLeod” is found on Sirius XM’s Family Talk 131 from Monday-Friday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern as well as several local radio stations. She describes the radio show as Bible teaching to encourage people. She has a podcast available on her website at JustJoyMinistries.com/podcast. On the Charisma Podcast Network she is part of the Spirit Led Woman Broadcast, and she has a daily podcast. Her other projects include writing devotionals for the Youversion Bible app. In her new book “Joy for All Seasons,” available Sept. 1, 2016, McLeod says she provides a weekly summons into God’s presence complete with rich experiences. The book includes Bible verses to consider and questions to ponder. It is perfect for a personal devotional handbook or for group discussion. This is a “once-in-a-lifetime” book that will be read and re-read year after year after year. I interviewed McLeod at the International Christian Retail Show in Cincinnati in June 2016. “I’ve always wanted to do a devotional,” she said. “I think it’s a great tool to give to people. You give them a book and they think ‘I got to read this whole book.’ A devotional … ‘it’s like taking a daily vitamin. I can read one a week. I can do this.’” The 52 devotionals take you around the calendar year. It takes you through the “seasons” of a woman’s life, from career women to young wives to widows. The book is good for Bible study and Sunday School groups. McLeod has three daughters-in-law and two daughters. Every Christmas she buys them all the same devotional book. They live thousands of miles apart “and it binds our hearts together. The girls will text each other and say ‘Did you read what it said today?’” Each week’s theme will be different, from hope to peace to worry to getting through a hard situation to relationships. Every chapter has questions and Bible verses. There are graphics, illustrations and pages to write on, making it a devotional journal. Although she has five children and seven grandchildren now, McLeod thought she would never have such a large family: She had five miscarriages while taking fertility treatments. “I was unbelievably depressed. I lived in that black hole. My hormones were out of control. My heart and my arms were empty.” How did she escape that hopelessness? An “addiction” to the Bible. “The bible delivered me from that dark place.” She carried the Bible around the house while doing chores. She wrote verses on cards and laminated them so she could take them into the shower. Thinking she could not get pregnant anymore, during the time between Christmas and New Year’s one year, she was watching a Christian program on TV. A pastor and his wife were on. The wife spoke to the camera and said there was a pastor’s wife was watching (McLeod’s husband was a pastor) who had suffered repeated miscarriages and she was pregnant. The wife on TV said “Walk in faith, not in fear, because this one’s going to stick.” McLeod gave birth soon after. She wanted another child and went back on fertility drugs. The doctor convinced her to end the treatments about nine months later. The following month she got pregnant on her own. That child was named Joy. Four years later McLeod gave birth to Joanie. She thought she had the flu at first because she “knew” she could not get pregnant again. It took 4.5 months to learn she was pregnant. “That’s why I have the passion to help women walk through their circumstances with the joy that is only found in Jesus.” She tells women she cannot change their circumstances but she can help them process their circumstances. She tells young mothers that how they raise their children is more important than who the next president will be. We need to vote and educate, “but the way we do life on a daily basis is very important. We all must live in His (God’s) honor.” —Jason Reynolds

DEVOTIONAL BRINGS JOYFUL NEWS TO WOMEN

What’s in a name? A lot, when you are talking about the Creator of the universe. Children’s author Diane Stortz wants to help children better understand some of God’s names — 40 of His names, to be exact. Stortz’s publisher, Tommy Nelson (an imprint of Thomas Nelson), has released her new book titled “I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God.” This is her third Bible story book. The book takes 40 of God’s names or descriptive titles from Genesis to Revelation and tells a story behind each, she said during an interview at the International Christian Retail Show. Each story can help a child get to know God better. “When you know someone better, you’re generally closer to them.” In addition to providing the story behind each name, Stortz’s book provides the Hebrew or Greek word, the pronunciation of the Hebrew and the Bible verse that mentions the name. (Jehovah Tsuri: the God who helps me and Jehovah Rophe: the God who heals me are two examples.) Stortz is an author and former editorial director whose heart’s desire is to “tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord" (Psalm 78:4). Diane's books include “Words to Dream On,” “The Sweetest Story Bible,” and “A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year.” Diane and her husband reside in Cincinnati, and have two married daughters. Diane enjoys walking, gardening, and visiting her four young grandsons. Her next book that will be released is “Baby, Baby.” It is a board book with rhyming poems about things babies do. Her website is http://www.dianestortz.com. I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God By: Diane Stortz Thomas Nelson Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780529120663 Price: $16.99 —Jason Reynolds

40 Reasons Kids Can Trust God

Baptist preacher Kent Philpott has a heart for sharing the Gospel with his Muslim neighbors. And he is ready to help you share the Good News as well with his second-edition book titled, “If Allah Wills.” Philpott, pastor of evangelical churches for 45 years, former leader in the Jesus People Movement in San Francisco, has been writing about Islam since 2001. Since 1984 he has worked as pastor of Miller Avenue Baptist Church in Mill Valley, California. He was a long-time baseball coach for high schools and San Quentin State Prison. Philpott is the director of Earthen Vessel Publishing and author of numerous books. “If Allah Wills” has 15 chapters, seven appeals (asking Muslim readers to consider and reflect on a point), seven contrasts (asking Muslim readers to compare and contrast point of theology), and one appeal and contrast that essentially is asking Muslim readers to think critically about Islam. Philpott does not condemn Muslims or attack the tenets of Islam or the prophet Muhammad but reaches out with care and concern with an offer of the love and grace of Jesus. I interviewed Philpott in June 2016 at the International Christian Retail Show in Cincinnati. “I’ve always had an interest in Islam since 2001. Like many people I was angry at Muslim people, fearful and wondering what’s going on. For reasons I can’t explain I feel like God gave me a love for Muslim people.” Philpott said his town holds the Muslim Center of Mill Valley. He began to reach out to the center’s congregation after he held an Islamic study class at his church. During that process, God changed his heart. He saw Islam as a dangerous religion, but instead of making him judgmental, he wanted to reach out to Muslims. He invited a Sunni imam from the mosque to speak to his church, then did the same with a Shia imam, an Afghani living in the East Bay. Philpott said he studied what the imams said. He conducted research on Islam using non-Christian materials so his research would not carry a Christian bias. “I was afraid of that,” he said. “I had it in myself.” His research brought him to such topics as Muslims who had become atheists or Sufis , such as reformer Ayaan Hirsi Ali. “My interest was reaching them with the Gospel,” Philpott said. Muslims have a high regard for Jesus, but they consider him a prophet who will return on the day of judgment; Muslims deny the cross. “If Allah Wills” is 116 pages; Philpott said he tried to keep it under 100 to keep the price low to help people buy it. The book is written to help Christians understand Islam and how to approach Muslims with the Gospel. The book invites Muslims to examine what they believe. It does not attack them. The last chapter tells who Jesus is and goes through the seven “I am” statements Jesus made in the chapter of John in the Bible. Philpott said he has a heart for Muslims, whom he said are stuck in their religion. It was only when he visited the mosque that he learned how “absolutely obsessive it becomes. To be a faithful Muslim you have to be an obsessive compulsive individual. I’m a little bit that way myself. I can see how these people are really trapped in it. It’s the ablutions, the washings, that are so consuming.” Before praying in the mosque, Muslims must to go a room that is set aside for washing. They wash their hands up to the elbows and the feet up to the ankles. They wash the nose three times up to the base of the skull and then inhale because, Muslims believe, the jinn (supernatural creatures) come up into them through the nose, so you have to expel them to be pure before praying. “It’s all-consuming. It’s far more than Christianity in what it’s demanding of you.” Some Muslims become Sufis to try to reform the religion. (Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam.) To leave Islam is to lose all your identity, Philpott said. Philpott said he has spoken the last couple of years with a number of ex-Muslims who became Christians after seeing Jesus in visions or dreams. “It takes that for them to convert, and even still they have a difficult time. (Helping guide) Muslims is not easy. Their view of the Bible has been distorted.” They have learned defenses against the Bible since an early age in school. “These are the most spiritual people,” he said. “These people want to know God and serve God.” “If Allah Wills” is available on Amazon and on Philpott’s website, evpbooks.com. He and his wife Katie own Earthen Vessel Publishing. On evpbooks.com, use code friendofEVP to save 20 percent on “If Allah Wills,” normally a $7.95 cover price.

If Allah Wills-Christians and Muslims Sharing Dialogue

Dr. James Goll of Franklin, Tennessee is president of Encounters Network, an international outreach ministry. He has written 35 books, including his latest, Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today, which is the topic of this column. The book is published by Whitaker House publishers and is in the Christianity/Pentecostal & Charismatic categories. I like how his book is readable. While it covers deep theological matters, it is approachable for the average reader; one does not have to be a seminary student. The word “today” in the title Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today is important, Goll told me during an interview in June at the International Christian Retail Show. Goll said he first wrote the book and called it Releasing Spiritual Gifts. However, “It seemed flat.” He prayed and the word “‘today’ was just alive in me. And I go, ‘Oh my goodness. I have to rewrite this book.’ So in a three-day period I go through and I rewrote the book. And I brought in a lot more storyline, and I updated it with a ‘now tense’ which makes it more enjoyable reading as well as scripturally grounded.” Addressing spiritual gifts, Goll said, “I don’t believe spiritual gifts are limited to an elite group.” Galatians talks about such gifts as love, peace, patience and self control. If those are available to every believer, and Goll believes they are, then why aren’t the gifts of the Holy Spirit available to every Christian? They are, he said. “The Holy Spirit Himself, He is a gift of the Father and the Son.” Jesus said He would leave but send a helper. That helper is the Holy Spirit. Goll said he tries to weave together certain strands of truth every time he speaks or writes. First, it is biblically grounded. Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today has over 200 scriptural references. Second is precedence in Jewish and church history. He will give examples of a particular gift of the Holy Spirit as modeled in the life of Charles Spurgeon, for example. He also gives examples of people who are using the Holy Spirit's gifts today. Goll said another point to consider with gifts is that you do not only receive them, but you should release them, or share them. “A lot of people receive, but they leave their hands in their pockets. Jesus said you shall lay hands upon the sick” to heal. “As you sow you reap.” In other words, your gifts will be multiplied, he said, if you use the gifts you already have. “The more you give of what God has given to you there will be a multiplication.” In one chapter he lists out every single gift of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible. His book talks about how people elevate some gifts above others. However, having one particular gift does not make a person a “super Christian.” Being faithful to your gift brings increase. Goll said he also encourages people not to place their identifies in their gifts, which can change over time, but to place their identity in Christ alone. There is much more in the book, but I willl not give it all away. For more information on Goll, go to jamesgoll.com or encountersnetwork.com. The book is available on Amazon or WhitakerHouse.com.

Work with the Holy Spirit

Jason Reynolds is a journalist, blogger and podcaster who interviews Christian authors, musicians, actors and other creatives. A good cup of coffee will make his day.

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Followers of the Cross

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